By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 30: United Democratic Party leader and Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla, on Monday, said that the inner-line permit (ILP) would be an extra coating of insulation on the existing Land Transfer Act and the Sixth Schedule in protecting the people of Meghalaya, but the failure to achieve the demand should not halt or hamper railway projects and other development goals.
“We hope the Centre listens to our plea to implement the ILP, but it does not mean that if we do not get this, we should stop development. Development should come and we should get ahead and reap the benefits, whether it is the railways or anything else,” he said.
He insisted that the demand for the ILP should not be linked with the railways.
Recalling the National Green Tribunal ban on rat-hole coal mining in 2014, he said, “After the NGT ban, lakhs of non-tribal people who were in East Jaintia Hills returned to their states. This was because the Land Transfer Act and the Sixth Schedule prevented them from settling down.”
Trying to address the fear of influx by railways, he said, “People can come by train, but in the end, they have to go back as they cannot have land here.”
He added, “It will be good if we get more protection from the ILP, but whatever we already have is already a blessing.”
Shylla stressed the need to hold a public hearing on railways to allow the public to express their concerns and suggestions.
On the opposition political parties opting out of the all-party committee on railways, he said, “Not taking part means staying neutral, which is not nice. Whether you are against or for, you should take part. By being in the discussion panel, you can give your views. Standing in the middle does not help anyone.”
“I believe everyone should come to discussions even if they are for or against. Let’s discuss and see,” he added.
The proposal to put the Khasi Hills on India’s railway map has met with stiff opposition from pressure groups, whose contention is that the government should first address the issue of the influx of illegal immigrants with a mechanism like the ILP before talking about railways.