KHADC gives 19 days to hawkers for registration
SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) today give a 19 days time to all hawkers in Shillong to register in the case of tribal and avail trading license for the non-tribal traders.
Informing this,here on Friday, executive member in-charge Trade Paul Lyngdoh said that non-tribal vendors are requested to collect the application forms for applying of trading license from the Trade department and for registration of tribal vendors from the enforcement wing.
“All vendors should submit the forms along with documents from November 11 to November 30 and on the expiry of this period, no application form will be entertained,” Lyngdoh told reporters.
According to him, the exercise is a continuation of the announcement made by the Council with regards to the ban on illegal hawking under its jurisdiction.
He said the KHADC will be guided by three parameters while issuing of vending/trade license and registration.
These include the location where vending business is being carried out should not cause any inconveniences to pedestrians’ movement, selling of eatable items should be hygienic and the trade should be legal.
“We will use these three parameters to assess and approve the application forms on a first come first serve basis,” Lyngdoh said while also adding that hawkers should also submit the No-objection certificate from authorities concerned including private spaces that they are occupying.
The EM also informed that the forms distributed by the Council under the first phase of this exercise will be applicable in the entire Shillong city including municipality areas, 27 wards and seven constituencies – West Shillong, East Shillong, North Shillong, South Shillong, Mawlai, Pynthorumkhrah and Nongthymmai.
He said the exercise will also be implemented in the other parts of the Khasi Hills region as he appealed to all stakeholders to extend their full cooperation to the KHADC.
Earlier, the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association had staged a protest inside the Council’s premises terming the action as a violation of the status quo as per the November 25, 2016-order passed by the Meghalaya High Court.
The MGSPH&SVA in its memorandum to the KHADC also conveyed its decision to reject the form of the Council for registration of hawkers citing that it has randomly giving out forms and have brought new people to occupy spaces leading to utter confusion and lawlessness.
Asked, Lyngdoh said one of the reasons why the association has opposed the exercise is because they fear after having gone through the conditions in the application form and understood it is aimed at addressing the practice of benami transaction as well.
“We have asked all hawkers to declare their goods and items to prevent benami transaction,” he said.
Whether hawking will be completely banned on footpaths and public spaces, the EM informed that hawkers will also have to submit photographic evidences of the location or spot they are carrying out their businesses.
“The idea is also to ensure that there is no clash between hawkers, pedestians and motorists and that the interest of hawkers should not interfere with the interest of the padestrains and vice versa,” he maintained.
When asked if the exercise would not affect livelihood activities of the people, Lyngdoh however said, “Obviously some of them will be left out as the space that they are occupying today actually belongs to pedetrians but we will be as considerate as possible. We will see that the interest of everybody is taken care of.”
He went on to also add, “We will give first preference to people who are self employed. There will be many locations which we will not grant permission.”
Admitting that the congestion in Iewduh market is also a concern, He said the committee looking into this matter will assess all the application keeping in mind the suitability of any lane or by lane and accordingly ensure minimum inconvenience to the public.
On the selling of edible items by street vendors, the EM said the Council will seek the cooperation of the food inspectors and sanitary inspectors to check on this matter as he informed that the KHADC is also proposing to soon create posts of food safety inspectors.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh further informed that the KHADC is already in the process of identifying suitable location for setting up of a hawkers’ market.
“We have also discussed this with the Hima Mylliem and we want to ensure that the proposed hawker market should accommodate maximum numbers of hawkers,” he said.
Earlier, the Meghalaya High Court had also directed the state government to identify hawkers’ zone which is however yet to see the light of day.
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