The Khasi Students Union (KSU) remained adamant about pushing back migrant workers from the State as it own sanctioned checking of documents continues today.
Checks were conducted at construction sites in Laban, Upper Shillong in the city as well as in parts of West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills districts of the state.
While Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had made it clear that no individual or group is authorised to conduct checking of migrant labourers and such actions are illegal, his assurance of action drew flak as minimal police intervention has been reported especially in the rural districts.
In South West Khasi Hills, 16 workers engaged in construction of the Nongstoiñ-Wahkaji road were pushed back sans work permit while a district unit of the pressure group erected an infiltration check gate at Athiabari.
The KSU pushed back 52 migrant workers from 11 construction sites in Laban and 20 from Upper Shillong. All these were found to not have work permit, the group said.
Separate FIRs were also lodged at the Laban Police Station against eight contractors.
The KSU stated that the contractors have violated the provisions of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 and Meghalaya Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1985, (Amendment) Rules, 1999 and (Amendment) Rules, 2011 by employing workers without work permit.
The KSU said employing such workmen from outside the state without any prior verification of their antecedents or criminal records can be detrimental to the security of the people of the state as to the rising crimes and drug menace.
Meanwhile, the KSU has also lodged an FIR against the officer in charge of Laitumkhrah police station for misconduct and excessive use of power with the East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police.
Two leaders, Sambormi Lyngdoh and Brandon Shangpliang stated they were falsely accused of intimidating workers. They stated that the union had conducted the inspection in the presence of police, officials from the anti-infiltration team, labour department and other government officials, adding, the officials accompanied them and that there was no law and order problem.
The KSU said the case being registered against the leaders is clear violation against the members of the union and there is no prima facie case that arises from it. “It it is definitely an abuse of power by the police officials who wants to break the spirits of the union members from discharging their duties for the welfare of the society in a peaceful manner,” the leaders said.
