SHILLONG, Nov 30: Ruling National People’s Party (NPP) candidate for the Shillong parliamentary seat and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh stated on Thursday that she would endeavor to facilitate the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Meghalaya if elected in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
While addressing reporters, Lyngdoh emphasized the importance of acknowledging the significant fact that 60 MLAs, transcending party affiliations, jointly signed a memorandum to the Government of India advocating for the ILP’s implementation.
However, she lamented that it was typically the state government, alongside Tura MP Agatha K Sangma, rallying for this cause.
“Now, I will collaborate with the government, along with Tura MP and myself, and, believe me, we will make a ruckus. The Centre has to make a decision on the resolution passed by the State Assembly in 2019,” she added.
She also assured that their efforts wouldn’t be confined to parliamentary discussions, stating, “We will speak not just in the House in Parliament; we will create and generate a focus on this agenda.”
Lyngdoh, a five-time legislator of East Shillong, affirmed that the NPP-led MDA-I government had already announced the implementation of the Meghalaya Residents, Safety, and Security Act (MRSSA) in its new version to address the issues of influx and illegal immigration into the state.
Acknowledging previous discussions about MRSSA, Lyngdoh emphasized, “I will stick with what the government says. I will not deviate from what the government had said and committed alongside the NGOs. We will work together on this.”
Reiterating her party’s commitment, she said, “There was a problem with the assent of this Bill, but that has also been sorted. It looks like we are well ahead of the implementation of the ILP. The ILP, in my understanding, has many formulas for implementation, and even in the state of Meghalaya, the MRSSA is an acceptable idea. We go ahead, get the necessary nods as per directions of the state government with the central government, and make sure it sees the light of day.” (NNN)
