Meghalaya High Court directs completion of hawker relocation by January 2026

The Meghalaya High Court has set a deadline for the Shillong Municipal Board to finalise the relocation of street vendors in the Laitumkhrah area, with the process expected to conclude by the first week of January 2026.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice HS Thangkhiew reviewed the progress made by the municipal authorities during a hearing on Tuesday. The court noted "satisfactory progress" in identifying vending zones and processing vendor applications.

According to documents submitted to the court, the Provisional Town Vending Committee examined 43 vendor claims during inspections in November. Of these, 14 vendors were already included in the published list, whilst 15 out of the remaining 29 were found to be genuine after verification and recommended for further action.

The committee has resolved to finalise the list of street vendors once the government officially notifies the designated vending zones. A sub-committee is currently formulating standard operating procedures for hearing claims and objections, working in consultation with the Hawkers' Association.

The case involves multiple public interest litigations, including PIL No. 17 of 2021 filed by Philip Khrawbok Shati against the State of Meghalaya, along with related matters concerning the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 28, 2026, directing the Shillong Municipal Board to file a further progress report before that date.