Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 8: The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) today intensified checking on work permits and detected and pushed back hundreds of labourers without valid documents.

The exercise conducted in Mawprem and Mawlai area was part to mount pressure on the government for immediate implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) and Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016.

A placard was also displayed during the check which read, "We have the KHAD(Trading by Non-Tribal) Regulation , 1959. We have the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions and Service)Act, 1979 that can combat influx but those who are in power are hesitant to implement it. Therefore, we the KSU have every right to implement any existing law or to make law for the sake of Jaitbynriew and when those who are in power fail to do it."

Labourers were also made to hold placards saying "We can enter Meghalaya easily because it's one of the non ILP states in North Eastern India" and "I may be a Bangladeshi but who knows me?"

KSU Mawprem president Aristone Thabah said, "We have conducted checks on work permits and detected hundreds of labourers without valid documents."

"We have from time to time expressed to the government the need to implement ILP and MRSSA but to no avail. Today's checking is just the beginning. We also send a clear message to the contractors that they should ensure all labourers engaged by them have valid documents failing which KSU will push them back to their own states," he said while adding that the KSU will continue to intensify checking against illegal labourers coming to the state.

In Mawlai area, the KSU has detected and pushed back over 117 labourers, who failed to produce valid documents.