By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Drawing flak for the hawker’s menace in the busiest commercial area of the city, Khyndailad, the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) is mulling to resume its post sunset raids in the area yet again.
Though the government has been trying to make Khyndailad a hawker-free zone, the floating business community has resisted any such move with ease.
Despite raids conducted by the SMB to evict the hawkers, the road side vendors refuse pack their baggage and their numbers multiply post sunset in the Khyndailad junction.
Taking strong note of this, the SMB is considering restarting its evening eviction drives to control the menace.
Sources within the Shillong Municipal Board said that there is a need to resume the evening raids and it will be done very soon.
However, the SMB sources stated that eviction drive is not the only solution to the hawker’s problem in the city and there is a need for some alternate arrangement for these vendors.
The SMB is also unhappy with the non cooperation of the hawkers who are determined to open their shops in the busiest areas of the city which are thronged by people throughout the day.
Earlier in 2008, the Urban Affairs Department had allocated a piece of land to the hawkers near the Motprhan taxi stand for their business but the area was left unused as the road side vendors did not find the space viable for business.