Shillong, August 12: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday visited the relocated hawkers’ market at Polo and distributed financial assistance of ₹20,000 each to vendors who cooperated with the Government’s initiative to shift street hawkers from roadsides and pavements to designated vending spaces.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by officials of the Shillong Municipal Board and the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during the visit.

Speaking to the media, Sangma said the Government’s objective was to balance the livelihood concerns of street vendors with the need to maintain public order and ensure that pavements remain accessible to pedestrians.

“These vendors depend on their small businesses for their livelihood, and our intention is to protect their earnings to the maximum extent possible,” he said.

At the same time, he said vending on footpaths had restricted public access to pavements and affected the overall appearance and organisation of the city.

Sangma acknowledged that relocation could create difficulties for vendors as they adjusted to new locations, but said the Government was attempting to find a “win-win situation” that would protect both livelihoods and public interests.

He thanked the vendors who had cooperated with the relocation exercise and appealed to hawkers operating in other parts of the city to support the initiative.

“We understand the challenges they face, but we must also ensure that pavements and footpaths remain accessible to the general public,” Sangma said.

The Chief Minister also pointed to court directions concerning the occupation of public spaces, saying the Government was required to comply with such orders while addressing the issue of street vending.

According to Sangma, the relocation exercise had already resulted in the clearance of several streets and the reopening of pavements that had remained occupied for extended periods.

He credited the cooperation of vendors, government officials and other stakeholders for the progress.He said the Polo market provided an example of how street vendors could be given a designated and secure space to operate while ensuring that pedestrians could use roads and footpaths freely.

Sangma further said the ₹20,000 assistance could help eligible vendors access additional financial support from banks and strengthen their businesses at their new locations.

The initiative comes amid the Government’s wider efforts to regulate street vending in Shillong while providing relocated vendors with designated spaces to continue their livelihoods.