Tihar bonanza for Valley

Kathmandu, October 27:

The vendors, evicted from the footpaths by the Home Ministry, have been relocated to different parts in the Kathmandu Valley temporarily for Tihar.

According to Shiva Kattel, member of Informal Sector Service Providers (ISSP) management committee, 1,200 ISSPs were permitted to run shops at Khulamanch, 700 at Lagankhel, and some 200 at Kalanki.

He said some 1,500 street vendors, who had been operating businesses at Bhrikuti Mandap, have not been permitted to run shops on footpaths.

Kattel said the Federation of National Industries and Commerce (FNIC) appealed to all the people to suggest the committee on alternatives to manage street vendors. The ISSP management committee would also hold discussions with the stakeholders to find out the best alternative.

The ISSP management committee, headed by Keshav Sthapit, includes Shiva Kattel and Krishna Timalsina of a Maoist-affiliated organisation and Narayan Neupane and Maya Gurung of UML-affiliated organisation as members.

The committee is working on headcount of the ISSPs and it would submit its report to Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam after Tihar, Kattel said.