Centre objects to Meghalaya’s Residents Act, state government to review

SHILLONG — The Centre has objected to some of the provisions of Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) which was earlier enacted by the Meghalaya government with the aim of ensuring and improving the security of the state’s people by a meticulous and in-depth inspection of all tenants living in the state.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that the state government pushed and passed MRSSA in the Assembly because the government saw it as a substitute for the Inner Line Permit (ILP).

However, he mentioned that it was forwarded to the Centre and no approval has been received from the Union government.

“The state government received a letter from the central government stating that they could review the act as some of its provisions do not align with the constitution,” Sangma told reporters on Wednesday.

He added, “We are currently reviewing it again and talking to various parties in light of that conversation. We are looking into how we may proceed with this, with the advocate general leading our legal team. The issue is complex and we are actively investigating it.”

According to him, the purpose of MRSSA and ILP is to establish some sort of verification process for each individual entering the state.

“The people made a strong demand, and we likewise passed a resolution stating that the state ought to implement ILP. We therefore filed an appeal with the Union government, but they haven’t responded to us yet,” Sangma said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had previously explained the Centre’s opposition to the MRSSA by stating that the creation of entry-exit ports was against Article 19 of the Constitution, which gives Indian residents the freedom to unrestricted movement within the country.

The state government said that the MRSSA’s execution will stop anti-social elements from finding sanctuary in the state and establish a control system to stop any illegal immigration or infiltration that may occur in the area.

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