Kohima: While Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton has defended the Government’s decision on the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), which will help to safeguard the state from outsiders, the Nagaland Minister for Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Jacob Zhimomi has informed the citizens of the state that there was no need to fear or panic over the proposed RIIN.
Addressing a programme at Durga Mandir Hall in Dimapur on Sunday, Zhimomi said, “The intention of the Nagaland Government is to verify all indigenous inhabitants in the state and especially tackle the menace of Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants (IBI) in Dimapur.”
He said the exercise of RIIN would only be for locals adding that “permanent residency will be given” but indicated that indigenous inhabitant certificates cannot be given to non-deserving people.
Jacob also said Inner Line Permit (ILP) would be implemented soon in Dimapur and urged bonafide Indian citizens not to be apprehensive of it. In this connection, he said that the decision to implement ILP in Dimapur was “not to chase out business people but illegal immigrants.”
The Minister also said that the government has no objection to those legally entering the state and urged upon those willing to enter the state to follow the rules.
On the Naga issue, Jacob said that the Government was expecting a peaceful solution “very soon” accommodating the interest of all stakeholders. (UNI)
