SHILLONG, AUG 16: Street vendors in the state on Tuesday demanded scrapping of the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 alleging that it is an “unconstitutional exercise” by the present Congress led state government.
According to the vendors, many provisions of the central act which empowers the street vendors have been deleted from the state Act.
The vendors under the banner of the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Hawkers and Street Vendors Association (MGSHSVA) supported by Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) have asked the state government to frame the rules according to the central Act.
The two organisations have also demanded that the centre government put on hold all funding and schemes meant for the welfare of street vendors till the state government frames the said rules.
The demand came after several RTIs were filed with the various departments – Urban Affairs, MUDA, Municipal Board and Law, which revealed huge constitutional fraud and anomalies in the exercise.
According to the RTIs, the state government has also ignored as many as over 13 letters and reminders received from the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) since 2011, which directed the state government to frame rules of the central act. The letters from the ministry have different deadlines.
The centre had on February 20, 2014 passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
It was also revealed despite its failure to frame the rules; the state government instead sent proposals to the centre for availing schemes allegedly in the name of street vendors. The RTIs also revealed that there were even file noting of officials requesting the government ‘not to contravene’ with the central act.
Addressing newsmen here on Tuesday, TUR leader Angela Rangad said, “Instead of notifying the Central Act and framing the rules for it, Meghalaya government has enacted constitutionally untenable, anti-hawker The Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.”
She said after five months the central act was passed (February 20, 2014), the state government on August 1, 2014 decided to promulgate the state Act through an ordinance, which was given assent by the governor on November 10, 2014 and accordingly passed by the state assembly on November 21, 2014.
Alleging that the state Act apart from its dubious constitutional status has meticulously removed all the enabling features of the Central Act, Rangad said, “In the draft bill placed before the assembly it had a mention in one of the clauses about 40% representation from members who are street vendors in the town vending committee (TVC) but surprisingly this particular provision was deleted in the notification published in the Meghalaya Gazette.”
She said, “If this is the case then do we conclude that the bureaucrats in Meghalaya are so inefficient or is it they are being mischievous in collusion with political class.”
Also demanding for dissolution of the town vending committee which was allegedly constituted illegally, Rangad said, “The RTI revealed that the then Principal Secretary of Urban Affairs P Naik had on September 24, 2014 notified the constitution of TVC citing it was as per the ordinance, which was yet to be approved by the governor,” adding “We demand proper inquiry into the matter as how can bureaucrat do such illegality.”
She also informed that the RTI also revealed that even the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on January this year has also questioned the state government on which constitutional provision it has enacted the state Act.
Meanwhile, the two organisations have submitted a petition on the issue to the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, M Venkalah Naidu and also the chief minister Mukul Sangma.-By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours