Street vendors protest outside Shillong Municipal Board office over licence revocation
The women, under the banner of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association , demanded a review of the relocation process carried out by the SMB and the Urban Affairs department.
The vendors accused authorities of excluding several genuine local hawkers, particularly Khasi women, from the final list of beneficiaries, while stalls were allegedly allotted to non-local vendors.
Protesters carried placards and submitted a memorandum seeking redressal.
"Our names were there in the survey, and we even received vending certificates. But now our names are missing, and others have taken our place," said one of the protesting vendors.
The protest follows a July 29 order of the Meghalaya High Court, which disposed of a PIL on vendor relocation, observing that the government had complied with the court's directive to shift certified vendors from Khyndailad to the vending zone at the MUDA Parking Complex by July 22.
According to officials, 407 vendors were identified through a formal survey. Of them, 311 received Certificates of Vending , and 282 stalls at the MUDA complex have already been occupied.
The relocation is part of the implementation of the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme, 2023.
However, vendors at the protest alleged that the final list of beneficiaries was never published publicly, and many certified vendors were excluded without notice.
They demanded a halt to further evictions and a transparent reassessment of stall allotments.
Angela Rngad, leader of the civil society group Thma U Rangli-Juki , speaking on behalf of MGSPHSVA, warned that the protest may intensify if the Town Vending Committee is not convened immediately to address the grievances of vendors whose CoVs were revoked despite being eligible.
She alleged that the Shillong Municipal Board had bypassed the PTVC and issued or revoked vending licences in an arbitrary manner, potentially favouring certain individuals.
"This must go through the PTVC with proper documentation to prevent corruption or bias," she said.
Rngad said many legitimate vendors are still awaiting CoVs and questioned the lack of transparency in determining vendor eligibility.
She also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the construction and allocation of stalls at the vending zone.
The association has demanded a review of the vending zone plan and rationalisation of vendor spaces, especially for small-scale sellers such as betel nut or water vendors.
The hawkers have resolved to continue their sit-in protest until the SMB agrees to hold a PTVC meeting.
Under the relocation plan, each certified vendor is eligible for a ₹10,000 one-time assistance and a ₹2,000 monthly support for five months to help them re-establish their businesses at the new site.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing on pending concerns, including licence revocations, on August 5.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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News18
11 hours ago
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HC lauds successful relocation of hawkers in Meghalaya
Agency: PTI Shillong, Aug 5 (PTI) The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday lauded the 'peaceful and successful" implementation of the relocation of roadside vendors from Khyndailad area here. The court's observation was based on a report submitted by Special Officer Subhasis Chakrawarty, who was appointed by it to supervise the process. 'It appears from this report and the submission made before us that the exercise has been peaceful and successful," a bench headed by Chief Justice I P Mukerji said. According to government records, a digital survey conducted between December 2023 and January 2024 identified 1,400 street vendors across 23 locations in Shillong. Of these, about 760 vendors were found to be eligible under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. In the Khyndailad area alone, 457 vendors were surveyed and 407 declared eligible. The Shillong Municipal Board has since begun relocating the licensed vendors to designated vending zones in various parts of the city. As part of the rehabilitation process, the state government has sanctioned Rs 20,000 per relocated vendor as compensation, and on Tuesday, the first installment of Rs 10,000 was disbursed to hawkers, who had shifted to the new vending zones. However, the Shillong Roadside Hawkers' Association submitted representations on July 25 and August 1, alleging that several eligible vendors were arbitrarily left out of the final list and denied vending certificates. Taking note of the complaints, the Special Officer wrote to the Chief Executive Officer of the Shillong Municipal Board on July 29, seeking a response. The Board's counsel assured the court that a detailed affidavit would be filed. The case will be heard again on August 13. PTI JOP RBT view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
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Street vendors protest outside Shillong Municipal Board office over licence revocation
Shillong, Street vendors, mostly indigenous women, on Friday staged a protest outside the Shillong Municipal Board office here on Friday, alleging arbitrary revocation of vending licences and biased allotment of stalls at the newly designated vending zone. Street vendors protest outside Shillong Municipal Board office over licence revocation The women, under the banner of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association , demanded a review of the relocation process carried out by the SMB and the Urban Affairs department. The vendors accused authorities of excluding several genuine local hawkers, particularly Khasi women, from the final list of beneficiaries, while stalls were allegedly allotted to non-local vendors. Protesters carried placards and submitted a memorandum seeking redressal. "Our names were there in the survey, and we even received vending certificates. But now our names are missing, and others have taken our place," said one of the protesting vendors. The protest follows a July 29 order of the Meghalaya High Court, which disposed of a PIL on vendor relocation, observing that the government had complied with the court's directive to shift certified vendors from Khyndailad to the vending zone at the MUDA Parking Complex by July 22. According to officials, 407 vendors were identified through a formal survey. Of them, 311 received Certificates of Vending , and 282 stalls at the MUDA complex have already been occupied. The relocation is part of the implementation of the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme, 2023. However, vendors at the protest alleged that the final list of beneficiaries was never published publicly, and many certified vendors were excluded without notice. They demanded a halt to further evictions and a transparent reassessment of stall allotments. Angela Rngad, leader of the civil society group Thma U Rangli-Juki , speaking on behalf of MGSPHSVA, warned that the protest may intensify if the Town Vending Committee is not convened immediately to address the grievances of vendors whose CoVs were revoked despite being eligible. She alleged that the Shillong Municipal Board had bypassed the PTVC and issued or revoked vending licences in an arbitrary manner, potentially favouring certain individuals. "This must go through the PTVC with proper documentation to prevent corruption or bias," she said. Rngad said many legitimate vendors are still awaiting CoVs and questioned the lack of transparency in determining vendor eligibility. She also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the construction and allocation of stalls at the vending zone. The association has demanded a review of the vending zone plan and rationalisation of vendor spaces, especially for small-scale sellers such as betel nut or water vendors. The hawkers have resolved to continue their sit-in protest until the SMB agrees to hold a PTVC meeting. Under the relocation plan, each certified vendor is eligible for a ₹10,000 one-time assistance and a ₹2,000 monthly support for five months to help them re-establish their businesses at the new site. The High Court has scheduled the next hearing on pending concerns, including licence revocations, on August 5. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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