By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Governor’s secretariat is yet to receive any papers regarding the Cabinet’s decision to take the ordinance route on the Meghalaya Residents Safety Act.
Secretary to the Governor, Pravin Bakshi, on Thursday said he could not comment on the ordinance because no such papers have been received in the secretariat.
“Obviously, there cannot be any ordinance without the assent of the Governor,” Bakshi said.
The state Cabinet last week approved the amendments to the Meghalaya Residents Safety Act which now make it mandatory for outsiders, who intend to stay in Meghalaya for more than 24 hours, to register themselves.
When contacted, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the government had said that the Act would come into immediate effect in the sense of “once the Governor approves it”.
He said that once the ordinance goes to the Governor, he would go through it and if he has any queries, he would send it back and once finally approved, the government would draft the rules.
The focal point of MRRSA, 2016 was about tenants where instructions were issued to landlords to register them, but the amendments now make it mandatory for visitors also to register themselves if they wish to stay beyond 24 hours.
The new provision relating to visitors, however, will not apply to non-tribals, who are permanent residents of the state.