SHILLONG: Shillong continues to execute its phased plan to streamline street vending in the city, with the eviction of 86 roadside vendors operating in Laitumkhrah on Monday.
Following the issuance of notices in compliance with a High Court directive, August 17 was set as the deadline for the relocation of hawkers holding valid CoVs to the designated locations at SMB Parking Lot in Dhanketi and Brightwell Bungalow, a privately owned premise in Barik.
Security personnel were deployed, and officials of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) executed the drive. Members of the Laitumkhrah Dorbar Shnong and various organizations were also present to monitor the situation and maintain peace.
The relocation follows a series of protests in the city, with the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Street Vendors Association strongly opposing it. The association claimed that the authorities were sidelining genuine hawkers and violating the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
The association alleged that over 60 eligible vendors are yet to receive Certificates of Vending, with multiple long-standing vendors deemed “non-genuine” without proper verification, reported The Shillong Times.
According to the association, the decision to scrap vending zones at Lyndhurst Estate, Fire Brigade, and the area near the DHS office should not have been reversed, since these locations were finalized only after consultation with the Dorbar Shnongs.
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SMB CEO K.C. Boro, speaking to the media, reported no resistance from the street vendors on Monday morning, “We have 86 hawkers here, all will be relocated, everything is arranged and done. They are obeying, they are complying and cooperating with us.”
Chief minister Conrad Sangma recently addressed the ongoing exercise across Shillong and reiterated the government’s efforts to strike a balance between protecting vendors and reclaiming public spaces. During his inspection of the new Polo Vendors’ Market on August 12, he stated, “Our intention is to protect livelihoods to the maximum extent possible. But we also see that some locations are unorganised. There will never be a perfect solution — there will always be challenges and compromises. The objective is to find the best mix so we can create a win-win solution.”
