SHILLONG: Mounting resistance from local street vendors is challenging the Meghalaya government’s urban management plans, as hawkers from Laitumkhrah and Jail Road actively push back against forced relocation directives, citing severe threats to their livelihoods and daily survival.
On Tuesday, a large delegation of street vendors operating in Laitumkhrah submitted a formal memorandum to the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), outright rejecting the state’s order to vacate their current spots and relocate to Brightwell in Barik by August 17.
Vendors insisted the government should instead identify and allocate suitable vending spaces within Laitumkhrah itself, where their established customer bases are rooted in decades of service.
For many, the proposed shift amounts to a human crisis rather than a mere administrative directive.
Vendors explained that multi-generational families—some selling fruits and betel nuts outside landmarks like Nazareth Hospital for 40 years without impeding traffic—face immediate financial ruin if uprooted.
While expressing willingness to compromise by reducing the size of their stalls, the hawkers warned that moving from high-footfall areas would leave them unable to pay rent, children’s school fees, or medical expenses for elderly dependents. Administrative inconsistencies have further fueled frustration.
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Vendors questioned why long-standing local hawkers are being pushed to Barik, while newer operators reportedly remain accommodated in nearby Dhanketi.
Delays in issuing Certificates of Vending (COV) have also compounded anxieties; despite completing required surveys and submitting documentation, many hawkers say they are repeatedly asked for proof without receiving credentials.
One vendor near the Fire Brigade area reported being designated a spot near Nongthymmai football ground, only to be abruptly ordered to pack up for Brightwell. Determined to resist eviction even under threat of force, Laitumkhrah vendors asserted that displacement from their home locality equates to starvation.
At the same time, resistance has expanded elsewhere, with the Hynniewtrep Jailroad Street Vendor Association meeting directly with the Urban Affairs Minister.
Seeking a compromise, the association requested permission to remain along Jail Road, or at the very least, to be granted evening vending slots if full-time space is not feasible.
The Urban Affairs Minister assured the delegation that their demands would be reviewed with department officers to find a workable solution.
(4FrontMedia news)
