CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: In a calibrated urban management push balancing mobility with livelihood security, the Urban Affairs Department of the Meghalaya Government has successfully relocated 29 street vendors from the congested vicinity of Civil Hospital, Shillong, to a newly developed, organized vending zone at the PWD premises in Barik. The move has resulted in the complete clearance of the hospital footpath, significantly easing pedestrian circulation, decongesting vehicular traffic and, crucially, ensuring unhindered movement of ambulances and other emergency services.
Vendors shifted to the new site are now having improved working conditions, adequate vending space and protection from adverse weather, including rain and wind. This intervention aligns with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma's emphasis on dignity and livelihood security for street vendors.
This marks the second major relocation drive undertaken by the department, following the earlier, widely noted relocation and rehabilitation exercise at Khyndailad, popularly known as Police Bazar. Together, the initiatives reflect a structured approach to urban decongestion, pedestrian safety and the creation of regulated vending ecosystems across Shillong.
With successive relocations now operational, Meghalaya is increasingly being cited as a model state in the country for integrating hawker relocation with urban order, a strategy the government plans to progressively scale across other critical zones of the city.
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