Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Sunday said that he is not in favour of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system.

"I am not a supporter of ILP… Before going ahead withILP, it needs to be examined whether it has any scope for being properlyimplemented… Once a person enters Assam through Meghalaya can the machinerybe put in place to implement it," Mahanta said during a press conference.

"ILP has 'plus points as well as minus points',He affirmed.

It may be mentioned here that during the last few decades, pressure groups, mostly students' unions, and youth organizations, have been demanding for ILP in Assam.

Asked about the negative effects of ILP, he said many high skilled workers working in sectors like oil industry in Assam will not be able to come here. He added that around five lakh people from Assam are working in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and if ILP is implemented in the southern states then all those Assamese youths will become unemployed.

 "Thosewho come to Assam from Bangladesh will not go to other states. They will settlein Assam and the Northeast," Mahanta added.