The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls upon the government to reopen Centenary Farmer’s Market (CFM) immediately. The closure of the CFM and its replacement in the multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) does not serve to fight the pandemic spread, according to the party. The release says the closure of CFM affected many vendors who are mostly women.
According to the press release, the PDP has remained silent on the government’s closure of the CFM since the government has announced that the move was to fight the COVID-19 spread in the crowded market place. However, the party stated that if the COVID is the reason for closing CFM, the MLCP is not the ideal place to substitute for it. The poor ventilation in the MLCP does not serve to fight the pandemic spread.
As per the press release, the PDP wants the government to reopen CFM based on five grounds.
The party suggests the government spread out the customers in the CFM by increasing the trading days while keeping the market open every day and even keep it open for night shopping. And also as an interim measure, the release suggests reducing the occupancy of the CFM to 50 per cent or even one-third to help maintain the required physical distance enforcing recently established zoning timings for customers.
The party supports the government’s decision to building satellite vegetable markets in various other locations across the city, however, the government is asked to accelerate the pace to ensure that the vendors, most of whom are women, do not lose their livelihoods.
The party says CFM should not be closed even after the satellite vegetable markets are built and some of the vendors move there. “It should remain the primary vegetable market for the city. “Centenary Farmers’ Market (CFM)” is a landmark for Thimphu and an important part of our history – social, economic and cultural and the current structure was built to commemorate the 100 years of Monarchy in Bhutan,” the press release states.
Pema Seldon Tshering
