By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 8: After recent complaints about hawkers being targeted as cause of congestion in the city, the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) has alleged that the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) deliberately misplaced a letter submitted by the organisation seeking scrutiny of the cases of several hawkers from Khyndailad who are yet to be issued Certificates of Vending (CoVs).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, MGSPHSVA general secretary Therisia Kharsyntiew expressed shock over the revelation made during a meeting of the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC) that the letter, submitted more than three weeks ago, could not be traced.
She said the letter contained detailed comments and observations on the lists of vendors that had emerged from the sub-committee meeting held on August 22.
Kharsyntiew, who is also a member of the PTVC, said the association had thoroughly examined the lists and identified several discrepancies, including the inclusion of non-genuine hawkers, the exclusion of genuine ones, and confusion over the names of those who had already been issued CoVs.
“This was an important exercise undertaken by the association to ensure that genuine hawkers, who have been left without a livelihood for three months, are issued Certificates of Vending without further delay,” she said.
The MGSPHSVA general secretary stated that the disappearance of the letter from the SMB office reflects gross negligence and a lack of seriousness on the part of the officials concerned. “It also points towards possible abuse of power and corruption,” she added.
Kharsyntiew further informed that the organisation had earlier submitted a letter drawing attention to the conduct of a particular staff member accused of creating deliberate confusion in the processing of vending cases. The association, she added, will now take up the matter with higher authorities.
In the interest of genuine hawkers who have been denied their livelihood for several months, the association agreed that CoVs should be issued immediately to those who have already been surveyed and recommended by the sub-committee.
It was decided that a joint inspection of stalls at the MUDA road-level parking lot will be conducted on October 10, following which the CoVs will be distributed in the presence of PTVC members and representatives of hawkers’ associations.
At the same time, the MGSPHSVA insisted that the missing letter and the accompanying lists must be reviewed and that a social audit be conducted at the MUDA parking lot market to ensure transparency and accountability in the process.
The organisation also decided to convene a meeting on October 15 for genuine hawkers who were surveyed on August 22 but whose names do not appear in the approved lists.
With regard to vendors at the Civil Hospital and MTC areas, the MGSPHSVA made several recommendations.
For the Civil Hospital area, Kharsyntiew said all claims and objections must be completed before any temporary relocation of hawkers to the PWD premises opposite the hospital. She also suggested that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be signed between the vendors and the authorities, including the Urban Affairs Department, clearly stating that the arrangement is temporary.
“The final CoVs should be issued once the new vending space proposed at Civil Hospital is constructed. The organisation also stressed that the new space must be designed in consultation with the hawkers, ensuring that existing trees are not damaged and that construction is completed within a fixed timeframe,” she added.
Regarding the MTC area, the MGSPHSVA general secretary said the list of vendors should be divided into two sections — from OB Mall to Vishal/Petrol Pump, and from Shillong Jail to Polo Towers — and that a claims and objections process must precede any relocation. The association suggested that vendors be accommodated in the newly constructed MTC buildings or in the old Assembly building.
However, the MGSPHSVA rejected the proposal by the PTVC chairperson and secretary to relocate vendors from the Shillong Jail–Polo Towers stretch to the Polo Junction Forest Department compound, stating that no joint inspection had been conducted in the area.
As for Laitumkhrah, Motphran, and Iew Mawlong, the association, along with the representative of the Rangbah Shnong, rejected all proposals and plans for Laitumkhrah, stating that no claims and objections process or inspection with hawkers had taken place.
The MGSPHSVA asserted that any discussion on vending zones in specific areas must include the concerned hawkers and local stakeholders in PTVC meetings.
Similarly, the association rejected proposals related to Motphran and Iew Mawlong, noting that no joint inspection had been carried out with PTVC members or hawkers’ representatives.
On the issue of night food vendors, the MGSPHSVA reiterated its demand that evening and night vendors be allowed to return to their earlier locations in front of Reliance Trends and OB Shopping Mall, arguing that their presence would no longer obstruct movement since the area is now used for all-night parking.
The association added that the representative of the Rangbah Shnong also supported this view, insisting that, for safety reasons, night food vendors should be allowed to return to their previous locations.
The MGSPHSVA further proposed that hawkers along MTC Jail Road be re-spaced at their current sites or relocated to the new MTC building, and that the old Assembly premises be developed into a dedicated market for fruits, vegetables, and other perishable goods.
