Govt mulls entry/exit points to check illegal immigration
SHILLONG: The State Government has constituted three separate committees to deal with the vexed influx issue.
Informing this here on Thursday, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “Three committees will jointly shoulder the responsibility of coming up with a comprehensive mechanism to check illegal immigration to the state.”
According to the Chief Minister, the first committee, to be headed by Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh, would study and work out a few amendments on the provisions of Benami Transaction Act, 1980 and examine the Tenants Verification draft Bill.
The committee will have GAD minister HDR Lyngdoh, officers of the political and home departments and representatives from civil society groups as member.
Sangma informed that the second committee has been constituted to find out location for setting up ‘entry and exit’ points of the state.
“We have constituted a committee at the level of the Director of Anti-Infiltration that will identify ideal locations for setting up entry and exit points in the state,” Sangma said adding that the committee would also identify the facilities required to set up the entry and exit points.
“The committee has been given two months time to identify locations,” he said.
Various groups had put pressure on the government to check influx during a meeting held in April and they had also stressed on the need to have entry permits at entry points.
The Chief Minister, however, assured tourists and bona fide citizens that they would not be inconvenienced at the entry and exit points.
“The working model is being designed in a way that there will be minimum inconvenience to people as they enter and exit the state,” Sangma said.
According to the Chief Minister, the third committee to be headed by the chief secretary will examine various legislative measures to achieve the objective of coming up with the comprehensive mechanism to check inflow of outsiders and illegal immigrants into the state.