By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 24: The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association has accused the state government and municipal authorities of violating provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation) Act, 2014, and bypassing key procedures agreed upon under the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC).
The association in a press release said these actions short-circuit a legal process it had fought to secure through a prolonged legal battle.
The association further stated that it was only because of its efforts that the Act was implemented in Meghalaya. It claimed that without its intervention, a “laissez-faire attitude” would have continued, leaving street vendors vulnerable to arbitrary action.
The association noted that after the High Court of Meghalaya’s August 2022 order directing the government to implement the Act, authorities brought in rules unilaterally, ignoring public feedback and its own inputs.
A PTVC was formed in October 2022 and it began functioning in December, with a legal mandate to carry out an in-situ survey, process claims and objections, and identify legitimate vendors ahead of the setting up of a full-fledged Town Vending Committee with 40 per cent hawker representation.
The association stated that its members assisted the municipal authorities from December 2023 in conducting the city-wide survey, which listed around 1,400 hawkers.
However, it added that this list remained hidden from the public until July 16, 2025, and no claims and objections process was conducted. It questioned how, in the absence of transparency, a trimmed list of 760 vendors was released. “How were 640 people left out arbitrarily with no reasons accorded for this denial?” it asked.
Despite these gaps, the association said it continued engaging with the PTVC and even agreed to a pilot initiative for issuing Certificates of Vending (CoVs) in the Khyndai Lad area.
However, it alleged that in January 2025, without discussion or approval in the PTVC, municipal authorities began constructing cage-like stalls at the MUDA parking lot in Police Bazar and the SMB parking lot opposite SBI.
The association said its members raised objections and demanded that all such decisions and related expenditures be discussed in the PTVC and made public.
Recalling its general meeting held on April 29, 2025 and subsequent letter written to the PTVC on May 2, the association reminded that it had stated any relocation would be acceptable only if vendors were assigned stalls at the road-level floor of the MUDA parking lot. It also rejected the SMB parking lot as unsuitable.
The letter, according to the association, included several key conditions: making the stretch from Khyndai Lad to Lad Umsohsun pedestrian-only; prohibiting roadside ware displays and verandah sales by shops; allowing hawkers selling perishables like Kwai and local fruits to remain on the stretch; shifting only those selling non-perishables like clothes and electronics to the MUDA floor; ensuring hawker participation in stall design and layout; and inclusion of essential amenities such as toilets, water, a godown and crèche.
It also stated that no rent or utility taxes should be charged and that access to the MUDA complex must remain unrestricted due to the long working hours of hawkers. It further stated that it had submitted architectural designs with help from professionals in Shillong, Sikkim, Delhi, and Bangalore.
The association said CoVs must be issued to all eligible hawkers before the commencement of any relocation. It added that food stalls proposed between MUDA and Trattoria Hotel must have proper drainage and waste management, and Quinton Road, currently occupied by food vendors, must be cleared of all vehicle parking.
It demanded that full transparency be maintained regarding all plans, tenders, and construction expenses and that such records be made public and shared with the PTVC.
The association said although a Special Officer had been appointed by the High Court to oversee the process and finalise the list of eligible vendors, many genuine hawkers remained excluded, while the names of those owning shops or multiple stalls were still present.
It alleged that in complete disregard of court directions, the municipality began allotting stalls through a lottery system without any discussion in the PTVC. It claimed that the lottery process was chaotic, and that it lacked proper documentation and did not follow agreed vendor categorisations.
According to the association, the CoVs issued are also riddled with anomalies with some valid for only six months, while others extend to 2028 or even 2037, along with discrepancies in vending locations and types of goods listed.
It noted that even as of July 23, 2025, construction of stalls was incomplete, with fresh paint still visible but authorities began distributing stalls. Basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, crèche, and godown remain unavailable. The association said some stalls are obstructed by large pillars, drastically reducing usable space.
Calling the current process a misuse of High Court directives, the association alleged that the government deliberately undermined the Street Vendors Act, setting a dangerous precedent that could derail city decongestion efforts.
It stated that all grievances have been submitted to the relevant authorities and the court via the Special Officer.
“Citizens of Shillong should know the truth, despite all efforts from many fronts at deliberate misinformation aimed at undermining a legal process,” it added.