SHILLONG: UDP leader Bindo Lanong has criticised former chief minister Mukul Sangma’s U-turn in favour of ILP terming it as flabbergasting and deplorable.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Lanong said that Mukul, who was the chief minister from 2009 to 2017, owes an answer to the public as to why he did not implement the ILP provision as recommended by the committee on November 15, 2012.
The high level committee on influx constituted by Mukul on September 4, 2012
had appointed Lanong, then deputy chief minister in-charge of Law as Chairman. Four cabinet ministers, MLAs, representatives of pressure groups, district councils and traditional heads, among others, were part of the committee.
The committee was to examine and discuss the influx issue and recommend a comprehensive institutionalised mechanism within two months.
After four sittings, the NGOs expressed the need to implement ILP and the committee accordingly submitted its report to the state government.
“What amazed the public then was the statement of Mukul that since the ILP was not in the election manifesto of the Congress party, the Landlord and Tenancy Act 2013 was introduced and dumped the high level committee report in the dustbin. There was silence from the NGOs too”, he said.
Lanong wanted to know whether the Congress party, which is out of power, has included the ILP in its party agenda.
However, Mukul said at a public meeting organised by the Congress in the city on Wednesday that the situation was different in 2012 as there was no CAA then.
“Now we are demanding ILP in addition to MRSSA since the situation is different after the CAA”, he said.