Assam MLAs ask Meghalaya govt to facilitate safe passage of migrant workers

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 5, 2020

A delegation of Assam Congress MLAs on Thursday requested the Meghalaya government to ensure safe passage of migrant workers, who are stranded in the state in view of the prevailing law and order situation arising out of the recent Ichamati clash incident. 

The delegation – comprising of Karimganj North MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi and Boko MLA Nandita Das – met the Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and requested the government to take necessary action on the matter. 

Later, the Assam MLAs also sought the intervention of their counterpart during a meeting with the Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma and other legislators of the party. 

After the meeting, Boko MLA Nandita Das told reporters that there are many people from Assam who mainly are construction workers are stuck in different parts of the state including Ichamati, where the clash incident had erupted. 

She said that they have been receiving calls from over 500 people and that the number could be more. 

“In view of this, we have come to meet the government. We have met the home minister and apprised him of the concern expressed by families of the workers who are from Assam. Therefore, we have requested the government to ensure safe passage for our people,” Das said. 

On the other hand, Sangma said they (Assam MLAs) have expressed the need to restore normalcy and peace in the state and the region. 

He said the recent lawlessness that has come as fallout of the Ichamati incident has definitely vitiated the environment of peace and harmony and it has generated certain amount of anxiety and sense of insecurity among the minds of family members of many people who happen to be in Meghalaya for making themselves available as migrant workers and other businesses. 

“The inputs that they (Assam MLAs) received from those affected families that there are quite substantial number of migrant workers from Assam who have been brought by contractors and those taking up infrastructural developmental works in the state,” Sangma said. 

The former chief minister said that the delegation from Assam wants that the state government should take measures to facilitate a safe passage of migrant workers from Assam and other parts of the country so that normalcy can be restored at the earliest and to avoid any untoward incidents. 

“They are here to collectively contribute to restore normalcy in the state and the region,” he said while appreciating the initiative of the Assam MLAs to reach out to the government and the counterparts.  

According to him, Meghalaya and Assam are inter-dependent and people of both the states are directly and indirectly are connected in respect of economic activities. 

He informed that they have also assured to share necessary inputs with the government and the party counterpart so that untoward incidents can be avoided in the days to come.