Shillong, July 16: High Court of Meghalaya has modified its earlier order by granting additional time for vendors to set up shops at Khyndailad area.
An application was filed by the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association.
The court has extended the vending hours, allowing vendors to set up shop from 12 noon to 2:15 pm and from 7 pm to 9:15 pm.
A PIL in this regard was taken up on Wednesday by the division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh.
The bench said, “Having considered these rival submissions, we modify our order
dated 3rd July, 2025 by granting an additional time of half an hour and fifteen minutes in the afternoon vending hours to layout the shop and pack up respectively and similar extension of time in the evening vending hours.”
“In other words, the vendors will be allowed to start setting up shop from 12 noon and to start packing up from 2 p.m. till 2.15 p.m. , and again to start setting up shop from 7 p.m. and pack up by 9 :15 p.m,” the court said.
The court wanted vending hours to be implemented under the supervision of public authorities and the Special Officer.
The traffic department will deploy extra personnel to regulate traffic in the area during the extended vending hours.
“During these hours, the traffic department will be extra cautious by deployment of additional police personnel to regulate traffic in the area,” the court said.
The Meghalaya and Greater Shillong
Progressive Hawkers and Street vendors Association had stated that the ground is that such restricted vending hours are not serving the purpose for which they were granted , i.e. to ensure some business to the licensed street vendors in Police Bazar , till they were shifted by the government to the allocated vending areas. The vending hours as restricted were 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Progressive Hawkers and Street vendors Association had stated that the ground is that such restricted vending hours are not serving the purpose for which they were granted , i.e. to ensure some business to the licensed street vendors in Police Bazar , till they were shifted by the government to the allocated vending areas. The vending hours as restricted were 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
P. Yobin, Advocate for the applicant submitted that some time is taken in setting up shop and removing it. Everything within this restricted time is reducing business and causing hardship to the vendors.
Advocate General has urged the court that some “vested interests” are involved behind this application. The government has taken all measures to ensure that these vendors are relocated by July 22 , he said .
He showed the notification dated 2nd May , 2025 and the layout plans and drawings appended thereto.
He said the vendors in Police Bazar had been relocated to three places namely, MUDA Complex Frontage, the MUDA parking lot first floor and the Shillong Municipal Board parking lot opposite State Bank of India and that such rehabilitation would be completed by July 22.
