SHILLONG: The 13 NGOs who met the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday, have decided to give their own suggestions on the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act and if the suggestions are not approved they will go back to demand introduction of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
President of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Lambok Marngar said they met the CM as they had found out that the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act was to be amended.
“We did not get the copy of the amendment even before the assembly session. We need a copy so that we can give our suggestions,” he said adding that the amendment of the Act should not be a stumbling blocks in the implementation of the entry and exit point.
He said the act had been in place since 2016 but questioned the slow pace of work in setting up the entry and exit points.
“The setting up of entry and exit points and District Task Force is also slow and now they are hurrying with the amendment,” he remarked.
FKJGP president, Wellbirth Rani informed that the government would amend the main Act and said, “If they are doing so, they should give room to us to give our suggestions.”
He added that the organizations would prepare the suggestions and would refer to the previous Act.
“We expect to get a copy and we will decide on the suggestions. The thirteen NGOs have not budged from their stand on ILP. We will study the provisions that the government wants to amend and will take necessary decisions,” Marngar said.
He added, “We have not received a copy of the amendment and we are still in the dark. But we have maintained that if any change is to be made, the 13 NGOs should be discussed, but we were by-passed and this is not welcome.”
An irked Rani asserted that the government should accept their suggestions. He said, “The government should accept our suggestions and if the government does not accept, we will also do the same. We have categorically stated that we will discuss about ILP again.”
Rani said despite the limited time given, the NGOs will give their suggestions but threatened to go back to the streets to demand ILP and will not accept the amended Act.
“We will speak about the ILP again even if the Act is approved, we will talk of ILP,” Rani said.
Echoing Rani, Marngar, “If the state government wants to table strong laws, we suggest that why does not the government talk about ILP, it is simple.”