| By Leon SuseranVendors along the shoulders of the Rose Hall Town Independence Avenue Road located next to the municipal market clashed with Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the town, Bhadenauth Somrah, on Friday morning.Somrah had banned all vendors from the road earlier in the week, sparking a protest from irate vendors.Earlier in the week, vendors protested the IMC’s decision to dismantle their stalls causing destruction to items which they had on the stalls for sale.Things heated up on Friday morning after vendors of the market turned up to see the gates locked by the Constabulary. The move angered vendors and a verbal clash between the vendors and the IMC Chairman ensued.Regional Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha and his team then arrived at the market to try and open the gates. But that action was prevented by the IMC authorities.According to the disenfranchised vendors, if they sell in the market, they will lose a lot of customers. They stated that they invested a lot of money to construct concrete pavements on which they are selling their items.The residents also said that the Regional Chairman gave them permission to sell on the road shoulders. In response, the IMC Chairman questioned the authority of the regional administration to pry into the business of the town.The market can accommodate 500 vendors but there are nearly 600 who wish to do business in the area.The Rose Hall Town IMC, which came into being in January 2008, has been under heavy criticism from some citizens of Rose Hall Town and the Region Six Administration for the way in which Somrah has been dealing with members of the public and actions by the committee.The People’s Progressive Party (PPP)- run IMC replaced the Mayor and Town Council a few years ago.In October 2010, government officials from the ruling party had called for a probe into the daily operations of the IMC. The spokesperson noted that based on the statutory minutes for July 2010; there were breaches in the financial regulations. The organization was accused of “financial irregularities”.Regional Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha, when contacted for a comment on the situation said that he has since spoken to Somrah in a bid to continue to allow the vendors to vend on the road shoulders.“We can’t go abruptly and stop these people’s living because this is a livelihood for these people. They should remain there until we get better facilities.”Mustapha said he spoke with the vendors and told them to remain on the road and sell. He told them this after discussions with the Minister of Local Government.“The Chairman is arrogant. He went and did his own thing. This thing is not supported by the Ministry and come Monday, the Minister will be in Berbice to talk to vendors about this matter.“And I am very disappointed with the action of the chairman of the IMC. He represents the PPP and we will be discussing his actions with a view to taking disciplinary actions,” Mustapha said.He accused the IMC Chairman of favouritism in that only one set of vendors were targeted and others were not.According to the IMC Chairman, Bhadenauth Somrah, he wants to move the vendors closer to the market in a bid to clear the road shoulders.“The Regional Chairman has this brazen [attitude] to usurp authority. This has been causing problems for several years now in Rose Hall. He would interfere with the work [of the IMC]”,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the IMC Chairman added.“Ever since I took over the IMC, the Chairman always cursing me; always condemning my work. I spoke to the Minister [of Local Government] once concerning (the interference) in our work.“It seems that everything we do in this town is a problem with him, and nobody else. Every time he call me, he cussing me up and say he will get somebody else to run this town”, Somrah said.“What warrants the Regional Chairman coming into my town and creating this unrest today?”On another matter, Somrah said that the report that he had assaulted Wynette Trim, wife of the Rose Hall Town Anniversary Events Committee, was false. He said that he never assaulted the woman.He added that the woman pushed him at the Low Carbon Development Strategy Fair and Exhibition held on the streets of Rose Hall Town on April 30, 2011. His IMC did not give permission to hold the event.Somrah and the police then turned up to stop the event and an argument between him and the event planner Andrew Griffith and his wife, Mrs Trim began. She pushed him, he said, and the matter was brought before the Albion Court.They shook hands and settled the matter in front of the magistrate. |
