By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 7: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday said the entry-exit gate at Ri-Bhoi’s Umling cannot be stopped as it also functions as a checking point for COVID-19 protocols.
He was reacting to an observation by the High Court of Meghalaya that a government order regulating the entry of Indian citizens may not be exercised.
“As per the court’s order, necessary action will be taken. But at the same time, the location also functions as the checking point for COVID protocols and therefore cannot be stopped,” Sangma said, adding the government will examine how to proceed on the high court’s order.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Judge W Diengdoh had made the observation a few days ago after hearing a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of the entry-exit gates in the state.
The petitioners submitted that gates were set up at several points for checking people seeking to enter the state. They further submitted that without any objective parameters being set down for denying entry or regulating the movement of any citizen of the country in the state, “such check-posts may be impermissible and the exercise of authority thereat may be wholly arbitrary”.
Commenting on the status of the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act 2016, (MRSSA), the chief minister said the state government is still coordinating with the Governor’s office and the central government.
“The central government had given its views. So, we still have to coordinate with them and we will move forward only after we get a clear signal from them,” he said.
Defending the state government’s move to set up the facilitation centre at Umling, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said the centre has been a blessing for the state especially during the time of COVID-19.
Reacting to the high court order, Rymbui said, “The facilitation centre was set up in view of the COVID-19 situation since most people from outside enter the state by road. The government has also utilised this facility to check the entry of people as the provisions laid down in the MRSSA.”
“The main objective behind compulsory registration of all people entering the state is the protection of the locals. This initiative was also taken with an eye on the safety and security of people coming from outside the state,” Rymbui said.
Referring to the high court order, Rymbui said he had not read the full text of the ruling. “The state government will take all possible steps to correct or rectify any lacunae pointed out by the high court,” the Home minister asserted. “We will take all necessary steps within the parameter of the law,” he added.
The MRSSA, enacted on September 27, 2016, and amended in 2019 seeks to address the issue of influx by making everyone who wishes to enter Meghalaya go through set protocols of establishing their identity at facilitation centres set up at entry points to the state.
The 2016 Act was aimed at registering tenants at the office of the local authorities and the local police stations. The amended version makes sure that every person entering the state registers himself/herself at the facilitation centres so that the state can keep a tab on their whereabouts.
Former Governor, Tathagata Roy had returned the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, along with queries for the state government to reply.
He had pointed out certain problems in implementing the MRSSA due to clashes with other central laws.
The state government has been awaiting the Centre’s nod to the MRSSA for more than five years.