By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 18: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh has lamented that migration of labourers is taking place in Meghalaya due to the fact that locals are not willing to join the labour workforce to develop projects and assets in the state.
Informing that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will discuss the matter with pressure groups leaders on Friday, Lyngdoh said the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s resolution urging the Centre to implement ILP in the state is likely to feature prominently in the meeting between the CM and the pressure groups.
“We have to fight for ILP in tandem with NGOs. It cannot be NGOs versus Meghalaya. It should be NGOs and Government of Meghalaya working together to take the Assembly resolution to its logical end,” Lyngdoh, who is a former KSU president, said.
Admitting that the bulk of migration of labourers is happening because Meghalaya residents are not able to supply the demand for labour and there is a mismatch between demand and supply, Lyngdoh said the state has a system of registering labourers and if any lacunae exist, those can be addressed.
He also said that the landslide victory of VPP in the Lok Sabha election was in favour of ILP which was the voice of the public and it has to be respected.
Asked how the government will maintain a balance between tourism and regulation through ILP, Lyngdoh said Israel attracts a large number of tourists despite having stringent restrictions.
When told that the matter here is about visiting a state within a country and not visiting a foreign country which requires clearances, he said that it is logical that there is a need for distinction between a labourer and a tourist.
Stressing on the need for tourism to grow, he said that the local labourers should also be encouraged to come forward and it is ironic that unemployed youths are unwilling to join the workforce.