Garo hills should be included in ILP: Committee

Shillong, Oct 30: The meeting of the high level committee on influx unanimously decided that Garo hills should also be included under the purview of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

Briefing reporters after the third meeting, chairman of the committee and deputy chief minister, Bindo M Lanong said, “The members of the committee have expressed that Garo Hills should not be left out if the inner line permit is being implemented in the state.”

He informed that Garo hills have been excluded from the purview of the ILP in 1987 after the centre decided to repeal the Bengal Eastern Frontier Act of 1873.

According to views of the majority, exclusion of Garo hills will lead to partial implementation of the provision of the ILP in the state. “They felt how can citizens of the same state requires permit to enter the districts implementing the ILP,” he said.

However Lanong informed, “The meeting decided to study in depth on all the legal provisions of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Act of 1873 so that there will be no conflict on the proposed implementation of the ILP in next sitting of the committee scheduled on November 15.”

Lanong further informed that majority of the members were still in favour of the ILP. “They have asked the government to examine the approach and strategies required for the introduction of ILP to check illegal migrants and protection of the people and their land, “he said.

Lanong said, that the NGOs have also asked the committee to look into the possibility of going for the three tier identity card system in the state.

The meeting decided to invite experts of the government to guide the committee on the legal aspects in the next sitting.

The committee has also decided to seek extension from the government for submission of its recommendation. Lanong said,  “We would require another one month before we finally sent our recommendation to the state government.” By Our Reporter