Kalimpong Vyapari Sangathan alleged of threatening vegetable vendors of Teesta

Kalimpong|Mukesh Sharma: A Committee of 15 vegetable vendors who sit near the Teesta Bridge (16 kms away from Kalimpong) today alleged that few females of the Vyapari Sangathan threatened to kill them, while they had gone to buy vegetables during the Kalimpong Haat. There are around 22 shops in the Pool Line (Bridge Line) out of which 15 vendors are selling vegetables since the past 14 years. These vendors have formed a Committee with the name Janmukti Vyapari Sangathan Rajmarg Samiti.The Committee further complained that they have been fetching the vegetables since the last 14 years from Kalimpong but they are not treated well there. “We the Teesta residents aren’t a part of the hills, that they are mistreating us? Don’t we have the right to buy vegetables from Kalimpong?” they enquired.The member of the Committee, Jai Kumar Rai said that they have been facing thisi issue since long. “If this continues then we shall stop catering the 90% of Kalimpong residents who come to Teesta during the Sunday Haat”, he cautioned. Further, he warned that they will be stopping all the vehicles which ferry vegetables to Kalimpong via Teesta and the Committee shall also stop the dumping of rotten vegetables at the River Teesta. If the vendors of Kalimpong ponder on these points then they will realize the adverse affects they will face, he stressed. Everybody needs to work united instead of suppressing each other, he added. Meanwhile, the Kalimpong Janmukti Vyapari Sangathan, Secretary, Ravi Pradhan assured that id such kind of activities are repeated in the future then strict actions will be taken against the offenders.