Vendors' body decries eviction drives in Guwahati city

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Street Vendors' Association has alleged that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is carrying out various eviction drives against street vendors in the city without any settled policy. The GMC recently evicted 300 street vendors from the footpaths of GS Road for allegedly occupying the space without any authorization.

An office-bearer of the Assam Street Vendors' Association said, "Vendors who availed the PM SVANidhi loan were granted identity cards three months ago, but many are yet to receive it. The Government and GMC have been claiming that the vendors are sitting in Guwahati without a plan, but in reality, they are the ones conducting the eviction without plan. The GMC took the step without any planning. On the one hand several of them were recently given vendor identity cards, but on the other hand they were evicted", the office-bearer said.

Meanwhile, a GMC official said that while some vendors were allowed to sit in specific areas, but they often tend to block roads and create traffic jams. Consequently, the eviction drives are being carried out. "The government is now trying to create a proper solution for such vendors in the city", the official added.

The hawkers had been demanding that the civic body should provide them with designated vending zones. But last week, Assam's Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal said that there is no land to create specific vending zones inside the densely-populated city.

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