‘Gate alone won’t work’: Conrad stresses legal backing for Umling entry checks

SHILLONG, July 13: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday made it clear that simply setting up a physical gate or registration centre at Umling will not be enough to prevent influx — the real challenge lies in creating a legally enforceable mechanism to regulate checks effectively.
Responding to Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira’s recent announcement of a compulsory visitor registration system that would function like a virtual Inner Line Permit (ILP), Sangma said infrastructure is the easy part.
“Getting an entry-exit point is not an issue. We can set it up today or tomorrow. The challenge is to have a legal mechanism that allows proper implementation and enforcement of the checking process,” he told reporters.
Shira had stated that the registration process — requiring verification of antecedents, intentions and proper documentation of all outsiders — would be rolled out through dedicated centres, starting at Umling in Ri-Bhoi district, with similar facilities planned in Garo Hills and other parts of the state.
The move is aimed at maintaining records of visitors, strengthening safety and oversight, and providing real-time data on arrivals.
The proposal has come amid renewed calls for stricter monitoring of influx and opposition from the KSU to a proposed food court at the Umling site. The KSU has issued a virtual stop-work notice, demanding the facility be developed strictly as a facilitation and surveillance centre rather than a commercial one.
While agreeing with the need for a registration centre, the Chief Minister stressed that its success would depend on the legal powers available to the authorities. He pointed to the proposed amendment to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) as the key to providing that framework.
“We were hoping that the MRSSA amendment would allow us to have that system in place. We are working on it and let’s hope for the best,” he said.
Sangma added that merely deploying personnel at a gate would not solve the problem. “Putting up a gate is not an issue at all, but making it effective and deciding what kind of checking takes place is the key issue.”
The Umling facility, a prefab structure built at a cost of Rs 2.7 crore and inaugurated in 2020, had earlier functioned as a COVID-19 testing centre for entrants via Jorabat and Byrnihat before facing legal hurdles.