Work on the fire-ravaged market came to a halt after the Divisional Head; U Ta Aye misappropriated Kyat 112,000 contributed by shop owners of Tahan market towards the revamping.

"The reconstruction work cannot continue. It had to be discontinued due to lack of funds," said a local in Tahan.

There is palpable tension between the Tahan market committee members and the Divisional Head, U Ta Aye. The shop owners may file a case in court, but it is still difficult to ascertain how they will get around the misappropriation of money.

The new building was being constructed with concrete and there would have been two floors. But till now even one third of the construction work is not done. The situation has become uncertain.

The shopkeepers are selling their wares from near the destroyed market.

Tahan market caught fire on August 14, 2006 at 9 p.m. and goods worth Kyat 100 millions were destroyed.

There has been neither compensation nor funds made available for reconstruction by the government. Instead those in authority misused all the money contributed by shop owners of Tahan Market. – KNG.