Bill tabled in Meghalaya assembly to add more teeth to law on migrant workers

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday introduced an amendment Bill seeking registration of migrant labourers in the state, failing which violators will have to pay a fine of up to one lakh and face a jail term.

The Cabinet on August 2 approved the amendment to the Meghalaya Identification Registration (Safety and Security) of Migrant Workers Act 2020, days after pro-ILP activists raided construction sites across the state and drove out over 3000 unregistered migrant labourers.

Various organisations are demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the northeastern state. The ILP is a special permit required by residents of other parts of the country to enter and stay for a specified period in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

“The proposed Bill is to enhance clarity and ensure that the provisions of the Act are strengthened for better implementation and compliance," the chief minister said in the Assembly on the first day of the session.

The Bill seeks to enhance the penalty ranging from Rs 5,000 for up to Rs 1 lakh against those found violating the Act.

Notwithstanding the penalty, repeated offenders are liable to undergo imprisonment for a term of up to three months, according to the Bill.

Government spokesperson and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh said that one of the major components of the amendment is that the state government will optimise efforts to check the antecedents of migrant workers to ensure that only those with no criminal record can join the workforce as migrant workers in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya largely depends on migrant workers, he said.

In the wake of the anti-migrant labourers drive, several cases were registered against pro-ILP activists and leaders of various organisations were summoned for conducting unauthorised checks on migrant workers at construction sites.

The activists conducted raids in protest against the state government's failure to implement existing laws including the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 besides mounting pressure on the Centre to immediately implement the ILP to check the influx of people into the state.

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had also unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to consider extending the implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya in 2019.