Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on August 26 ordered a status quo on the proposed cement plant at Daistong village in East Jaintia Hills district following a meeting with leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), which has opposed the project.

Sangma said a fact-finding committee would examine concerns raised by the KSU over the public hearing, stakeholder participation and environmental impact of the proposed project.

All activities at the project site will remain suspended until the committee completes its inquiry and submits its report.

“Till the committee completes its work, things will be on status quo. No further work will proceed, and everything will be stopped,” Sangma told reporters after the meeting.

The committee will be headed by a senior official independent of the district administration. Other members will be appointed to examine the issues raised by the KSU, including whether the public hearing followed the prescribed procedures and whether all relevant stakeholders were consulted.

The panel will also assess the environmental concerns raised by the student organisation.

The government’s decision comes days after clashes erupted during a KSU black-flag motorcycle rally in Shillong. Government and private property, including vehicles, were damaged during the violence, while interstate transport services were disrupted. The incident subsequently prompted the government to begin talks with the student body.

Sangma said the government had initially supported the proposed cement plant, maintaining that private investment was necessary for Meghalaya’s economic development.

According to the chief minister, the proposal by Shree Cement had completed the required procedures, including the statutory public hearing. However, the government has now agreed to review the process following the objections raised by the KSU.

KSU leader Donald V Thabah welcomed the government’s decision but warned that the organisation would intensify its agitation if the government moved ahead with the outright sale of tribal land.

Sangma also discussed the implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, saying registration of tenants had increased but extending the system across around 6,500 to 7,000 villages and localities remained a major challenge.

The government is developing a mobile application that will enable face scanning and document uploads to a central database. Sangma said the digital system is expected to simplify and speed up the registration process.

On the controversy surrounding the upcoming facility at Umling, Sangma said the complex had always been planned primarily as a facilitation centre.

He attributed the confusion to the use of the term “food court” while describing the facility. A food court will be included in the complex, he said, but facilitation services will remain its primary purpose.

The facility currently covers 1,000 square feet and can be expanded to 3,000 square feet. A joint inspection will be conducted, and the centre is expected to become operational before Christmas.

Sangma said land for similar facilitation centres proposed at Ratacherra and Athiabari has not yet been acquired.

On recruitment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Sangma said the institute is an autonomous body under the Central government and does not come directly under the state government’s control.

He said he had nevertheless raised the issue with the Centre and would facilitate a meeting between KSU representatives and the Union Health Minister.

The chief minister also said the state was implementing changes in its recruitment system. Interviews for Group-D posts have already been discontinued, while interviews for non-technical Group-C positions will be abolished from January 2027.