SHILLONG: The State Government is planning to rehabilitate the evicted hawkers on vacant government land in the city. The High Court of Meghalaya, while ordering eviction of street vendors, had asked the State to provide an alternate space within a month.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, Urban Affairs Minister Ronnie V. Lyngdoh said it would be difficult to acquire private land within a month and so plans are afoot to rehabilitate the hawkers on the available vacant government land in the city.
When asked about the places identified for rehabilitation, he said the deputy commissioner has been entrusted with the job to identify land.
The High Court on November 11 ordered eviction of roadside vendors saying “the common interest of around 6 lakh population in Shillong cannot be compromised or hampered”.
The court set up a committee that identified alternate areas – like the open space available with the Meghalaya Transport Corporation, the ground floor of the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority and the parking centre opposite State Bank of India – for possible hawkers’ zones.
Besides, the Chief Secretary and the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills were directed by the High Court to make a “sincere effort in selecting the place as identified by the committee” which is submitted in the report or any other place for the hawkers’ zone within a month from the date of the eviction order.
