SHILLONG, Nov 24: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday informed that the Union Home Ministry has not given any assurance as yet on the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state as the Ministry is still examining the entire aspect.
“No assurance has been given as yet. They are examining it since it is an issue which will affect other states also. The government is taking a call based on the overall impact on the region and other states also,” said Sangma while speaking to reporters.
Stating that it is the responsibility of the state government to continuously follow up with the Government of India and the Home Ministry, “We are continuously following up on a regular basis so that the demand can be achieved”.
The chief minister along with few of his cabinet colleagues had recently met the Union Home Minister on the delay in the demand to implement ILP in the state. “Yes absolutely. As a government when the resolution was passed by the Assembly that itself shows the commitment by the legislature and the government that we are very concerned. ILP is something that as a state we would want,” he said.
Informing that the matter now was lying with the Union Home Ministry, Sangma said, “I had mentioned in the letter that we reiterated the demand and requested the Home Ministry to consider the resolution. So the Home Minister has stated that he will examine the entire aspect”.
On Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), Sangma said that although it is a complicated issue but the good part is that the entry and exit points are being set up.
“The MRSSA which was passed in 2016 and 2017 already has provisions to set up the entry and exit points. Based on this, we are going ahead with this. So a large part of it is already incorporated in the old act. This is a good part,” he said.
He said that mandatory registration in any case is required due to the COVID-19 situation that the state is faced with. “The entry and exit points are being set up and the registration takes place and it will be mandatory as of now because of the fact that the testing which will be required at the registration,” he said.
He also said, “We are seeing the process is happening and the point to remember is that the ultimate objective should be achieved and the objective is to ensure we are able to monitor the entry and exit of people in the state”.
“The current provisions and the current situation are allowing us to achieve the objective of the people who are coming into the state of Meghalaya,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the pressure groups should understand that the state government is working tirelessly to pursue the issue with the centre.
“We are pursuing the issue very vigorously and seriously. We are doing that and we keep going to Delhi and will keep going and knock at the doors of the central government and we are trying our best to convince them to consider the resolution passed by the Assembly unanimously,” he said.
It may be recalled that on December 19, 2019, amid raging demand for the Implementation of the ILP in the state by the pressure groups at the backdrop of the Centre passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) now and Act, the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in the special session of the Assembly to urge the centre to implement ILP in the state.
However, till date communication from the Centre is awaited on the issue.
Meanwhile, the pressure groups have also recently announced the resumption of their protest against the delay in the implementation of the ILP and also to their opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The pressure groups have made it clear that the agitations will only intensify in days to come if their demands are not fulfilled.