Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said that a cabinet meeting will be held after the Lok Sabha elections to discuss on the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act 2016.
He said that the amendment of the Act was planned to be brought up during the budget session but could not be done since the session was cut short due to the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls.
During the meeting with the members of Confederation of Hynniewtrep Social Organization (CoHSO) , Tynsong said that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had earlier informed the House that they were going ahead with the amendment of the existing Act.
However, according to Tynsong, the existing Act is more stringent as compared to the provisions of the ILP (Inner Line Permit). He added that the state government will further strengthen the existing Act.
The Deputy CM also said that precautions are needed to be taken to ensure there is no harassment on people in transit.
The ILP is an official travel document issued by the Union government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. It is obligatory for residents of other states to obtain the permit for entering into the restricted areas
Earlier, CoHSO chairman, Robert June Kharjahrin said that the government is planning to come with an ordinance on the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act, 2016.
Kharjahrin also added that Tynsong had assured them an ordinance is surely going to be brought after the elections.
Tynsong also informed the CoHSO members that the Meghalaya Police Act will also be amended to give more powers to VDPs (Village Defence Parties) to check influx and this aspect will figure in the amended Residents Act.