Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said a gate for regulating the entry of Indian citizens, established on the highway to State capital Shillong, cannot be stopped as it doubles up as a checking point for COVID-19 protocols.
The High Court of Meghalaya had a few days ago said such regulation may not be exercised.
The gate to document the entry and exit of citizens beyond Meghalaya is at Umling in the Ri-Bhoi district.
“Necessary action will be taken according to the court’s order. But at the same time, the location also functions as a checking point for COVID protocols and therefore cannot be stopped,” Mr. Sangma said, adding that the Government would examine how to proceed on the High Court’s order.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh had made its observation after hearing a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of the entry-exit gates in the State.
The petitioners said the gates were set up at several points for checking people seeking to enter the State but without any objective parameters being set for denying entry or regulating the movement of any citizen of the country.
“Such check-posts may be impermissible and the exercise of authority thereat may be wholly arbitrary,” the petitioners said.
The entry-exit gates were set up through the implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016.
