By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Shillongites, for the past many years, have witnessing a ‘cat and mouse’ fight between the administration (Shillong Municipal Board) and the hawkers, but till date, a solution to the problem has not surfaced.
While the Government was hoping to reduce the menace of hawkers through Hawkers policy, but the unavailability of land to relocate the hawkers seems to have landed the policy into a bit of bother.
Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday told reporters that the Hawkers policy was finalized and forwarded to Central Government and the proposal has been sent back to the State for necessary recommendations.
“We would forward our case that the land here does not belong to Government agencies but individuals and who would be so generous to come forward and give their land to relocate the hawkers,” she told reporters.
The main features of the proposed bill would be to safeguard the rights of the hawkers and also define the role of the government in their approach to the hawkers’ issue.
This proposed policy would also talk about certain demarcated areas in the city which can be converted into a hawker-free zone.
According to Lyngdoh, the Government wants the hawkers to be relocated but the hawkers do not want to be relocated.
Among the most prominent areas of the city, which are overrun by hawkers is the GS Road from Motphran till Khyndai Lad point, all along the thoroughfare.
The Minister however hinted that the Government would keep on conducting eviction drives in the city to remove the hawkers.
One of such eviction drives was conducted on Saturday where the goods of the hawkers were seized by SMB authorities.
“My shoes worth Rs 23000 were seized by SMB authorities,” a hawker said while adding that the authorities could have imposed a fine on him instead of seizing his goods.
The Khynadilad stretch, where the beautification project is going on seems to bear the brunt of hawkers and customers alike.
