Minister Neiba Kronu and others during the flagging off of EA’s bus service for Women Street Vendors at Pfutsero.
Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 22
Entrepreneurs Associates (EA) on Saturday launched a bus service for women street vendors to ferry their produce from Pfutsero to Dimapur via Kohima. This bus service was flagged off by Nagaland’s Planning and Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Neiba Kronu.
Kronu lauded the EA for their initiatives towards taking care of the women street vendors and entrepreneurs since 2001.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Nagaland government has become serious and pondering on strategies to improve the agricultural activities as part of the economic upliftment activities, he said, while encouraging people to get back to the soil.
Kronu said it would be difficult for Phek district to compete with other districts if not for agriculture.
He informed that locations have been identified for the rural street vendors from Phek district in Kohima and Dimapur to sell the local produce. At least two cold rooms would also be provided for the vendors to store their products for at least a week.
The Women Street Vendors Bus is an initiative of EA supported by the ‘Caring Friends’ group who wished to remain anonymous. Minister Neiba Kronu also assured to provide a pick-up vehicle to EA to transport produce from different villages to Pfutsero.
EA’s Chief Executive Officer Neichute Doulo said street vendors from the rural areas, who are the guardians of the local economy, had been appealing for proper transportation to reach to Kohima and Dimapur with their produce. Women street vendors are the major source of organic vegetables in the state; he said adding that they had to depend on Nagaland State Transport (NST) services which were not reliable. Many a time they had to throw away the vegetables because it used get rotten on the way with breakdown problems of NST buses, he added.
Concerned about their welfare, EA with the support of ‘Caring Friends’ has provided the bus and it will be utilised only for street vendors to transport vegetables from villages in and around Pfutsero to markets in Kohima and Dimapur, he said.
He asserted that the bus will be handled by EA for three years while the fare and rate of transportation would be finalised as per the convenience of the vendors.
It would ply at least four times a week covering a distance of 130 kms from Pfutsero to Dimapur via Kohima.
Street vendor Nutsulu Thuluo shared her experience as a local street vendor for more than 10 years and lauded Minister Kronu and EA for providing the bus service for the welfare of women street vendors.
Nonetheless, she lamented that they have to pay several unwanted taxes to government as well as private groups, enroute to urban areas and therefore requested the district administration to look into the matter.
On the occasion, Chakhesang Women Welfare Society project coordinator Tekhewetsolu-u Wezah encouraged women vendors to continue producing organic goods. Transportation tops the list of the grievances of the street vendors, she said while expressing hope that this would be a stepping stone to resolve their problems. She encouraged women vendors to take ownership of the bus and also ensure proper upkeep.
Chakhesang Mothers’ Association president Zhonelu Tunyi encouraged the street vendors to be honest in their dealings saying that honesty is greater than earning a degree. For a society to become better it hugely depends on every mother, she said and asked them to carefully think of their roles as mothers in the society. A lot of street vendors used to come and share their grievances with CMA on a lot of occasions and the association tries to help them in whatever ways we can, she added.
The occasion was also marked with EA felicitating 14 Women Street Vendors with bonus of Rs 2000 for managing to save upto Rs 10,000.
With a view to facilitate women street vendors to restart their businesses post-COVID-19 pandemic, EA also extended Rs 25,000 interest free loans to 60 of them. Towards the activity, EA through the ‘Caring Friends’ collected Rs 30 lakh along with Rs 5 lakh provided by Minister Kronu from LADP fund as revolving fund for street vendors.
