By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 15: The Ministry of Home Affairs has expressed reservations over the provisions of setting up entry and exit gates in Meghalaya according to the provisions of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill (MRSSAB) 2020.
This was conveyed by the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong to a delegation of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council who met him to know if the Centre has returned the Bill to the state government.
HYC President Roy Kupar Synrem told journalists after the meeting that Tynsong confirmed that the MHA returned the Bill with a direction that it should be revisited.
“The Deputy Chief Minister told us that MHA has certain reservations about the entry and exit gates as they would create inconvenience for the visitors and people who visit the state,” he said.
It was learnt that the MHA also asked the state government to ensure that any bill drafted by the state government should not be in contravention of any acts passed by Parliament.
The HYC requested Tynsong to hand over a copy of the MHA’s letter to them so that they could give their suggestions.
Demanding the Governor’s assent to the MRSSAB, Synrem said that if the Centre is hesitant about the Inner Line Permit, it must approve the MRSSAB in the state.
The state government is set to hold meetings with the stakeholders to discuss how to move forward on the matter. It also plans to devise a strategy after the MHA declined to approve the MRSSA.
In order to determine the best course of action, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will meet with the Advocate General and other government officials.
As required under the MRSSA 2016, which aims to prevent unlawful infiltration into the state, the state government recently gave tenants and landlords from seven localities in Shillong instructions to register on the app.
The MRSSA 2016 was enacted by the state government with the aim of ensuring and improving the security of the state by a meticulous and in-depth inspection of all non-indigenous residents.
It is anticipated that the Act’s implementation will stop anti-social elements from finding sanctuary in the state and provide a control system to check illegal immigration or infiltration.
It is pertinent to note that the state government has already set the ball rolling for implementation of the MRSSA, 2016 by asking the landlords and tenants living in seven localities of Shillong to go for mandatory registration through a specialised app introduced for the said purpose.
“All landlords and tenants who live in the seven localities—Nongrim Hills, Pohkseh, Nongrah, Nongmensong, Lapalang, Riat Laban, and Wahdienglieng—that were chosen in the first phase are required to register themselves on the app via the URL https://megrssa.nic.in, which is accessible from PCs, laptops, tablets, and smart phones. Tenants and landlords can also sign up using a mobile app that can be downloaded from the previously stated website,” a statement issued in this regard on Monday said.
The statement went on to say that the MRSSA was implemented by the state government in order to make sure that state residents are safe and secure by carefully screening all tenants living in the state.
The government claims that the Act’s adoption will stop anti-social elements from finding sanctuary in the state and establish a control system to check for illegal immigration or infiltration into diverse communities.
On September 8, 2022, the government of Meghalaya, in partnership with NIC, unveiled an app to help citizens—landlords and tenants—implement the Act. The app would allow users to register after receiving previous verification from local authorities.