Steps being taken to amend Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016: Conrad K Sangma
SHILLONG, Oct 26: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said his government is taking steps to amend the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 by balancing the need to achieve its objectives and ensuring that someone coming into the state is not inconvenienced.
“We are very particular to ensure that we balance this entire act in a manner that is going to ensure that we are going to achieve the objectives and the goals that the government and the state has and at the same time we need to ensure that there is minimum inconvenience to anybody who is coming to the state,” Conrad said after the Cabinet meeting that was held here on Friday.
The Chief Minister informed that the Meghalaya Cabinet discussed at length the proposed amendments to the MRSSA, 2016.
Conrad Sangma said many of the amendments that were proposed were discussed in detail and that the necessary changes which the cabinet feels the need to be included in the amended Act are being now proposed.
Conrad also said those changes in the amended Act will be done by the department concerned after which it will be brought back in the next cabinet.
The Chief Minister also said the government intends to bring in an ordinance.
“Because of different situations that are there, we need to ensure that this Act is brought in,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the issue of various pressure groups wanting the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State, Conrad Sangma said it is one of the mechanisms that people feel may work but it is not the only mechanism even as he said there can be different mechanisms that can be put in place.
“The Constitution has given the power to the State to create those laws and we are saying that if there can be a law which can be made by us to achieve the same objectives that the ILP can achieve and without going to the Government of India on this issue, I think keeping it in the State and trying to achieve the goal would be a much simpler solution,” he added.
On the demand of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) to include the provisions of the ILP in the MRSSA, 2016, Conrad said his government is looking into all those aspects to ensure that a law which comes out achieves those goals and at the same time keeps the Constitutional mandate and the entire aspect of the economic activity including tourism in mind.
“So, we are trying to balance all these three aspects – achieving our goal, keeping the Constitution in mind and ensuring economic activity also continues,” the Chief Minister added.
