Security bandobast for Mukul tightened

SHILLONG, Aug 9: The police will intensify security arrangements in wake of the threat by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) South West Khasi Hills (SWKH) district unit to welcome Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to the iuguration of an administrative unit in Ranikor by staging a sit-in-demonstration.

It may be mentioned that the KSU had demanded that the Chief Minister on Thursday should do away with the administrative unit, and instead upgrade the Ranikor C&RD block into a civil sub-division.

Speaking to The Sentinel, South West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Hubert Lyngdoh said, “We will be deploying enough police personnel in and around the venue of the iuguration so that they will not be able to disturb the function.”

He, however, said that as per the intelligence input received by the police, the KSU will be staging a peaceful demonstration.

“We have set some pre-conditions for them (KSU) and they have to abide by these and should not disturb the peace,” Lyngdoh said.

Earlier, KSU SWKH president Marconi Thongni said, “We had on a number of occasions requested the government to upgrade the C&RD block to a civil sub-division and we had never demanded for an administrative unit and we have decided to protest the arrival of the Chief Minister on 10th August.”

Stating that as per the Census of 2011, Ranikor C&RD block covers a vast area comprising 157 villages with a population of 41,218 with a geographical territory of more than 760 square km, Thongni said, “It’s because of this growing population that we have been demanding that the C&RD block be upgraded to a civil sub-division for the past many years.”

Terming the administrative unit as “ineffective”, he said, “What is the use to have an administrative unit when the people still have to travel to Mawkyrwat to complete their work.”