IMPHAL, February 18: Members of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System have today expressed their dissatisfaction over some points in the draft recommendations made by the State government for the implementation of ILP system in the State during a press meet held at its office in Nongmeibung.
Convenor of the JCILP, Ibotombi Khuman said a copy of the recommendations was shown to the committee members today during a meeting with the CM, the State`™s Cabinet ministers and the all political party committee on ILP at the Chief Minister`™s office.
He further said that the term `non local`™ was altered to `visitors`™ in the recommendation, the term `non-indigenous` people was altered into `visitors` which members felt will affect the State`™s indigenous people in the future.
They further expressed their inclination to keep the term unchanged as `non-indigenous` people. According to the draft recommendations proposed by JCILPS, a mandatory pass or permit must be issued to all the non-indigenous people who come to Manipur.
Expressing their concern, the members said that to avoid the unchecked influx it would be better to introduce a visitor cell under the DC office to issue the registration, pass or permit to people from outside the State. They further added the government needs to enact a law denying land ownership to the migrants.
The JCILP committee members also expressed the need for setting up of a full-fledged Labour department. He said that the Labour department which the State Government claims to exist is not functional.
The JCILPS Convenor said the members of the civil body have not seen the draft bill in its entirety, as only a copy with five major recommendations was shown to them. However, the members expressed that they are expecting to meet the State government committee members before February 25 to review the proposed draft bill before presenting it in the assembly session.
JCILPS Co-convenor Komdram Ratan said the population of non-locals in the State which stands at 10, 38,615 according to the 2011 census have grown to one-third of the total population. He added that the number of non locals was only 961 in 1951 as recorded in an article written by Sanamacha Priyobrata.