The facilitation centres under MRSSA are crucial not just for monitoring and curbing illegal immigration but also for regulating the flow of transient population, enhancing the overall safety framework of the state
SHILLONG, July 17: The Centre’s dilly-dally on Meghalaya’s longstanding demand for the inner line permit (ILP) system has now brought focus back on the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act with proponents of the latter batting for its potency over ILP in tackling influx.
As the debate rages on how to balance economic progress while addressing unrestrained immigration, advocates of MRSSA contend that it is an adaptable method of reducing unauthorised immigration without discouraging travel.
However, pressure groups maintain that the ILP, a British-era system that requires outsiders to obtain entry permits, is more effective at safeguarding the indigenous population.
In the face of looming threat of cross-border infiltration from Bangladesh, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem has called for urgent and effective implementation of facilitation centres under the MRSSA at the entry points to provide the state immediate safeguard against influx.
Syiem stressed that the facilitation centres provided for in the MRSSA are crucial not just for monitoring and curbing illegal immigration but also for regulating the flow of transient population, thereby enhancing the overall safety framework of the state.
He highlighted that these facilitation centres would serve as an interface to guide and assist individuals entering the state, and if implemented with sincerity, they could significantly boost the state’s preparedness against external threats.
He was confident that the centres would also play a critical role in ensuring compliance with legal requirements while supporting tourism by mandating the use of local guides and vehicles, measures he believes would protect both visitors and the local industry.
The Nongpoh legislator maintained that if the MRSSA is executed earnestly, it could provide comprehensive protection similar to the ILP, albeit through a different administrative mechanism.
While acknowledging that the ILP resolution passed by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 2019 has not received the Centre’s approval, Syiem underscored the importance of moving forward with what lies within the state’s control.
He pointed out that the MRSSA, amended in 2020, remains inadequately implemented. In his view, the Act offers an effective framework which, if fully enforced, can check the entry and presence of individuals from outside the state through structured processes involving local headmen, community-level committees, and regular reporting to law enforcement agencies.
Syiem also drew attention to Meghalaya’s role as a transit state and stressed that proper records and vigilance systems must be in place to monitor those passing through.
As a legislator, he reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the Act is implemented in both letter and spirit, describing it as an urgent necessity for the collective safety and welfare of Meghalaya’s indigenous residents.