SHILLONG, Aug 3: The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) on Sunday alleged the relocation of hawkers from Khyndai Lad area in Shillong was illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the right to livelihood.
In a statement, MGSPHSVA general secretary Shane Warbah said over the past two weeks, the association made four detailed submissions to Subhasis Chakrawarty, special officer appointed by the High Court of Meghalaya; East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner and chairperson of the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC), highlighting how the Street Vendors Act, 2014 has been “deliberately undermined” through the “unlawful and forceful” relocation of the hawkers to the MUDA parking lot on July 23.
He claimed that the action was carried out by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) in complete violation of due process, the High Court’s order dated July 3, 2025, and the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
Warbah said the action was taken without consulting the hawkers’ associations and the PTVC. He said it lacked transparency and preparedness, leaving genuine, long-standing vendors in a state of uncertainty and distress, and raising grave concerns about the functioning, intent, and accountability of the SMB.
The government has not taken any action till date to rectify the grave anomalies highlighted, he said and added that the hawkers and the street vendors were compelled to stage a protest outside the SMB office on August 1 as no attempt was made to convene a PTVC meeting to examine the issues.
Warbah said there is no final list of licenced vendors and the SMB has failed to publish a final, verified list of licenced vendors, as required by the High Court order.
He further stated that multiple contradictory and error-ridden lists have excluded genuine, surveyed hawkers without any reason, while some ineligible individuals have been granted licences (CoVs).
He said eviction notices were sent via WhatsApp in the early hours of July 23, giving hawkers only a few hours to vacate. He said relocation proceeded despite no final list being in place, rendering the entire exercise illegal.
Expressing concern on the unsafe and unprepared vending space, he said the MUDA parking lot remains under construction, with no basic infrastructure like water, toilets, waste disposal or safe electrical fittings.
According to him, the stalls are unfit for diverse trades and they were constructed without consulting vendors or PTVC representatives.
He further mentioned that no standard operating procedures were issued for relocation. “A last-minute lucky draw was used to allocate stalls, resulting in mass confusion, duplicate allotments, and absence of accountability,” he said.
Alleging marginalisation of genuine vendors, Warbah said over 106 vendors, who were surveyed, have not received licences and have been left with no place to vend.
“Food vendors, who were promised locations in the MUDA frontage, have been pushed indoors into unhygienic and unsuitable conditions,” the MGSPHSVA general secretary said.
The association has demanded that necessary steps be taken to rectify this situation with the immediate convening of a PTVC meeting to deliberate on the issues.
“The PTVC has not met since June 23, and after our August 1 protest, a notice calling for a meeting of the PTVC on August 6 has been issued,” the association said.
Insisting on re-spacing of the Khyndai Lad area as discussed with the PTVC earlier, Warbah said there is also a need to re-design and restructure the MUDA vending site in a participatory manner, taking into account the needs of different trades.
He demanded that licences be issued to all surveyed and eligible hawkers, along with a rapid re-survey to include those left out.
The other demands included the establishment of a transparent grievance redressal mechanism, publication of all vendor-related data in public domain, disclosure of expenditures and contracts related to the MUDA site, safeguards against corruption and resale of stalls.
Warbah said the relocation drive was not just a failure of governance but a direct attack on the rights, dignity and survival of street vendors in Shillong.
He said the claims and objections process as well as issuance of CoV was overseen by the PTVC for only a stretch of the road in Khyndai Lad and no other place.
“It is, therefore, concerning that the municipal authorities are unilaterally calling up individuals and issuing CoVs who vend in other parts of Shillong, which is arbitrary and illegal considering that the PTVC has not started the processes for any other area. We urge that this illegal action is stopped immediately to ensure transparency and prevent corrupt practices,” he said.
He rejected the process in its current form and demanded an immediate, corrective and participatory action.
“Our repeated efforts to cooperate with authorities and contribute meaningfully to planning have been ignored. The result is displacement, disorder, and deep distress among hundreds of vendors who have earned their livelihoods with honesty and resilience,” Warbah added.
