By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 11: The state government’s dream of making Khyndai Lad a hawker-free stretch may materialise by November 24.
After decades of planning to relocate the hawkers, the Meghalaya government said they would be removed by mid-November.
On Monday, some hawkers said the Town Vending Committee recently held a meeting in which it was told that the hawkers would be shifted from Khyndai Lad to another stretch by November 24.
They said three sites are being proposed for the relocation — opposite the SBI Main Branch, the MUDA Shopping Complex, and the MTC building.
The hawkers wonder how the government will allow them to do business in the MTC area where a massive complex worth a fortune is being constructed. “Even in the parking lot opposite SBI, plenty of shops are coming up,” one of them said.
While most 200-plus registered hawkers are willing to relocate, some who set up multiple roadside facilities are against the idea.
The government scrutinised the documents of these hawkers who fulfilled the parameters of the Town Vending Committee in collaboration with the Shillong Municipal Board.
Once the hawkers are rehabilitated from Khyndai Lad, it will be declared a pedestrian zone with no facilities and space for hawking.
However, the Police Bazar Welfare Society (PBWS), representing residents and businesses, has raised concerns over the impact of a pedestrian-only zone on residents and local commerce.
The PBWS commended the government’s move to manage congestion and create safer spaces by relocating the hawkers. However, they stressed that a complete pedestrianisation of Police Bazar would disrupt essential access for residents, who have lived and operated businesses in the area for over a century.
The group noted that Police Bazar and Thana Road were motorable even before and during British rule, facilitating both residential and commercial needs. “Khyndai Lad is a residential-cum-business hub, and goods-carrying vehicles must be allowed access for loading and unloading. A pedestrian-only zone would severely hamper business activities,” a PBWS spokesperson said.
The society highlighted the challenges residents would face, particularly elderly citizens, children, and individuals with health issues if vehicles were barred from the area. They emphasised that access restrictions would cause hardship for families and school-going children during inclement weather.
It further pointed out that restricting vehicle access would impact residents’ constitutional rights to reach their homes.
