Bill for regulating non-locals introduced in Assembly
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 13 2015 :
The Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015 which aims at curbing "influx of illegal migrants" into Manipur was tabled in the State Assembly on Friday but the discussion on the Bill is expected to take place in the House on March 16 .
If the Bill is enacted by the Manipur Legislature, this may be called the "Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Act, 2015." At the commencement of this Act, no visitor will be allowed to enter the State unless the visitor registers himself with the visitors registering authority, according to the compulsory registration visitors section of the Bill.
The Bill was introduced in the House by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
However, discussion on the Bill is likely to take place on March 16 .
A meeting of the Congress Party will be held in the Chief Minister's Secretariat on March 14 at 8:30 am to discuss the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill, 2015, an official release informed.
Voter's identity card, ration card, Aadhar card and such other documents as may be prescribed, the visitor shall be deemed to be a citizen of India, the section of the Bill mentioned.
It explained that the visitors registering authority has to issue a "pass" to the visitor only when he registers himself with the registering authority before his entry to the State.
Under the proposed Act, no owner will be allowed to lease out his premises for more than 30 days without registration with the registration cell.
For the purpose of this Act, the State Government may establish a Directorate of Registration of Tenants consisting of Director of Registration of Tenants and many officers and staff as it thinks fit.
"Any owner of premises who leases his or her property, fails to register the details of tenant with the registration authority within 60 days of leasing the premises shall be deemed to have committed offence under this Act," mentioned the cognizable offence part of the Bill.
However, the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS), which has been spearheading the ILP movement in the State, wants making some changes in the Bill such as deleting the word 'visitors' to replace it with suitable terms like non-Manipuri, non-indigenous people and migrants.
It may be mentioned that the Transit & Exit Pass System implemented in Manipur was abolished by Government of India in 1950.JCILPS has maintained that one third of the State's population is covered by migrants thereby causing a serious "demographic imbalance in the State" .