KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 27
Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen Shah, who is famous for his blatant remarks on Facebook, has finally taken to the platform giving elaborate explanations as to why he cannot fulfil the demands of agitating protesters, including Iih, and asked them to end their unhinged stand-still protest.
Activist Iih has been standing still outside City Hall in Bhrikutimandap for the 9th day against KMC's crackdown on street vendors.
They have asked for alternative arrangement for street vendors as promised by the leadership during the elections.
They have asked the municipal police to stop brutality against the street vendors and ensure more compassionate, accountable and proactive governance.
Today evening, Mayor Shah issued a seven-point elaborate explanations on why or how he could not fulfil Iih's demands, including some colourful words about some of the achievements he made as a mayor. Shah asked Iih to end the protest.
In an earlier post, Mayor Shah had accused Iih for being a cadre of some political party or leader and that Iih was not ready to hold talks with him. Today, he dismissed his earlier statement and acknowledged that he was not mobilised or sponsored by any party. Mayor Shah has said that allowing anyone to do business on the street is violation of the rule. He has also asked Iih to follow the rule and not to disrupt anyone who wants to follow the rule. "Doing business on footpath, roads and sidewalk is illegal. We might be sentimental and have excuses about it, but in the eyes of the law it is simply illegal,"
Mayor Shah said. He also ruled out the possibility of allocating certain time or certain place for street vendors to do business since it was not practical and the local government did not own such space. "Had we such spaces, we would have constructed four-room public toilets," he said.
He elaborated the things he had accomplished to improve the living standard of the people living in the metropolis. He further said that he had not forgotten his election promise to become the voice of the voiceless.
Activists have asked Mayor Shah to fulfil the promises he had made before being elected.
In the election manifesto, he had promised to act in favour of the poor, create jobs and help reduce poverty. However, many people are complaining that Mayor Shah is now favouring only his voters and rich persons who are tax payers and dismissing the pleas of the poor.
KMC has long been asking such impoverished people to get a proper rented room to sell their products. But, most of these people lack such kind of investment to start business hiring expensive shutters on the roadside in Kathmandu. Such people are looking forward to street vending as they can make some money to support their families, particularly at a time when Nepal's great festival Dashain is approaching.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 28, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
