Shillong MP Advocates for Inner Line Permit for Meghalaya

Shillong MP Ricky AJ Syngkon has called on the central government to extend the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to Meghalaya. Highlighting demographic concerns and border management needs, Syngkon cites unanimous state assembly support from 2019 and urges the inclusion of Meghalaya alongside other Northeastern states under the ILP system.

On Tuesday, Shillong MP Ricky AJ Syngkon made a significant appeal to the central government, urging the extension of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to Meghalaya.

In a letter directed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Syngkon emphasized the pressing demographic vulnerabilities and the essential need to bolster border management in the tribal-majority hill state. He referenced the unanimous resolution adopted by the Meghalaya assembly on December 19, 2019, which called for ILP under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Despite ongoing efforts from state governments and civil society, the call remains unfulfilled, fostering public anxiety. Syngkon argued that extending ILP to Meghalaya aligns with the constitutional framework under the Sixth Schedule and would mirror similar protections already in place in Meghalaya's neighboring states. The MP has urged the government to either approve ILP or provide a definitive, time-bound roadmap for its implementation.

(With inputs from agencies.)