By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 18: The state Cabinet on Thursday approved the Draft Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023 with some amendments to regulate street vending and protect the rights of vendors.
The Central government had come up with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and its rules were to be framed by the state government. Towards this perspective, the Draft Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023 was conceived.
Cabinet minister and government spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh told reporters that through this scheme, the government envisaged to strike a balance between providing livelihood to street vendors and looking after issues such as law and order, decongestion and safety of pedestrians.
Under the scheme, a Town Vending Committee will be constituted and it will be eligible to identify legal vendors based on criteria like possession of EPIC card, certificate of residence of at least three years in Meghalaya. The other criteria are that the persons are vending in a particular spot for at least six months and that they possess trade licence in areas that are outside three normal areas under the control of the Shillong Municipal Board.
“We plan to initiate a survey of the street vendors and process the applications based on the criteria as laid down. We will map out vending and non-vending zones. We also plan to provision dedicated vending zones and market spaces to the street vendors,” Lyngdoh said.
During the meeting, the Cabinet held a detailed discussion on the recent fire incident at Thana Road in Police Bazar and how street hawkers were a reason behind the delay in the arrival of Fire and Emergency Services personnel to the site of fire.
“The scheme was approved today. Broadly, it speaks of town vending committees which will be eligible to be identified as legal hawkers,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the scheme was finalised after receiving suggestions from various stakeholders, including Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Khasi Students’ Union, Rangbah Shnongs, hawkers’ association and others.
“Our next step is to immediately take up an inventorization. We will start with the survey of street vendors and process the applications of these vendors based on the broad framework. We will also be taking up this special planning in order to decide which are vending zones and which are not. The government will also strive to provide dedicated vending zones and market spaces to the street vendors,” he further said.
The government feels that the process of registration could be completed in two months. Subsequently, it will decide on the vending and non-vending zones.