The central government’s take on the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya is not known, Community and Rural Development Minister Hamletson Dohling said today.
Dohling also said that his party, the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), has welcomed the move of pressure groups in the state to resume their agitations to demand ILP.
“We must understand that our demand to get ILP would never be fulfilled without a fight,” the Mylliem MLA said.
The party, which has four MLAs in the Assembly, has made it clear that the Centre would have to fulfill the aspirations of the people to implement ILP.
In December last year the Assembly had passed a resolution to urge the Centre to implement ILP in Meghalaya. According to Dohling, as of now, the central government is yet to come clear on the resolution.
“We cannot say if the Centre is in favour or against the implementation of ILP,” the former Khasi Students’ Union leader said.
According to him, ILP is the only mechanism to check the influx of illegal migrants into Meghalaya.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday but Dohling has not yet heard whether the CM raised the issue with Shah or not.
Dohling said that the PDF will urge Sangma on the need to aggressively follow up the need to implement ILP with the Centre.
“The picture will be clearer once the Chief Minister returns. As a party we are firm that ILP should be implemented in the state to safeguard the interest of the local indigenous population,” he added.
