Proposed amendment of MRSSA, 2016 to be in line with ILP: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 5, 2019

SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday said that the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 will be more or less like the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

The MRSSA was passed by the state government in 2016 as part of its endeavour to come up with comprehensive mechanism to check influx and illegal immigration into the state.

Talking to newsmen here, Tynsong said the political department and home department are on still on the job and very soon they will complete the proposed amendment of the MRSSA, 2016.

“Once they are done, the proposed amendment will be placed before the Cabinet for consideration,” he said.

Asked on the earlier decision of the government to pass an ordinance on this regard, the deputy chief minister however said, “It is for the Cabinet to decide if necessary to go for ordinance. If we feel that the session of the Assembly will be held very soon then we don’t have to go for ordinance.”

The Supreme Court of India in its recent judgement had dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay challenging certain sections of the “Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 which gives unbridled power to a State to prescribe ILP.”

Referring to this judgement, the deputy chief minister said that this will further strengthen the move of the state to protect the indigenous people. “Moreover, the proposed amendment of the MRSSA is more or less in line with the ILP,” Tynsong stated.