Shillong, June 10: MDA government spokesperson and tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh has underlined the need for strengthening the security mechanism of Meghalaya as Centre may not approve the state government’s proposal for implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) in the state anytime soon.
ILP is a major demand that has been there for long and also endorsed by the State Assembly, he told reporters on Tuesday.
Admitting the relevance of demand for ILP, the minister, however, said, “At this stage, I could only say that we should also strengthen our security mechanism because waiting for the clearance of the Centre on the ILP might take more time. In fact it has taken a lot of time,” he said.
Assuring that the government will upgrade and revise its standard operating procedure (SOP) for security and safety of its citizens and tourists/visitors to the state, Lyngdoh said, “Also, we have the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), which needs to be strengthened.”
Meanwhile, the demand for ILP has gained fresh momentum in the state following the recent breakthrough in the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, a tourist from Madhya Pradesh at Sohra.
According to NGOs spearheading the demand, ILP would act as a strong deterrent for people who come to the state with the intention of committing crimes.
