CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said that the State's plan to regulate the entry of visitors hinges not on setting up physical entry and exit points but on creating a legally enforceable mechanism through amendments to the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act (MRSSA). Emphasising that enforcement remains the central challenge, the Chief Minister said the proposed amendments are intended to provide the legal framework necessary to make registration and verification systems effective, amid the government's broader push to strengthen the monitoring of visitors entering the State.
"Getting an entry and exit point is not an issue. We can set it up today or tomorrow. The question is about having a legal mechanism to implement and enforce the checks that should take place," he said.
He said the real problem lies in enforcement. "That is where the problem and the challenge lie, and that is where we hope the amendment to the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) will allow us to put the system in place," he said.
Stressing that infrastructure alone cannot address the issue, Sangma said, "Putting up a gate is not an issue at all, but making it effective and enforcing the checks, and determining what kind of checks take place, is the key issue. Opening a gate tomorrow and having people sit there is not going to solve the problem."
Agreeing with the Tourism Minister on the need for a registration centre, he added, "He is right in the sense that we are going to set it up, but, as I said, for it to become truly effective in the way we want it to be, that requires some work to be done, which is what the MRSSA amendment is intended to achieve. We are working on it. Let us hope for the best."
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