Meghalaya to hold special session to adopt ILP resolution

The Meghalaya Assembly will hold a one-day special session on December 19 to pass a resolution to introduce the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Sunday.

"Governor Tathagata Roy has taken steps to convene the special session. In the session a resolution would be adopted requesting the central government to introduce the ILP in the state," Sangma told .

Sangma led a delegation of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) which met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday and demanded to introduce the ILP in Meghalaya. "We have discussed the ILP issue and other problem of Meghalaya with the Home Minister and he assured us with positive approach," said Sangma, who is also the Chairman of the MDA.

The delegation, which included Assembly speaker Metbah Lyngdoh, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong Aand Health Minister and state BJP leader A.L. Hek, also discussed other state ethnic and essential services issues of Meghalaya.

Amid violent agitations across the northeastern region against the contentious new Citizenship Amendment Act, the Union Home Minstry following the request of the state government, has promulgated the ILP in Manipur on December 11 with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order to this effect.

On Friday, over 20,000 people gathered in front of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong demanding implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya. According to the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, the new legislation would not be applied in the 10 Tribal Autonomous District Council (TADC) areas of Assam (3), Meghalaya (3), Mizoram (3) and Tripura (one).

Also the new legislation on citizenship would not be executed in three northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram where the ILP regime is applicable. The 10 TADCs are constituted under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution while the ILP was notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited and stipulated period.

( With inputs from IANS )