Guwahati: Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district administration has issued eviction notices to roadside vendors operating at 4th Mile and 7th Mile along the Shillong-Dawki Road over alleged encroachment on the highway.
Alongside the eviction action, the administration has directed the Excise Department to investigate reports of illegal liquor resale along the same stretch.
Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said officials had conducted three to four rounds of raids, seizing cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and empty bottles.
The action against roadside vendors follows complaints from the public and representations by local shnong authorities. The Meghalaya High Court has also taken cognisance of unauthorised fruit stalls and other commercial establishments along the highway.
Baranwal said the administration was examining the vendors’ responses before consulting the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to determine whether the stalls were legally permitted.
“The administration is reviewing the vendors’ submissions. After completing that process, we will consult NHIDCL to establish whether the stalls are legally permitted,” Baranwal said.
He said removing unauthorised structures from national highways was necessary for public safety and compliance with Supreme Court directives, which are monitored by the concerned ministry and the state government.
The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002, prohibits stalls and other commercial encroachments within the Right of Way (ROW) of national highways.