SHILLONG:
Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who represents East Shillong, said on Monday that over 89 street vendors and hawkers would be relocated from Laitumkhrah police point to the beat house by February 10 or 15. This decision followed a joint meeting between Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun and officials from PHE, Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), PWD, Food Supply, etc.
Lyngdoh stated that necessary surveys had been conducted in line with the national vendors/hawkers policy’s norms and recommendations. “We are now ready with the entire plan. We will shortly be able to relocate these vendors from the police point to beat houses in the interest of the public and not disrupting spaces meant for pedestrians’ right of way,” she explained.
Expressing hope for the cooperation of the vendors’ committee, Lyngdoh said, “I am crossing my fingers that everything will go well by February 10 to 15, or in between these days, we will issue the relocation to these various hawkers, and we look forward to a hawker-free zone.”
Around 89 hawkers and street vendors will be relocated, and Lyngdoh expressed optimism that all stakeholders would be happy and cooperate with the initiative.
Regarding potential challenges, Lyngdoh stated, “I do not anticipate that we will have much of a problem anymore because we have gone as per the Hawkers Act.” She also shared that the dorbar shnong has been requested to present the necessity of changing the entire ring road of Laitumkhrah towards Dhankheti and then beat house. There is consideration for implementing one-way traffic in the area, and decisions will be made in collaboration with the Dorbar Shnong and the executive committee to ease traffic congestion, especially when institutions reopen.