Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: The Meghalaya government is readying a mandatory visitor registration system. It mimics the Inner Line Permit used in neighboring states like Nagaland and Mizoram. Tourists must show ID and explain their visit before entering. The state wants a live database to manage rising foot traffic.
Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira confirmed the plan. The first stop is Umling in Ri-Bhoi district. Centers will eventually pop up across the state including the Garo Hills. Officials say this helps monitor movement and keeps travelers safe.
The government wants to keep it orderly. The Umling site features two rooms specifically for this task. Wait times might climb, so they planned a food court for visitors. The Khasi Students Union disagrees. They want the site to focus purely on surveillance. The student group issued a stop-work notice. Ri-Bhoi officials are currently negotiating to keep construction moving. The Minister said, "The complex will include two dedicated rooms exclusively for tourist registration."
The Umling center has a rocky history. It opened in 2020 as a check point during the pandemic. It later faced legal hurdles that shut it down. The state is back in court now to get things running again.
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