Shillong, Feb 6: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Wednesday said the process of relocation of hawkers is on even though it has hit a temporary roadblock due to the upcoming autonomous district councils elections.
Informing this on Wednesday, Lyngdoh told reporters that the services of government officials including the deputy chief minister in-charge of urban affairs, whose department is directly responsible for the relocation of hawkers, have been pressed into election duties.
He however assured that the process has already identified new locations starting with the Khyndailad area.
On the hawkers’ association’s claim that the decision was taken only by a “provisional” town vending committee, Lyngdoh said the associations have already been part of the process and the government has constantly been discussing with them for the past one year.
“Its difficult to please everybody but for us, our priority remains with the interest of all citizens, all users of roads and footpaths and therefore, we should be able to ensure that the interest of one section of society should not stand in the way of another section of society,” he added.
