Shillong, Jan 7: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has sought to take the credit for Meghalaya’s demand for inner line permit (ILP) knocking on the door of the Central government, saying it’s the Shillong MP of the party pursuing it with the Centre.
“Now the claim of ILP has in fact increased… not because of the MDA government but because we have our MP in Delhi,” VPP spokesperson Dr Batskhem Myrboh told reporters on Tuesday.
“Efforts of our MP have pushed the MDA government to be a little more serious than they had been so far,” he said.
Most MDA coalition partners, except the HSPDP, were previously hesitant about ILP, viewing it as a potential hindrance to development, he said, adding that the shift in their stance only emerged after Manipur implemented an ILP in 2019.
“Before that, all of them were of the opinion that ILP will affect development, so how much they have changed now,” he added.
Criticising the central government’s delay in approving ILP for Meghalaya, the VPP leader said, “Meghalaya deserves to get ILP. If Manipur, a state where tribal people are in the minority, can have an ILP, then Meghalaya, with 86 % tribal population, needs it even more.”
Regarding the recent government’s proposal for insertion of an “ILP‑like provisions” in the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, Dr Myrboh urged the need to seek clarification directly from Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, noting the inconsistency in his past statements.
“With regard to VPP, we are very firm that we need ILP,” he added.
Reminding that ILP movement in Meghalaya started in 1985, he said it lacked inconsistency as ruling party leaders have been advocating for ‘comprehensive mechanism’.
