SHILLONG, AUG 21: The much talked about hawkers’ policy to streamline the menace of growing hawkers in the city center has hit a roadblock as the land tenure system in Meghalaya prevents the government from allotting land to dislocated hawkers if they are evicted.
Urban affairs minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told this website that the government will find it very difficult to implement the hawker policy as government has no rights over the ownership of the land in Meghalaya.
Lyngdoh queried, “When Government does not have land how we can offer them land for their relocation.”
The proposed hawkers’ policy will safeguard the rights of the hawkers besides defining the role of the government in their approach to the hawkers issue and also help in streamlining the menace of hawkers crowding major city centers.
Though she expressed the government inability to make the law effective because of the state land tenure system, Lyngdoh, however, informed that the proposed policy has been sent to the union government for its advice.
Responding to a question, Lyngdoh said that there is a need for convergence and synergy of traditional institutions, ngos and other stakeholders to solve the long pending issue of hawkers as government alone cannot solve the problem.
Lyngdoh appealed to the shopkeepers not to allow hawkers to open up their stalls in front of their shops which will discourage them even from thinking of squatting beside the roads and selling edibles or other products..
Lyngdoh said, “We must make some space for public utility.”
Hundreds of hawkers are seen opening up their makeshift stalls right from Motphran till Khyndailad which causes obstruction to the movement of the pedestrians.- By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours