Shillong, June 23: The BJP Meghalaya congratulates the state Government for its proactive, thoughtful and innovative approach in addressing the long-standing challenge of a street vendor’s right to livelihood versus the consequent public inconvenience.
The recent decision to relocate hawkers from the Khyndailad area, which has been bursting at the seams, to the designated top floor of MUDA Parking Lot demonstrates the government’s sensitivity to both the hawker’s need to earn a living and the general public’s ease of movement.
This milestone decision reflects the state Government’s commitment to inclusive governance and responsible urban planning, aimed at making Shillong a more habitable city.
The organized relocation not only opens up space for easy pedestrian movement and traffic flow in Khyndailad but also ensures that vendors can occupy an area that guarantees a secure, comfortable and dignified way to run their business.
While Khyndailad has found its solution and breathing space, the same issue continues to fester in the Laitumkhrah area. Daily commuters and residents have long expressed distress over congestion along the Laitumkhrah main road stretching to the Fire Brigade junction, where unregulated street vending has increasingly hampered mobility and as a direct consequence public safety stands compromised.
It is urged that the Government of Meghalaya extends similar solutions to the Laitumkhrah locality as a continuation of its balanced urban management drive. A viable option would be to relocate the street vendors of Laitumkhrah to the parking lot once the new market facilities become operational, something that residents of the locality are eagerly waiting for.
Should the Government space prove inadequate, it is further recommended that the Government explores the acquisition of underutilized private properties within the area for the purpose of establishing a dedicated hawkers’ market.
Ensuring equitable treatment for all localities not not only upholds the rights of street vendors but also restores smooth urban movement and enhances the overall aesthetics of Shillong’s urban landscape.
People remain hopeful and fervently pray that the attention given to Khyndailad and the foresight shown is replicated in Laitumkhrah said Mr. Wankitbok Pohshna State General Secretary in the press statement.
