Shillong, Jul 26: East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh on Saturday said the state government is taking the issue of street hawking in Laitumkhrah and across the city seriously and that delays in relocation are due to legal procedures that must be followed.
Responding to concerns over hawkers crowding streets and public pathways, Lyngdoh said the experience of the Khyndailad evictions had shown that decisions cannot be taken arbitrarily as multiple laws are now in place governing street vending.
According to the MLA, a platform has been made available to all stakeholders, including hawkers who have been asked through notifications to move to locations deemed suitable and convenient for the public.
She added that residents of Laitumkhrah and the local Dorbar have shown patience, while the government has been “forthcoming” and has followed the “right procedure of decision taking” with the courts also involved.
“We do not want to see conflict on our streets. Hence, as much as we have been very patient, we request all parties to adhere to orders of the court and orders of the government,” Lyngdoh said.
She further stated that the government has complied with every act protecting the rights of hawkers and does not intend to “snatch away” anyone’s livelihood.
However, she stressed that public rights must also be respected.
“Even the people of Laitumkhrah have rights in the constitution,” she said.
The statement comes amid ongoing discussions on decongesting commercial areas in Shillong and relocating street vendors to designated vending zones.
Hawkers have often argued that the state government has not been fair in dealing with them, arguing that the Town Vending Committee continues to remain a provisional one as it was not democratically constituted. Hawkers have also claimed that many genuine hawkers were not issued Certificates of Vending (COVs) and they have also argued that certain areas designated for them are inconvenient in numerous ways.
