ILP no solution to influx: Tynsong
SHILLONG: Cabinet Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is the chairman of the ministerial committee to deliberate on the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlords and Verification of Tenants Bill, has said that the demand for ILP will not bring any desired solution.
“ILP is not a solution to influx and the issue of influx should be addressed internally. How can we put up forces to check the people entering the State at various entry points as Khanapara is not the only entry point to Meghalaya”, Tynsong told reporters here on Tuesday .
The first meeting of the committee will be held on November 20 in Shillong which will be exclusively attended by college students.
He also said that though he was a member of the High Level Committee on Influx, he never participated in any of the meetings.
Citing an example on the need to adopt internal measures to control influx, Tynsong said that while the local youths were allotted stalls at MUDA complex at the rate of Rs 1200 per month on rent, they leased out the shops to the non-indigenous people for rent of Rs 12,000 and above. The Minister also said that if the local coal barons bring people from outside the state to work in coal mines, this will add to the problem of influx and there is a need of introspection in this regard.
Giving another example, Tynsong said that if the local people hire maid servants from outside the State, whom to blame for the issue of influx.
“First of all we have to address the problem of influx internally instead of looking it as an external problem”, Tynsong asserted. According to Tynsong, the problem lies within and not outside and to address the problem, the NGOs are open to air their views before the ministerial committee. The ministerial committee was entrusted with the task of holding consultations in all the 11 districts of the State and the respective deputy commissioners will notify the dates for holding the consultations. Besides Tynsong as Chairman, other members of the committee are Power Minister Clement R Marak, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Government Chief Whip Ronnie V Lyngdoh, Parliamentary Secretaries Kennedy Khyriem, Justine Dkhar and Cherak W Momin.
Headmen support ILP
A meeting of headmen held at Umsning in Ri- bhoi on Tuesday decided to observe November 15 as black flag day in protest against the adamant stand of the Government on the issue of ILP. The meeting supported the cause of NGOs who are fighting for the implementation of ILP in the state.