Nim Dorji | Bumthang

Starting next month, vegetable vendors in Bumthang with a stall will pay Nu 1,000 every month.

This was as per the seventh dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) resolution passed on March 2 after the municipal office raised the issue.

An official from the municipal said vegetable stalls were constructed a long time back but vendors never paid any fees until now. 

The official said fees collected from the vendors will be used to pay the salary of a cleaner, as garbage issue is increasing and it’s important to solve the issue by recruiting a cleaner.

The fees are classified into different categories, the cost for carpet area (area allocated to each vendor), electricity, waste, water and salary for the cleaner, which will cost Nu 1,000 for each vendor.

There are 18 stalls in the market, where 16 vendors are selling vegetables. Two stalls are allocated for livestock and agriculture products.

Thromde representative, Ugyen Sangay, said that to keep the vegetable market clean, it’s important to recruit a cleaner. “The fee collected will be used to pay the cleaner”. 

Meanwhile, vendors said that stalls have to be renovated if they have to pay fees.

A vendor, Kuenzang Lhamo, said that they support the decision but stalls should be protected from animals. “The stalls should be fenced so we can keep our products displayed all the time.”

Some of the vendors said they were only provided with electricity. They said the roof should also be maintained.

However, the DT resolved that farmers from the four gewogs who come to sell their farm products during the weekend will not have to pay the fee.

It was learnt that the monitoring and evaluation committee of the dzongkhag decided to stop street hawkers and selling vegetables from cars. Businesses would be allowed to resume once a place is designated and stalls are constructed.