Centre must come clean on ILP demand: Meghalaya minister

Meghalaya Cabinet Minister and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) leader Renikton L Tongkhar on Friday came out strongly against the Centre, for not giving a clear picture on the

Meghalaya Cabinet Minister and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) leader Renikton L Tongkhar on Friday came out strongly against the Centre, for not giving a clear picture on the state’s Inner Line Permit (ILP) demand.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Renikton said, the Centre should come out clean in the demand for implementation of ILP, even if the answer is a no. Furthermore, the Cabinet Minister informed that he will raise the issue of dilly-dallying by the Centre during the MDA coordination committee meet, to find a way forward.

Appreciating the efforts of the State government in pursuing the matter with the centre, Renikton said the State has committed the day when 60 legislators passed the ILP resolution in the Meghalaya legislative assembly.

He also added since the Centre’s stand on the ILP demand is unclear, the implementation of Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), should go side by side to provide a extra layer of protection till a decision is made on the issue.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had left the Pro-ILP groups of the state unhappy. The Union Minister had asked state leaders to come to New Delhi after Christmas to discuss the issue in 2019, till date other than the invitation no concrete discussion has been held.

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