By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, DEC 18: The hawkers, who are staging protest in the city, refused to by the claim of the Urban Affairs Minister Ronnie V Lyngdoh that the central laws relating to hawking is not applicable in the state.
The hawkers reacted by saying, “Sadly the minister does not know what he is talking about. We suggest that the minister does his homework thoroughly because in his attempt to befool the public he is only exposing his own ignorance.”
Reacting to the hawkers’ demand for implementation of the central law Lyngdoh had recently said that it will not be possible to implement in the state keeping in mind the narrow conditions of the city roads.
“The conditions of the roads here are narrow and not like those in Delhi, the national capital whose sidewalks are wider than our roads. The central law has not taken this into consideration,” the minister had stated.
Meanwhile, the hawkers under the banner of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association along with TUR have been staging a sit-in protest in front of the Municipal Board office for the past 4 days.
Tomorrow being the last day of the protest against the form distribution by the TVC to hawkers, the leaders said, this has probably been the longest sit in demonstration that Shillong has seen in the past few years, where even though they were not ferried to the location in buses, daily, hundreds of hawkers walked to the venue and sat outside the municipal office for more than 6 hours demanding for implementation of the central act on hawkers that mandates an ‘institute’ survey of hawkers and vending places by a TVC that is transparently constituted and that has representatives from the hawkers themselves.
The hawkers reiterated that giving the form was a useless exercise as it was done by a TVC which was improperly constituted and does not have hawker representatives from across the city and also sees it as a dangerous exercise that far from ensuring them their rights is opening up avenues for more corruption and nepotism.
The hawkers will press on with their demands in the days to come, they said.
Earlier, the Urban Affairs Minister has also maintained that the state government is making all out efforts to accommodate the affected hawkers wherever roads are wide enough.
He said certain locations have been identified for rehabilitating them which include market places in Malki, Mawlai, Polo, road along the Forest colony and others.
He informed that application has also been invited in which not more than one member from a family can apply.
“It is also strictly for people from BPL families having no source of income,” he informed adding “The government is trying to address the problems faced by the hawkers to ensure their livelihood activities are not dislocated.”
He also added that at the same time, the government is also duty bound to look at the conveniences of the public to use the sidewalks and roads, which they as commuters has the right.
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