The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has promised its help to local vendors whose stalls along National Highway 40 have been supposedly threatened by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The shops in question lie on the hard shoulder of the highway at Umiam, Lad Umroi, Ri-Bhoi, at the junction of where the highway meets the Shillong Bypass. As such it is a prime spot to set up shops but NHAI feels that they are too close to the busy road.
NHAI has reportedly told the vendors to vacate their shops within 30 days and that led a group of shopkeepers to approach the HYC for help.
The HYC’s Ri-Bhoi unit President, Hercules Suting, said he would take up the matter with NHAI shortly. He also promised support for the vendors against the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL), which had allegedly damaged some shops earlier
One of the shopkeepers, Elisha Lapang, said that they were deeply concerned by the NHAI notice as most of those running the shops at that particular spot are women, many widows, who have no other source of income.
