SHILLONG, June 29: The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors’ Association (MGSPHVA) has stated that it will not allow ‘forceful evictions’ till certain flaws are rectified.
The flaws include issuing licenses to people having shops despite legitimate objections and denial of license to genuine hawkers on frivolous grounds.
Questioning the spending on construction of vending stalls in the MUDA parking area, MGSPHSVA general secretary Shane Thabah said it must be disclosed and placed before the Provisional Town Vending Committee.
He stated that the association, while cooperating with the government, wants the flaws in the processes rectified so that genuine hawkers are not deprived of their right to livelihood and the vested interests do not exploit the law for self-gain in the name of the poorest and weakest.
Reminding that the association submitted petitions for a thorough, fair, and transparent pilot project to re-space and relocate the hawkers in the Khyndai Lad area, Thabah said, “We will not allow forceful evictions till the flaws affecting the genuine hawkers are rectified.”
“The association insists on a participatory and collective exercise of designing the hawkers’ space and has consulted architects and planners from the state as well as Delhi, Sikkim, Bangalore, etc., to bring in best practices for a safe, healthy space for hawkers, buyers, and citizens of Shillong that respects, upholds, and reflects local tradition and culture,” he said.
Thabah further said that the association also calls on more designers and local artists to be part of the planning for a transformative space that upholds the rights of all citizens.
The association also said since petitioning the High Court of Meghalaya to make the state notify the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation) Act of 2014, it has remained steadfast in ensuring that the law is implemented in letter and spirit.
Thabah said that after the favourable judgment in 2022, the association has cooperated with the government to ensure rights are upheld according to the law.
“The association is part of the Provisional Town Vending Committee set up by a government notification in 2022, which was to take up set tasks such as the in-situ survey, process of claims and objections, and issuing of certificates of vending as steps towards finally having a full-fledged Town Vending Committee that will examine heritage and natural market spaces, holding capacity, vending zones, etc.” he added.
“The association has dutifully pointed out through submissions to the PTVC any lapses that occur in implementation of the law, such as the total failure of the digital survey envisaged as a tool to ensure smooth and transparent implementation of the law,” Thabah said.
