29 ILP defaulters deported
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 02 2024:
As many as 29 non-local labourers who flouted Manipur Inner Line Permit Guidelines 2019 have been detected and deported to their native States.
Moreover, one State Government officer involved in issuing the ILP passes fraudulently has been suspended.
Speaking to media persons at the Chief Minister's Secretariat this evening, Chief Minister N Biren said that Imphal West district police, acting on a specific information, carried out a search operation at Mayang Imphal Bengoon on November 30 and 29 non-local people were rounded up.
Although Aadhaar cards and other documents seized from the possession of the 29 non-local labourers say that they are from Assam, it is suspected that they hail from Bangladesh, Biren said.
All of them have been taken to Jiribam and they would be handed over to authority concerned of Assam on Tuesday, he said.
He went on to assert that the current crisis is an outcome of the State Government's initiative to identify infiltrators, crackdown on drugs and prohibition on poppy cultivation.
The Chief Minister stated that there is a need to check where the ILPS is being implemented sincerely and effectively in the State.
One officer of Labour Department was suspended on July 30, 2024 followed by an SDC on August 16 for issuing Inner Line Permits by violating the established guidelines.
Now, one more SDC has been suspended for issuing Labour Permits fraudulently, Biren said.
As per Manipur ILP Guidelines 2019 (amended in 2022), Labour Permit is issued for a specific period to a group of labourers or individual labourer brought by any contractor or firm or company or individual engaging them for construction works.
But the 29 non-local labourers pulled up from Mayang Imphal Bengoon were working in bakery.
For issuing labour permits to the non-local labourers by violating the Manipur ILP Guidelines 2019, one SDC of Imphal West has been suspended, Biren said but he did not name the SDC.
A departmental enquiry would be instituted against three officers suspended this year in connection with issuing Inner Line Permits by violating its guidelines and tangible actions would be taken up against them, if found guilty, the Chief Minister stated.
Meanwhile, the Home Department has issued instructions to district administration concerned and the Deputy Labour Commissioner to carry out detailed enquiry into such lapses and initiate stem action against the involved Government functionaries, Biren said.
Moreover, the State Government has constituted a committee at the State level to review overall implementation of ILP in the State with Commissioner (Home) as chairman and representatives of UIDAI, Chief Electoral Officer, Land Resource Department, DCs and SPs of districts.
The committee has been already directed to submit its report within 15 days, he said.
N Biren stated that it is imperative for all elected representatives to unite, Government employees to be sincere and all the people to be vigilant in the interest of the future generations when it comes to identification of non-local people and regulation of their entry into the State.
The present crisis has its roots in the influx of nonlocal people, Biren said.
He then appealed to the Meiteis, Meitei Pangals and Kabuis settled in Manipur valley to shoulder the responsibility of protecting Manipur.
He also appealed to the Nagas, Thadous, Hmars, Paites, Vaipheis and all indigenous communities to take the responsibility of influx in hill areas.
Saying that Manipur does not belong to a single community, Biren appealed to all the people not to accommodate non-local people in their localities without proper reason.
There is a report that hundreds of people, most of whom hail from Ukhrul district, have been driven out from Assam's Karbi Anglong.
The concerned DC and the SP have been directed to verify these people.
If they are Manipuri citizens, they will be taken to their native villages, the Chief Minister stated.
To a query raised by media persons, N Biren said that massive search operations have been going on to trace the whereabouts of Laishram Kamalbabu who disappeared inside Leimakhong military station.
Even though army's helicopters too are being used in the search operations, the whereabouts of Kamalbabu still remains unknown, he said.
Some Ministers and MLAs were also present at the press meet.