Meghalaya: Pressure groups applaud amendment of Migrant Workers Act

The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) have appreciated the Meghalaya government for amending the Meghalaya Identification, Registration (Safety and Security) of Migrant Workers Act, 2020 aiming to enhance the process of verifying the backgrounds of the workers. 

Speaking to reporters, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said hailed the government's decision to follow the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) as a means of verifying the documents of migrant workers and ensure their background is clean, with no record of criminal offences in the past. 

Thabah also stated that KSU members will remain vigilant to ensure that the state adheres to its decision in "letter and spirit," further praising the government's decision to increase the penalty for violating the Act from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Earlier, the government had also announced that frequent offenders would face a jail term of up to three months.

The union urged the government to address the pending issues of the ILP and MRSSA amendments, warning that it will pursue its own measures if the Centre and state continue to delay the matter.

Meanwhile, Dundee C Khongsit, the president of FKJGP also welcomed the move, asserting that it will prevent criminals from living in Meghalaya. 

Khongsit further stated that people from other states can continue working in Meghalaya, however they must not outnumber the local people of the state. 

The FKJGP president also hailed the implementation of the CCTNS, mentioning that the Meghalaya government must also implement an initiative to keep a check on tourists visiting the state.