Meghalaya Govt Identifies 3 New Locations for Relocating Shillong Street Vendors

The Meghalaya government has taken a significant step to streamline street vending in Shillong by earmarking three designated locations to relocate over 400 eligible street vendors. In addition to providing space, the government is offering a relocation allowance of ₹20,000 per vendor to support their transition.

A senior official from the Urban Affairs Department shared that the three new vendor locations are situated in prime areas of the city: inside the MUDA parking lot, outside the MUDA complex, and the municipal parking lot located opposite the SBI Main Branch. These locations were strategically selected to provide vendors with continued access to customer footfall, while maintaining urban order.

To identify eligible vendors for relocation, a digital in-situ survey was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024 across 23 areas of Shillong. The survey listed a total of 1,400 street vendors, of whom 760 were found eligible after review. In Khyndailad, one of the busiest commercial areas in Shillong, 457 vendors were surveyed, and 407 were ultimately deemed eligible following hearings on claims and objections conducted from February to May 2025.

The relocation initiative is being carried out under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, a central legislation that aims to balance the rights of street vendors with the need for city order and traffic management. The implementation of this act led to the commencement of relocation activities last week. However, the move has not been without resistance. Several hawkers voiced their opposition to being moved, leading to protests.

On July 1, many vendors staged a demonstration in front of the state’s main secretariat. This action defied district administration orders, which prohibit any form of protest in proximity to the secretariat premises. The protest highlighted the tension between enforcement actions and vendors’ concerns over livelihood and displacement.

The Urban Affairs Department emphasized that the entire relocation and enforcement campaign is being conducted in strict compliance with directives from the Meghalaya High Court. The High Court is actively monitoring the street vending situation in Shillong through two ongoing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) focused on illegal vending and worsening traffic congestion in the city.

Authorities have indicated that this is just the beginning of a broader initiative. The current relocation exercise in Shillong’s central zones will eventually extend to other localities in a phased manner. The aim is to institutionalize street vending practices to ensure legal compliance, improved urban aesthetics, and enhanced convenience for both citizens and vendors.

This relocation drive is part of a long-term strategic plan designed to formalize the street vending ecosystem. The government hopes to strike a delicate balance between maintaining urban discipline and safeguarding the livelihoods of street vendors, who form a vital part of the informal economy. By doing so, the administration seeks to promote inclusive urban development that respects the needs of all stakeholders.