Central law, HC order violated in forceful relocation: Hawkers’ body

Shillong, Aug 3: The Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), in the past two weeks, has made as many as four detailed submissions to the special officer appointed by the High Court, the DC and the Chairperson of the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC), highlighting the many ways in which the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, has been deliberately undermined.

In a statement to the media, the association said the forceful relocation of hawkers from Khyndailad to the MUDA Parking Lot on July 23, carried out by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), is a complete violation of due process, the High Court order dated July 3 and the central law.

“This action, taken without consultation with the hawkers’ association and PTVC, lacked transparency and preparedness,” said Shane Thabah, the general secretary of MGSPHSVA.

The statement also pointed out that the state government did not take any measures to rectify the “grave anomalies” highlighted by the hawkers and street vendors.

The SMB has failed to publish a final, verified list of licensed vendors, as required by the High Court order.

Multiple contradictory and error-ridden lists have excluded genuine, surveyed hawkers without reason, while some ineligible individuals have been granted licences. (Click here for the list of hawkers on the SMB website)

The other grievances are:

• Notices for eviction were sent via WhatsApp in the early hours of July 23, giving hawkers only a few hours to vacate.
• Relocation proceeded despite no final list being in place.
• The MUDA Parking Lot remains under construction, with no basic facilities like water, toilets, waste disposal or safe electrical fittings.
• The stalls are unfit for diverse trades.
• No Standard Operating Procedures were issued for this relocation.
• A last-minute ‘lucky draw’ was used to allocate stalls, resulting in duplicate allotments and an absence of accountability.
• Over 106 vendors who were surveyed have not received licenses and have been left with no place to vend.
• Food vendors, who were promised locations in the MUDA frontage, have been pushed indoors.

The MGSPHSVA, in its statement, listed the following demands:

• Immediate convening of the PTVC meeting to deliberate on the unlawful relocation and the way forward.
• Respacing of the Khyndailad area, as previously discussed at the PTVC.
• Redesign and restructuring of the MUDA vending site.
• Issuance of licences to all surveyed and eligible hawkers, and a rapid re-survey to include those left out.
• Establishment of a transparent grievance redressal mechanism and publication of all vendor-related data in the public domain.
• Disclosure of expenditures and contracts related to the MUDA site and safeguards against corruption and resale of stalls.

MGSPHSVA rejected processes for claims and objections and issuing of licences in their current form and demanded immediate, corrective and participatory action.