SHILLONG: The setting up of entry and exit points will take time but the government will prioritise setting up check points in critical and vulnerable areas, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said.
Sangma met members of 13 pressure groups on Thursday to discuss the current status of entry and exit points, identified locations and facilitation centres.
“The process is complicated as there are lots of formalities such as land acquisition and public hearing,” Sangma told reporters after the meeting.
However, he said the process is in the advanced stage and work is on in many critical areas.
“The government will strategically need to move in locations which have more traffic and are more vulnerable first and then look at other entry/exit points. In the long run, we will cover all,” he said.
The government has identified 41 locations and it will not be possible to start work simultaneously because of land acquisition and financial constraints.Khasi Students’ Union president Lambokstarwell Marngar said out of the 41 locations identified, only one location has been finalised.
“But there are certain key areas which we need to move on, 5-7 locations which are very critical ones where we would be in a position for land acquisition in about 2-3 months’ time,” Sangma said.
“Land acquisition will be done at a very early date. We told them (the NGOs) it is a complicated process. But you will see that in the last few months, things have moved much faster than what happened in the last year. The NGOs want things to move slightly faster,” he added.
Sangma pointed to the financial implications of land acquisition and improvement, construction and manpower.
“There are many challenges even though the government wants to move at a certain pace. Things are moving fast. It is not fair to give a time frame because land acquisition is a very complicated process,” he said.
The NGOs demanded that the state government start the first phase of setting up the points.
“If the delay in setting up entry/exit point rests on excuses of land acquisition, then on the part of the NGOs, we will be compelled to set up our own entry/exit points,” Marngar said.
ILP and NRC
Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) president Robertjune Kharjahrin pushed the state government for implementing ILP and insisted on NRC in the state.
With regard to NRC, the chief minister said the matter needs more consultation with different political parties, church leaders and NGOs,
He refuted the CM’s statement that ILP is illogical and said it is within the Constitution of India. “The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act should be implemented as it was included in 1952 in the United Khasi and Jaintia District Council,” Kharjahrin said.
“We have nothing to do with entry/exit points, check gates are nothing new,” he added.
On the other hand, he demanded that the state government strengthen the residential permit, labour permit, trade permit and the Benami Act.
