Shillong, Oct 14: The Meghalaya government is working to relocate hawkers from Jail Road to a designated market space in a way that will meet the twin aims of keeping the city clean while also ensuring that vendors have a proper place from which to earn a livelihood.
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who holds the Urban Affairs portfolio, acknowledged today that some hawkers resent the relocation and are concerned that moving away from their existing locations could affect their sales. However, Dhar expressed confidence that business would gradually improve once the new market becomes established.
The minister said the relocation was also in line with a High Court of Meghalaya direction to keep the city clean and organised.
Jail Road hawkers had been involved in a minor clash with police and Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) officials who removed them from their spots last week.
Clarifying why hawkers were being moved despite Jail Road being a car-free zone, Dhar said pedestrian-friendly spaces should remain accessible to people without obstruction. “Just because it is a pedestrian zone does not mean that a person will start sleeping or sitting on the road. Pedestrians should be able to use the footpath with ease,” he said.
Dhar said hawkers from Jail Road had met him yesterday during which he urged them to cooperate with the government and give the new arrangement time to settle.
He cited the relocation of hawkers to the MUDA parking lot from Khyndailad and the market at Barik from outside Shillong Civil Hospital as examples of the government’s efforts to establish designated vending spaces. However, there have been numerous reports from relocated hawkers at both locations about inadequate and unsanitary facilities and a drastic reduction in sales.
On certificates of vending (CoV), paperwork that hawkers must possess in order to be issued a place in these new markets, Dhar said the process of issuing certificates was ongoing and eligible applicants would be considered. Hawker groups have alleged that eligible vendors have been denied CoVs, while certificates have been issued to some hawkers who do not meet the criteria.
Dhar said his department is examining the cases of vendors who had not yet received their certificates. “We will try to accommodate as many as possible,” he said.
