Shillong, Oct 18: The Meghalaya government has moved forward with the operationalization of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), instituting a new budgetary scheme to support its implementation.

Law Minister in-charge, Dr. M Ampareen Lyngdoh, announced after a cabinet meeting that the government has approved a scheme enabling district authorities to access funds for the effective functioning of MRSSA.

“This scheme entails financial provisions for Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to avail budgetary allocations so that the work and monitoring of MRSSA can begin without delay,” Lyngdoh stated. A revolving fund, starting from a minimum of Rs. 2 lakh per district, has been established to support the District Task Force’s activities under MRSSA. However, she clarified that the budget will vary depending on the district’s requirements, especially those with a larger number of traditional authorities like dorbars involved in monitoring.

When asked about possible budget enhancements, Lyngdoh dismissed the idea. “This is the first time we are instituting such a scheme. You cannot have monitoring of MRSSA without a scheme in place. Hence, the government has corrected this by allotting a new scheme under the MRSSA Act,” she said. She further elaborated that the funds would be accessible based on the needs of each district, not uniformly allocated across all districts.

Meanwhile Cyril V.D. Diengdoh, Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya (Home Police Department), explained the operational aspects. “The District Task Force is mandated to verify tenants as per the provisions of MRSSA. For this, they require resources such as laptops, computers, internet facilities, and sitting fees for non-official members. Many localities in Shillong have already begun implementing MRSSA by entering landlord and tenant details into an online database accessible by both the police and the District Task Force,” he said. The newly approved funds will help the districts procure the necessary tools to maintain the database and monitor residents effectively.

On concerns raised by some civil society groups regarding the potential influx of people expelled from Assam under foreigner claims, Lyngdoh responded, “This is simply an anticipated scenario. It would be futile to speculate on events from another state. The MRSSA has its own guidelines, which do not affect citizenship. We will deal with any problems as they arise.”

The government is confident that the MRSSA, enacted after careful consideration of Supreme Court advisories, will be implemented effectively with the new financial provisions in place.

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