JCILPS demands white paper
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 16 2016 : The JCILPS has threatened to launch intense modes of agitation if the State Home Department cannot produce a white paper on migrant workers working in the State within five days.

Speaking to media persons at their Sega Road office here this afternoon, JCILPS convenor Khomdram Ratan said that altogether 431 migrant labourers engaged in different construction projects across the State have been handed over to police since April 2 as they did not possess necessary valid documents.

According to the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of service) Act 1979, all labourers engaged by a firm should be registered with the Labour Department, and licences and passbooks should be obtained for the labourers.

The passbooks should give particulars of each migrant labourer like names, addresses, working period and other details.

However, none of the construction firms executing different projects in the State followed these rules.

This compelled JCILPS to pull up labourers and hand them over to police apart from banning the projects executed by them.

JCILPS also submited reports/complaints to police to take up necessary actions but no police stations done anything in this regard so far.

At present, the verification drive of JCILPS is confined to migrant labourers engaged in organised sector.

The drive will soon encompass unorganised sector too, Ratan said.

On the other hand, the Government is yet to translate into action any of the seven points it agreed with JCILPS.

Among the seven points, it is in the State's prerogative to set up population commission, land reform commission and publication of a white paper on the unfolding demographic imbalance without waiting for the Centre's consent.

By literally sleeping over the seven points of agreement, the Government is inviting a fresh round of sustained, extensive agitation.

The inaction of the Government is a clear manifestation of its lack of political will to protect indigenous people of the land.

The JCILPS convenor made it clear that no outsiders should think about contesting the forthcoming IMC election.

He announced that a series of district level meetings with public leaders would be launched tomorrow.

JCILPS convenor (finance) BK Moirangcha said that they would seek donation from the public for construction of a memorial complex for Sapam Robinhood at Awaching and also for the future course of movement.

Convenor (medical) Ksh Somorendro said that more than 500 people sustained injuries in the people's movement for enactment of a mechanism similar to ILPS last year.

If any one is missed out from the list of 500, they may submit relevant documents along with passport photographs to JCILPS on or before April 25, Somorendro added.

Comment