GMC plan to evict vendors

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has planned to clear all footpaths across the city of vendors. The street vendors, in turn, have been protesting this move and accusing GMC of harassment.
"We have to bring an end to this. We will implement strict measures to clear all pavements for pedestrians. The preparations are on and a week's time will be given to the vendors who have been occupying the pavements," additional chief secretary MGVK Bhanu said.
The norms under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 will be followed in the measures taken, Bhanu said. "If someone has a genuine problem, we will take care of it," he added.
A recently conducted survey found 7,180 street vendors across the city. So far, the GMC has authorized three vending zones in the city – Panbazar, Guwahati Medical College Hospital and below the Six Mile flyover.
Naren Rajbonshi, chairman of Street Vendors' Association, said they need at least 57 vending zones to accommodate the 35,000-plus vendors across the city. "Time and again the GMC destroys the poor street vendors' setups. We have been demanding that the vendors be allotted a place to continue their business. We will cooperate with the administration but they never pay heed to our requests," Rajbonshi said. He added that the vendors will be forced to start an agitation if deprived of their rights.
Meanwhile, GMC mayor Mrigen Sarania said the civic body will facilitate door-to-door sales for the vendors to tide through the situation.