Shillong, Jul 1: The Khasi Students’ Union has submitted a 20-point memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, citing issues ranging from influx control and border disputes to education, health, recruitment reforms and anti-corruption measures.
KSU said the charter addresses the daily lives, economic progress, protection of the state’s indigenous communities and overall well-being of Meghalaya. The Union said it formulated the demands after assessing the current situation and the need of the hour.
The Union reiterated its demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. Until ILP is in place, KSU urged the government to make the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act fully operational, alleging that the Act remains non-functional due to amendments and inadequate government justification in court.
KSU also called for a Land Ceiling Act for Meghalaya to prevent concentration of land in a few hands, while exempting community, clan and agricultural land. The Union further demanded removal of other Scheduled Tribes listed in the Constitution Order 1950, arguing that only Khasi, Jaintia and Garo are the genuine STs of the state.
The students’ body also opposed any uranium mining and any railway project in the state until a proper influx mechanism is in place.
On the Assam-Meghalaya border, KSU urged the government to ensure historical facts, ethnic contiguity and the wishes of local residents are respected in pending sectors like Langpih, Block I & II and others. It also pushed for early implementation of amendments to the Meghalaya Migrant Workers Act, 2020, for mandatory registration and police verification.
Other demands include inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule, a policy to reserve jobs for indigenous people in private companies, and annual asset declarations by government employees along with a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate.
KSU sought full implementation of the MPSC Reform Committee’s recommendations, abolition of personal interviews for Grade B non-gazetted, C and D posts, and a standard operating procedure for other recruitment boards like MMSRB and MERB. It also called for transparency in contract and tender processes, including online submissions and adoption of a CPWD-style work manual.
The Union flagged the drug menace, noting an estimated 3 lakh users against limited rehabilitation capacity, and demanded government-run de-addiction and IRCA centres in every district. In health, it sought functional PHCs and CHCs as per IPHS norms, filling of doctor vacancies and access to diagnostic equipment like PET scans.
For agriculture, KSU asked for more rural cold storages, testing labs, transport support and a state-specific MSP or price stabilisation fund. In education, it proposed school rationalisation, a single transparent grant portal, better teacher training and government colleges in all districts, citing Meghalaya’s low PGI ranking.
On tourism, the union wants more local transport and travel agency participation to ensure economic benefits stay in the state. In sports, it called for an overhaul of the 2019 State Sports Policy with district-level high-performance centres, professional coaches, financial support for athletes and better infrastructure beyond Shillong.
