Meghalaya High Court appoints special officer to resolve hawker dispute in Shillong

The Meghalaya High Court has appointed senior advocate Subhasis Chakrawarty as Special Officer to oversee the implementation of hawker rehabilitation measures in Shillong's police bazar area, following allegations of forcible evictions without due process.

Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh issued the order on July 3, 2025, after hearing complaints from the Hawkers' Association that local and police authorities were forcibly removing vendors from the police bazar area without providing alternative vending spaces.

The court directed that Chakrawarty be paid an initial remuneration of Rs 75,000 by the state government by July 11, 2025. His primary responsibility will be to ensure peaceful implementation of the court's earlier order dated June 12, 2025, while preventing any breach of peace.

The court has allowed approximately 349 licensed vendors to continue operating in their current locations for limited hours - from 12:30 pm to 2 pm and 7:30 pm to 9 pm daily. This arrangement comes with strict conditions that vendors must not exceed these time limits and must vacate the area to ensure smooth traffic flow and pedestrian movement.

The General Secretary of the Hawkers' Association has given an undertaking to the court that licensed vendors will comply with these restrictions. The court warned that any breach would result in a complete ban on vending activities in the area.

The Special Officer, working with the General Secretary of the Hawkers' Association and local authorities, will identify unlicensed vendors operating in the police bazaar area. These vendors will be prohibited from selling goods in the location.

However, the court provided relief for unlicensed hawkers by allowing them to apply for valid licenses through appropriate authorities. The court stated it would consider further action based on reports from these authorities regarding such applications.

The court emphasised that vendors must immediately shift to alternative vending spaces when provided by local authorities. The General Secretary of the Hawkers' Association has undertaken to ensure compliance, with the court warning that non-compliance would result in immediate eviction.

The Advocate General had contested the allegations of forcible evictions, arguing that alternative vending areas had been allocated but hawkers were refusing to relocate. The state counsel maintained that all licensed vendors could be accommodated in the new vending area within a short time.

The Special Officer has been directed to file a comprehensive report containing sub-reports from local and police authorities by August 5, 2025, when the matter will next come up for hearing.

The court noted that the Special Officer's "vast knowledge, experience, maturity and tact" would ensure implementation of orders without any breach of peace or commission of offences.

This case involves multiple petitions, including PIL No. 17 of 2021 filed by Philip Khrawbok Shati, PIL No. 9 of 2024 by the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association, and MC(PIL) No. 1 of 2025, all dealing with hawker rehabilitation in Shillong.