Meghalaya Cabinet clears bill to check illegal immigration

Shillong: In a move to address the issue of influx in Meghalaya, the state Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to the Regulation of Landlord & Tenancy Verification Bill, 2013 as a legislative measure to address and enforce regulations to contain influx and illegal immigration.

"The bill will provide an effective mechanism to put into the loop the local authorities in scheduled and non-scheduled areas in which the enforcing agencies along with local authorities will have a mechanism mandated through the new law," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

This is common concern of all the citizen of the state that we need to understand that illegal immigration and influx is not confined to only urban areas but beyond these, he said.

Defining the 'Landlord' as covering all those people who are providing accommodation on their premises, the Chief Minister said the idea is that people who come for some work can stay here and go back, besides the landlords are regulated as to why their tenants need renting accommodation.

The Cabinet has also approved the proposed drafting of the bill and then notified it for public consultation by October 3, he said.

Alleging the Opposition coalition, the United Democratic party-led Meghalaya People Forum (MPF), to be behind the pro-Inner Line Permit activists' anti-government stirs in the state since September 4, Mukul said, "I have reasons to believe that they are adding fuel to the fire and I have reasons to believe that they must be in close contact with these agitating friends/pressure groups."