Congress demands special discussion on ILP in Assembly

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, January 5, 2020: Manipur CLP (Congress Legislature Party) has demanded for a discussion in the Assembly on Inner Line Permit (ILP) system which has been enforced in Manipur since January 1.

Manipur Speaker Y. Khemchand on Saturday reconvened the sitting of the 9th session (part-II) of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly on Monday for ratification of the Constitution (One hundred and twenty-sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Sunday said the ratification of the Bill related to extension of ST reservation for another 10 years could have been done in the recently concluded Assembly session.

Taking the opportunity of the one-day Assembly session, which does not have other agenda in the House, CLP finds it important for a threadbare discussion on the loophole of the ILP which has been pointed out by the students’ organisations and civil society organisations, Ibobi told reporters here.

The implementation of the ILP system in the state has been the concern of Congress since the time of its government in the state. The People’s Protection Bill, passed two years ago, has been kept pending in getting assent of the President by the present BJP government, he added.

CLP asks if the People’s Protection Bill is incorporated with the present ILP system in the state.

Expressing that there has been loophole in the ILP system being implemented in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, Ibobi said indigenous people and the permanent resident are not well defined in Manipur.

He said the proposal for a discussion on the ILP system in the House is not against the government but in the interest of the people.