Meghalaya has renewed its push for the Inner Line Permit (ILP), with Law Minister Lahkmen Rymbui underscoring the state’s determination to curb illegal migration by maximising every mechanism currently available. Amid growing public demand for ILP and concerns over demographic vulnerability, Rymbui said the government is committed to tightening enforcement and exploring all constitutional options to safeguard the state’s interests.
Rymbui stated that “we have to use all the machineries which are in place to see that the illegal migrant could not settle in Meghalaya,” admitting that “all laws are not perfect” but emphasising the need for strict implementation of existing provisions. He said that if the present laws are inadequate, the government will seek ILP, adding that shortcomings in the current framework justify the long-standing demand. Rymbui recalled that Meghalaya passed the amended Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) 2020 in this direction, but it remains pending with the President of India. While refraining from commenting on the delay, he stressed the state’s resolve to use every rule and regulation available “so that we could prevent as much as possible the infiltration whether from other parts of the country or outside the country.” He added that “for the sake of safeguarding the interest of the state, the interest of the people of the state, the government is open with all option… within the parameter of the Constitution of India.”
