The Meghalaya High Court has granted additional time of half an hour and 15 minutes for vendors with license to vend in Police Bazar.
In its modification to the order dated July 3, a division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh on Wednesday said the additional time is to allow vendors to layout the shop and pack up.
“The vendors will be allowed to start setting up shop from 12 noon and to start packing up from 2 pm till 2.15 pm, and again to start setting up shop from 7 pm and pack up by 9:15 pm,” the court said.
The layout and pack up process will be under strict supervision of the public authorities and the court-appointed Special Officer, the division bench said and also directed the traffic department to be extra cautious by deployment of additional police personnel to regulate traffic in the area.
The decision of the court came after the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), through its counsel, P. Yobin in a submission said the earlier timings fixed by the court is reducing business and causing hardship to the vendors.
The court had earlier set 12:30 pm to 2 pm and 7:30 pm to 9 pm as vending time till the licensed vendors are shifted to the MUDA Complex, MUDA parking lot first floor and the Shillong Municipal Board parking lot, opposite State Bank of India.
During the hearing, Advocate General A. Kumar emphatically tried to impress upon the court that some “vested interests” are involved behind the application.
He told the court that the State government has taken all measures to ensure that vendors are relocated by July 22 and presented the May 2 notification and layout plans and drawings of the relocation sites.
Spl officer chairs meeting on relocation of vendors
A meeting to plan the relocation of licensed vendors from Police Bazar was held today.
Special officer and senior advocate Subhasis Chakrawarty during the meeting urged the East Khasi Hills district administration to relocate hawkers from Khyndailad by following the High Court’s order.
Chakrawarty told reporters that discussions were fruitful. It centred around on how to go ahead with the relocation of the vendors and issuing Certificates of Vendors (CoVs), he said.
“Now the administration will go ahead in accordance with the decisions taken in this meeting,” the court-appointed special officer said.
The meeting was attended by the authorities of the district administration, Shillong Municipal Board, members of the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association and the Provisional Town Vending Committee and others.
