SHILLONG, April 30: In a move that is aimed at decongesting Khyndai Lad, the state government is on the verge of relocating as many as 200 hawkers to the MUDA complex. The process will be completed by June this year.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Strawberry Festival at Khyndai Lad on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said as many as 200 hawkers will be removed from the thoroughfare and rehabilitated on the MUDA premises by June-end.
“We have worked out the vending zones with the Shillong Municipality Board and the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority has also come forward to support this move. These 200 hawkers will be rehabilitated in the shopping areas identified within the MUDA complex at Khyndai Lad.”
Asked if the hawkers are cooperating with the authorities, he said, “We have completed the process right from notifying, identifying and then also registering these vendors and we are nearing the end of the exercise. What remains to be done is the physical rehabilitation. It will start in June or earlier but will be completed within June-end,” he added.
Reminding that the state government had earlier decided to declare Khyndailad area as a “pedestrian zone without vehicular traffic” along with the relocation of the hawkers, he said, “Once that happens this entire area will turn into a music hub starting with a stage here which will be of a permanent nature.”
“We have been calling ourselves the music capital of India and therefore this is just the right place where everyone lands in Shillong first and they will be welcomed by the sound of music and tunes from artists and budding musicians who will be entertaining travellers as well as locals visiting Khyndai Lad,” he added.
