Pro-ILP grps dump Meghalaya govt legislations to check influx

Pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) pressure groups in Meghalaya today dumped over 50 existing legislations in the state which the state government said were effective enough to check influx.
Leaders of 13 pressure groups including the influential Khasi Students' Union (KSU), Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo Federation (FKJGP), Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) and others met here to discuss on the existing legislations provided by the state government.
"After examining and studying the 52 existing laws provided by the state government, we found they are not effective enough to safeguard entry of outsiders in the state," HNYF general secretary Sadon K Blah told reporters.

The pro-ILP groups which suspended their agitations to study the 52 existing legislations last month would be meeting again next Monday to announce their future course of action.
Only 15 legislations are directly related to the issue of illegal immigration. Though the issue is common, yet these laws are operating independently without integration or coordinating efforts towards tackling the problem, Blah said.
He said the pro-ILP groups would be handing over the government their view points and the drawbacks of the 52 laws in an effort to come up with a comprehensive mechanism to check and contain illegal influx into the state.

The state government had earlier reminded the pro-ILP groups of the drawback of the implementation of the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation Act, 1873 which it said would hit tourism, investment in health and natural resources and development works.

It sought for a more pragmatic,
implementation-friendly alternative mechanism to deal with the issue, sans the implementation of the 140 year-old Act.
Reacting to this, FKJGP president Joe Marwein said, "These are just political arguments and we are not convinced by the government's stand."
"We are of the opinion that if implemented, ILP will not hamper any investment as an industrial policy is already in place to ensure genuine investors are not subjected to any kind of harassment," he said.

The state was rocked over the issue of controlling influx of outsiders in the state since September last year with the pressure groups launching a four month-long agitation after the government did not agree to their demand of implementing the ILP.
Four persons died and properties worth over crores of rupees were damaged during the agitation which included blocking of highways and state roads at night, picketing of offices and bandhs.