Nima | Gelephu

Gelephu thromde had asked 22 women selling garments and other outfits in temporary sheds near the vegetable market to move out this week.

Thromde had asked them to dismantle the structures.

The vendors, mostly women, say they moved to the current location six years ago after thromde disallowed them to sell clothes inside the vegetable market.

They claim thromde had allotted them the current location and they constructed the temporary structures themselves.

A vendor, Choney Zangmo, said most of the women selling garments in the temporary shed are single parents and are sole bread earners in the family.

She said most vendors do not have alternate income source and they would not be able to meet the monthly expenses without selling garments. “It would be difficult for us to survive in this pandemic if the thromde officials do not allot us a new place.”

She said they couldn’t afford a space in the town to run business, as rents are too high.

Another vendor, Budhi Maya Rai, said she was stressed since they were asked to move out.

She said their income is already affected because of the pandemic. “Thromde’s notification came at a time when everyone is going through difficult times.”

Meanwhile, the vendors would be meeting with the thromde today to discuss the issue.

Officials from the thromde said that the women would have to remain idle only for three days until the administration finds a proper place to run the business.