SHILLONG, April 4: Amid the long-pending demand to implement the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya, the Centre has asked the state government to respond satisfactorily to a list of queries on the issues flagged.
Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson, Paul Lyngdoh, said the Centre is not against the ILP idea, but it sought some answers to certain questions.
“The challenge in facilitating a system like the ILP lies in Meghalaya being a transit route for Mizoram, Tripura, and certain districts of Assam,” he said on Friday.
He said there have been several interactions with the Union Home Ministry, which feels Meghalaya already enjoys protections under the Sixth Schedule, Land Transfer Act, and autonomous district councils that are constitutionally mandated with powers.
“However, this is not the end of the road as discussions are continuing and efforts are on to persuade the Centre by responding to those queries,” Lyngdoh said.
He welcomed the passage of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, saying this would help tighten the state’s grip on illegal immigration, because Meghalaya shares a long border with Bangladesh, and even Assam is prone to influx from the neighbouring country.
Going by the political situation in Bangladesh, he said there is a need for adequate steps to ensure that the demographic balance is not disturbed by illegal immigration.
Reacting to the recent remark of Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus against the Northeastern states, he said the state government is alive to the challenges from Bangladesh, and the Union Home Ministry has asked the BSF to remain vigilant.
