SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, on May 11, said that the government is pursuing the Centre to exempt the state from the ambit of Citizen (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019.
Speaking to the press, Tynsong said, “Not a single person from outside India has applied for citizenship of Meghalaya. So, we are pursuing with the Centre to fully exempt Meghalaya from the CAA.”
He further informed that the state government, in consultation with the various stakeholders, civil societies, NGOs, Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnongs and Nokmas, has submitted a memorandum to the Centre in this regard.
“Therefore, the government are still pursuing this but is yet to receive any communication from the Centre,” he said, informing that, currently, Schedule areas of Meghalaya are exempted from the Act and it is applicable to only 3 per cent of the state which is the European Ward.
He also reiterated that the government is also pursuing with the Centre for immediate implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
“We will keep pursuing these matters. Again, we are following it up with the government of India and we will not sleep over these burning issues of the state,” Tynsong asserted.