SHILLONG: The Khasi students’ union (KSU) has asked the Meghalaya government to focus on implementation of inner line permit (ILP) system rather than expansion of railway network in the state.
The KSU has asked the Meghalaya government to press the central government for early implementation of the ILP system in the state.
Claiming that there has been a rise in the influx of illegal immigrants in Meghalaya, the KSU said that movement of trains without the ILP system will add to the problems.
The KSU has asked the Meghalaya government to not rake up the issue of expansion of railway network in the state before implementation of ILP in the state.
Notably, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, recently, said that the state government sit for discussions in regards to the concerns of the people over railway expansion.
However, the KSU has clearly stated that that it will not sit for any discussions with the Meghalaya government unless ILP system is implemented in the state.
“We will not sit for any discussions with the Meghalaya government unless the ILP system is implemented in the state,” KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said.
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WHAT IS AN ILP?
Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the concerned state government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state.
The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.
An ILP is usually significantly easier to obtain than the analogous Protected Area Permit (PAP) which is the document required by non-citizens to enter the same areas.
In the Northeast, ILP is under place in the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.