Meghalaya Mulls NRC-Like Exercise To Identify Illegal Immigrants, Will Hold All-Party Meet To Discuss Plan

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) like exercise, Indian Express has reported. He said that the state was taking measures to check illegal immigration in order to protect the indigenous people. He was replying to a short duration discussion in the state assembly on growing demands for NRC in north-eastern states.

“We intended to call an all-party meeting to discuss with stakeholders before embarking on an exercise such as the NRC. Our government has decided to move ahead with the other preparatory exercises undertaken in the state in a phased manner beginning with setting up of entry-exit points,” Conrad Sangma said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a similar exercise in all states. The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the draft NRC published by the Assam government in August this year. The problem of illegal immigrants has been haunting north-eastern states for many decades.

Further, Sangma added that a facilitation centre was being planned at Mendipathar station which connects the state with Assam.