Shillong: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) is demanding answers after inspecting the Umling Facilitation Centre in Ri-Bhoi district on Tuesday. Union leaders visited the site following an invitation from the district administration. They walked away frustrated. The project appears to prioritize a food court over the center's core security mandate.
KSU president Raymond Kharjana led the delegation alongside general secretary Reuben Najiar, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet, and North Khasi Hills district president Ferdynald Kharkamni. They met with Umling BDO Eric Kevin Dkhar, Tourist Officer B. Nongkynrih, DTO E. Kharmon, police brass, and representatives from Briwar Resorts. The facility is meant to monitor outsiders under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act. Instead, officials saw that the designated office space is dwarfed by areas meant for non-essential use.
Kharjana expressed his frustration regarding the discrepancy between government promises and reality. He noted, "the space allocated for the Facilitation Centre was disproportionately small, while areas intended for purposes unrelated to its core function had been allotted three to four times more space." The union had hoped for a final resolution, especially since Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma previously promised the centre would be a Christmas gift.
The inspection ended in a stalemate. Officials failed to explain how departments like Tourism, Labour, Infiltration, and Education would fit into the cramped space. The KSU warned that it will take further action if the government continues to treat this project with indifference.
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