KSU for more teeth to Migrant Workers Act

SHILLONG, April 29: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has expressed its dissatisfaction with the state government’s failure to implement the stricter regulations introduced in the amendment to the Meghalaya Identification and Regulation of Migrant Workers Act, 2020.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting the Joint Labour Commissioner, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah stated that members of the KSU units in Mawlai and Nongkrem have found that many migrant workers are still in possession of documents issued under the original provisions of the 2020 Act, which he described as weak and inadequate.
Thabah said the union has urged the government to incorporate provisions from the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, to strengthen the law.
He noted that they have specifically recommended penalties for contractors who fail to register migrant workers, suggesting fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
According to Thabah, migrant workers who violate the provisions of the Act should be liable for imprisonment of up to one year.
The KSU general secretary added that the student body will continue its independent verification and checking of migrant workers until the government enforces the stricter provisions recommended in the amended bill.