SHILLONG: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Pynthorumkhrah constituency, A. L. Hek, has called for strengthening the Meghalaya Residents Safety & Security Act (MRSSA) by introducing additional provisions to further empower the Dorbar Shnong (village councils).
Speaking to reporters, Hek said that village councils must be vested with greater authority to ensure the effective implementation of the Act, particularly in maintaining comprehensive records of individuals staying in homestays, hotels, rented accommodations, and those residing temporarily in villages.
He stressed that all outsiders, irrespective of whether they stay for a month, several months, or a year, must be mandatorily registered with the Dorbar Shnong from the very first day of their arrival, and that the registration process should be enforced uniformly across the state.
The MLA further stated that anyone entering or staying in any village in Meghalaya should not only register with the Dorbar Shnong but must also inform the nearest police station of the concerned area, ensuring a coordinated mechanism between traditional institutions and law enforcement agencies.
Emphasising the need for strict enforcement, Hek said the MRSSA must be implemented comprehensively across the state, with special focus on border areas. He cautioned that individuals intending to settle illegally in Meghalaya often enter under the guise of daily wage labourers, industrial workers, or traders through border routes, posing potential security and demographic challenges.
The BJP legislator asserted that the Act should be enforced effectively in both urban and rural areas, particularly in villages and border regions, to regulate and control the influx of outsiders into Meghalaya and safeguard the interests of indigenous communities.
