By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 12: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the state government to file an affidavit showing action taken in terms of its previous order pertaining to the implementation of the Meghalaya State Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh, issued this direction while hearing two public interest litigations (PILs) on Thursday.
The PILs involve identifying street vending areas, relocating areas permitted to be used for street vending, regulation of traffic in general, allocating and relocating parking spaces, clearance of as much road area as possible to allow free movement of vehicles and overall implementation of policies and plans to make the capital of Meghalaya-Shillong region, a modern, clean and well administered city.
By its order dated 8th May, 2025, the court had taken on record the report filed by the government showing action in terms of the earlier order.
The petitioner was given an opportunity to file a response to the said report by an affidavit by May 15, 2025. The court had later extended the time and the petitioner filed the affidavit.
The court observed that there was some substance in the statements made in that affidavit as it appeared that although the government has taken steps for the registration of authorised vendors, identification and allocation of vending zones with a plan for erection of several hundred stalls and adopted the policy to relocate these vendors to those vending zones, the scheme, christened Meghalaya State Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023, has not been implemented. “As a result, the problem of illegal occupation of road space and footpath and congestion continues. Special danger is caused to school going students who are unable to use the footpath and are compelled to walk on the road exposing themselves to traffic accidents,” the court said.
The advocate appearing for the state government assured the court that the government is keen to implement the policy and scheme expeditiously.
In view of the submissions made, the court said it is prepared to give his client a chance to carry out the order and the commitments expressed in the report. The court adjourned the petitions till July 3, 2025.
“By 1st July, 2025, the respondents-State shall file an affidavit showing action taken in terms of our order and the above scheme and circulate a copy thereof to the Advocate-on-Record for the petitioner. In the said report, the State might also deal with the statements made in the affidavit filed by the petitioner today,” the court said.
