‘Speed up mechanism to control influx’

SHILLONG, JUNE 1: The 13 pro-ILP ngos on Monday demanded speeding up the implementation of the comprehensive mechanism, proposed by them since one year ago to curb influx and illegal immigration.

“We demand that the state government must speed up the process of implementing the comprehensive mechanism,” KSU president Daniel Khyriem told reporters after a meeting on Monday.

He said, “It has been almost a year since the ngos submitted the comprehensive mechanism, yet we fail to see any sign of urgency from the state government to implement them.”

FKJGP president Joe Marwein however said the ngos have resolved to demand the government to take the issue of setting up the entry and exit points as priority number one while implementing the comprehensive mechanism.

He informed, “The Deputy Commissioners of Ri Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills have also informed the ngos that the process of identifying the lands for setting up of entry and exit points has already been completed.”

While in Ri Bhoi, the 15 acre of land for entry point and 3 acre for exit point at 19^thMile have been identified, the land identified at Malidor in East Jaintia hills was given free of cost by the people, Marwein said.

According to him, the process to facilitate the setting up of this entry and exit points is now pending with the Director of Land Survey for releasing the land compensation.

“We therefore demand the state government to direct the Director of Land Survey to clear the land compensation at the earliest,” Marwein said while informing that the ngos would also meet the director on Tuesday on this issue.

While referring to the recent arrest of Bangladesh political leader, who’s entered into Meghalaya as a mystery, KSU general secretary Auguster Jyrwa said, “This has brought shame to the state government which has failed to address the issue of influx coming from the neigbouring country.”

Meanwhile, the ngos said that they would again sit to discuss on the residential bill and benami act proposed by them as part of the comprehensive mechanism.- By Our Reporter