SMB begins eviction drive against street hawkers at Khyndailad sans COV

Shillong, June 30: The staff of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), along with officials from the district administration and police, began an eviction drive on Monday of street hawkers at Khyndailad who do not possess Certificate of Vending (COV).
However, the eviction faced strong resistance from hawkers, as a large crowd gathered in protest. Some members of the crowd were seen snatching goods that had already been seized and loaded onto a truck by the SMB.
Over the past week, the SMB had been making public announcements urging unauthorized hawkers to vacate the area, which has been officially declared a no-vending zone.
Vendors holding valid COVs have been instructed to relocate to their designated vending spaces by July 22.
The Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers & Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) on Sunday has opposed forceful eviction of hawkers from Khyndailad till a fair relocation is achieved.
In addition, SMB staffs have been asking shop owners and commercial establishments not to display goods outside their premises in Khyndailad and the Police Bazaar area.
Shillong Municipal Board Chief Executive Officer PK Boro on June 29 issued an order directing all shops and commercial outlets to stop displaying their goods on footpaths or outside their shops with immediate effect. The order warned that failure to comply would result in the removal of such goods by the SMB and could also lead to suspension or cancellation of business licenses.
According to the SMB CEO, many shops and commercial units were found violating this rule by displaying goods outside their premises.