Hawkers’ association slams CS for failing to implement central Act on hawking & street vending

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 18, 2021

The Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers & Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA) has accused the state chief secretary MS Rao of allegedly failing to implement the central Act on hawking and street vending in the state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, secretary of the association Shane Thabah said the MGSPHSVA has lodged a complaint with the Chief Secretary for his malafide non-action on the letter from the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs on May 18, this year. 

“This letter (from the ministry) has asked all the state governments to be proactive in implementing the central act on hawking namely, The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014,” he said.

Thabah informed that MS Rao as a chief secretary is also the nodal officer appointed by the High Court of Meghalaya to oversee the issue of hawking and street vending as per existing laws.

“It is shocking that the head bureaucrat of Meghalaya is not fulfilling his constitutionally mandated duty and is indulging in anti-people actions,” he added.

In the letter submitted to the CS on July 13, the association had demanded the immediate implementation of the The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

It also demaned for immediate participatory in-situ survey of the hawkers and street vendors as mandated by both the law and the letter.

The association further asked the government to immediately constitute the Town Vending Committee with 40 % members of Hawking and Street Vending community and 10% members from the NGOs/Civil Society who have worked with the vending community.

“This legally constituted TVC should then issue vending licenses to the genuine Hawkers and Street Vendors as identified by the survey,” it said.

Further, the association said the natural and heritage Markets in Shillong like Khyndailad, Police Bazaar, GS Road, Bimola, Iewduh, Laitumkhrah, Polo, Jingkieng, Rynjah should have places for vending based on the holding capacity as mandated by law.

It added that a similar exercise of establishing vending spaces in heritage markets in Shillongs outskirts and other district towns should also be undertaken.

Meanwhile, the association has also sent its complaint to the Chief Minister as well as to the Central government for their necessary intervention into the matter.