SHILLONG, July 9: The state government will hold discussions with the members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), who halted the construction of the wayside amenity at Umling on the busy Shillong-Guwahati road.
The KSU forced a standoff at the Umling ‘Entry Point,’ accusing the Meghalaya government of prioritis-ing commercial food courts over the state’s promised security mechanism to check illegal influx.
Government sources said that the authorities will try to resolve the matter with the pressure group. They, however, claimed that the upcoming project is a wayside amenity, not a food court, with all facili-ties to cater to everyone, including tourists.
Stating that the government has also kept the provision of a Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) counter at the proposed facility and the number of counters could be increased, they said that the wayside amenity was envisaged to prevent the place from becoming a hub for illegal activities. “We received complaints that the place was used for illegal activities and it was not safe for even people from the Shnong to pass through it. Many things were also stolen from the facility,” one of the sources said.
The sources said that the proposed wayside amenity would also provide employment opportunity to the local people and the first preference would be given to the boys and girls from the Shnong.
The Umling land was once used as high-profile facilitation centre-cum-entry point.
The prefab structure, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.7 crore, was inaugurated in 2020 amid expectations that it would serve as a key checkpoint. Apart from functioning as an entry point, the facility played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it was used to gather information and conduct test-ing of people entering the state.
However, the project soon ran into legal hurdles. Following a petition, the judiciary ordered its closure.
The centre was set up as a mechanism to address concerns over illegal immigration under the MRSSA. It has remained closed for the past few years.
