SHILLONG : The Shillong Municipal Board has relocated 86 street vendors from Laitumkhrah to designated vending sites at Dhankheti and Brightwell Bungalow in Barik, clearing roadside spaces that had been occupied by hawkers.
The move was carried out on August 17 as part of the government’s drive to clear footpaths and roads in Laitumkhrah and improve pedestrian movement through one of Shillong’s busiest commercial areas.
SMB Chief Executive Officer P.K. Boro said the vendors had been given a month to prepare for the relocation and that most had cooperated with the process. “Everything has been arranged. They are complying and cooperating with us,” Boro said. He said the relocation was not a sudden action, with notices issued one month before the exercise.
“This is not about one day. We issued notices giving them one month’s time and today is the day for relocation. They have all accepted and relocated,” Boro said.
The 86 vendors were identified through a longer registration and verification process. An SMB survey conducted between December 2023 and January 2024 recorded 133 street vendors operating in Laitumkhrah.
Out of 133, 22 were initially found eligible under the applicable rules. After claims and objections were considered, another 64 vendors were accepted, taking the total eligible number to 86. The Meghalaya High Court recorded these figures in July while hearing a batch of cases concerning street vending in Shillong.
Under the relocation plan placed before the Court, 22 vendors were to be accommodated at the Municipal Parking Lot in Dhankheti, covering about 2,105 square feet. The remaining 64 were to be shifted to the Brightwell Bungalow compound near the Survey of India office, covering about 7,260 square feet. Each proposed vending stall was recorded as measuring 1.2 metres by 1.8 metres.
The SMB had told the Court that relocation was expected to be completed by August 11. The actual shifting took place later, on August 17. The relocation follows a state-level system for regulating street vending. Meghalaya enacted its Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act in 2014, providing for registration of vendors, vending zones and Town Vending Committees.
The state later notified the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme, 2023, which provides for surveys to identify vendors and collect details including their trade, vending location, period of vending and eligibility documents. The present exercise is also linked to a long-running court process.
The Meghalaya High Court has been dealing with street-vending issues through PIL No. 17 of 2021 and connected cases, including questions over identification of genuine vendors, vending zones and the movement of traffic.
The government notified a specific street-vending plan for Laitumkhrah in February 2026 following directions from the High Court and discussions through the Town Vending Committee. The notification declared the remaining parts of Laitumkhrah as no-vending zones.
The relocation has nevertheless not been free of objections. Some vendors had earlier questioned the decision to move them to Brightwell Bungalow, saying the location was away from their established customer base and asking instead for a vending site closer to Laitumkhrah.
The issue also reached the High Court. During a July hearing, the Court sought details from the SMB about the number and location of stalls proposed at Brightwell Bungalow and asked the Board to clarify concerns raised over the site’s possible heritage status.
One vendor who has operated in Laitumkhrah for 19 years said the new location could affect her livelihood. “The market at the new vending area is different from Laitumkhrah. I don’t know if I will be able to sell my products there,” she said.
Boro said the government is also providing financial assistance to affected hawkers and street vendors.
Asked about vendors still operating along Jail Road, he said their case would be dealt with separately.
