The state government cannot allow the interest of one section of society to take precedence and impede or clash with the interest of another’s, Tourism Minister and government spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh said today when asked about the hawker relocation issue.
The state government’s own deadlines for moving the hawkers and street vendors off the roads and pavements and into designated spots in the state capital have been missed time and time again.
Today, Lyngdoh, who has often been in the middle of the issue, said that pleasing everyone is challenging if not impossible.
“As I have mentioned before, the associations have been involved in this process and we have engaged in constant discussions with them over the past year,” he said. “It is difficult to satisfy everyone but our top priority is the welfare of all citizens, including all users of roads and footpaths.”
At least one association that represents hawkers have complained that the state government has not been following rules laid down by the Street Vendors Act 2014 in terms of the relocation notices that several of its members have already received.
When asked about the timeline for relocation, Lyngdoh explained, “Due to the upcoming elections for the autonomous district councils, many of our government officials have been assigned election duties, including ministers such as the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs, whose department is directly responsible for the relocation of hawkers. This is why the process is taking longer than anticipated.”
However, the process to identify new locations for hawkers continues, he added.
