SHILLONG, March 6: The HYC on Thursday warned the state government that if it does not call a meeting of the stakeholders to examine the status of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security (Amendment) Bill, 2020 as soon as possible, it will be forced to agitate.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem urged Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to call the meeting as soon as possible, saying that they will have to announce their protest plans in response to the government’s inaction and slack attitude regarding the state’s influx problem.
Recalling that on November 15, 2023, they met with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and were told that the Union Home Ministry had returned the Bill to the state government for their thoughts and opinions regarding some of the provisions in the amendment bill.
In a letter to the CM, the president of HYC stated, “We were also informed that the state government under your leadership will convene a meeting of all stakeholders to discuss the said observations and the way forward.”
Synrem added that the CM had stated on December 13, 2023, that the government is seeking legal advice to re-examine the Bill in accordance with the Union Home Ministry’s remarks and directives, and that a meeting with interested parties will take place “after the new year.”
“However, it has been nearly 16 months since our meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister, and as of right now, we do not know if any such meeting was ever held with the stakeholders, or if it was, we were not informed of it,” he stated.
