The State government will submit its report to the Meghalaya High Court on May 29 with regard to the proposed relocation to street vendors to identified places in Shillong.
On May 15, the division bench of Chief Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh took up the PIL filed by Philip Khrawbok Shati on the matter.
In one of the reports filed by the Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Home (Police) Department on March 6 this year, it was stated that vending zones will have to be identified by conducting a survey of vendors, publication of claims and objections, publication of final list, notification of street vending plan and relocation of vendors in phase-wise manner.
The report also mentioned that a survey of vendors was conducted from December 4, 2023 to January 16, 2024. The survey of the list soliciting claims and objections was carried out from February 23 to March 23, 2024 and the final list was published on April 15, 2024.
Further, the report stated that the notification of the Street Vending Plan was issued on April 30, 2024. It also said that relocation of vendors will be done in a phase-wise manner from May to September 2024.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General K Khan contended that the State government is inclined to take steps with regard to identification of the vendors as stated in the report so that the issue could be resolved at the earliest.
The High Court meanwhile has made it clear that it would proceed with the statistics given by the State government in the report dated March 6, 2024 on the next date of hearing without waiting for the objections to be filed by the petitioner.
“It is further made clear that it is not fair on the part of the petitioner in not evincing interest in the Public Interest Litigation and this court cannot repeatedly grant adjournment and permit the petitioner to procrastinate the matter,” the court said while listing the matter for hearing on May 29.
As a last chance, the High Court gave one more opportunity to the petitioner to file his objections till May 29. On the same day, the State government will submit its report before the court with regard to the progress made as per the report.
