SHILLONG, Dec 7: Meghalaya Government is exploring the possibility of taking all 60 legislators to New Delhi for pressing upon the Centre to relent to the state’s unanimity over introduction of Inner Line Permit system in this border state. However, some legislators are averse to the idea in view of resurgence of COVID cases in the national capital.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told this reporter today that the government would soon take a call whether or not a delegation of all legislators would be practicable. He said that the state government here would have to fix appointments with the Union ministers and other concerned edauthorities.
“We are yet to do that and the chief minister is working on it,” Tynsong said.
The statement came from the deputy chief minister as several political parties including the pressure groups have backed the idea that all 60 legislators of the state should go to New Delhi and make it compelling for the Centre to give in to the popular demand of the state.
When asked if the government would convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of ILP, the deputy chief minister said that if required, the state government would also convene an all-party meeting to discuss and strategise the way forward as far as implementing ILP in the state.
It may be mentioned that the long pending demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit is once again gaining momentum in the state as different pressure groups in the state are resorting to protests.
The demand for ILP was revived in the state after the Union government passed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.
The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly last year had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to implement ILP in the state.
While the call for ILP is getting louder in the state, the central government so far has not given any assurance on the matter and it maintains that the matter is being examined.
Meanwhile, many of the Opposition MLAs do not seem to be keen to visit New Delhi at this juncture when COVID situation in the national capital is alarming.
Sharing her views, Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh said that COVID situation is bad in the national capital and many of the people who are returning from Delhi are testing positive.
“The idea of going to Delhi at this juncture is a little out of place right now and question of going to Delhi does not arise at this juncture,” she said.
Other Opposition MLAs too maintained that it would not be in the fitness of things to visit the national capital right now in view of fragile COVID-19 situation.