Shillong Dec 17: A resolution on the need to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state to be tabled and passed by the state Assembly was approved by the state cabinet on Tuesday.

The government will table the resolution on ILP and the same will be passed during a one-day special session by the state Assembly to be held on Thursday.

Recalling the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government delegation meeting with Union home minister, Amit Shah in Delhi recently, chief minister, Conrad K Sangma said that the state government has demanded that ILP should be implemented in Meghalaya.

“The government has been very firm and we informed the Union home minister that we will be going ahead with the resolution. All these moments and steps which are taking place have been a positive response,” Conrad said.

On the argument that resolution on ILP need not be passed in Assembly but the Meghalaya government can only issue a notification as per the principal act to extend the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873 in Meghalaya, Conrad said, it is the preamble in the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation that defined the areas where it can be notified and implemented.

“The preamble has been changed in the past through a Presidential notification. The recent one was done on 11 December 2019 where Manipur was added. A notification can only be done based on the preamble and the details that are there in the regulation. Until and unless it is there in the preamble, and the word Meghalaya not inserted, it will not be possible,” Conrad said.

Earlier, former Nongkrem MLA, Ardent Miller Basaïawmoit mentioned that in the principal act, the regulation extends to the district of Kachar, Kamrup, Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills, Lakhimpur, Naga Hills, Naogon and Sipsagar.

“The act states that it shall be lawful for the state government to prescribe and from time to time to issue a notification to implement ILP. They may say that the notification is only for Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills, but recently, the government of Nagaland has extended ILP to Dimapur and it does not need the approval of the Centre. Therefore the people should not be misled,” Ardent said.

Conrad however said that the former MLA may be referring to the earlier act where the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia were mentioned in the Preamble, adding, “but this is not there anymore and the option is not with the state government.”

Meanwhile the cabinet has also approved guidelines of the Meghalaya Environment Protection & Restoration Fund (MEPRF) to implement and utilize funds for land reclamation in coal mining affected areas of the state.