By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) Jaintia Hills District Unit on Thursday demanded the removal of the Labour Officer of East Jaintia Hills for his ineffectiveness to tackle the issue of influx which is on the rise in Jaintia Hills especially in the cement factories.
The demand came after the issue of monitoring the entry of migrants without work permit to the state was not tackled properly by the Officer even while rejecting the proposal sent by the student union to work together to check influx in the district.
Further, the KSU also demanded the officer in charge of Lumshnong police outpost to immediately respond to the FIR filed by the union against Star Cement labourers for lack of possession of the work permit.
Alleging that there is biasness on the part of the police, KSU Jaintia Hills general secretary Streamley Niangti said that there was no respond to the FIR filed by them on January 5 against the Star Cement’s labourers but there was immediate actions when a counter FIR was filed by the officials of Star Cement on January 7 and the same was forwarded to the Khliehriat PS.
“We condemn this biasness on the part of the police and demand that the police start taking this issue seriously because with the law on our side (Interstate Migrant Workman Act), we will not hesitate to conduct similar inspections in future at all the cement factories in the district”, Niangti told reporters here on Thursday.
It may be reminded that on January 5, the student union conducted an inspection at Star Cement factory in Jaintia Hills where they apprehended over 2000 illegal migrants and filed an FIR against them on the same day.
However, two days after, a counter FIR was filed against the KSU by the officials of the cement plant.
According to the KSU, there are approximately around 15000-16000 immigrants working only in Star Cement and when taking into account all the factories in JH, there could be around lakhs of them settled in the district for 10-11 years now.
Meanwhile, the KSU Central Body has given a two-month deadline to all the cement plants in JH to get their labourers registered and maintain their work permits failing which they will be compelled to resort to other actions.
Topcem
assault case
Meanwhile, reacting to the recent Meghalaya Cement Limited (Topcem Cements) assault case where four homeguard personnel were injured after a fight erupted between the personnel and the officials of the cement plant, the KSU said the statement issued by Topcem senior official SK Rai stands false and baseless and intends to blame the homeguard personnel for stating the brawl.
“The reports stating that the cement officials were assaulted by these homegaurd personnel is fabricated as the victims are actually the personnel”, organising secretary of KSU JH Nang-ai-bormi Sutnga.
He further stated that it is surprising to note that taking advantage from the alleged assault committed by the personnel; the authorities of the cement plant forcefully fired 45 homeguard personnel posted in the cement factory.
“It is indeed surprising to witness such quick act on their part (Topcem) to chase away the rest of the personnel just by taking a lead from this small brawl. They have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, it seems”, Sutnga said.
Meanwhile, the KSU Central Body has asked the authorities of the cement plant to reinstate the 45 homeguard personnel who were recently chased out from the job and at the same time they demand the removal of senior official SK Rai from the post of CEO of Topcem cement plant in Jaintia Hills.