Shillong Aug, 6: The Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Monday appreciated the state government for “implementing Inner Line Permit (ILP)” in the secretariat and demanded that the same be extended in the entire state to curb influx and illegal immigrants, besides carrying out similar NRC exercise in the state like in Assam.

“We appreciated the state government and the police for implementing ILP in the state secretariat by restricting visitors who have to enter their names and get a pass before entering the secretariat” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters after meeting the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong here on Monday.

The HYC demanded implementation of ILP in Meghalaya to check influx and NRC update to detect illegal citizens.

Asked, Kharjahrin, who referred to the security measures at the secretariat said,”We are happy to experience an ILP like situation here where you have to show documents and informed who we want to meet and the organization that we belong.”

He said this is because the Council could see that more concern is given to the security breach in the Secretariat than the 40 lakh people who have been rejected in the final draft NRC of Assam, who could be a security threat to the state and the people.

“If the government can implement the ILP in the secretariat, I feel it can also implement the same in the entire state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the HYC expressed confidence that the present state government will incorporate the spirit of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016.

Kharjahrin said, “It was a fruitfull meeting and we hope to see that the spirit of the ILP is being incorporated in the Act passed in 2016.”

He informed that the deputy chief minister had told the delegation that the government is already in the process of reviewing and revisiting the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016.

“We have expressed that we want the spirit of the ILP should be incorporated in this Act,” he said.

Pointing out at the flaws in the existing Act, Kharjahrin however said that the Council have suggested that checking of documents especially EPIC cards of people coming from outside the state should be linked to the NRC update of Assam.

“We have also suggested the need to issue permit to outsiders coming into the state and to punish those who enters the state illegally,” he said.

However, Kharjahrin said that the Council has decided to continue checking against outsiders who enters the state illegally till such time the government is ready to implement the ILP in the state.

“We cannot just blindly trust this government so we have decided that we will continue with our agitations,” he added.

The HYC have recently demanded immediate implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to combat against the inflow of influx and illegal immigration into the state especially in view of NRC update in neighbouring Assam.

On the NRC, the HYC president said that from the discussion with the deputy chief minister it seems that even the state government is having an intention to implement the NRC in the state.

Meanwhile on the HYC claim that the government is implementing ILP in the secretariat, deputy chief minister however said, “I have no comment but entering the secretariat you should understand one thing you have to make an appointment so everybody should do the same thing I think we have to respect that. For the security of secretariat I think restriction has to be there but I don’t say we don’t allow people to enter the secretariat.”

When asked, Tynsong said, “That is what I am saying we do have this Act passed in 2016 and the Rules have been framed and I have told them that we are going to revisit again the existing Act to meet all the criteria or to plug all loopholes and to address all these concern issues.”

He said that during the meeting the delegation of the HYC had impressed upon the implementation of ILP but he told them as of now the priority of the government is to revisit the existing Act.

“I told them I think with one stone we can hit two birds meaning with one Act it can be inclusive and comprehensive altogether,” he added.