Govt to frame guidelines for foreigners

Shimla, Apr 24 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the Government would be formulating required guidelines for registration of foreigners visiting the state and labourers coming here in search of odd jobs.

Talking to mediapersons here, the Chief Minister said the state had been welcoming the foreign visitors to the state and was concerned about their safety and security during their stay.

The guidelines will also help in resolving the law and order problems being created by a section of foreigners overstaying their visa validity in prominent tourist destinations of the state.

Mr Dhumal further said a number of cases had been reported from Kullu-Manali, Dharamshala and destinations where some foreigners overstayed their visa validity period thereby defying the visa provisions applicable to foreigners visiting the country.

The state government was seriously considering formulation of guidelines to register every foreigner visiting Himachal Pradesh and ensure that their stay was restricted to the visa period permitted on their passports, he said, adding that this would be in best interest of the foreign visitors to ensure their safety and security during their stay period in the state, besides maintaining good law and order conditions.

''Large number of workers had been coming to the state in search of odd jobs from different parts of the country and majority of them besides working in the industrial areas had penetrated deep into the inner parts of the state in search of their livelihood'', Mr Dhumal said.

He also said the state government had made it mandatory for every employer and worker to get the labourers registered with the competent authorities and obtain photo identity cards required to be produced by the holder whenever asked for.

He said in some cases the provisions were being adhered to, while in other cases some unregistered labourers were getting involved in unlawful activities creating law and order problem in the state.

The state has also appreciated the contribution being made by the migrant labourers in infrastructure building all over the state but at the same time it was worried about the safety of the native people and migrant labourers as well.

He said at some places incidents of theft, abduction, kidnapping and killing by suspected migrant labourers had taken place thereby raising serious law and order problems in the peaceful state.

The Chief Minister added that although strict vigil was being kept on anti social elements but some miscreants entering the state as labourers had been responsible for such activities and the contractors and sub-contractors bringing migrant labourers for various project construction works in the state would be required to get them registered with the competent authority and photo-identity cards would be issued to them after proper verification of their domicile.

He said all concerned departments had been directed to initiate effective steps to formulate the guidelines for registration of every migrant labourer coming to the state for odd jobs.

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