Shillong, July 2: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Ri Bhoi District has urged the Meghalaya government to immediately halt the proposed Food Court project at Umling and instead implement the original plan of developing the site into a Facilitation Centre-cum-Entry Point to monitor the movement of people entering the state.
The demand was raised during a meeting held on Thursday at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi, two days after the Union inspected the site that was initially earmarked for a Facilitation Centre but has now been proposed for a Food Court.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Saini, Superintendent of Police Giri Prasad, Umling C&RD Block BDO Eric Dkhar, District Tourism Officer B. Nongkynrih, and other officials. The KSU delegation was led by Ri Bhoi District President Ferdynald Kharkamni, General Secretary James Hitler Mawphniang, and other office-bearers.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Kharkamni clarified that the Union is not against the establishment of Food Courts in Meghalaya. However, he said the organisation strongly opposes constructing one at a location that was originally designated as a Facilitation Centre or Entry Point.
According to the KSU, the site should serve as a checkpoint to monitor and document the movement of people entering Meghalaya, a long-standing demand of the Union aimed at strengthening the state’s security and regulating entry into the state.
The Union also raised concerns over employment opportunities for indigenous youth, reminding the government of its earlier demand to install CCTV cameras during interviews conducted by the District Selection Committee (DSC) to ensure transparency in recruitment. KSU leaders said no action has been taken on the proposal despite repeated appeals.
Kharkamni further questioned the employment potential of the proposed Food Court, arguing that many dhabas, restaurants, and petrol pumps along the highway continue to employ workers from outside the state, even for jobs that qualified local youths are capable of performing.
The KSU maintained that the government should prioritise the original objective of the Umling project by establishing a Facilitation Centre-cum-Entry Point instead of a Food Court, stating that such a facility would better serve the state’s security interests while addressing long-standing public concerns over the monitoring of people entering Meghalaya.
