Shillong, August 18 : More than 750 eligible street vendors have been relocated to designated vending zones across Shillong as part of the implementation of the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023, the Urban Affairs Department said on Tuesday.
The latest phase of the exercise involved vendors operating in Laitumkhrah and Dhankheti. Vendors from the stretch between Laitumkhrah Junction and Beat House and from the Dhankheti area have been shifted to newly constructed vending stalls at the SMB Parking Lot in Dhankheti and the Brightwell Bungalow premises.
According to the department, all 750 vendors issued Certificates of Vending under the relocation exercise have so far been accommodated. This includes 387 vendors from Khyndailad, 95 from Jail Road, 90 from Laban, Barik, Lumshatsngi and Red Cross areas, 85 from Laitumkhrah, 48 from Polo, 29 from Civil Hospital, eight from Dhankheti and Malki, three each from Quinton Road and Lachumiere, and two from the Governor’s House area.
The identified vending locations include MUDA Parking Lot, Dhankheti Parking Lot, Brightwell Bungalow, the parking lot opposite SBI, Polo Hawkers Market behind Majestic Hotel and Barik Compound.
The Urban Affairs Department said the new vending zones have been developed to provide safer and more organised spaces for vendors, with facilities including toilets, lighting and improved accessibility.
The development of the new vending spaces involved coordination among the Urban Affairs Department, General Administration Department, Public Works Department, Health and Family Welfare Department and Forest and Environment Department.
The department said the official residence of the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs was shifted to facilitate the establishment of the vending zone at Brightwell Bungalow.
Officials said the relocation process involved consultations with vendor associations and other stakeholders through the Town Vending Committee, particularly in Laitumkhrah. The department said the exercise was carried out in accordance with legal provisions while taking into account the livelihoods and dignity of the vendors.
It added that vendors voluntarily shifted to the designated spaces without the need for strict enforcement measures.
Photographs included in the department’s release show vendors operating from the new facilities at Dhankheti Parking Lot, Brightwell Bungalow, Polo and the parking lot opposite SBI. The release also shows improved pedestrian movement along Jail Road and other areas following the relocation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has announced the Chief Minister’s Urban Livelihood Grant to assist vendors during the transition. Eligible vendors holding a valid Certificate of Vending will receive ₹20,000 each, comprising an upfront payment of ₹10,000 followed by ₹2,000 per month for five months.
The Urban Affairs Department thanked the vendors, Town Vending Committee, East Khasi Hills district administration, Shillong Municipal Board, Shillong Traffic Police, vendor associations and other stakeholders for their cooperation in implementing the relocation initiative.
