By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 25: Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Tuesday said the government is working daily with hawkers’ bodies to identify suitable relocation sites, stressing that the process requires caution to ensure that no vendor is deprived of livelihood.
He noted that his officers had even held a meeting the day before to identify new locations in the remaining areas. According to him, key points such as Civil Hospital and Laitumkhrah must be handled carefully so that vendors and the public are not inconvenienced.
He explained that the government does not want anyone to feel deprived, as hawkers are “their own people”, and relocating them without ensuring a proper space would be unfair.
Dhar pointed out that challenges arise even after a location is identified, as sometimes the authority responsible for the site encounters issues, and at other times hawkers express concerns over the lack of business at the new spot. He said these factors require the government to “tread cautiously”, which is why the process is taking time.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s remarks came amid objections raised on Monday by the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) against a notification issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, who also serves as Secretary of the Probationary Town Vending Committee (PTVC). The November 14 notification, published in a local newspaper, had asked several individuals to appear before the committee for claims and objections.
The association also responded to the proposed temporary relocation of vendors during the construction of the Civil Hospital vending site. While MGSPHSVA took part in a joint inspection of the alternative space, it maintained that vendors should shift only after a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed.
It stated that the MoU must clearly mention that the new site is temporary and that a permanent vending space at Civil Hospital will be completed within a set timeframe. The association further reiterated that relocation will take place only after a fair claims-and-objections process is completed for all genuine vendors.
