Guwahati, September 22: The Gauhati High Court has given the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) a final chance to disclose crucial details regarding the Service Provider engaged to develop and maintain vending zones in the city. A division bench led by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair raised concerns about the lack of clarity in GMC’s additional affidavit, particularly regarding the activities of the Service Provider since its appointment on August 5, 2024.
In an earlier hearing on August 14, the Court had directed the GMC to provide specifics on the 81 vending zones created under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The GMC’s affidavit listed these zones and confirmed the hiring of the ‘Indigenous Vendors Welfare India Association’ to oversee tasks like designing uniform vending carts, conducting surveys, and allocating spaces to street vendors.
However, the Court pointed out that the GMC had failed to submit an official order confirming the Service Provider’s engagement. “We grant a last opportunity to the counsel for the GMC to produce the order dated August 5, 2024, and details of the work undertaken by the Service Provider since then,” the justices remarked.
The case is set for further consideration on October 23, 2024, as the GMC continues to face scrutiny over its handling of the street vending initiative.