The state government will not permit non-state actors to implement their own rules to check influx or illegal migration into Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today.
Sangma said this after reassuring those concerned that the government was ardently pursuing the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) amendment.
The CM informed that Governor Satya Pal Malik said that he will take up the matter of the ILP and MRSSA with the central government. While the Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution calling for ILP to be imposed in the state last year, Malik had returned the MRSSA amendment bill because of reservations he had.
On the statement made by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) which urged traditional bodies to implement their own rules to curb influx if the Centre continues to delay in granting ILP to Meghalaya, Sangma asserted, “There is no need for such action by anybody and, obviously, this is something that cannot be allowed. The government will ensure that the law is maintained.”
Sangma also said that the Umling entry-exit checkpoint in Ri-Bhoi will soon be brought online, with the infrastructure in place and the only requirement pending being the training of staff.
“It (monitoring of people coming into the state) is something that we are very committed to and that is the reason why now the entry-exit points, especially the one in Umling, is ready physically,” he said.
It is now only a matter of days before the checkpoint is activated, he added, saying, “Clearly people will see that there is an effort and commitment from the state government’s side to ensure that we have a mechanism in place.”
