The government of Meghalaya has asked all coal mine owners and cement
plant operators in Jaintia hills district to get their migrant labourers
registered under work permit system being introduced recently in the
state. In an order issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil),
Khliehriat today, the coal mine owners, cement plant operators,
contractors and other companies were directed to register their migrant
labourers with the labour inspector at the earliest. Khliehriat
Civil Sub-division has several thousand of migrant workers and there are
concern among the local people of the district that they could swamp by
the rising population of non-tribal labourers. The state
government had notified implementation of work permit system on October
14. Separate committees at the district-level and sub-divisional
levels are also being constituted to register all migrant labourers.