SHILLONG : Street vendors operating along the footpaths in Laitumkhrah on Wednesday staged their second protest outside the office of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), demanding the immediate issuance of Certificates of Vending (COV) and opposing the proposed relocation to Brightwell Bungalow-Barik.
Carrying placards, the protesters raised slogans including “We reject Brightwell Bungalow-Barik” and “We demand a market in Shillong and Laitumkhrah.”
Speaking to reporters, the vendors urged the Meghalaya government to provide them with a suitable and permanent vending space instead of relocating them to Brightwell.
They maintained that if the government fails to provide an appropriate location, they will have no option but to continue vending along the roadside.
“The roads belong to the public. No one, whether ministers, engineers or anyone else, can claim ownership of them,” the vendors said.
The protesters also warned that they would continue demonstrating outside the Shillong Municipal Board office every day until August 17 if their demands are not addressed.
According to the vendors, their only demand is for the government to allocate a proper vending space within Shillong market and Laitumkhrah, and not at Brightwell Bungalow-Barik, which they have firmly rejected.
The protest reflects the growing concerns among street vendors over their livelihood and the ongoing dispute regarding the allocation of designated vending zones in Shillong.