There is nothing like work permit. There is a process whereby
labourers are registered by the Labour department.
This is done for their safety and to keep their records. Nobody is authorised to check the documents of labourers. They (groups) are on the wrong
side of the law.
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 10: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the state government is not soft on the pressure groups as perceived even as he criticised the media for not reporting government actions against such groups.
Currently, the pressure groups are checking the documents of labourers from outside the state by visiting construction sites. There are instances when they send these labourers back to their state.
In the process, they are thrashed and sometimes, the injuries sustained leads to their deaths. But there is hardly any intervention by the police to stop these incidents. After every incident, the government will invariably say it is taking actions.
Asked about the ongoing checking by the pressure groups in Shillong, Sangma said there is nothing like work permit. He said there is a process whereby labourers are registered by the Labour department. He said this is done for their safety and to keep their records.
Stating that nobody is authorised to check the documents of labourers, Sangma admitted that incidents do occur when individuals and groups go and conduct checking but he said this is not as per the law.
“They are on the wrong side of the law,” he said, disclosing that four cases have been registered against different pressure groups which conducted checking recently.
The Khasi Students’ Union is checking labourers on the pretext that the government has failed to secure the implementation of Inner Line Permit or ILP and MRSSA in the state.
Sangma said ILP is not implemented or enforced by the state while the proposal for MRSSA was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs by the Governor and the Ministry has sent it back to the state with some concerns and the Government of Meghalaya is examining it.
The chief minister said the pressure groups conducting checking are seen as intervening and disturbing these projects which are in the interest of the people.
“If anyone has any concern, we are ready to give all information to them but taking law into their hands and doing checking are not acceptable. Action will be taken as per provisions,” he said.
Asked about the perception that the government is too soft on the pressure groups, the chief minister said there were incidents where arrests were made but the media did not carry the news as they carry only sensational news.
Referring to the recent arrests of some people in a murder case, he said there were reactions but the government stood firm and the cases are still going on.
Asked about the assault of a technician and a labourer who were hired for paving work as part of the JN Stadium’s renovation for the prestigious Durand Cup, Sangma said he is not aware about the incident but reiterated that action will be taken against those people who are indulging in such kinds of crimes.
To another query, he said whenever the pressure groups conduct checking, magistrates and police personnel go there and tell them that they cannot do this and they are asked to leave the site and cases are filed.
The chief minister said he has not seen the police standing and doing nothing to stop the pressure groups from conducting checking. He added that directions have been given to the police to act.