Relief for city hawkers on cards

SHILLONG: Hawkers are one community which has suffered the most ever since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the state, and though it has been months, they are still waiting for an end to their misery and return to livelihood activities.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday said that the government has instructed the Chief Secretary to complete the process of identifying a dedicated place for the hawkers at the earliest.
“We gave instructions to the Chief Secretary to pursue the matter and come back to the government for a final decision,” Tynsong said.
The hawkers have been running from pillar to post to see an early end to their misery and the Hawkers’ Association has even submitted two memoranda to the government pleading for resumption of hawking and vending activity.
Earlier, as the demand for allowing hawkers and vendors to restart business grew louder, the state government constituted two separate committees to suggest ways and means for regulating street hawking in the state.
The hawkers who are grappling with the COVID-19 situation want the government to allow them to restart their activities by following all necessary protocols.