Shillong, Nov 23: Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association took objection to the ‘willfully misleading statements’ of Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh regarding the relocation of hawkers.
In response to the question on protests for proper implementation of the law, the minister said on Saturday that a number of meetings were held by deputy chief minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and a committee was also constituted last year, which comprised representatives from the vendors association.
According to Lyngdoh,all those meetings were recorded and they took more than a year to complete the entire exercise of relocating the vendors. “It is baseless to say that they were not consulted,” he added.
“His statement is complete fabrication and reflects his shameful ignorance of law. We as the largest membership based association of hawkers and street vendors in Meghalaya, have not been part to any so called ‘consultation’ about relocation of hawkers and street vendors from Khyndailad. As an association we believe that only process informed by The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 is legally valid. And informed by this law we have been participating in the in situ survey being conducted by the Provisional Town Vending Committee. Once this process is complete and proper vending licenses are issued then a proper Town Vending Committee would be set up with 40% elected street vendor and hawker members. It is this TVC that has the right to plan for vending and no vending zone, timing, roster, relocation etc. Moreover, Mr. Lyngdoh should know that under this law Natural and Heritage Markets like Khyndailad, Bimola, Iewduh, Laitumkhrah, Rynjah etc can never be no vending zones. It is high time media calls out Mr. Lyngdoh for his completely fabricated statements regarding hawkers and street vendors”, said activist Angela Rangad on behalf of the street vendors.
“We the street vending community are one of the major constituents of the urban economy of Meghalaya both in terms of revenue and employment and our contribution to the survival of the struggling classes of Meghalaya.Any attempt to illegally evict us to fulfill the minister’s vanity projects is going to have a major impact on the urban economy.
We are inviting Mr. Paul Lyngdoh and other officials for a free training session on The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and global best practises of people oriented urban design”, she said.
