Shillong, July 2: A day after the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) halted the construction of a proposed Food Court at the Umling Facilitation Centre, the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi, Dr. Abhishek Saini, convened a meeting with leaders of the KSU North Khasi Hills District on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Ri Bhoi Superintendent of Police Giri Prasad, Umling C&RD Block BDO Erick Kevin Dkhar, Ri Bhoi Tourism Officer Banshynshar Nongkynrih, while the KSU delegation was led by its North Khasi Hills District President, Bah Ferdynald Kharkamni.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bah Kharkamni alleged that the Deputy Commissioner attempted to pressure the union into not obstructing the construction of the Food Court at the Facilitation Centre in Umling.
He said the KSU remains firm on its stand that the government should retain the Facilitation Centre in its original form, as envisioned when it was inaugurated in 2020. According to him, the centre was established to regulate the entry and exit of people into Meghalaya and to help prevent the illegal influx of outsiders and the smuggling of drugs into the state.
Bah Kharkamni clarified that the union is not opposed to development, but said its objection to the ongoing construction stems from the belief that the project deviates from the Facilitation Centre’s original purpose.
“The KSU is not against development. However, we have opposed and halted the construction because it does not align with the original objective of maintaining the Facilitation Centre as it was initially intended,” he said.
The union had on Tuesday stopped the construction work of the Food Court, insisting that the government should prioritise the effective functioning of the Facilitation Centre instead of altering its intended use.
