Shillong: Talks between Meghalaya government and four tribal bodies, protesting the alleged enrollment of doubtful voters in the state, remained inconclusive on Thursday.
A delegation of the NGOs met state Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh, Election Minister J A Lyngdoh, Chief Election officer P Naik and other senior election and police department officials and demanded that enrollment drives at special cells at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub divisional officers should be stopped.
However, Naik said the enrollment drive would continue as per Election Commission directives and maintained that there was no D-voter in the state.
Khasi Students Union, Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, Synjuk Seng Samla Shnong and Hynniewtrep National Youth Front had yesterday called a two-day road blockade in protest against alleged enrolment of doubtful voters in the state. They demanded that migrants and foreign nationals do not get voting rights.
"We have asked the government to put on hold the enrollment drive through special cells at the offices of the deputy commissioner and the subdivisions," Khasi Students Union chief Daniel Khyriem told reporters after the meeting.
Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People acting president Joe Marwein said, "Enrollment drives should be conducted at village level to prevent any dubious voter from getting themselves enrolled in the state."
Meghalaya with a population of nearly three million has completed registering 13.75 lakh voters out of 14.9 lakh voters.
Law and order in the four districts have been affected by the two-day road blockade.
Extra para military forces have been deployed around sensitive installations in the city to prevent any untoward incident, East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal said.
PTI
