A video recently went viral on social media showing Thimphu Thromde officials seizing and discarding vegetables from vendors at the Kaja Throm parking area. This incident occurred four days after the Thimphu Thromde posted about the strict prohibition of selling products on footpaths and vehicles on their Facebook page. While the thromde is enforcing these rules, vendors are left wondering, “Where can they go?”
After the Thromde officials seized the vegetables and asked the vendors to relocate to other areas, the space in front of Kaja Throm has remained visibly empty for the last two days.
Around noon on Tuesday, Thimphu Thromde officials chased away several vegetable vendors from the Kaja Throm parking area.
Subsequently, the vendors were directed to sell their goods at the truck parking space in Babesa.
Aita Singh Subba, a vegetable vendor said, “We were told to leave the Kaja Throm parking area and go to the Babesa truck parking. However, upon reaching there, we couldn’t find any designated space for us. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock encourages us to grow organic products, but when we do, there is no designated place for us to sell.”
The vendors express disappointment as they lack a designated spot to sell their products.
“This morning few boleros came here to sell their produce but after reaching here they were unable to sell their goods due to the lack of customers and unfavourable conditions caused by the dust. Shortly after, they left the area without making any sales. Currently, I am the only person remaining in the area, but I too will be leaving soon as my cabbage crops are being destroyed by the dust and are unable to be sold,” said Nidup, a vegetable vendor.
Ugyen Dorji, a vegetable vendor said, “Yes, it is right to maintain a clean city, and imposing penalties for violations is justified. However, as farmers, we need a good market to sell our products. If the government offers us a suitable place to sell and we still choose to sell on the footpath, then we should face the consequences of our actions. But penalising us without providing a proper selling counter is unfair.”
Tshering Dorji, a vegetable vendor said, “Last year, I visited Babesa because we were not permitted to sell here at the Kaja Throm parking. When we arrived, there were only two of us, and the place was far from ideal. There was no proper road or cemented area. It was just a plain piece of land. We waited for almost two to three hours, but there were no customers and no other sellers.”
Choden, a farmer said, “When the Thromde officials come to monitor the place, we initially plan to move. However, we notice some other friends not leaving, so we also stay because why should we when others are not? We linger for a while as we have only a limited number of goods, which can even be easily carried on our shoulder.”
“CFM has held meetings several times to address the issue of vegetable vendors selling their produce. Wholesalers like us have been called to the office to discuss the matter, but no proper conclusion has been reached,” said Passang Dorji, a vegetable vendor.
However, the Thimphu Thromde clarified that its main objective is to ensure that all retailers sell their products exclusively within the Centenary Farmers’ Market.
They said that retailers should procure products from wholesalers at the Babesa truck parking area.
The thromde added that vendors engaging in buying and selling at the parking area cause traffic congestion and littering.
According to the thromde, failure to comply with the recent notification will result in fines in accordance with the Waste Prevention and Management Regulation 2012.
For now, unless a solution that takes into consideration the plight of all the stakeholders involved in this never-ending tussle is implemented, it looks like the issue is here to stay.
Sonam Yuden (Interns-Chimi Zangmo, Karma Seldon, Rinchen Wangmo & Sunita Subba)
Edited by Sherub Dorji
