Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. (File) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. (File)

The Meghalaya government will soon hold an all-party meeting for discussion before embarking on an NRC-like exercise in the state, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced in the assembly on Wednesday.

He said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government is on the job and the state has various ways to check illegal immigration ensuring that indigenous people are protected.

“We intended to call an all-party meeting to discuss with stakeholders before embarking on an exercise such as the NRC,” Sangma said.

He was replying to a short duration discussion on news reports that the demand for conducting an NRC-like exercise in all the Northeastern states is growing.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a record of all legal citizens and it was created for Assam in 1951. It is being updated under the Supreme Court’s supervision with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for genuine Indian citizens.

The names of 40.07 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity.

“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,” the chief minister said.

He said the railway minister had informed him that a facilitation centre could be set up at Mendipathar, the lone railway station in the state connecting Guwahati, to check illegal immigrants.

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