By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 28: Following the relocation of licenced hawkers from Khyndai Lad to the designated vending zone inside the MUDA parking lot, the High Court of Meghalaya on Monday said it will take up the issue of relocation of licensed vendors from other crowded public places to designated vending areas and eviction of unlicenced and unauthorised vendors from those places and all other related or ancillary issues on August 5.
During the hearing on Monday, Additional Advocate General, Tshering Yangi submitted that the state government has kept its promise of relocating the licenced vendors in Police Bazar to the newly designated vending areas by July 22, which was the stipulated date.
Phuyosa Yobin, advocate, appearing for the vendors’ association did not contradict this submission.
Nevertheless, he submitted that the licences of some of the vendors have been wrongfully revoked and hence, they could not be relocated.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said that the subject-matter of the plea by the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association was for modification of an earlier order granting limited time to licenced vendors to vend from Police Bazar.
“It was said that this restricted timing was affecting their business. In those circumstances, we enlarged the time permitting them to vend in the said area. At the same time, the government and public authorities assured the court that the licenced vendors would be relocated by July 22, 2025. Since that goal has been achieved, nothing remains in this application,” the order stated.