Shillong, July 20: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday assured that registration of migrant workers will be done in letter and spirit, even as he reiterated that no ‘work permit’ is required to work in Meghalaya. He stressed that there is no provision in the Act for ‘work permit’.

However, he warned that strict action will be taken against those involved in violating the law by conducting unauthorized checks of documents in the region. So far, 10 cases have been filed against organizations and individuals involved in such acts.

The KSU has been conducting document checks of migrant workers in protest against the government’s alleged failure to implement anti-entry mechanisms, including the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 and Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state. According to the KSU, over 2,500 migrant workers have been pushed back in the last 12 days after they were found without valid documents; and the union has vowed to intensify the campaign.

Speaking to reporters after convening a meeting with a delegation of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Friday, Sangma said the state government had explained to the delegation that in connection with the issue of work permit, which had been raised time and again, there was no provision in the law for work permits as such. He added that the government has assured that compulsory registration of migrant workers in the state will be ensured.

He also addressed confusion and misunderstanding arising from a particular notification, which was later corrected. “There was a particular notification which I assume individuals and organisations were referring to, in which the word ‘work permit’ was used, but it was later clarified that the word ‘work permit’ refers to the implementation of the Inter-State Migrant Workers Act. So that particular notification eventually came with a corrigendum stating that work permit is not the actual word, but work permit means implementation of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, which has no provision for work permit, but it has a provision for registration of workers which is done by the contractors or by the employers if they are five or more, who come to the state, they have to come through this particular act and register,” the CM explained.

When asked by KSU to give more force to the law, the CM said, “Suggestions were also made regarding the state law in terms of the punishment that is in the state law, that it should be strict, which will definitely look into those cases. They also mentioned various aspects of verification and how people coming from outside can be verified.”

“But ultimately, the most important thing they are concerned about is ensuring that whatever rules and laws are put in place are implemented properly and that their purpose is served by ensuring that migrant workers coming in have the proper documentation, whether it’s background checks, identification and other formalities,” Sangma added.

On the KSU’s announcement to intensify document checking until the government is ready to come up with anti-influx mechanisms, the CM said no one has the right to carry out such checks. According to him, 10 cases have been filed against organisations and individuals who have done so.

“Yesterday in Sohra too, there was a very tough crackdown by the police and nothing was allowed. So it is our duty to ensure that the law is enforced and wherever these things happen, the law will take its own course and if someone breaks the law and creates a situation, then the law will take its own course,” Sangma said.

He said he wanted to make sure the union was clear on the laws and remove any confusion that may exist, stressing that “no one has the right to police and anyone who does that and any organization or individual who does that, the law will take its course.”

Read: Conrad refutes KSU story on MRSSA, says 2016 version already implemented in Shillong

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