Can't meet ILPS Bill deadline: Govt
Govt Admits Bill Will Not Be Ready By Aug 15; Cm Assures To Expedite Process
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, August 13 2015: Okram Ibobi led Congress Government of Manipur has admitted that it will not be possible to present the much awaited Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) Bill on or before August 15 .

The August 15 deadline had been set by Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS).

On the sidelines of the Patriot's Day observation by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) at Congress Bhawan on Thursday, Chief Minister O Ibobi announced that presenting an ILPS Bill on or before August 15 is unlikely now as the Government is facing certain difficulties in expediting the process.

"The Government had gone through two rounds of talk with JCILPS regarding the framing of an ILP Bill to be presented in the Assembly.

Further talks will continue.

Having another round of talk today or before August 15 will be impossible due to observations of Patriot's Day and Independence Day", said Ibobi while speaking to media persons.

Okram Ibobi - Chief Minister of Manipur

The Chief Minister further informed that out of the five points demanded by JCILPS, some points needed to be discussed in minute details.

"Every word and point on the framing of the Bill needs detailed inside-out discussion as the Bill to be produced by the State Government will not be the final," he said.

While appealing for cooperation and support from every section of the public, Ibobi also reminded that the State Government had withdrawn the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants & Migrant Workers (MRVT&MW) Bill, which was passed before, after considering the demands of JCILPS.

"Students, who were in detention, have been released; few police personnel have been suspended.

It is our duty to introduce and implement a Bill to protect the indigenous people of the State", stressed the Chief Minister.

While expressing his desire to continue the talks with the JCILPS on the public demand of implementing ILPS or similar Bill, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, on behalf of the Government has also invited the JCILPS team for further talks from August 16 onwards.

Gaikhangam said that every possible effort was made to present the Bill before August 15 while the drafting committee, constituted by the Government on the matter, had submitted the draft on August 3.However, the Government waited for the detailed JCILPS draft, which was much necessary.

JCILPS, on August 10, had submitted the detailed memorandum, which consists of points to be incorporated in the Bill, said Gaikhangam.

Terming the second round of talks with the JCILPS team as fruitful, Gaikhangam revealed that a copy of the draft Bill was made available to JCILPS but much time was not available to discuss.

Discussion already began with the JCILPS to incorporate the five points in the Bill, said Gaikhangam while adding there is a need to discuss two crucial points out of the five.

While expressing his regret on the failure of presenting the ILPS Bill on time, Gaikhangam, in a press release also said that the Government needed more time since a thorough discussion with the JCILPS was much needed before presenting the Bill and making it public.

Admitting that every possible effort has been made from the Government side to present the Bill, Gaikhangam also recalled that Manipur State Assembly had earlier passed the Bill twice, which was already implemented in Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.