SHILLONG: Governor Tathagata Roy on Thursday warned of the tourism sector taking a hit if Inner Line Permit is introduced in the state.
The ominous warning comes at a time when there is a groundswell of support for ILP in the state with even the Assembly having adopted a resolution in favour of the regime.
Responding to queries of media persons on the demand for ILP, Roy said that the tourism sector in Sohra has already suffered.
“I have seen it in Sohra. A whole lot of tourism facilities like hotels and home stays are going vacant. I had interacted with a few people.They all said that tourism has taken a hit”, he said.
Asked whether it was the movement over CAA or ILP which has hit the tourism sector in the state, he said that the citizenship law has nothing to do with it. “It has nothing to do with the population of Meghalaya,” he said
Stating that tourists who come to the state will not become citizens, he added that putting restrictions on Indian citizens from other states will hit the tourism sector. “It is not difficult to guess, what the outcome will be,” he said.
The state government wants the Centre to implement ILP in the state. A state delegation met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard recently.
The Union government is reportedly examining the demand.
The demand for ILP in the state gained momentum during the anti-CAA protests when the Centre implemented it in Manipur.
