SHILLONG, NOV 3: Ten pressure groups under the banner of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on Tuesday met Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to discuss several pending issues concerning the state.
The 10 organisations under the JCC include the FKJGP, HNYF, RBYF, JSU, GSU, AYWO, ADE, FAF, AAYWS and AHAM.
The delegation was led by FKJGP president Dundee C. Khongsit, RBYF president Bipul Thangkhiew, HNYF president Sadon Blah and other leaders of the participating organisations.
The issues raised by the JCC included the non-implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, establishment of Entry and Exit Points, the Meghalaya Identification Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020, the pending inter-state and international boundary issues, and implementation of the Meghalaya Benami Transactions Prohibition and Detection Act.
Speaking to reporters, FKJGP president Dundee C. Khongsit said the Chief Minister failed to provide a clear explanation on the steps taken by the government to address these long-pending issues. The JCC has given the government 30 days deadline to provide a detailed clarification on the matters raised before the Chief Minister.
He said the meeting also discussed the demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), MRSSA and other important issues. However, as the Chief Minister could not provide the required clarification, he assured the delegation that another meeting would be convened later this month to discuss the issues in greater detail.
Khongsit stressed that these issues have serious implications for the state and urged the government to take them seriously without further delay.
He said pressure groups did not want to wait until unfortunate incidents occurred, particularly along the state’s border areas, before the government took action. He maintained that the government must ensure the implementation of the necessary measures to prevent such incidents.
He further said the delegation discussed the need to resolve the boundary dispute between Meghalaya and Assam, issues concerning the international border with Bangladesh, and the implementation of the Meghalaya Benami Transactions Prohibition and Detection Act.
However, the Chief Minister was unable to provide clear answers on these matters and assured the delegation that another meeting would be convened to deliberate further on the issues raised by the 10 organisations, he added.
