Govt still waiting for Centre on ILP
Staff Reporter
Shillong, Sep 20: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the State government is still waiting for the response from the Centre on the resolution adopted by the Assembly for implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
“The State government has been consistently following it up with the union home ministry on the issue of ILP and the State is waiting for the response from the Government of India on the matter,” Sangma told the Assembly.
Replying to a zero-hour notice, Sangma informed that a State delegation led by him had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 8, urging his intervention into the various issues concerning the State which include implementation of the ILP.
He said that the State government had also submitted a memorandum on the matter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the State in 2021.
Sangma said that the demand for ILP grew louder in Meghalaya after the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Centre.
In view of this, the State Assembly had adopted the official resolution for the implementation of ILP in 2019. The resolution was sent to the MHA on December 23, 2019 followed by a reminder on November 17, 2020.
Speaker chairs meeting on new Assembly building
Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee on the construction of the new Assembly building at Mawdiangdiang.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Deputy Speaker Timothy D Shira, legislators Charles Pyngrope, Lahkmen Rymbui, and Banteidor Lyngdoh, Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, Commissioner & Secretary, Meghalaya Assembly, Dr Andrew Simons and other government officials.
After the meeting, the Assembly Speaker informed that the HPC meeting was held to give administrative approval to the new design of the dome as well as financial approval citing the increase of scope of work.
He stated that the new design has been vetted by IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati, and added that construction work of the building will proceed now.
‘The HPC sat to give administrative approval (to the new dome design) and also there was some financial approval required. The scope of work has also increased,’ the Speaker said.
‘After Eid work will resume in full swing,’ the Speaker said.
He also informed that the HPC has appointed a Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) as per the observations made by IIT Guwahati in the report on the collapse of the dome.
He also informed that the PWD & PMC has been instructed to look at the second phase of construction simultaneously.
Militancy at its lowest, says State DGP
Director General of Police (DGP) Dr LR Bishnoi has stated that the law and order situation in the state is more or less peaceful.
“It is under control and we are getting full cooperation from the people,” Dr Bishnoi told reporters after a meeting at the police headquarters.
He said in the districts, most of the crimes are not directly linked to the law and order.
“Fortunately, militancy is also at its lowest level and whatever remnant groups are there, they are in the peace process they are talking to the central interlocutors also,” Dr Bishnoi said while adding “Not much problem as of today but future challenges will remain and for that we are trying to strengthen our law and order branch so that they can deal with the situation immediately.”
The Meghalaya High Court was not happy with the performance of the state police especially in regards to the illegal transportation of coal, the DGP said, “We are going as per the high court orders wherever the mistakes are pointed out we are trying to plug the loopholes but again you know the area is so much and the police strength is not proportionately adequate to dominate each and every inch of the land of the state so sometimes you know through the jungle route some may indulge in the transportation of illegal coal etc for that also we are trying to dominate it by the patrolling.”
“So by and large it is under control now and whatever the direction from the court or government given to the police department we will definitely try to follow those,” he added.