SHILLONG: Though the MUA-II coalition government, in its recent meeting, rejected the implementation of ILP, the views of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on the issue are yet to be known.
As per the customary practice the CLP meeting is held first following which the coalition partners meet to decide on any crucial issue. However, in case of ILP, the meeting of MUA legislators was held on September 18 at the official residence of Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.
Even as the Chief Minister conveyed the MUA coalition’s decision to reject the demand for ILP made by the pressure groups, there is a visible delay in calling for a CLP meet to take the view of Congress legislators on the matter.
A Congress legislator, who attended the MUA meeting, however, said that since almost all the Congress legislators took part in the MUA meeting, it indicated that the party is united on the issue of ILP.
However, the Deputy Chief Minister RC Laloo, Ministers Prestone Tynsong and HDR Lyngdoh are in a dilemma as they were part of the High Level Committee on Influx which recommended ILP.
The ministers, who did not send any note of dissent on ILP during the meeting of the High Level Committee on Influx, are yet to air their stand on the issue.
Moreover, the heads of three autonomous district councils, who were also part of ILP, have not spoken against it.
Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who had stressed on the need for a re-modelled ILP during the meeting of the High level Committee, did a u-turn later by totally rejecting the ILP.
A Congress source said that the CLP meet will held sometime towards the end of September after the Chief Minister returns from a meeting in Delhi.
When contacted, CLP Secretary, Kennedy Khyriem said that he would discuss the date of the CLP meet with the Chief Minister.