Hawkers demand implementation of central act

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Dec 18: The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendor’s Association along with Thma U Rangli (TUR) have given the government a seven point demand. The hawkers have demanded, Implementation of the Central Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

Secondly the hawker’s body wants the reconstituting of the Town Vending Committee having not less than 40 percent representation from among hawkers and hawker associations where at least half the members are women in keeping with the law.

Thirdly, they want the immediate stop to all illegal evictions and conduct a survey of the hawkers and markets so as to identify vending zones. To ensure that tural and heritage markets are not declared no vending zones.

Fourthly, the TUR and the hawker’s association want the government to complete survey and issue licenses within a month.

Fifthly, the association wants that the government should publicly and in a transparent manner disclose all the policies and schemes meant for hawkers that have been allocated including those from the central government like, schemes for godowns, creches, toilets for the hawkers. They also want authorities to immediately return all seized goods and compensation for goods destroyed and lost and to put a stop to all illegal evictions and injustices perpetrated in the me of evictions including withdrawal of all false FIRs filed against hawkers.

The TUR and the hawker’s body have been staging a peaceful non cooperation sit in front of the office of Shillong Municipal Board office since December 14 and boycotting the registration of hawkers by authorities.