SHILLONG, March 31: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday said that migrant workers registered under the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020, are legally permitted to work in the state and action would to be taken against people who try to chase them away.
“Migrant labourers cannot be thrown out once they register themselves. In case of non-registration, the concerned employer will be penalised. If they are registered and yet asked to leave, action has to be taken according to the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act,” Tynsong said, while reacting to allegations by the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) Pynursla unit that some of their members had been attacked at Wahlyngkhat on Tuesday afternoon.
Following the alleged incident, the HNYF Pynursla unit had demanded the company dealing with the Shillong-Dawki-Tamabil road project to suspend work and terminate all migrant labourers involved in the attack.
The deputy chief minister added that the Labour department had asked inspectors to conduct regular checks to ensure that migrant workers in the state had valid documents.
He also said that the Labour department has directed business houses, contractors and other employers to get all non-resident workers registered.
Registration will provide the workers with proper authorisation by the government to work in Meghalaya, he added.
