Give priority to ILP: agitating NGOs
SHILLONG: The High Level Committee (HLC) on influx has decided to recommend introduction of both the inner line permit (ILP) and the three-tier card system to the State Government to check the unabated influx of illegal immigrants into the State.
However, majority of the members of the committee were in favour for introduction of ILP only.
The committee took this decision during its fourth meeting held at Main Secretariat conference room here on Thursday.
“We have decided to recommend introduction of both ILP and three-tier card system. We would like to leave it to the wisdom of the State Government to take the final decision,” Deputy Chief Minister Bindo Mathew Lanong, who is the chairman of the committee, told reporters after the meeting.
While admitting that the majority of the members favoured introduction of ILP, Lanong said there was a consensus during the meeting that they should recommend both to the State Government.
The suggestion to have a three-tier card system was tabled by a member of the committee Toki Blah, president, ICARE.
While giving a power point presentation on the matter, Lanong said the ICARE president suggested that the three-tier card system would comprise three categories of card holders — permanent, semi-permanent and temporary identity card system.
As per the suggestion, the colours for the three types of cards would be green (permanent identity card), blue (semi-permanent identity card) and red (temporary identity card), he said.
The committee also discussed the issue of Garo Hills since it is out of the purview of the ILP.
As the ILP based on the Bengal Frontier Regulation Act, 1873 cannot be applied to Garo Hills, the committee had earlier decided to seek the opinion from the legal experts in this regard.
The Deputy Chief Minister, however, said Garo Hills would be included in the recommendation for ILP introduction.
The committee will meet again on December 4 and place its draft recommendations before sending the same to the state government for approval.
Meanwhile, as the high-level committee on influx has decided to recommend introduction of both ILP and three-tier card system, the ten NGOs have insisted that priority should be given to ILP.
“We are very clear in our stand that the ILP is the only solution to check the growing influx problem and invasion of illegal immigrants into the State,” KSU president Daniel Khyriem told reporters after the meeting.
According to him, the ten NGOs would not accept any other mechanism other than the ILP.
“In fact, not only the NGOs even the traditional leaders have also unanimously voiced in favour of the ILP,” KSU president said.
Echoing a similar view, FKJGP President Joe Marwein also demanded that the committee in its recommendation should make sure that first preference is given to ILP.