Shillong, Sep 8: The Simsanggre Regional Nokmas and Citizen Council, NGOs and residents of Williamnagar have petitioned the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, East Garo Hills, seeking immediate verification of persons from outside the State who have recently entered and settled in Williamnagar after the recent communal disturbances.
The complainants alleged a sudden rise in outside entrants residing as tenants and operating shops and commercial establishments without proper documentation and licensing, and sought door-to-door, establishment-wise verification as per law.
They alleged misuse of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, claiming certain local persons are selling MRSSA forms and facilitating the stay of outsiders for monetary benefit. They said MRSSA is a tenant-verification and public order law and not a law to invite outsiders, and sought probe into who authorised sale of forms, collection of money, issuance by competent authority and actual verification of applicants.
They demanded setting up of a Central Facilitating and Entry Verification Centre at main entry points to scrutinise applications, maintain records of entrants and issue acknowledgment receipts, besides verification of trading licences under GHADC, action against expired or benami businesses and intensified checking against drug trafficking.
They further alleged that some temporary business residents may have obtained voter ID cards without eligibility and sought verification by electoral authorities.
The groups said they possess videos, photos and documents as evidence and sought urgent, lawful and non-discriminatory action, clarifying their plea is against unlawful entry and illegal trade, not any community.
