By TC News Desk
Agartala, 25th March 2026: The State Secretariat Board of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), along with the Tripura Rajya Hawker Workers’ Union today strongly protested against the elected office-bearers of the Agartala Municipal Corporation over alleged irregularities in the distribution of stalls ahead of the Chaitra Sankranti.
In a statement issued on behalf of the CITU State Secretariat Board, the organizations accused the civic body of violating established norms and procedures by distributing stalls through alleged partisan favoritism. They claimed that many genuine hawkers and small traders were deprived of opportunities, while stalls were allegedly allotted to individuals who are neither hawkers nor small-scale traders.
The organizations have demanded the immediate cancellation of the stall allocation process, calling for a fresh distribution strictly in accordance with rules and regulations and in consultation with genuine hawkers and traders. They also urged the authorities to allocate the remaining stalls transparently to eligible beneficiaries.
According to the statement, the Agartala Municipal Corporation had recently announced an initiative to distribute a large number of stalls in the city for the festive occasion. Over the past several days, numerous hawkers and small traders reportedly queued for hours, day and night outside the Corporation office to submit their applications, enduring significant hardship.
However, on March 24, after prolonged waiting by hundreds of applicants, only a portion of the stalls was distributed at the Corporation headquarters. This reportedly led to widespread dissatisfaction, as many of the recipients were alleged to be ineligible. The situation triggered protests among the aggrieved hawkers and traders, who gathered outside the office raising slogans and demanding justice.
The statement further alleged that some stalls were retained under the control of authorities and claimed that monetary transactions may have influenced the allocation process—an allegation that has intensified public anger.
Protests have since spread across different parts of the city, with affected hawkers expressing strong resentment against the civic body’s functioning. The organizations also drew comparisons with previous administrations, claiming that earlier stall distributions were conducted through dialogue with genuine stakeholders, ensuring transparency and avoiding such disputes.
The CITU and the Hawker Workers’ Union have reiterated their demand for immediate corrective measures, warning that continued neglect of genuine hawkers’ rights could further escalate tensions in the capital.
