SHILLONG, July 15: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has rejected the state government’s invitation to its Central Executive Council for a dialogue on the proposed food court at Umling, reiterating its demand that the project be scrapped entirely.
Speaking to reporters, KSU general secretary Reuben A. Najiar said the union was not interested in hearing any justification from the government.
“We reject any invitation from the state government for a dialogue on the proposed food court at Umling. We do not want to listen to any justification, nor do we want the government to waste our time. The idea of setting up a food court should be totally abandoned,” Najiar said.
He maintained that the land at Umling should be used exclusively for a full-fledged facilitation centre to serve travellers, students, tourists and government employees. Referring to the original 2019 Detailed Project Report (DPR), Najiar claimed that around 90 per cent of the area was meant for the facilitation centre, while only 10 per cent was earmarked for a small cafeteria.
“Before issuing our public statement, we examined the fresh DPR. We found that the entire area has now been converted into a food court. It was only after the KSU raised objections that a revised rough drawing was produced showing two small rooms for the facilitation centre. We are not willing to accept that proposal,” he said.
The KSU has instead proposed multiple service counters for students, central government employees and tourists, along with adequate parking facilities. It also wants offices of various government departments, including Home, Immigration and Labour, to function from the site so that it serves as a comprehensive public service centre.
Questioning the rationale behind the project, Najiar said the government had failed to explain why a food court was being prioritised at the location. He also pointed out that the land belongs to the Transport Department and questioned how it came under the Tourism Department.
The union further expressed strong opposition to any move to lease the Umling land to private players.
“We are totally against any move to lease out the Umling land to private parties. The entire area should be reserved for the facilitation centre and nothing else,” Najiar asserted.
He said the KSU had already filed an RTI application to obtain official records related to the project. The union, however, remains open to a joint inspection of the site provided the government adheres to the original 2019 plan.
“Our condition is very clear. Ninety per cent of the land should be used for the facilitation centre as envisaged in the original DPR. We have no objection to a small cafeteria, but we will not accept a proposal where a food court overrides the original purpose,” Najiar added.
