By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 15: The High Court of Meghalaya has granted one last opportunity to Philip Khrawbok Shati, the petitioner, to file his objections regarding the report on vending zones submitted by the Secretary of Home (Police) Department.
Despite several adjournments, Shati has yet to file any objections to the eight reports submitted by the state. The court noted this ongoing delay in its docket orders.
A report from March 6, 2024, detailed the steps required for establishing vending zones, including conducting a vendor survey, publishing claims and objections, finalising the list, notifying the street vending plan, and relocating vendors in phases.
The Additional Advocate General (AAG), K Khan, argued that the state’s efforts to identify vendors and address the issue are on hold due to the petitioner’s lack of objections. The court emphasised that it will proceed based on the state’s statistics if no objections are filed by the petitioner by May 29, 2024. The court criticised the petitioner’s lack of interest in the public interest litigation and stated it would not allow further procrastination.
The state government is expected to present a progress report on the implementation of the vending zone plan on the next hearing date.