Meghalaya to strengthen MRSSA, mandate tourist registration

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: In a bid to enhance internal security without compromising its rapidly growing tourism industry, the Meghalaya Cabinet has announced key measures including a revision of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), mandatory tourist registration, and the introduction of 100 multilingual ‘tourist buddies’.

The move comes in the wake of the recent Sohra incident, which prompted the government to re-evaluate safety measures for residents and tourists alike. Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh, during a press briefing on Friday, stated, “The Cabinet today decided to revisit the MRSSA, which is already an existing state act, to add more teeth to it in view of what we experienced at Sohra and to ensure that we minimize the possibility of criminal elements entering Meghalaya disguised as tourists.”

Addressing the ongoing demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), Lyngdoh reminded the public that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution on the matter. However, the proposal is currently pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs. “The ministry has raised several queries, which the state government is working to address. Some of these concerns are linked to Meghalaya’s geographical positioning, as it connects with other northeastern regions like Silchar, Mizoram, and Tripura,” he explained.

Highlighting the existing provisions under MRSSA, Lyngdoh emphasized the need to upgrade and expand the Act. “There is already a lot in place through MRSSA, but we need to upscale and further improve it. A formal proposal will be brought forward,” he said.

To further enhance tourist monitoring, the government will now enforce full compliance with its digital tourism tracking app. “We already have an app that logs tourist movements, including their transport modes and accommodations. Currently, around 50 percent of establishments use the app. Moving forward, we will make it mandatory for all homestays, resorts, and hotels to register all guests through the app,” Lyngdoh stated.

Despite recent concerns, tourism in Sohra continues to flourish. “Even when the case related to the Sohra incident remained unsolved, the tourist footfall did not drop. Now that Meghalaya’s name has been cleared, we expect tourism to rise further. We anticipate the number of visitors to reach 20 lakhs by the time of the Cherry Blossom Festival,” he added.

As part of the state’s efforts to support the tourism boom and improve visitor experience, the government has also launched a recruitment drive for 100 multilingual ‘tourist buddies’. “We have already issued a notice inviting interested youth who are fluent in Khasi, Garo, English, and Hindi to join the scheme. Appointments are expected to be finalized within the next two months,” Lyngdoh announced.

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