Shillong: Meghalaya officials are meeting with the Khasi Students’ Union to end a standoff at the Umling facility on the Shillong-Guwahati road. KSU members recently blocked construction at the site, claiming the state prioritized commercial food courts over promised security measures against illegal immigration.
Government insiders dispute those claims. They insist the project serves as a public wayside amenity for locals and tourists alike. They noted the plan includes an active desk for the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act to track arrivals. Officials suggested they could even add more counters to appease critics.
The site has a rocky history. The state spent Rs 2.7 crore on a prefab structure back in 2020. It functioned briefly as a COVID-19 testing center before legal challenges forced it to shut down. Now, authorities want to revive the area to prevent it from becoming a magnet for crime.
“We received complaints that the place was used for illegal activities and it was not safe for even people from the Shnong to pass through it. Many things were also stolen from the facility,” one source said. The government promises locals will get first dibs on jobs at the site once it finally opens.
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