In a major push for women’s economic empowerment and urban order, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced the state government is drafting a new policy that will grant priority access to women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for setting up shops and kiosks in designated urban vending zones. While the initiative will initially be rolled out by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), the Chief Minister confirmed that the policy will be extended to major towns, including Silchar and Dibrugarh, in the next phase.
The announcement reinforces the government’s commitment to transforming the state’s four lakh SHGs and their nearly 40 lakh women members into ‘Lakhpati Baideus’ (entrepreneurs earning over ₹1 lakh annually).
The ‘Ima Market’ Model for Assam
The new policy aims to achieve two primary objectives: empower grassroots women entrepreneurs and bring order to the currently unregulated street vending spaces in Assam’s major cities.
- Priority Access: The new framework directs municipal bodies to first offer space in all newly created and existing vending zones to women SHG members.
- Inspiration: Chief Minister Sarma cited Manipur’s iconic Ima Market (Mother’s Market), which is entirely run by women, as the model the government aims to emulate to strengthen women’s participation in the formal local economy.
- Scope: Vending zones will be created in various public spaces, including near new urban establishments, medical colleges (like the new GMCH building), and potentially under flyovers, all of which will be reserved for SHG utilization.
Silchar’s Future Under the Policy
While the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has been tasked with framing the initial rules, the mention of Silchar as the next city to benefit is significant for the Barak Valley’s economy.
Impact on Silchar: Silchar has a substantial number of women SHGs, many of whom have already received seed capital under the state’s flagship Mukhyamantrir Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA) scheme. This policy will provide them with a crucial avenue—a safe, legal, and dedicated space—to sell their goods and scale up their micro-enterprises.
Urban Planning: The policy will also aid the Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in managing traffic congestion and sanitation by relocating unregulated vendors into formal zones.
The MMUA and Women Empowerment Drive
The new vending zone policy is a crucial component of the government’s larger, multi-phased women empowerment agenda, which is centered on the following:
- Seed Capital: Under the MMUA, the state government has already distributed initial seed capital (₹10,000) to thousands of women SHG members in the Silchar Legislative Assembly Constituency.
- Phased Support: The scheme promises subsequent grants of ₹25,000 and ₹50,000 to beneficiaries who productively utilize the initial capital, guiding them toward the ‘Lakhpati Baidew’ goal.
The Chief Minister stressed that reserving vending zones for SHGs ensures that these economically viable spaces are utilized by genuine local entrepreneurs, distancing them from “suspected elements” and unofficial local intermediaries.
