Amit Shah to visit Shillong in March, to meet pro-ILP leaders

SHILLONG:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will make a two-day visit to Shillong, Meghalaya in March, to discuss the revamping of the North Eastern Council (NEC).

During his two-day visit, Shah has assured to meet all the pro-ILP group leaders in Meghalaya, informed Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who is currently in New Delhi, on Wednesday.

The student leaders of Meghalaya had earlier expressed disappointment over their inability to meet the Union Home Minister during his recent visit to Shillong to attend the NEC plenary meet.

Sangma informed that the Meghalaya Residents' Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) issue was also raised and discussed.

"The Home Minister has suggested that the state government and officials from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) must sit down and discuss in threadbare all the issues that are there related to the MRSSA, and urged us to find an amicable way forward with regards to this," the Meghalaya Chief Minister said.

Furthermore, the Home Minister also mentioned the issue of infiltration and, said that this is an issue that concerns not just the state of Meghalaya but the Northeast and the country as a whole, Sangma added.

"He has assured us that he will do all that is possible to ensure that the culture, identity and the language of Meghalaya, the Northeast and country is protected," the Chief Minister said.

During the meeting, Shah also raised the issue regarding border fencing and, said that the matter needs to be expedited at the earliest.

"There were some sections in which the construction has not started yet because of some local issues," Sangma informed.

Shah has urged the Meghalaya government to speak to the stakeholders and, to take the people along to ensure that all the concerns are addressed at the earliest.

(Edited by Laxmi Chyrmang)