Local vegetable vendors in Paro pleaded, screamed, and even confronted the officials in an attempt stop them from tearing down temporary sheds, yesterday.
The dzongkhag and municipal officials tore down around 60 temporary sheds at the vegetable market which they said were illegal.
The vendors said they were not given enough time to vacate and now are left with huge stocks of vegetables and nowhere to sell them.
“We have a lot of unsold vegetables left. I made Nu 3,755 on Sunday, and I still have around Nu 18,000 worth of vegetables left. I don’t know what to do now. I couldn’t sell anything today,” said a Vegetable Vendor, Sherab Dorji.
Another vendor, Denkar said they had asked for some time. “They refused. They told us to move immediately.”
Some said they will have to struggle to pay off loans and meet expenses.
“I just got my bill of Nu 12,000. How am I going to pay that off? I am a poor woman,” said another vegetable vendor, Kopi Maya Subba.
The Dzongkhag Administration said they had informed the vendors multiple times, both verbally and in written.
A letter to remove the structures was first sent out in July, this year.
After they did not comply, the dzongkhag then sent them a notice on Friday last week saying they remove the structures.
“We have been giving them notices and informing them all the time because they are all common people,” said Paro’s Dzongrab, Kinley Gyeltshen.
The Dzongrab said the structures are illegal. “The government has built a structure for the vendors to use.”
Kinley Gyeltshen said illegal structures are contributing to waste generation.
“Like in Thimphu, we are now planning to provide the vendors with tokens.” He said the system would allow the vendors to move.
Otherwise, the Drangpon said the vendors start keeping their things in one place permanently and slowly start extending by building illegal structures.
The market would also be closed for a few days for renovation.
