KHADC carries out eviction drive against non-tribal hawkers

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Wednesday conducted an eviction drive against non-tribal hawkers who are running their businesses without valid trading license.

The enforcement wing of the KHADC, who carried out the eviction drive encountered some resistance from the non-tribal hawkers, but however, the KHADC Executive Member in-charge Trade Paul Lyngdoh termed it as a success.

Later in the day, speaking to media persons, Lyngdoh while terming the eviction drive as a success said that the district council was working under the Trading By Non-Tribal Regulation Act, 1954 and the rules framed there under in 1959 and subsequently amended in 2019.

“The council works within the parameters of the Act and we cannot go beyond it,” the KHADC, EM in-charge Trade said.

He also said that for those hawkers other than non-tribals, the State Government has jurisdiction over them under the Meghalaya Public Premises (Eviction or Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1980.

Lyngdoh also said that the eviction for the time being has been put on hold due to the paucity of police personnel who are currently being deployed for the visit of the President Ramnath Kovind.

The President is scheduled to attend the XXVI convocation of North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong on November 4.

“The eviction drive has been put on hold for the moment because we want make sure that what we are doing is a success and therefore we need support of the police department,” Lyngdoh said.

The EM, in-charge Trade said that the council wants to ensure that during the eviction drive, there should not be breach of peace and the officers of the Enforcement Wing of the KHADC are not obstructed from performing their duties.

He also pointed out that in the recent notification of the KHADC, it has been clearly mentioned that any non-tribal hawkers who has license, the council will consider them on the ground that he does not obstruct the free movement of the public and secondly on the premise that the business that he is carrying out does not affect the health of the public.

When asked to clarify on certain indigenous people claiming that some of the businesses belong to them during the eviction drive, Lyngdoh made it clear that all hawkers will have to fill up forms wherein all details will have to be given by them.

“Once we get all the information, we will be able to link and find out to whom these businesses belong,” Lyngdoh said.

The EM, in-charge Trade also said that recently he had spoken to the Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling and the police department on the issue and expects full support from them.

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