From Our Correspondent
TURA: In view of the prevailing situation in Garo Hills following the attempted rape of a 27-year-old woman from Wadanang locality in Tura on June 21, the members of the Garo Hills Labour Union met the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) to discuss about the present situation where it proposed the setting up of a Labour Department to check necessary documents of labourers in Garo Hills with an aim to keep track of illegal migrants.
In its proposal submitted to the CEM the union suggested that labour/work permit be made mandatory for the entire Garo Hills and that the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) be made the authority to implement the permit or that other such institution be appointed to look after the registration and implementation of the said permit.
It also proposed the issuance of valid identity cards by the District Council to the registered labourers and the appointment of officers from the GHADC or other institutions to check the same.
The work permits issued by the GHADC were to be renewed every two months and a minimum fee charged on every renewal. This renewal of the permit would be made mandatory and the defaulting holder of the permit charged a penalty in terms of fines as proposed by the GHLU.
In order to regulate rates of the labourers in the market the union proposed the categorization of labourers in different classes such as skilled labourers, semi skilled labourers and unskilled labourers the rates for which would be notified and strictly implemented.
It also recommended that hawkers from the entire region also be brought under the ambit of the said work permit and renewal authority so as to ensure more accountability of all the floating population in the region.
Meanwhile, the GHLU has also condemned the attempted rape of a 27-year-old mentally challenged woman in Tura by five migrant labourers and the killing of two innocent men by an irate mob as well as the attack on two resident doctors by some miscreants while also demanding that the two absconding labourers who were involved in the molestation be booked at the earliest.
