SHILLONG, July 23: After initially opposing the Shillong Municipal Board’s decision to allot stalls to hawkers inside the MUDA parking lot through a lucky draw, the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPH&SVA) eventually relented on Wednesday, with many of its members seen queuing up to collect their ticket numbers for the draw.
The lucky draw, conducted by SMB officials, was intended to distribute stalls prepared by the Urban Affairs Department to legal street vendors who have been issued Certificates of Vending (CoVs).
Initially, the association had strongly opposed the lottery-based allotment process.
However, a split among the hawkers emerged after the Roadside Hawkers Association accepted the SMB’s arrangement.
This development created confusion and uncertainty among MGSPH&SVA members, some of whom ultimately defied their leadership and participated in the draw.
Several association members, whose names were not included in the final list of hawkers eligible for CoVs, expressed disappointment and urged the municipal board to revisit and revise the list.
Leaders of the association, including president Biolin Pyrtuh and general secretary Shane Warbah, declined to comment on their members’ decision to take part in the lucky draw process.
Earlier, Angela Rangad, leader of Thma U Rangli (TUR) and member of the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC), criticised the state government for its decision to conduct a lucky draw, calling it a betrayal of hawkers’ rights. She alleged that the municipal board has failed to clarify the actual number of hawkers who have received CoVs.
She accused the authorities of exploiting the High Court ruling and questioned how individuals without CoVs were allowed to join the queue for stall allocation.
“This is a fraud not just on the court but on the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014,” Rangad said.
She added that TUR has repeatedly submitted petitions highlighting the flaws in the process and vowed to continue the fight, stating that the SMB is trying to “bulldoze” the rights of citizens to earn a livelihood.
Rangad further clarified that many of those queuing for the draw are not affiliated with any vendor association, and even some shop owners were reportedly standing in the line to illegally claim the stalls meant for the street vendors and hawkers
She noted that the SMB has so far issued just over 200 CoVs, which, in her view, proves that the list of eligible hawkers has yet to be finalised.
“My question what is the hidden agenda here? Are they planning to sell these stalls illegally?” Rangad questioned.
