Shillong: More than 750 street vendors across Shillong have been relocated to designated vending zones under the Meghalaya Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2023.
The Urban Affairs Department (UAD), in collaboration with the East Khasi Hills district administration, facilitated the relocation of vendors from several locations, including Khyndailad, Quinton Road, Civil Hospital, Polo, Dhankheti, Laitumkhrah, Governor’s House, Jail Road, Laban and Lachumiere.
According to the department, 750 vendors holding Certificates of Vending have been relocated to designated vending zones at locations including the MUDA Parking Lot, Dhankheti Parking Lot, Brightwell Bungalow premises, the parking lot opposite SBI, Polo Hawkers Market behind Majestic Hotel and Barik Compound.
The newly established vending zones have designated stalls and basic urban amenities such as toilets and lighting, as well as improved accessibility, aimed at providing vendors with safer and more organised spaces to conduct their businesses.
The department said the relocation exercise involved coordination among several departments, including Urban Affairs, General Administration, Public Works, Health and Family Welfare, and Forest and Environment. The official residence of the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs was also shifted to facilitate the creation of a vending zone at the Brightwell Bungalow premises.
In Laitumkhrah, the Town Vending Committee held multiple meetings with vendor associations and other stakeholders before implementing the relocation. The department said the process was carried out in accordance with the law while taking into consideration the livelihoods and dignity of the vendors.
The UAD said vendors willingly shifted to the designated vending spaces without the need for strict enforcement measures, describing their cooperation as central to the smooth implementation of the relocation.
Meanwhile, vendors holding valid Certificates of Vending will receive assistance under the Chief Minister’s Urban Livelihood Grant, announced to support them during the transition. Each eligible vendor will receive ₹20,000, comprising an upfront payment of ₹10,000 and a monthly allowance of ₹2,000 for the following five months.
The department said the relocation had also improved pedestrian movement along stretches such as Jail Road and other areas where vendors had previously operated.
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