Shillong, Dec 22: The Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers & Street Vendors Association (MGSPHSVA), the largest registered organization of Hawkers and Street Vendors of Meghalaya has been engaged in a consultative process with Government of Meghalaya in order to protect livelihood of Street vendors and regulate street vending in order to create a more people and livelihood friendly Shillong.
The MGSPHSVA participated in the consultation given the that the government is now committed to implementing the central act on hawking and street vending, which has been a long standing demand of the Association.
On Friday the MGSPHSVA along with Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) presented a detailed vending plan in a meeting convened by Mr. E Kharmalki, Director Urban Affairs which included CEO Municipal Board and ADC and others.
The plan based on the the Central Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 included the way to calculate number of Hawkers that Shillong can accommodate, ways to designate vending zones, time schedule of vending, chaotic parking, cleanliness of city etc. The meeting resolved does this vending plan on a pilot basis and in a time bound fashion.
The Government acknowledged that with a legal regulatory framework and participation of the Hawkers Union and other stakeholders it is possible to create a fair system of regulation of Street Vendors, which not only protects livelihoods but also creates a peoples city that will have public spaces for the able and disabled alike, where artists , musicians and culture can also be shared, and a city that defines itself in a humane way and that is people centric rather than vehicle focussed.
The MGSPHSVA invites innovative suggestions from citizens of shillong as per provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
