Ahmedabad distt admin makes registration of labourers mandatory

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad district administration on Monday issued a notification making it mandatory for all migrant labourers engaged in construction work to register themselves with the nearest police station. They are liable to be prosecuted if they fail to do so.

According to an official release, additional district magistrate A B Gor has made the registrations compulsory for security purposes and to help the police keep check on criminal activities. It has been ordered that the supervisors and contractors employing migrant labour would have to ensure registration by June 11, failing which legal steps could be initiated against them.

“This is not the first time the state is bringing in such a notification. They have done so in the past in Saurashtra region. This also helps us to know the exact number of migrant labour residing in the state,” Vipul Pandya, a social activist working with migrant labourers for over two decades, said and added, “we have been demanding that this be made mandatory as this can help us extend social benefits to the labourers in times of natural or manmade crises. The only thing that needs to be ensured is that this data is not misused and innocent labourer is not booked for the crimes they have not committed.”

In another similar notification, the district administration made it mandatory for the management of shopping malls to register with the police the names of security guards deployed and to install CCTV cameras in their establishments.

The district administration has also directed the vendors of mobile phones’ SIM cards to verify the identity of customers before issuing SIM cards.

Similarly, anyone renting out their residential or commercial premises has been asked to submit to the nearest police station, details of the tenant, along with his or her photograph, mobile number, references and proof of their earlier residence and home town.

Anyone found violating the rules would be prosecuted under section 188 of Indian Penal Code, the notification warned