The 2nd Joint Meeting on Regulation of weekly markets of Papum Pare district

Publish Date : 06/11/2023

Yupia, 3rd November
The 2nd Joint Meeting on Regulation of weekly markets of Papum Pare district was convened on Friday, 3rd November at DC Conference Hall, Yupia in which thorough discussion was made on major issues pertaining to streamlining of business activities of weekly markets and checking gambling activities as well as keeping the surroundings of weekly markets clean.
While chairing the meeting, Shri Cheechung Chukhu, Deputy Commissioner, Papum Pare expressed his concerns over issues arising from weekly markets and said that when we have well established regular markets then there is not much need of weekly markets, particularly in Doimukh which is relatively far developed than other places. He opined that, weekly markets should be for interior villages where people have difficulty in reaching main markets and only local produces should be sold in such markets for promotion of local produces and employment generation for local people. He asked owners of weekly markets to give convincing reasons why the district administration should not discontinue their weekly markets. He further asked EE, UD & Housing to design a modality for collection & disposal of garbage from weekly markets. He also asked District Agriculture Officer-cum-Member Secretary, APMC to organise ‘Melas’ in interior places of the district and allow selling of only local vegetables, fruits and other products for generating employment and promoting local products.
Shri Taru Gusar, IPS, SP Papum Pare told that immediately after the previous meeting, he clearly instructed all the OCs of local police stations to be vigilant and check illegal activities in the weekly markets. He suggested for written assurance from owners of weekly markets for not allowing any kind of gambling activity in their respective markets and if such activity is found then FIR be registered against the owner. He urged local people to cooperate with them and be the eyes and ears of police and help the Administration in making Papum Pare a better place. He expressed his hopefulness that joining of Shri Phassang Simi, one of the senior most and well experienced police officer as OC of Doimukh Police Station will help in checking illegal activities in Doimukh Sub-Division in general and weekly markets of Doimukh in particular.
Smti Tana Yaho, SDO Doimukh said that weekly markets in Doimukh area are causing more harms than benefits. Mentioning the menaces of gambling activities, traffic and garbage issues, she said the owners should be able to keep check and balance but the situation in Doimukh looks out of control giving extra burden on Administration and Police.
Shri Tai Arun, Trade Development Officer, Papum Pare district has opined for continuation of weekly markets and informed that apart from income to its owner and revenue to the government, weekly markets provide various daily used essential commodities at reasonable prices to local people and also give opportunities for selling of local products, however needful measures are to be undertaken for checking the illegal activities and ensuring cleanliness of the surroundings. He also suggested for bringing down the number of weekly markets to a sustainable level and banning of opening of new weekly markets in Doimukh area.
Shri Gollo Lento, President, All Papum Pare District Student Union (APPDSU) strongly reiterated against playing of gambling particularly housies in the weekly markets and in the district in the name of festivals, welfare of clans etc. and appealed to the District Administration to completely ban it and perpetrators be given exemplary punishments. He informed that his executive members are ready to cooperate Magistrate and Police for surprise checking in doubtful places. Regarding discontinuation of weekly markets, he said he can not say on this because it is a matter of livelihoods of many.
Shri Taha Naga, Chairman, Doimukh Bazar Committee said that weekly markets are not benefitting local shopkeepers but outsiders, particularly those coming from Assam and migrants. He expressed his concerns over violation of food safety norms, leakage of revenue, smuggling of drugs etc in the weekly markets and asked the Administration to reduce the number of weekly markets in Doimukh area to a sustainable level. He informed that currently Six (06) weekly markets are running in Doimukh area alone.
Dr. Marchina Boria, i/c ADC, Balijan and Shri Bekir Nyorak, ADC, Kimin have informed that their weekly markets are small, so they are under control of the Administration and so far no complaints have been reported from local people. Shri Maze Piel, District Agriculture Officer and Shri Teri Tanya, EE, UD & Housing also spoke.
Owners of weekly markets who have attended the meeting also spoke and requested the District Administration to not to ban their markets. They have unanimously agreed to cooperate with the Administration in total banning of gambling activities, traffic management, food safety guidelines and keeping their surroundings clean.
Lastly, after a lengthy discussion with all the stakeholders, the District Administration has agreed not to ban the functioning of weekly markets but has come to the conclusion as follows:
1. Total banning of all forms of gambling activities in the weekly markets.
2. Keeping a data base including ILP of sellers from outside the state. All the weekly market owners to give details of sellers coming from outside the state to Local Administrator and OC of local Police Station a day before weekly market.
3. Every stall selling food items like, fast food, ice cream, channa badam, pani puri etc must possess food safety license from FSSAI.
4.Trade Development Officer to do the fee fixation of weekly markets on the basis of number of trade items so that revenue leakage is checked.
5. Owners of weekly markets to cooperate with the Dept. of UD & Housing and deposit a nominal fee for garbage collection and disposal.
6. Mandatorily depute at least Two (02) volunteers for traffic management in the weekly markets by respective owners.
7. Enforcement of a one month ‘Rest Period’ starting from Monday, 13th November 2023. During this period all the weekly market owners have to cooperate with the District Administration and District Police and fulfil the above-mentioned criteria for streamlining the weekly markets. During this one month ‘Rest Period’, only local people are allowed to sell their local products in the weekly markets and as an incentive, those owners who fulfil all the set criteria may start their markets even before completion of one month period.