Shillong: Street vendors, under the banner of the Meghalaya Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers Association (MGSPHA), held a surprise sit-in protest at the office of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) on Friday, demanding immediate action on the long-pending issuance of Certificates of Vending (CoVs) to eligible hawkers.
The association expressed strong dissatisfaction over the delay, stating that many vendors have been left without a means of livelihood for several weeks, with no official communication from authorities regarding their CoV applications.
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Protesters also objected to the recently designated vending zones at the MUDA Parking Lot and the area opposite the SBI Main Branch, calling them cramped, inadequate, and unsuitable for business operations.
Democratic rights activist Angela Rangad, who joined the protest, demanded the urgent convening of the Provision Town Vending Committee (PTVC)—the statutory body responsible for reviewing and approving vending applications. She asserted that the PTVC is the only legal mechanism empowered to address grievances related to the denial or delay of CoVs.
Rangad warned that unless the PTVC is called into session immediately, hawkers would refuse to vacate their current vending locations, and the protest would escalate.
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Highlighting concerns over the recent relocation of hawkers to the MUDA parking zone, she pointed out that several legitimate vendors from the Khyndai Lad area were left out of the allocation process. She questioned the transparency of the SMB’s approach and criticised the unilateral handling of applications without PTVC oversight, cautioning that such practices could result in corruption or wrongful issuance of certificates.
“The CoVs cannot be issued arbitrarily at the office level. Ignoring the PTVC, a legally constituted body, undermines the credibility of the entire process,” Rangad said.
She also recalled that the association had previously negotiated for a vending space at MUDA but firmly rejected the government’s proposal to shift hawkers to the building’s basement, which they found unfit for trade.
The association affirmed that the sit-in protest would continue until authorities respond to their demands and initiate the PTVC’s functioning.