Shillong, Jul 10: Hawkers under the umbrella of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) staged a protest today in front of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) office, demanding the constitution of a full-fledged Town Vending Committee (TVC).
Speaking to the media, Shane Thabah, who is a member of the Provisional TVC as well as the general secretary of the MGSPHSVA, said that the PTVC was formed without any selection.
He stated that the hawkers’ demand is for the establishment of a proper, democratically constituted TVC, as mandated under the law. A PTVC, the same law states, is meant to function for a maximum period of one year.
“Despite four years having passed, the committee continues to function without being replaced by a permanent TVC,” Thabah said.
Shortly after the protest staged by street vendors under the umbrella of the MGSPHSVA, the authorities invited representatives of the association for discussions on the issue.
Speaking after the meeting, Thabah said that the delay in constituting the TVC indicates that something is happening behind the scenes and that the government has not taken the implementation of the Street Vendors Act seriously.
Furthermore, he said that during the discussion SMB officials told them that there was no point in holding protests at its office and that they should instead take their demands to the state government.
This angered the hawkers because they maintain that the SMB also has a key role in facilitating the formation of a full-fledged TVC.
