SHILLONG: The long pending issue of hawkers has slightly improved in the city as the Government is looking for relocation of vendors and accordingly asked them to form a registered organization to engage with the government, an official informed on Thursday.
The officials also informed that the vending committee has been formed in Shillong and the vendors’ zones have also been demarcated in different parts of the town. However, the Government would not like to take the responsibility of the hawkers until and unless the Government has land to relocate them.
Motphran and GS Road were a concern as vendors were sitting right on the road by risking their lives, however last month, hawkers have been removed from the road in these chaotic areas.
It may be mentioned that the High Court of Meghalaya last year ordered an interim stay on eviction of hawkers in the city till a pending writ petition in this regard is disposed off and instructed the authorities not to remove or evict hawkers.
The State Government has also passed The Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014 in November 2014. The Bill mentioned that every person who has completed the age of 18 years and intends to register for street vending shall make an application for registration as street vendor to the Town Vending Committee.
The Bill called for constituting the Town Vending Committee with the Additional Deputy Commissioner or Municipal Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as the chairman and the Government may nominate members to the committee representing Government departments, local authority, planning authority, traffic police, local police, association of street vendors, market association, trader association, local dorbars, nationalized banks etc., as it deems proper.
Moreover, it was also mentioned in the Bill that the street vendors are liable for penalties if they indulge in street vending without registration, vend beyond the designated vending zones or specified timing, vend goods or offer services that are detrimental to public health.
