Govt to aggressively pursue ILP demand with Centre: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 23, 2019

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has submitted the resolution adopted by the state legislative assembly to the Centre for its consideration to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state.

According to the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, a delegation of the government will be led by the chief minister Conrad K Sangma to meet the union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi in January next year.

“Although the resolution has already been submitted to the MHA but the delegation to be led by the chief minister will after new year visit New Delhi to meet and personally handover the resolution adopted by the House to union home minister,” Tynsong told reporters here on Monday.

“Amit Shah (in the last meeting held with the government in New Delhi) had assured us that go celebrate your Christmas and New Year well and then come back and meet him,” he said.

Admitting that the state of Manipur finally got ILP after having to wait for five years, Tynsong however expressed confidence that the Centre will also fulfill the long pending demand of the people of the state.

“Whether it will delay or not, I cannot say anything but we have unanimously decided in one voice that we will pursue this issue very aggressively with the Government of India. I am very positive that the aspiration of the people will be fulfilled,” he said.

While supporting the ILP resolution, the opposition Congress had demanded the state government to set a deadline to the Union government for implementing the ILP in the state.

The deputy chief minister however said whether to give deadline or not that does not arise.

“As opposition they can say that but I feel that government to government, we have to engage ourselves properly, engage in discussion, engage in sharing our views and hopefully by doing that we will be able to whatever the aspiration of the people,” he said.

On the government’s preparedness to tackle law and order situation with pressure groups determined to continue with their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and demand for ILP, Tynsong said that law and order problem should not arise at all.

“There is no difference between the aspiration of the government as well as the public including the civil societies. What I see is that when we are in the same page – that no CAA and we want ILP- why should there be any law and order issue,” he said.

He added, if there is conflict of interest between the government and the stakeholders may be that (law and order) will be there.

At the same time, the deputy chief minister also appealed to all concerned that “Let us be cool and calm and maintain law and order so that socio-economic interest of the people will not be affected but at the same time we will pursue this matter with the Centre very aggressively.”