SHILLONG, March 2: As the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) continues, the state government on Sunday said it is important to strengthen the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) for addressing concerns relating to influx of people from Bangladesh.
“The matter of ILP has been pending for a very long time. In fact, when we were in the Opposition, we had brought a motion against the Speaker for not allowing discussions on ILP. Subsequently, the House had unanimously voted in favour of this particular mechanism,” Cabinet Minister and government spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh told reporters.
Stating that the ball is entirely in the Centre’s court, he said, “I will not know the mind of Home Ministry but, apparently, as has been stated by the Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) several times that Meghalaya has the Sixth Schedule and the Land Transfer Act. The state is also exempted from the purview of CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) barring three normal areas within Shillong Municipality.”
He said the state government will continue its efforts for ILP and side by side, it will strengthen MRSSA which is a more doable piece of legislation.
“We can improve upon this Act. I see it as an immediate solution rather than waiting for the Centre to respond positively to the ILP demand. We should strengthen what we already have in our hands – the MRSSA,” Lyngdoh said.
Earlier, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) had asked the state government to spell out the Centre’s position on ILP and take cognisance of the influx of people from Bangladesh to Meghalaya.
KSU leader Lambokstar Marngar had said, “We are watching and monitoring. We instructed our units in the border areas to detect illegal migrants. We have to do our duty. We will continue to check the labourers to verify whether they are genuine (Indian) citizens.”
The state Assembly had adopted the ILP resolution in 2019 but things have not progressed since, he lamented.
“We don’t know the reason behind the delay by the central government. I think the state government knows best since its representatives continuously meet Union ministers. They should clarify why the Centre is delaying the implementation of ILP in Meghalaya,” he added.
