A spot verification of hawkers in Khyndailad area continued for the second day on Tuesday and in the process certain discrepancies were found out when a person allegedly having shops in Ïewduh possessing certificate of vending (CoV) issued by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).
Officials and vendor association members are jointly verifying licenses and those without licenses or with fraudulent ones are being asked to move out.
Biolin Pyrtuh president of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association maintained that anyone owning shops won’t be allowed to be street vendors.
“Street vendors should remain so and those who own shops should continue their business there,” Pyrtuh told reporters.
Commenting on the person who was caught getting CoV despite owning shops, the MGSPHSVA president said that he took advantage of the opportunity by preventing other genuine street vendors.
The association blamed the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) for the discrepancies. “He was given the CoV without properly verifying who he was,” she added.
Pyrtuh said that genuine residents of the state who are eligible for the CoV should be given licence to operate business.
She also said that at least 50-60 genuine hawkers-street vendors who have been in this place for many years have not been issued licenses.
“I told them I am the member of the Town Vending Committee and I will take up this issue and the government won’t be allowed to deprive them to continue doing business,” Pyrtuh said.
The MGSPHSVA president also said that the association will not allow those who are not eligible to be given space in newly allotted places.
The relocation zone earmarked by the state government is the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) parking lot.
However, the vendors said that this vending zone provided to them has no toilets, water facilities and proper lighting.
