From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Jaintia Hills District, Jaintia Hills District Task Force on Influx and Infiltration has detected that majority of migrants labourers are working there illegally sans any valid documents.
The District Task Force was constituted by the state government in every district with the Deputy Commissioner as the Chairman. Officials from the Labour Department and Police Department are also a part of the Task Force.
The District Task Force was constituted with the main objective to identify various pockets where suspected illegal migrant labourers were working or staying and deported them to their native place.
A senior police officer in Jaintia Hills informed that the District Task Force had launched an anti-infiltration drive on Monday last in Iawmusiang, Wah-Nangbah and New-hill area in Jowai and so far detected hundreds of illegal migrant workers.
The anti-infiltration drive was conducted at Phramer area on Friday in which over 300 illegal migrant workers were detected.
“Majority of them were deported as they do not have valid documents to prove their nationality”, the police officer said. The anti-Infiltration drive will be carried out regularly in various parts of the district”, he added
“Influx and infiltration in Jaintia Hills District, particularly in Khliehriat Sub-Division is high due to coal mining activities”, another officer said.
It may be mentioned here that the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in charge of Khliehriat Sub-Division on October 19 last had directed all coal mine owners, contractors, cement plants, various companies and other Non-Government Organization engaging migrants’ workmen to get their labourers registered with the Sub-Divisional Labour Inspector, Khliehriat at the earliest as per the law.
The ADC E. Kharmalki informed that though very few had turned up so far, the silver lining was that at least but people had started coming to the office of the Labour Inspector. Sources also informed that migrant workers having no valid document were obviously shying away from the Labour Inspector’s office.