SHILLONG: The State Government has rejected the report of the Bindo Lanong led High Level Committee on influx constituted by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma prior to the Assembly elections.
It took more than six months for Government to declare that the Lanong committee which recommended implementation of ILP is not suitable to address the issue of influx and instead embraced the High Level Official Committee on influx under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary WMS Pariat which recommended implementation of Tenancy Act.
It was under pressure from NGOs over the issue of dubious voters that the Congress-led Government, prior to the Assembly elections, constituted these two parallel Committees on September 4, 2012.
While the focus of Lanong committee was on matters related to ILP, the task of the Chief Secretary was to examine the tenancy system.
However, in a statement issued here, the state political department on Thursday said, the “recommendation of the High Level Committee on Influx under the chairmanship of Bindo M. Lanong is very vague and does not contain any material for appraisal and discussion by the Government”.
According to the statement, the High Level Official Committee on Influx under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary has come up with the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlord and Verification of Tenants Bill, 2013 which was discussed on Thursday in the Cabinet meeting.
The State Government said it will invite views and comments from all interested parties and relevant stakeholders on any possible issues relating to the Bill, before the same is finally introduced in the Legislature for enactment.
The High Level Committee on Influx under the chairmanship of Lanong, former Deputy Chief Minister, recommended introduction of ILP throughout the State through appropriate legislation which should include Garo Hills also, by looking into the legality of repeal order of 1897.
The proposed ILP could be structured in a manner that would facilitate the participation of traditional institutions, NGOs and civil society and due care be exercised so that genuine residents of the State should not be subject to undue harassment.
While the Lanong committee was unanimous on the issue of ILP implementation, the Committee headed by Chief Secretary had been working on matters related to tenancy system since September last year and the result is the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlord and Verification of Tenants Bill.