Shillong: The Meghalaya government plans to force all tourists and visitors to register upon entry. Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira said the state will build centers to verify identities and trip purposes. The first facility opens at Umling in Ri-Bhoi. Officials expect to track arrivals and stop illegal entries hiding behind tourism.
Plans for the Umling site include a food court. The Khasi Students Union already opposes this. State BJP general secretary Wankitbok Pohshna backed the move, calling it a way to shield indigenous groups. He urged for tighter border control, better technology, and zero-line fencing along the India-Bangladesh border.
The Voice of the People Party wants more legal teeth. They demanded the government show which laws support this new registration process. Spokesperson A.W. Rani said, "Transparency and accountability, the VPP stressed, are fundamental to good governance, and any regulatory mechanism affecting the movement of people must have a sound legal foundation." The VPP remains skeptical of the current framework.
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