Demand for ILPS or similar mechanism Bill set to be introduced in February House session
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 07 2015 : The State Government has agreed to introduce a Bill incorporating all the recommendations of the All Political Parties Committee on ILP in the State Assembly.

The All Political Parties Committee on ILP was set up in the wake of a sustained popular movement for enforcement of a regulatory mechanism in order to check influx of outsiders into the State.

Members of the committee, Ministers, legal experts and Chief Minister O Ibobi held a meeting this morning and studied the six recommendations made by the committee.

The committee recommended that the State Gov- ernment may enact a law to regulate entry of visitors who are non permanent residents of the State into the State under Article 19(5) for issuing a permit for proper verification of the character and antecedents of such visitors.

Documents like voter identity card issued by the Elec- tion Commission of India and ration cards issued by the competent authority may be used in identification of such visitors.

Women activists confronting with police in pursuit of the demand for enforcing ILPS (File picture)

The law may not be applied to persons employed in connection with the affairs of the Union Government and State Government of private/public undertaking or a local authority or the body established by law or the student or person employed from outside the State in educational establishment in the State or such other persons as may be determined/decided by the State Government.

The law shall be in addition to but shall not be in derogation of any law.

The State Government may also enact a law for compulsory reporting and verifica- tion of antecedents of tenants and domestic/professional helpers in the line of Sikkim Tenants and Domestic and Professional Helps (Compulsory Verification) Act 2014, reads the second recommendation.

The State Government should stringently enforce the existing law relating to foreigners and check entry of illegal migrants from neighbouring countries.

The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act 1960 should be suitably amended to incorporate a provision for imposing restric- tions on the transfer of land to non-residents of the State.

Existing labour laws should be implemented strictly.

Implementation of the laws like the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1979 would enable the State Government to identify and restrict anti-social elements who have intention to enter the State in the guise of workmen, the committee recom- mended.

The State Government may create a separate Directorate under the State Home Department for monitoring and effective implementation of the proposed law on Manipur Visitors Compulsory Registration after its enactment, reads the last recommendation.

Even though the State Government prefers to open a cell instead of opening a Directorate, the meeting agreed to set up a separate Directorate at the suggestion of the All Political Parties Committee on ILP.

The meeting further agreed to table the Bill in the State Assembly which would commence its next session from February 25 .