Regional parties urge Megahlaya govt to engage in dialogue

Regional parties in Meghalaya today said the Congress-led government should pay heed to the advice of President Pranab Mukherjee to engage in talks with NGOs to resolve issues, and initiate a dialogue with the agitating pro-Inner Line Permit activists.
"The state government should pay heed to the advice of the President and initiate a dialogue with the 13 NGOs who are on the streets," Paul Lyngdoh, spokesperson of the leading party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), in the coalition Opposition, told PTI.
He said the President's address in the Assembly gained significance in view of the tug-of-war between the government and the NGOs on ILP as the best mechanism to curb influx.

The President had said, ""NGOs play an important role in expressing the views of the people. It is the responsibility of the government of the day to respond and it is only through dialogue that consensus can be built."
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has remained tightlipped on whether or not to hold a dialogue with the agitating pro-ILP groups.
"I will talk separately regarding this (law and order) tomorrow," Mukul told reporters after a meeting reviewing the centrally sponsored schemes here Wednesday.
The Chief Minister also said that he had read comments from the President's office which suggested that his statement was "general" in nature.

The Mukul Sangma government had also voted out a popular demand to implement the ILP in the state in favour of a "comprehensive, integrated and institutionalized" mechanism to check illegal immigration into the pre-dominantly tribal state.