SHILLONG, JUL 13: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said setting up an entry-exit point at Umling is not difficult, but enforcing checks without a legal framework will not work.
Responding to Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira’s proposal for a tourist registration centre at Umling amid calls to curb “unabated influx”, the CM said infrastructure alone isn’t enough.
“Getting an entry-exit point is not an issue. We can set it up today, we can set it up tomorrow. The question is about having a legal mechanism to implement and actually enforce a checking that should happen,” Sangma said.
He noted that the proposed amendment to the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) is expected to provide that legal backing.
“Putting up a gate is not an issue at all but making it and enforcing it to check and what kind of checking takes place that is a key issue. Opening a gate tomorrow and having people sitting there is not going to solve the problem,” he said.
“As I said for it to become actually effective in the way that we would want it to be, that requires some work to be done which is what the MRSSA amendment was supposed to be. We are working on it, let’s hope for the best,” the CM added.
By Our Reporter
