Shillong, Sep 24: The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) has raised serious concerns over what it termed as “deliberate corruption, confusion and abuse of power” in the process of issuing Certificates of Vending (COVs) to genuine street vendors in the city.
Speaking from the Shillong Municipal Board office premises today, Angela Rangad, adviser to the MGSPHSVA, said that, despite repeated assurances, at least 60–70 eligible vendors are still being denied CoVs even though they have been vending for over a decade. “For more than two and a half months now, these hawkers have not been able to earn their livelihood. Families are under distress and with the festive season approaching, the losses are unbearable,” she said.
Rangad alleged discrepancies in the lists prepared by the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC) and its subcommittee. According to her, names of genuine hawkers were marked “absent” despite being present, while others who had never been surveyed – including relatives of office bearers from another organisation – found their way into the “recommended” list.
“This points to corruption. People who were never part of the survey have got CoVs, while genuine vendors continue to be left out,” she claimed.
The association also criticised the lack of transparency in publishing lists. Rangad pointed out that the call list for the August 22 subcommittee meeting was published on August 15 – a national holiday – when newspapers were not widely available. “On the day of the meeting, we found that the list being used was different from the one published. Nearly 100 extra names had been added,” she said.
Rangad further questioned why the government has not followed provisions under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014. She argued that the present PTVC lacks adequate hawker representation and has overruled earlier decisions on relocation and spacing. “We ought to be demanding a full-fledged TVC. Otherwise, this confusion will only spread to other areas,” she stated.
The hawkers’ association has demanded immediate issuance of CoVs to those left out, failing which it plans to file formal complaints through various grievance redressal mechanisms, including the one mandated under the Street Vendors Act. Rangad revealed that despite the High Court nominating a district judge for the grievance redressal committee earlier this year, the body has not been set up. “This delay itself is a violation of the law,” she said.
On the government’s claim that alternative spaces are being considered for those excluded, Rangad said vendors must be consulted. “The decision to unilaterally construct stalls opposite [in a parking lot across the road from the State Bank of India main branch] was never discussed with hawkers. They understand markets better and many felt that location was not viable for trade,” she explained.
Highlighting the human cost of the delays, Rangad recounted the story of a hawker who could not pay her daughter’s BSc admission fees due to lost income. “She has had to pull her daughter out for a year. Who will take responsibility for that child’s lost future?” she asked.
The association said it will continue to explore legal avenues, including challenging the functioning of the PTVC, and will file complaints with the government’s accountability portals. “The state cannot boast of a billion-dollar economy while ignoring the livelihood of 60 or 70 people who have been vending honestly for years,” Rangad stressed.
