By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 29: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Tuesday said the Khyndai Lad stretch will be made hawker-free by the end of this November through the relocation of some 200 registered hawkers.
He said the state government will not allow the unregistered vendors to do business along the stretch.
The statement from the minister came a day after the High Court of Meghalaya had directed the state government to submit a report by January 6 on the “great interference” to traffic movement, traffic disruptions, traffic jams, and the lack of parking space caused by shops set up by the street vendors.
In April, the state government had announced that Khyndai Lad would be made vendors-free by June. Subsequently, the deadline was extended to Independence Day, then October-end and now November.
The government has been repeatedly saying that all processes for the relocation of the vendors to the MUDA shopping complex have been completed, but relocation continues to hang fire.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh had issued the order on Monday while hearing a public interest litigation on traffic issues caused by the street vendors.
The Urban Affairs Department had recently given a presentation to Lyngdoh, citing the efforts being made to relocate around 200 hawkers to the MUDA shopping complex.
“We should be in a position to complete the entire exercise within November,” the minister said confidently, adding that the registered vendors will be rehabilitated with proper space and amenities.
Stating that there should be equal respect for the rights of all users of public space including transporters, drivers and pedestrians, he said the vendors must not infringe on the rights of motorists and pedestrians.
He said the Khyndai Lad stretch will be turned into a pedestrian zone.
Asked about concerns on the increasing number of hawkers, he sought time till November to relocate the registered vendors. He said after this process is over, the other hawkers will not be allowed to do business along the stretch.