Present Bill to people: JCILPS
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 17 2018: Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has urged the State Government to complete and present a Bill for the protection of the indigenous people of the State within this month and to take the feedback of all stakeholders before it is passed during the Monsoon Assembly session.

Speaking to media persons at JCILPS office at Sega Road Konjeng Hazari Leikai today, its convenor Arjun Telheiba said that on May 19, a stakeholders' meeting was held as per an invitation from Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

During the meeting, the CM mentioned that a 13 member drafting committee had been constituted and by the first week of June, a draft copy would be produced before the stakeholders.

He added that as per the CM's directive to form a 45 member (including 7 MLAs/ Ministers) stakeholders consultative committee, JCILPS has almost finished coming to terms with various hills and valley based stakeholders.

However, the deadline fixed by the CM has expired, he lamented and added that the none of stakeholders have received any chance to see the draft copy as promised by the Government.

The JCILPS also wishes the draft copy to be produced before the public for at least a month, he added.

He continued that the State Government should not also sideline the Hill Areas Committee and added that if the proposals/demands tabled by JCILPS are not turned into actions, it has little to no doubt that the Bill produced by the Government will not be acceptable to the people.

Pointing out that JCILPS does not wish for the Bill to cause any problems or issues in the State again, Arjun Telheiba questioned whether the Government is making promises and assurance that are too good to be true.

Demanding the Government to draft the Bill and show it to the stakeholders and the people at the earliest, the JCILPS convenor warned that if the Government produces some rushed and half cooked Bill again, there is no doubt that the resulting fallout will be even more severe than what happened in the past.

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