The Urban Affairs Department is conducting a survey for identification of street vendors in Shillong.
According to a recent notification, the survey for the identification of street vendors will be taken up at Khyndai Lad, Laitumkhrah, and Polo from November 18 to December 18.
The survey will be carried out from 7 am to 10 am, 11 am to 5 pm, and 7 pm onwards.
The facilitation centre for the survey is the office of Shillong Municipal Board at Bishop Cotton Road.
Further, the nodal officer for the survey is Martina Lyttan, Deputy Secretary, Urban Affairs Department.
Under Section 60 of the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023, Urban Affairs Department Secretary Rennette C. Sohkhlet has been appointed as State Nodal Officer for coordination of all the matters relating to street vendors.
Urban Affairs Deputy Secretary Martina Lyttan has been appointed as State Level Officer for the survey.
It may be mentioned that the State cabinet on October 19 has approved the draft of the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme 2023 which will regulate street hawking and also identify vending zones in Shillong city.
Under this scheme, town vending committees will be responsible to identify legal vendors and hawkers.
A set of criteria has been laid down for being identified as a street vendor. These include that the person has to possess a voting card issued by the Election Commission of India and a certificate to prove that he has resided for at least three years in Meghalaya.
Further, the street vendor should have been vending in a particular spot for a minimum of six months. He must possess a valid trade license in areas that are outside of the three normal areas under the control of the Shillong Municipal Board.
The town vending committees will also decide areas to be declared as vending zones and areas which are no-vending zones. These will be finalised after the survey and registration of legal vendors.
Recently, Urban Affairs Minister Paul Lyngdoh had said that identification of vending zones will be based on certain criteria.
“For instance, we will make sure that these zones will not impede the movement of traffic, movement of pedestrians, and will not cause law and order issues. Those are factors that will be taken into account,” he had said.
As per government data, there are roughly 3000 plus hawkers in and around Shillong.
