By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 23: The Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) is expected to begin evicting street vendors without valid certificates of vending (COVs) from the Khyndai Lad area from Wednesday.
The SMB’s three-day notice for unlicenced vendors to vacate the area will expire on Tuesday, official sources said.
The notice was issued on Saturday but the sources clarified that the three-day period officially began on Sunday, following its publication in local newspapers. The notice was signed by PK Boro in the capacities as the Chairperson of the Town Vending Committee and the Chief Executive Officer of the SMB.
The sources emphasised that the government remains committed to safeguarding the livelihoods of street vendors even after they are relocated to designated vending zones.
The upper floor of MUDA complex has been officially designated as a vending zone, replacing earlier permissions for street-level vending. All vendors with valid COVs have been instructed to move to their allocated spaces by July 22.
The remainder of the Khyndai Lad area has been officially declared a No Vending Zone with immediate effect.
The sources added that the government has already drawn up various welfare schemes and support programmes to ensure that the relocation process is not perceived as forced removal.
“We understand that the transition may initially affect the livelihoods of street vendors. However, the government is committed to providing support until their situation stabilises,” an official source said.
Boro convened a meeting of the Vending Committee on Monday to discuss the recent directive issued by the municipal board. The meeting was attended by members of the Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers & Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) who are part of the Vending Committee.
Government officials and MGSPHSVA representatives declined to comment on the meeting’s proceedings.
Meanwhile, the BJP lauded the government for its proactive, thoughtful and innovative approach in addressing the long-standing challenge of a street vendor’s right to livelihood versus public inconvenience.
The BJP’s state unit said the decision to relocate the hawkers demonstrated the government’s sensitivity to the hawkers’ need to earn a living as well as the ease of public movement.
“The organised relocation not only opens up space for easy pedestrian movement and traffic flow in Khyndai Lad but also ensures that vendors can occupy an area that guarantees a secure, comfortable and dignified way to run their business,” the BJP said in a statement.
The party urged the government to extend similar solutions to the Laitumkhrah locality as a continuation of its balanced urban management drive.
“A viable option would be to relocate the street vendors of Laitumkhrah to the parking lot once the new market facilities become operational, something that residents of the locality are eagerly waiting for. Should the government space prove inadequate, it is further recommended that the government explores the acquisition of underutilised private properties within the area for the purpose of establishing a dedicated hawkers’ market,” the party said.