By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 30: Tensions flared on Monday as hawkers and street vendors in the Khyndai Lad area of Shillong resisted an eviction drive carried out by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).
The operation, conducted jointly by the officials of SMB, district administration and the police, targeted street vendors operating without Certificates of Vending (COVs).
Authorities were seen examining documents and asking vendors to produce valid COVs. The drive, however, was met with opposition.
A large crowd gathered in protest, with some hawkers reportedly using foul language against municipal officials. Several vendors broke down in tears when they were ordered to vacate.
Some from the crowd snatched items that were already confiscated and loaded onto an SMB truck.
For the past week, the SMB has been issuing public notices urging unauthorised vendors to vacate Khyndai Lad, which has been officially declared a no-vending zone.
Vendors with valid COVs have been asked to relocate to designated vending sites by July 22.
The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) has expressed its opposition to any forceful eviction. On Sunday, it had stated that there should not be any eviction drive until a fair and proper relocation process is in place.
Criticising the eviction drive, Thma U Rangli Juki leader Angela Rangad accused the SMB of creating unnecessary law and order issues by resorting to force. She said the hawkers will relocate only after the flaws in the current plan are addressed by the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC).
Rangad, who supports the MGSPHSVA, said the relocation plan should have been first presented to the PTVC. She said as legitimate members of the Town Vending Committee, hawkers should have a decisive say in the planning process.
In a letter, MGSPHSVA president and PTVC member Biolin Pyrtuh urged Urban Affairs Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar to summon relevant files from the Municipal Board and seek a full update on the process so far.
“We have been cooperative in implementing the 2014 Street Vendors Act in letter and spirit,” Pyrtuh said.
She alleged that authorities acted unilaterally despite knowing that such actions were not authorised by the PTVC.
The MGSPHSVA president termed the eviction drive a “deliberate attempt to derail the process” through unnecessary force and illegal confiscation of goods.
Pyrtuh urged Dhar to intervene and convene an emergency meeting of the PTVC to address the situation.
During the eviction drive, the SMB staff directed shop owners in Khyndai Lad not to display goods outside their premises.
SMB Chief Executive Officer PK Boro had warned that non-compliance could result in the removal of the items and even suspension or cancellation of business licences.
