The removal of hawkers and the transformation of Police Bazar into a pedestrian zone could become a reality by October, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said today.
The government is making good progress in this matter, he added, but the only bottleneck is in the identification by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) of alternate sites to accommodate registered hawkers. The minister explained that the state government has to conform to laws on national hawkers or the matter will again wind up in court and be stuck.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh also informed that Meghalaya will be the second state after Rajasthan to host the Indian Responsible Tourism State Awards where it will collaborate with Outlook magazine.
The government will identify certain categories where people promoting tourism will be identified and will be given awards as recognition for the role they have played in promoting tourism in Meghalaya.
A national level jury will be constituted to identify the individuals and then the state will recommend names for the awards, which will be presented on September 27, World Tourism Day.
