Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday assured former leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) that the government would examine key concerns raised in the union’s five point charter, including the proposed Shree Cement project, migrant worker laws, MRSSA, NEIGRIHMS recruitment and transparency in government hiring.
Sangma made the remarks after meeting former KSU leaders at the Secretariat. On the Shree Cement project, he said Meghalaya needed private investment to drive growth but acknowledged concerns regarding procedures, environmental issues and stakeholder participation.
A fact finding committee headed by a senior official independent of the district administration will examine the public hearing and environmental aspects of the project.
“No further work will proceed until the concerns are clarified,” he said.
On the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), Sangma said more localities were adopting the system, though expansion faced financial and technological constraints.
The government is developing an app that will allow even basic mobile phones to scan faces and upload documents to a central database.
Regarding the Umling facilitation centre, Sangma attributed controversy to a communication gap over proposed use of space for a food court.
He clarified that about 1,000 square feet of the building’s first section was earmarked for the facilitation centre. A joint inspection will be conducted, with the government aiming to make the facility operational before Christmas.
On migrant workers, Sangma said rules under the 2020 identification and verification law had been framed, but certain provisions required greater clarity. An amendment incorporating district police verification and CCTNS integration has been cleared, with officials set to undergo training.
The Chief Minister also assured that concerns over NEIGRIHMS recruitment would be raised with the Centre. On recruitment transparency, he said SOPs for District Selection Committees had been approved. At the same time, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong would examine legal hurdles around MPSC advertisements open to candidates nationwide next week.
The KSU has urged the government to continue its dialogue with the Centre on these issues.
(IANS)
