MSM chief welcomes
Govt initiative
SHILLONG: Chairman of Mait Shaphrang Movement Michael N Syiem has lauded the State Government for taking the initiative to solicit views and suggestions from the general public on the draft Meghalaya Regulation of Landlord and Verification of Tenants, 2013 before it is tabled and passed in the Assembly.
“This is the first time that such a thing has happened in the State,” Syiem, a former KSU leader, said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.
He said that the Government had never taken such a step in the past before formulating bills which are more important than the proposed tenancy bill, in terms of their impact on the citizens of the State “The Government did not place the Lokayukta Bill in the public domain. The Bill was passed without allowing any single amendment which is rather unfortunate,” Syiem said, adding that the Government also did not hold any public consultation exercise while bringing amendments to the Forest Act.
Urging the Government to apply the same policy for all important bills in the future, Syiem said, “The precedence which has been created should continue.”
Speaking on the demand for ILP in the State, the former KSU leader said, “The Government needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach while tackling the issue of influx and flow of illegal immigrants.”
“I personally feel that ILP alone cannot address the issue of influx. We need to think in terms of bringing various other mechanisms to address this problem in an effective manner,” Syiem said.
He said that there are other mechanisms like issuing of Permit Residential Certificates and Work Permit Systems which can be enforced to tackle the problem of influx.
“We can also strengthen the Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act since the flaws in our marriage system have allowed people from outside to penetrate into our society,” the former KSU leader said.
Syiem recalled that in Mizoram, it is not ILP alone that has enabled Mizoram to maintain its demographic population.
“The other major factor is because in Mizoram it is the local people who are controlling the economy, unlike in Meghalaya where the economy is controlled by people from outside,” the MSM chairman said.
The former KSU leader also urged the Government to invite the members of the pressure groups for a dialogue to end the ongoing impasse.
