Shillong, October 21: Street vendors’ leader Angela Rngad has demanded the immediate withdrawal of a notice issued by the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) declaring GS Road, Motphran and Iew Mawlong as No Vending Zones, warning that failure to revoke the order would trigger a strong agitation by street vendors.
The Shillong Municipal Board, in a public notice issued on October 16, 2026, declared GS Road, Motphran and Iew Mawlong as No Vending Zones, prohibiting street vendors from carrying out their businesses in these areas. The Board directed all street vendors operating in these locations to relocate to designated Vending Zones identified by the government on or before November 25, 2026. The SMB also warned that vendors failing to comply with the directive would face action under the provisions of the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023.
Reacting strongly to the notification, Angela Rngad, while speaking to media persons on Wednesday, alleged that the Shillong Municipal Board had issued the notice arbitrarily and without proper consideration of the concerns of street vendors. She described the notification as illegal and alleged that it had been issued under pressure from certain government representatives.
Rngad said that during an emergency meeting convened by the street vendors, a decision was taken to demand the immediate withdrawal of the notification. She warned that if the Shillong Municipal Board failed to withdraw the notice, street vendors would be compelled to launch a strong agitation against the move.
The development has raised fresh concerns over the proposed relocation of street vendors from some of Shillong’s busiest commercial areas, with the vendors opposing the Board’s directive and demanding its immediate revocation.
