Meghalaya High Court: The Division bench of IP Mukherji, CJ and W Diengdoh, J, issued directions for providing alternative vending spaces for vendors and hawkers evicted from the Police Bazar area of Shillong.
The instant petition was moved on behalf of the Hawkers’ Association alleging that the authorities were forcibly evicting hawkers from the police bazar area. The petitioners contended that in the guise of observance of the order dated 12-6-2025, the authorities were evicting the vendors without providing alternative vending space and in contravention of due process of law.
The Court, in granting relief to the Hawkers’ Association, passed the following directions:
- Senior Advocate Subhasis Chakrawarty appointed as Special Officer who, in consultation with the General Secretary of the Hawkers’ Association and local and police authorities, will prepare a list of authorized and licenced vendors in the State.
- The Special Officer, the General Secretary of the Association as well as local and police authorities will ensure that unlicenced vendors do not vend any kind of goods in the police bazar area.
- The licensed vendors will be allowed to vend their goods in the area only for a limited time each day- from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm and from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; subject to an undertaking to be given by the General Secretary of the Association that the vendors shall not exceed the time limit or cause disruption in traffic or movement.
- The General Secretary of the Association shall ensure that as soon as an alternative vending area is provided by the local authority, the vendors will immediately shift.
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Other hawkers are allowed to make applications before the appropriate authorities to obtain a valid license in accordance with the law.
Furthermore, the Court directed the Special Officer to file a report, containing sub-reports submitted by the local and police authorities, with the Court by 5-8-2025.
[Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association v. Andrew Aibok Jyrwa, MC PIL No. 1 of 2025, decided on 3-7-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Petitioner: HL Shangreiso (Senior Advocate), T Dkhar, M Hajong, P Yobin, Advocates
For the Respondent: A. Kumar (AG), K Khan (AAG), AH Kharwanlang (Additional Senior GA), SP Mahanta (Senior Advocate), T Yangi B (AAG), KP Bhattacharjee (GA), M Lyngdoh, K Gurung, Philemon Nongbri, N Syngkon, L Phanjom, Advocates
