Meghalaya explores ILP-like provisions in Immigration Act, flags MRSSA hurdles

Shillong, Jan 29: The Meghalaya government is exploring the possibility of incorporating Inner Line Permit (ILP)-like safeguards within the framework of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong recently said.

Tynsong said the matter has been referred to the State’s Advocate General to examine the legal feasibility of introducing provisions similar to the ILP system.

The move, he said, is part of the government’s attempt to find constitutionally sound alternatives to existing regulatory mechanisms that have faced legal roadblocks.

The Deputy Chief Minister also reviewed the status of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, clarifying that the legislation is currently being implemented only in part.

He explained that district-level task forces, headed by the respective Deputy Commissioners, have been constituted under the Act and are operational.

However, Tynsong acknowledged that the State has been unable to fully enforce the MRSSA due to its inability to operationalise entry and exit checkpoints.

He said earlier attempts to establish such checkpoints were challenged in court, which questioned their legal validity under the original provisions of the Act.

Following the court’s observations, an amendment to the MRSSA was passed by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to address the legal gaps.

The amended bill, however, was subsequently referred by the then Governor to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, where it remains under consideration.

He added that the government is now examining alternative legal routes, including changes at the central legislation level, to ensure that the State has effective and legally sustainable measures in place to safeguard the interests, security, and rights of Meghalaya’s residents.