By Our Reporter
Shillong: The State Government has decided to set up a separate Anti Infiltration Directorate under the Home (Police) department to keep a check against influx and infiltration in the State.
“We are targeting to set up the new Directorate within October 15. This Directorate would be under direct control of the Home (Police) department,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said after the meeting of the Task Force on Influx on Thursday.
According to the Chief Minister, the proposed Directorate would be assigned with the task for checking infiltration and influx.
“There was an agreement earlier for appointing of the Block Development Officer (BDO) as the designated officer in the registration of migrant labourers,” he said, while adding that after due consideration it was realised that the BDO is not the best option to carry out this job since he is already overburdened.
“Therefore, we have decided to put one Labour Inspector with other support staff in all the 39 blocks in the State. They would be responsible to ensure that all the migrant labourers within the respective block are duly registered,” the Chief Minister informed, adding, “All these appointments would be made through a single window clearance”.
Besides the agencies which are under direct control of the Government, the State Government has already requested the Centre for providing support of paramilitary forces to help in checking of influx considering the State has a huge boundary with Bangladesh, Dr Sangma stated.
“We would want the Centre to increase the deployment of BSF personnel in the Meghalaya sector along the Indo-Bangladesh border. This would help prevent the entrance of illegal migrants from the other side of the border,” Dr Sangma said.
However, the Chief Minister said that a District Task Force (DTF) would also be put in place under the chairmanship of the respective deputy commissioners to aid in the checking.
The DTF would consist of the district administration represented by the Additional District Magistrate (ADM), district police, anti-infiltration wing and Labour department, Dr Sangma said, adding the DTF would be engaged in carrying out registration of the migrant labourers.
“After the registration we would be able to detect the antecedents and credentials of people who come to the State in search of job and businesses,” the Chief Minister said.
To ensure there is no misuse of power by the officials while carrying out the exercise, the Chief Minister said Additional Chief Secretary In-charge Labour, PBO Warjri, has been asked to formulate the modalities and the rules which would act as the guideline for the officials.
To a query the Chief Minister said the State Government would be incurring an annual expenditure of around Rs 5 crore in this regard.
Meanwhile, Dr Sangma also informed that a strong vigilance system would be put in place in various localities with the active involvement of the community and the traditional institutions in the fight against influx.