SHILLONG: Though the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) had removed hundreds of illegal hawkers from the road side in GS Road and other areas of the city, the menace seems to have resurfaced with a force greater than ever before.
Hawkers can be seen sitting on the roadside at Motphran amidst heavy movement of vehicular traffic posing great threat to their lives as well as the lives of the pedestrians.The problem is not only confined to Motphran but lingers till GS Road. Sources felt that the problem could be largely addressed with the implementation of the hawkers’ policy which is yet to see the light of the day.
According to sources, the Government is in the process of forming town vending committees. The town vending committee would chalk out the rules for the policy.
Meanwhile, the Government feels that it would be very difficult for it to intervene in the matters of hawkers by taking suo moto cognizance after the policy is implemented.
The proposed policy is aimed at safeguarding the rights of the hawkers besides defining the role of the government in their rehabilitation. It also looks to demarcate areas in the city which can be converted into hawker-free zones.
