Shillong, Sept 14: For years, walking down Shillong’s busy streets meant dodging vendor stalls and squeezing through crowded footpaths. That is now set to change, as the state government has completed the relocation of 785 street vendors from the city’s busiest commercial areas to six newly designated markets.
Officials say the move did not happen overnight. It came after months of talks with the Provisional Town Vending Committee, with the government trying to strike a balance — easing congestion for the public while making sure vendors did not lose their livelihoods.
The relocation rolled out in three phases over the past year. It began at Khyndailad, long known as the city’s most crowded commercial hub, where 387 vendors were shifted to the MUDA Parking Lot on July 23, 2025.
The second phase followed on July 28, 2026, when vendors from MTC, Jail Road and Polo were moved to the Polo Hawkers Market and the SMB Parking Lot opposite the SBI Main Branch.
The final phase wrapped up on August 17, 2026. Vendors from Laitumkhrah, Dhankheti, Malki, Barik, Laban and Last Stop were given space at the newly built Brightwell Campus Hawkers Market and the SMB Parking Lot in Dhankheti.
By the end of the drive, all 785 vendors had been resettled. The MUDA Hawker Market took in the largest share with 387 vendors, followed by Brightwell Campus with 138, Polo Hawker Market with 119, the SMB Parking Lot near SBI with 75, the SMB Parking Lot in Dhankheti with 37, and the PWD Campus in Barik with 29.
To ease the transition, the government is also handing out Rs 20,000 to each eligible vendor under the Chief Minister’s Urban Livelihood Grant, meant to help them settle into their new spots.
“The objective is to ensure better traffic management, improve pedestrian accessibility and maintain orderly use of public spaces, while simultaneously safeguarding the livelihood interests of the street vendors through rehabilitation and financial support,” an official said.
With the footpaths now clearer and vendors settled in proper markets, the city hopes to see smoother traffic and easier walking spaces in the days ahead.
