Sangma asks Rlys to set up facilitation centre to check

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today directed the railway authorities to set up a facilitation centre here which will check illegal immigration.

The chief minister also inspected the site where the proposed facilitation centre will be erected along with comfort facilities like cafe and eateries, and also serve as an alternative mechanism to check illegal immigration.

"The facilitation centre will serve as an alternative to Inner Line Permit whereby the authorities can verify identities and put a check illegal immigration," he said.

He said creating the facility in the railway station will enable the government to have a filtering mechanism and also ensure safety of travellers.

The chief minister's inspection at Mendipathar, the state's first railway station, came at a time when anti-railway groups are mounting pressure against introduction of railways in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region for fear of influx of outsiders.

Railway construction in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region has been put on hold since May 27 after a mob led by Khasi Students Union (KSU) leaders attacked workers and heavy machineries at Ronghona in Ri-Bhoi district.

North East Frontier Railway officials said work had been initiated for connecting Byrnihat and Assam's Tetelia station, the starting point for connecting the state capital with the rest of the country.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)