Guwahati: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has refuted claims that the Meghalaya government is lenient towards pressure groups.
The CM also criticised the media for not adequately reporting on government actions against such groups.
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It may be mentioned that various organisations in Meghalaya have been visiting construction sites to check the documents of labourers working there from outside the state.
There have been reports that some other them are also being sent back to their own states and in some cases violence was also reported.
This has led to injuries and even deaths, with minimal police intervention, some reports claimed.
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Despite government assurances of action after each incident, public concern persists.
Addressing the ongoing document checks by pressure groups in Shillong, CM Sangma clarified that there is no work permit system.
Instead, labourers are registered by the Labor Department for their safety and record-keeping.
He stated that no individual or group is authorized to conduct these checks, acknowledging that such actions are illegal.
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“These groups are on the wrong side of the law,” Sangma stated, revealing that four cases have been filed against various pressure groups involved in recent document checks.
The Khasi Students’ Union has justified their actions by pointing to the government’s failure to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA).
Sangma explained that the ILP is not enforced by the state, and the MRSSA proposal, sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, was returned with concerns that the state government is currently reviewing.