Shillong, July 28: Shillong’s streets are set for a cleaner look as the Urban Affairs Department, along with the East Khasi Hills administration, has relocated vendors from Polo and Jail Road to two new designated vending zones under the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme, 2023.
Following the earlier shifts at Khyndailad and Civil Hospital, vendors who operated along Jail Road from OB Shopping Mall to the MTC Petrol Pump have now moved to the parking lot opposite SBI. Vendors from Polo have been shifted to the zone near Matri Mandir. Both groups have started business from the newly built stalls.
The Matri Mandir zone has 132 stalls, with 70 currently occupied. The SBI parking lot zone has 79 stalls, of which 9 are in use. Another 22 vendors from Secretariat Hills and IGP Junction will join them there on July 29.
Officials said the move was made possible after 29 rounds of consultation by the Town Vending Committee with vendor associations and other stakeholders in Polo alone. The Department noted that vendors shifted voluntarily and that the new stalls offer a safer, more organized space to trade.
To help them settle in, every vendor with a valid Certificate of Vending will get ₹20,000 as relocation assistance. That includes ₹10,000 upfront and ₹2,000 per month for five months. So far, 65 CoVs have been issued for the SBI zone and 106 for Matri Mandir.
The Department thanked vendors for their cooperation and credited the Town Vending Committee, Deputy Commissioner’s Office East Khasi Hills, Shillong Municipal Board, Traffic Police and vendor associations for making the transition smooth and dignified.
The drive will now move to Laitumkhrah from August 17, 2025. The Department aims to accommodate all eligible and registered vendors in Shillong Municipal limits by September 2025. After that, notified no-vending zones will be strictly enforced by law.
Officials said the plan will ease traffic congestion, improve pedestrian movement and give Shillong a more organized look, while also protecting vendor livelihoods.
