Staff Reporter 

ITANAGAR, 23 May: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday acknowledged that the Inner Line Permit (ILP) issue raised by the Arunachal Scheduled Tribes Bachao Andolan Committee (ASTBAC) is genuine, and said the government would soon hold a meeting with ASTBAC members, community-based organisations, and other stakeholders in this regard.

Reportedly, the ASTBAC has submitted a representation to the government, besides floating an online petition on the issue.

Khandu admitted that the existing ILP checking mechanism lacks many crucial elements, including a system to trace defaulters who overstay after the expiry of their permits.

“In the present ILP system, we only have a record of issuance. We don’t have a record of exit. There is no mechanism to trace and track how many people have stayed back even after their ILP expiry,” the CM said.

He added that the ILP mechanism needs to be strengthened. “Unless we link ILP digitally, we won’t be able to check influx,” he said.

He further said that all five points in the memorandum submitted by the ASTBAC, including the Tibetan refugees issue, are genuine and the government would discuss them thoroughly with the committee.