Burglars hit Bourda Market again

Even as stallholders in the Bourda Market continue to air their concern about the state of disrepair of the market, three stalls were burglarised on Wednesday night.
However Kaieteur News only managed to contact one of the stall owners, who is still counting her losses.
Nelvana Boodram, who is a seamstress and plies her trade in the market, said that she received a call from another stall owner informing her that her stall had been broken into.
Boodram said that the call came around 8:30 hours yesterday.
The wooden bar on her stall had been broken.
“As soon as I got the call I hurry down to the market, and from the time I saw the broken bar from the outside I knew my stall was broken into,” Boodram said.
The woman said that when she went into her stall the first thing she noticed missing was one of her sewing machines.
Further checks revealed that several other sewing accessories were missing. Boodram said that this is the second time for this year her stall has been broken into.
Like the other stallholders in the Bourda Market, Boodram blames the break in on the poor security in the market.
And in the wake of the robberies the stallholders in the market reiterated their call for the relevant authorities to look into their plight.
The vendors in recent times have been calling on the Mayor and City Council to address the poor fencing of the market, the leaking roofs, clogged drains, deplorable toilet facilities and the lack of potable water.
According to the vendors, they have been informed that the Mayor and City Council requires of them to pay an increase for their stalls by this month end, thus; they have taken action to guard against the imposition.
Some vendors said they are willing to pay the increase while others say they will not pay since the council has not lived up to their promise, which they made some four years ago.
Some vendors have since sought the services of a lawyer to ensure that their concerns are addressed properly before they pay the increase.
As it is now, the vendors said had it not been for the few fluorescent bulbs they placed in the market; the market would have been without lights.
Vendors say, too, that they are made to pay for water since there is no potable water in the market.
They are expected to meet with the Mayor and City Council later today at City Hall to discuss their grievances.
Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Robert Williams, said yesterday that the council would be discussing the increase of stall fees as well as developmental works for the market with the vendors.