Hawkers want land from State Govt to relocate business
SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills District Administration on Sunday asserted that the ongoing eviction drives against hawkers would continue for as long as possible.
The district administration has been assisting the Shillong Municipal Board in conducting regular eviction drives against hawkers at Police Bazar.
Recently, the district administration and the SMB removed hawkers who had opened stalls next to the gate of the Shillong Civil Hospital, blocking the footpath.
“We will extend the eviction drives to all those places encroached by hawkers. We may not do it at one go but we will surely conduct eviction drives in other areas as well,” East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner P.S. Dkhar averred.
Reacting to a query, the deputy commissioner said the matter of seized goods is dealt with by the Shillong Municipal Board. The district administration only assists the Board with police and magistrates to conduct the drives, he added.
Despite facing continuous evictions, the hawkers return to their business without fail, while arguing that they were still waiting for the State Government to sanction a plot of land where they can run their business without interference.
The problem of hawkers in Shillong seems to have multiplied over the years on the absence of a Hawkers’ Policy that could have defined the role of the government in its approach to the hawkers’ issue, source said.
The State Government had expressed confidence that the problems arising out of roadside stalls would be solved with the Hawkers’ Policy, but unavailability of land to relocate the hawkers has dented the implementation of the much-awaited policy.
