SHILLONG: Former Chief Executive Member (CEM) HS Shylla admitted that labour license is framed in the shadow of the trading license while pointing out that Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong was right in saying that there is no mention of labour license in the Sixth Schedule.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, he said, “Labour license was framed in the shadow of trading license. But the Minister (Tynsong) was right. However, the District Council has to take a stand as the state government deals nothing with the issue of labourers from outside the state”.
Meanwhile, opinion from a legal expert was also sought and it was pointed out that the United KhasiJaintia Hills District (Trading by NonTribals) Regulation, 1954 has a provision in Section 3 (2) which states, “Provided further that a nontribal who is employed in any trade or business owned by a tribal shall obtain a clearance certificate from the Executive Committee to the effect that he is working as an employee or labourer of such tribal in the particular trade or business”.
In this case, non-tribal labourers have to get clearance certificate from the district council which is taken as labour license.
Tynsong had revealed that the Sixth Schedule mentions nothing about labour license and hence the district council is not authorised to issue labour license.
Tynsong made it clear that the district councils can only deal with trading license and not labour license.