SHILLONG, AUG 13: The process of rehabilitating over 200 hawkers and street vendors have started in order to make Khyndailad a ‘pedestrian zone’ and a ‘music hub’ – to attract and welcome tourists and visitors to Shillong, also known as the music capital of India.

Informing this on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said, “Yes, the process (of rehabilitating the hawkers) has started. We should be able to wind it up as soon as we get the details of various trades because we cannot allow 3-4 persons, who are in the same business, to be in one place. There are some other vendors who use sources of energy like fire and again we have to ensure fire safety, all those are being worked on.”

“Our target was (to complete the process by) August 15 but due to identification of trades and the names of individuals, this has taken more time than expected,” Lyngdoh said while adding that the government would soon make a fresh announcement in this regard.

According to him, roughly there are around 200 hawkers in and around the Khyndailad area.

Stating that the hawkers issue is being resolved, Lyngdoh said, “It will not take much more time because we would like to do it in a way where even the hawkers feel involved and that we are doing things in their interest as well. As I told you, we are enhancing facilities for their welfare including proper vending zones.”

“Yesterday itself I had spoken to the CEO of SMB and he has given the latest situation which is that they are relocating (the hawkers), vending zones have been identified, now they are going to individual cases meaning which individual would occupy which spaces depending on the trades and the kind of activities that they are undertaking,” he said while adding “We are inching towards closing the chapter and yesterday I has meeting with director of tourism in order to ensure that we have alternative plan in mind which is we turn that area into hawkers free zone and area where only pedestrians can utilized.”

According to him, the initiative is a joint venture between the urban affairs department and the tourism department.

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