Shillong, June 30: Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla has said the delay in implementing the Inner Line Permit (ILP) should not be the reason to stop development.
The state Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to implement ILP in Meghalaya, but the central government has not implemented it.
Shylla told reporters that development should continue, and benefits should be availed, regardless of the ILP status.
According to him, the issue of ILP and rail.connectivity should not be linked together.
“If they give us ILP also and if we feel the train is not good for us as it will take away our rights, so why have trains?…we should not link these two together,” Shylla said.
According to the minister,the Land Transfer Act and the Sixth Schedule to the Indian Constitution provide sufficient protection to the people of the state.
He gave the example of non-tribals who had to leave the state after the 2014 NGT ban on coal mining due to inability to buy land.
Shylla said, “Many places don’t have ILP but they have railways. Its okay, if we get ILP nothing like it. I have mentioned that it is like winter time, you have your shirt, you have your coat but if you get an overcoat on top of it, you feel warmer but if you don’t have that overcoat also, only with your coat also you can still survive. It is similar to this. But getting more nothing like it. As humans, we want more protection to feel more secure but whatever we already have now, it is good enough.”
Shylla emphasized the need for public consultation on railway projects in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
He also played the opposition parties for deciding not to participate in the upcoming all-party committee meeting to discuss the railway issue, stating that not participating makes them seem neutral and unengaged.
“Not participating means they are neutral and it doesn’t look nice. If you are against or for, you should take part because by being in the discussion panel, you can give your views”, he said.
