Shillong, July 16: A meeting chaired by the court-appointed special officer on the hawkers’ issue, Subhasis Chakrawarty, has decided to carry out on-the-spot verification of vendors. The earlier list of authorized or licensed vendors contained 349 entries.
The concerned authorities will announce the date for holding fresh verification of vendors at Khyndailad (Police Bazar). “We have to first prepare the list of vendors, and hence it was decided to initiate the verification process,” Chakrawarty said after the meeting held at the office of the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, RM Kurbah.
Regarding the relocation process, the special officer stated that the town vending committee will have to meet again to decide on the matter, as currently, the task is to prepare the list of vendors who are eligible to receive certificates of vending.
The meeting was attended by members of the two hawkers’ associations, as well as officials from the urban and municipal affairs departments, among others
Social activist Angela Rangad, representing Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), said that the district administration has decided to start checking of Certificates of Vending (CoVs) at Khyndailad from Monday next.
She, however, questioned the deadline set for relocation of hawkers to the identified vending zone at MUDA parking lot by July 22.
Rangad said the provisional town vending committee (PTVC) did not agree to the deadline since the process is yet to be completed.
They (district administration) clarified that it was a government’s notification but we argued that any decision on hawkers should have come out from the PTVC, which we know clearly that it has never agreed that July 22 will be the deadline for relocation.”
Rangad wanted to know why the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) confiscated hawkers’ goods while the process of issuing CoVs was still on
During the meeting with the special officer, the hawkers’ associations pointed out the inconsistencies in the numbers of hawkers.
According to Rangad, the process should follow the law, survey, claims, and objections as the list of hawkers is yet to be made public, which is necessary for claims and livelihood claims.
“I have seen recently many lists on the numbers of hawkers in different places. They even claimed that there are no vendors in Ward’s Lake but which you and me knows there are. Therefore, we will not accept such lists while the claims and objections are still going on.”, she said.
Regarding release of CoVs, she alleged that many genuine hawkers are yet to receive CoVs despite participating in the survey.
The SMB’s decision to issue CoVs to some shop owners was also raised.
She wanted the SMB office not to bypass the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC) and hawkers’ association.
Concerns were also raised over the construction of the road level MUDA parking lot.
She said that designs had been submitted but it seemed that the authorities wanted to construct without following due process.
Angela wanted the authorities to work with the TVC and hawkers’ association to resolve the issues.
