Anti-influx measures: Well-designed ‘entry point’ proposed
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Friday said the entry point to be put by Government in line with the demand of the pressure groups will be a welcome sign for the people who enter the state.
A committee was constituted by Additional DG SK Jain to finalise the entry point and exit point as per the suggestion of the pressure groups who are demanding a comprehensive mechanism to address the issue of influx .
Briefing reporters after the meeting with the pressure groups, the Chief Minister said that the entry point which will be beautifully designed will be a welcome sign for the visitors to the state and there would not be any room for harassment contrary to the popular conceptions.
The committee will identify the suitable exit and entry point in the State and for this the Government also requires to acquire land, the Chief Minister said.
Besides the committee headed by Jain, another committee to address the issue of influx will be headed by Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri and the third committee to discuss the Meghalaya( Benami Transaction Prohibition) Act,1980 and Tenancy Verification Bill will be headed by Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh to be assisted by District Council Affairs Minister HDR Lyngdoh.
With the formation of three committees, the Government has decided to fast track the mechanism to address the issue of influx.
The pressure groups and the Chief Minister who addressed the media separately said that two months’ time was given for the committees to come up with the suitable mechanism to address the issue of influx.
The pressure groups made it clear that they did not want to be part of the committees formed by the Government though the there is a provision to send three members from the pressure groups to the Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh.
To a question on whether there is any disunity among the pressure groups on the issue of ILP, the FKJGP President Joe Marwein said that all the thirteen pressure groups are united.
There were reports that Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) and Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) threatened to pull out of the conglomeration for diluting the demand for the implementation of ILP. However, the FKJGP leader said that they had not received any information in this regard.
KSU president Daniel Khriem said that the question of diluting the ILP does not arise as the alternate comprehensive mechanism suggested by the pressure groups and being worked out by the Government is more stringent than ILP.
HNYF General Secretary Sadon Blah said that the involvement of headmen were suggested during the meeting with the Chief Minister.
To the question on the cases pending against the pressure groups, the Chief Minister said that while the State Government is examining the MPDA cases, the civil suit pending with the Special Court is a matter of judiciary.