A social audit of the Khyndailad MUDA Hawkers’ Market in Shillong identified significant gaps in vendor records, the issuance of Certificates of Vending (CoVs), stall allocations, and livelihood support. The audit findings were presented at a public hearing of the C&AG‑CRISP Pilot Social Audit of the Street Vendors Act, 2014, held at Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Hall on Wednesday.
The audit, conducted from September 25 to 29, compared official records with documents supplied by more than 250 hawkers, including survey slips, CoVs, bank statements and other papers. An independent jury—Deputy Accountant General Binod Bhujel, Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety B Mukhim and Highland Post editor Rikynti Marwein—examined the evidence with support from the Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency.
Findings revealed discrepancies between survey records, CoVs, stall‑allocation logs and the vendors actually operating in the market. Several hawkers were listed as “Not Surveyed” despite having documentation, and mismatches in names and stall numbers were noted. Vendors reported long delays in obtaining CoVs, with some having visited municipal offices more than 20 times, waited two years, and even staged a seven‑day hunger strike. The audit also uncovered mismatches between physical CoVs and official records, including expiry dates, trade details and photographs. Stall allocation concerns were raised, with vendors saying they had not received formal allotment documents or that the stalls assigned differed from those promised.
Other issues highlighted included delayed or insufficient relocation allowances—some vendors received as little as Rs 6,000 instead of the stated Rs 20,000—and poor market conditions such as cramped stalls, inadequate sanitation, water shortages, drainage problems, and poor ventilation and lighting. The audit questioned the tenure and mandate of the Provisional Town Vending Committee and noted gaps in the digital survey trail, including the lack of unique identification numbers for vendors. Municipal authorities, the Urban Affairs Department and MUDA were invited to the hearing but did not attend, raising concerns about accountability. The jury’s recommendations will be forwarded to the relevant departments, followed by a final report, follow‑up hearings and an exit meeting with the government.
