Archive · 12 Nov 2025
Assam CM directs policy favoring women SHGs for vending zones in Guwahati
Imagine Guwahati has many small shops and stalls, but they are a bit messy and sometimes block the way.
The leader of the state, the Chief Minister, wants to make things better!
He's asking the city's helpers, the GMC, to create a new rule.
This rule says that when new places for shops are made, women's own small business groups, called SHGs, will get the first chance to set up their shops there.
This is inspired by a famous market in another state where only women run all the shops.
The goal is to help women earn their own money and make the city's shopping areas neater and more organized.
It's a way to support women who want to start businesses and make sure the city's shops are managed properly, potentially helping to clear out areas that are currently causing problems.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a new policy prioritizing women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for vending zones in Guwahati.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is tasked with creating the framework for this initiative.
The policy aims to empower women entrepreneurs and emulate models like Manipur's Ima Market.
It seeks to address issues of unregulated vending, traffic chaos, and pavement encroachment in the city.
The policy could potentially be extended to other cities like Dibrugarh and Silchar after its implementation in Guwahati.
- Who
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC)
- What
- Drafting a new policy to prioritize women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for new vending zones in Guwahati
- When
- Announced on Wednesday (November 12th, though the year isn't explicitly stated for the announcement, it refers to a 2023 report and a December 2024 plan)
- Where
- Guwahati
- Why
- To empower women entrepreneurs, strengthen their participation in the local economy, and bring order to unregulated vending spaces.
For the Policy
Concerns/Challenges
Empowerment and Economic Inclusion
For the Policy
The policy aims to empower women entrepreneurs and increase their participation in the local economy by prioritizing women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for vending zone allocations. It seeks to create financially independent women ('lakhpati baidews').
Concerns/Challenges
While the intent is positive, the actual implementation and success depend on overcoming existing challenges in regulating informal vending, which has historically been slow to progress. Concerns exist about potential displacement of current vendors, even if they are 'suspected elements'.
Urban Order and Regulation
For the Policy
By assigning vending zones to SHGs, the policy intends to bring order to unregulated vending spaces, reduce encroachment on pavements, and alleviate traffic chaos, creating a more organized urban environment.
Concerns/Challenges
The slow progress of establishing vending zones and implementing the Street Vendors Act in Guwahati suggests that regulatory challenges are significant. The transition for existing informal vendors and the management of new allocations remain complex issues.
- City
- Guwahati
- Policy Focus
- Prioritizing women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for vending zones
- Inspiration
- Manipur's Ima Market (Mothers' Market)
- Estimated Informal Vendors
- 40,000 (2023 report)
- Relevant Legislation
- Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
- GMC Civic Upgrade Plan (Dec 2024)
- Included 81 vending zones, with 10 in the first phase