Meghalaya govt to implement work permit to prevent influx

Shillong, Sept 14 (UNI) Concerned over the rise of illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the state, the Meghalaya government has decided to introduce a work permit to control the inflow of labourers and illegal foreign migrants.

The government decision to implement the work permit assumed significance in the backdrop of the ongoing anti-national infiltration drive, conducted by police and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU).

Recently, police and KSU activists rounded more than 500 labourers in the state on ground of suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.

'' We want to implement the work permit to control the inflow of illegal migrants and migrant workers from other states, '' state Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Paul Lyngdoh.

The work permit, valid for 179 days, would be issued to migrant labourers only after proper verification by the Labour and Police department.

Mr Lyngdoh, also heading the Cabinet Sub-committee on influx, told reporters here today that Chief Minister J D Rymbai convened a high-level meeting yesterday, directing the Labour department to frame a new work permit in consultation with Chief Secretary S K Tewari within a month time.

'' We have instructed the Labour department to format the work permit with stringent requirements to discourage migrant labourers working in the state, '' he asserted.

The former student leader-turned politician said the work permit would also prevent the demographic changes and to control the elements from determining the political fortune on the state in future.

He said the new system would be made effective within the next two or three months to curb the influx.

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