SHILLONG, Jan 22: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will preside over the 69th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here on Saturday even as pressure groups and parties will be eager to hear a positive response to their demands for implementation of inner line permit (ILP) in the state.
Meghalaya has been witnessing a renewed movement by various groups who are pushing for immediate implementation of ILP in the state.
Shah is scheduled to arrive at the NEC headquarters at 10am where he will preside over the plenary session of the council.
The chief ministers of other Northeastern states and officials from different line departments are scheduled to attend the meeting.
Later, he will meet Cabinet ministers of the MDA government.
Representatives of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) are also scheduled to meet the home minister around 1pm at the NEC headquarters.
All the state delegations are set to raise matters pertaining to implementation of ILP, inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule besides other issues of the state.
Earlier, delegations from the state had met Shah on two occasions in New Delhi, seeking the Centre’s approval for implementation of ILP in the state but the home ministry has not made any commitment on the matter as yet.
The Union home minister, after attending the meetings in the city, will proceed to Assam for his election campaign in the neighbouring state.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the city in view of Shah’s visit. Police personnel will be positioned at specific points on the route to be taken by the Union home minister.
Several parts of the city have been barricaded with signboards welcoming Shah installed at various points.
On Friday, police conducted a drill to ensure a hassle-free visit of the Union home minister here even as traffic snarls were witnessed.