GUWAHATI, Sept 15 - The State Government has directed the Assam Police to step up efforts to trace the nearly 38,000 illegal Bangladeshi nationals of the post-1971 stream, who have been evading arrest.
As per the new directives, the Superintendents of Police (SPs) of all the districts will have to henceforth file a detailed monthly status report on the untraced infiltrators.
The monthly report by the respective SPs must also carry the reasons behind the respective district police�s inability to catch the illegal immigrants missing from their respective areas of jurisdiction.
�We want an improved synergy among all the 500 police units and task forces meant for tracking down untraced Bangladeshis. The baggage of 38,000 untraced illegal immigrants is a bit too much to carry,� official sources told this correspondent.
�The SPs, after the monthly review of the status of the untraced Bangladeshis, will submit the respective reports to the Special Director General of Police (Border), who in turn will assess and report the matter to the Home Department along with its comments during the review meeting of the department, which is held four times a year,� the source added.
The Home Department has also asked the law-enforcers to intensify search operation against the untraced infiltrators with improved intelligence sharing.
It has also asked all the SPs to devise strategies to nab the illegal foreigners who are on the run, and, if necessary, put them on surveillance.
The department, in a recent closed-door meeting, expressed dissatisfaction over the recent performance of the law-enforcing agencies, especially in the past one year or so, during which only around 870-odd untraced post-1971 infiltrators could be tracked down.
�The rate of success seems to be too poor, especially when we consider the existence of 500 police units and task forces for the purpose. The police department has been asked to rise to the occasion,� the source pointed out.
The Chief Secretary of Assam, in a video conference held early this year with all the Deputy Commissioners and SPs, too, had instructed the police department as well as the civil administration to act in tandem so that more and more illegal infiltrators could be brought to book.
