By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 29: The High Court of Meghalaya on Friday issued several directions to the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) on the presence of hawkers in Laitumkhrah, while pointing out that its report on the hawkers in the area does not project a good picture at all.
A registered society named Seng Samla Laitumkhrah “Ieng Skhem Ha Ka Hok” had submitted an application, seeking the extension of the action on the street hawkers of Police Bazar to the Laitumkhrah area. The court took cognisance of the application and directed the SMB to file a report on the number of street vending licenses issued in the Laitumkhrah area, with the names of the licensees.
Accordingly, the SMB filed a report to the court. “The facts which emerge from this report do not project a good picture at all. It appears that there is a large number of hawkers in the Laitumkhrah area. None of them possesses any certificate of vending or a vending licence,” the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said.
According to the SMB, only 22 out of 122 vendors are “eligible under the provisions of the scheme” for trading. This implied that these 22 do not possess any licence despite being “eligible”, the court said.
“It is not very clear what the Board means, but it has stated ‘additionally 48 vendors claimed themselves as street vendors’. So, the summary is that 122 plus 48 street vendors are operating in the above area without any licence,” the court said.
According to the court, it further appeared that the survey of street vendors was carried out between January 12 and 16 in 2024, and it is highly likely that the figure has increased today. It noted that the SMB did not conduct any inspection or survey after the court’s order on August 14. Expecting more concerted action from the SMB under such circumstances, the court asked it to undertake a thorough survey in the Laitumkhrah area and prepare an inventory of the street vendors within three weeks from Friday. It sought details such as names, the merchandise sold, the area occupied by each, and the period from when each had been vending.
“The Board, with the help of the administration, including the local police, will ensure that, till further orders, not a single additional vendor is allowed to trade in that area. To prevent such acts, a strict vigil has to be maintained.
“The Board will consider all pending applications before it for the grant of certificates of vending/vending licences and consider those applications in accordance with the law within eight weeks from the date,” the court said, adding that this should include the 22 found “eligible” earlier.
The court said the SMB may give an opportunity to those vendors who are “eligible” but have not made applications or who do not have licences to apply for them, and shall process the same in accordance with the law.
At the same time, the SMB and the administration were directed to identify a suitable place for the relocation of the licensed vendors. The state and the Board were also directed to file a joint or independent report to the court.