Shillong: A social audit of the Khyndailad MUDA Hawkers’ Market in Shillong has flagged discrepancies in vendor records, delays in issuing Certificates of Vending (CoVs), unclear stall allocations and gaps in livelihood support.
The 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.
More than 250 hawkers attended the hearing and submitted grievances along with documents, including survey slips, Certificates of Vending, bank records and other papers. The documents and claims were also examined by officials from the Accountant General’s Office.
The social audit was conducted from September 25 to 29, with the audit team comparing official records with documents submitted by vendors and the situation on the ground. The process was supported by the Meghalaya Society for Social Audit and Transparency (MSSAT).
The independent jury comprised Deputy Accountant General Binod Bhujel, Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety (Enforcement) B Mukhim and Highland Post editor Rikynti Marwein.
The audit found discrepancies between survey records, CoVs, stall-allocation records and the vendors operating at the market. In some cases, vendors were recorded as “Not Surveyed” despite having supporting documents, while discrepancies were also found in names and stall numbers.
Vendors raised concerns over delays in obtaining CoVs, with some reporting repeated visits to municipal offices and hearings. Cases cited during the hearing included vendors who had made more than 20 visits, waited two years for a CoV and undertaken a seven-day hunger strike over the issue.
The audit also found instances where physical CoVs did not correspond with official records, including discrepancies in expiry dates, trade details and photographs.
Stall allocation was another major concern. Several vendors said they had not received clear formal allotment documents, while some alleged that the locations promised to them differed from the stalls they were eventually given.
Questions were also raised over cases where the person operating a stall could not be clearly matched with the CoV holder or nominee.
The audit further highlighted concerns over relocation assistance. Vendors reported delays or non-payment of the allowance, while some claimed to have received amounts below the stated Rs 20,000, ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 18,000. The audit called for these payments to be reconciled with official records and bank accounts.
Vendors also raised concerns about conditions inside the market, including small stalls, inadequate sanitation and water facilities, drainage problems, poor ventilation and lighting. Many said their relocation had affected visibility, customer footfall, sales and overall income.
The audit also raised questions over the tenure and mandate of the Provisional Town Vending Committee (PTVC), as well as gaps in the digital survey trail, including the absence of unique identification numbers for vendors in the records reviewed.
Municipal authorities, the Urban Affairs Department and MUDA, which had been invited to the public hearing, were not present.
Deputy AG Binod Bhujel said the absence of responses to grievances could weaken the accountability process.
He said social audits and public hearings were important because they allowed people’s experiences to become part of the audit process and provided vendors an opportunity to put their concerns on record.
The jury’s recommendations will now be forwarded to the concerned departments. The social audit process will be followed by a final report, follow-up hearings to examine action taken and an exit meeting with the government.
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