Passing a resolution in the Assembly calling for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is meaningless if the same MLAs and minister go to New Delhi without raising the issue with the central government, the president of the Federation of Khasi Jaiñtia and Garo People (FKJGP) said today.
Wellbirth Rani said that whenever ministers do go to the national capital, all they seem to be bothered about are what schemes they can get from the Centre. He accused the government of lacking the political will to see the ILP materialise.
The resolution in favour of ILP was passed in December 2019 by the Assembly unanimously after an intense push led by pressure groups.
Pressure groups are limited in how long they can agitate for because the people who suffer most from the resulting disruptions are ordinary citizens, especially the poor, the FKJGP leader said, and the government takes advantage of the short-term agitations.
About the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), he said that the pressure groups appreciated the setting up of the entry checkpoint at Umling in Ri-Bhoi but were then sad to see that its purpose was changed into a Covid-19 testing centre.
