Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is going to New Delhi next week to seek an appointment with Union Home Minister, Amit Shah to find ways to implement ILP in the state.
Under pressure from the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisation (COMSO), Sangma has no option but to knock New Delhi’s door to consider bringing Meghalaya under the ILP regime.
The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on December 19 had passed the resolution to implement ILP in the state.
During the last few decades, pressure groups, mostly students’ unions and youth organizations, have been demanding for ILP in Meghalaya to keep “outsiders” at bay.
After the resolution by the assembly, the Meghalaya government urged New Delhi to implement ILP under the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, in the state.
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But, the Ministry of Home Affairs did not pay much heed to the Meghalaya government’s request.
On January 30, Conrad K. Sangma had met Amit Shah on the issue.
But, according to reports, Amit Shah was non-committal on Meghalaya government’s request and had promised to discuss about the issue after the Delhi Assembly election.
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While ILP was extended to Manipur on December 11, pressure groups in Meghalaya are not happy with New Delhi’s luke-warm response on the issue.
It was reported that the Ministry of Home Affairs, taking into account the prospect of growth of the tourism sector, is not keen on the Meghalaya government’s proposal for the introduction of ILP.
At present, ILP is applicable in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.
Senior officials at the MHA are reportedly of the opinion that since Meghalaya is a Sixth Schedule state, the need to implement ILP does not arise.
It was also told that since Meghalaya is a “transit state” for Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and even Barak Valley in South Assam, the introduction of ILP would be complicated.
“Meghalaya Chief Minister will be going to Delhi next to seek an appointment with Amit Shah at the earliest,” Prestone Tynsong, deputy chief minister of Meghalaya, said.
Tynsong said a delegation of senior ministers is keen to meet Amit Shah on the need to implement ILP in Meghalaya.
Members of COMSO are not happy as it has been almost two months that the resolution was passed by the Meghalaya Assembly, and Amit Shah continued to play a hide-and-seek game with the people of the state.
Now, the COMSO has decided to implement ILP on its own by launching a Direct Action protest.
Tynsong requested the NGOs to have little patience since the state government is trying its best to take it up with Amit Shah.