IMPHAL, Nov 23: A large number of stall owners have withdrawn their participation and returned their approval orders for setting up shops inside the Sangai festival venue at Lamboi Khongnangkhong, just a few days after the festival began.
Speaking exclusively to The Sangai Express, a woman stall owner said that she applied for a premium stall, which assured a bigger space and a proper display for her products, but the authority concerned provided her with a relatively smaller stall.
She said that giving such small spaces to the people who applied for premium stalls is akin to cheating by the Department concerned as well as the State Government.
The woman continued that disappointed with the allotment of small spaces, most of the stall owners who booked premium stalls have already withdrawn from the festival at Lamboi Khongnangkhong venue.
She also explained that yesterday she appealed to the authority concerned to have her name withdrawn from the list of shop owners and to return the deposit money for the stall but there has not been any reply from the authority concerned for returning the deposit money.
The woman claimed that she has been setting up stalls at Sangai festival venue for the last two years but this year’s festival is one of the most ugliest and unethical as there is no proper communication among the organisers and they make arrangements just for their own self interest and not for the people.
On the other hand, an ugly scene erupted at the venue at around 1.30 pm today after the police personnel deployed inside the festival venue were ordered to vacate some of the newly constructed stalls in the venue which were found occupied by some stall owners. The stalls had been occupied by the said owners before the authority concerned even gave the approval or allotment order.
Source: The Sangai Express
