SHILLONG: The political parties in Meghalaya do not agree with the stand of the Ministry of Home Affairs that ILP cannot be granted for a state like Meghalaya which is used as transit route to many neighbouring states and that its tourism centric economy will be disturbed if ILP is introduced in the state.
Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said Meghalaya cannot accept this argument at this point of time when the state is most vulnerable following the passing of the CAA.
She recalled that the Union government around 10 years back had given the same argument along with another argument that ILP has been repealed from Garo Hills and bringing ILP in Meghalaya would be contradictory to constitutional provisions.
At this time when government of Meghalaya has no checks and balance, ILP becomes necessary whether it impacts tourism or not, Ampareen said even as she added that ILP has not affected tourism in Mizoram, Nagaland and even Arunachal Pradesh.
She wanted Meghalaya government to go ahead on its own and notify ILP in the state and added that the state government cannot be constantly at the diktat of the union government.
She also said other states like Mizoram and Nagaland have made ILP operational since the time these were carved out.
United Democratic Party leader Allantry Dkhar said that Meghalaya was under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 but it did not get ILP whereas Manipur which was never under the Act suddenly got ILP even though Manipur is also a transit route.
“Their arguments hold no water in the light of all the developments taking place in Manipur,” he said.
“ We are asking for E- ILP which is technologically driven and a person has to register from the mobile phone after which a QR code will be generated and when the person enters the hotel, he or she will not be even required to fill forms,” he said.
BJP state president Ernest Mawrie said the party in Meghalaya supports the demand for implementation of ILP in the state even as he believes that the Centre would conduct some study for ILP before approving it.
