SHILLONG: Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, addressing the issue of illegal entry of outsiders, stated that the government is ‘standing firm to monitor’ and prevent any kind of influx or illegal migrants.
”We in the Government are continuously working hard to control all this influx and illegal migration, and we are still continuing this effort,” said Dhar.
Regarding the persistent demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), the Deputy Chief Minister revealed that the Government is still actively following up on this matter.
”The Chief Minister and the Home Minister met the Governor last month to follow up on this issue,” he informed.
Border Talks with Assam
On the matter of settling boundary disputes with the State of Assam, Dhar said, “We cannot say that the stalemate is solely due to the election, but we are consistently holding discussions with both sides.”
He further added that the upcoming elections might be causing delays on the other side.
”Yes, perhaps because of the election, the Assam side is busy, so we are continuously requesting them from time to time. When they are ready, we will sit down with both teams of the Committees which I lead,” he stated.
He informed that the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) are yet to submit their reports to the government. Once the reports are received, the state will hold an internal meeting at that level before resuming discussions with the Assam side.
On the current situation along the inter-state border, he said, “As of now, everything is peaceful, and the government is constantly in dialogue with both sides to ensure that peace is maintained in those areas.”
