SHILLONG, July 13: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) to file an affidavit detailing its plan for the proposed relocation of street vendors to the Brightwell Bungalow Compound, Barik.
The direction was issued during the hearing of a batch of PILs related to street vending on Monday.
The court noted that, pursuant to its July 6 order, the petitioners and respondents had jointly visited the Brightwell Bungalow Compound, where stalls are proposed to be constructed for street vendors.
The SMB, through its counsel, sought time to file an affidavit specifying the number of stalls to be erected, the exact locations, and the timeframe for construction and handing over of the stalls to the vendors.
The court also directed that the affidavit should clarify that the Brightwell Bungalow Compound is not a heritage structure, in view of objections raised by some of the petitioners.
During the hearing, counsel for some of the petitioners informed the court that after visiting the site, they found the area to be large enough to accommodate the proposed stalls as well as provide sufficient parking space within the compound.
The matter will be heard again on July 29, 2026.
