By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 7: The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Saturday hailed the passing of the amended Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety & Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020, stating that things are moving in the right direction.
The amendment Act was passed in the recently concluded autumn session of the Meghalaya Assembly to enhance the safety and security of the state’s migrant workforce.
“We discussed at length with the Chief Minister before and during the Assembly session. Accordingly, it (the legislation) was given more teeth. So, things are moving in the right direction and we need to appreciate the government,” UDP General Secretary, Jemino Mawthoh said.
He recollected his one-on-one meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on the growing concerns of the pressure groups about the influx in the guise of migrant workers and the absence of a proper mechanism in place to prevent this.
“The chief minister told me that he requested the chief secretary to assign an officer the responsibility of coordinating between the government and the traditional institutions toward keeping a watch on the issue of migrants,” he said.
Stating that the UDP is committed to playing a positive and constructive role in the government, he said the party apprised the chief minister of the general concerns.
The amended version of the 2020 Act has stricter provisions to address concerns over violence against migrant labourers, enhance the clarity of the law and ensure better enforcement.
The key changes include the introduction of the role of an ‘Inspector’, who will be appointed by the state government to enforce the provisions of the Act. There will also be a ‘registering officer’ responsible for identifying violations, issuing notices to non-compliant establishment owners, and imposing fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Repeat offenders could face up to three months of imprisonment. The amendment was prompted by reports of attacks on migrant workers by pressure groups, which claimed to be checking “work permits”.
