SHILLONG, MAR 23: The Meghalaya government has deferred a final decision on the relocation of street hawkers from Laitumkhrah, granting the Urban Affairs Department and the local dorbar ten days to conduct a joint site inspection after a high-level meeting on Monday failed to resolve key issues.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar said the meeting — attended by Ampareen Lyngdoh and Dorbar Shnong representatives — ended without a definitive outcome.
“They have asked me for ten days’ time, so I have given time to take a concrete decision,” Dhar told reporters.
He said certain locations identified for relocation need to be reassessed. “There are some places we need to recheck and verify again. Within ten days there will be a joint inspection between the Urban Affairs Department and the Dorbar Shnong of Laitumkhrah, and they will submit a report. We will try to close this matter at the earliest possible,” he added.
Dhar also indicated that authorities are yet to finalise the number of hawkers to be relocated, citing fluctuations in the vendor population. “Some new are coming and old are already there,” he said, adding that the final count is expected next week.
Once the number is determined, the relocation process will require a minimum of 30 days’ legal notice. Dhar expressed hope that the exercise could be completed within one to two months in accordance with legal provisions.
Lyngdoh confirmed that concerns raised by local headmen were taken into consideration during the meeting, particularly regarding congestion in the area.
“There were a bit of glitches because roads in and around Laitumkhrah are very tight. There is already big pressure from vehicular movement and public movement,” she said. “We need to be a little more careful when we discuss relocation on an existing road, so the Deputy CM has been very gracious to listen to the Dorbar Shnong. Hopefully things should go as proposed.”
She declined to disclose the number of affected vendors, noting that aspects of the issue are currently sub judice. “We don’t want to infringe or get into matters which are sub judice,” she said.
