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Arunachal Govt vows to strengthen ILP system

By Correspondent

ITANAGAR, Jan 9 - Chief Minister Pema Khandu today assured the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly that the State Government would further strengthen the inner line permit (ILP) system, while asserting that nobody would be allowed to enter the State without obtaining the official travel document.

�Even if the Chakmas and Hajongs, who are living in parts of Changlang, Namsai and Papumpare districts, get Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) or the mother Act, they will have to obtain the ILP,� Khandu said in reply to a query from senior Congress MLA Ninong Ering during the Question Hour today.

�I am planning to conduct an all-party meeting soon on how to strengthen the ILP system under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations (BEFR), 1873,� Khandu said. While admitting that the Chin Hills Regulation, 1896 was not being exercised, the Chief Minister said, �We should enforce all these laws provided to us by the Constitution of India.�

While pointing out that both the CAA and the Chakma-Hajong�s citizenship issues are sub judice in the Supreme Court, Khandu said, �They (Chakmas and Hajongs) may get citizenship from any other parts of the country, but not from Arunachal Pradesh.�

To a supplementary from Lombo Tayeng, he told the House that not a single application out of the 4,637 applications of the Chakmas and the Hajongs qualifies for citizenship, adding that their applications have been �recommended with negative remarks� by the State Government which are pending with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Thanking the Centre, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, for �understanding the sentiment and interest of tribal people� during the pre-CAB consultations, the Chief Minister said, �I am thankful that the Government of India has exempted Arunachal Pradesh from the purview of the amended citizenship Act.�

The CAA envisages providing Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who had arrived in the country prior to December 31, 2014.

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