GUWAHATI, April 24 - Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow pace of deportation of Bangladeshi migrants caught in Assam, the State Government today said that �such delay in deportation has only resulted in frustration of the State machinery.�
During a training programme organized here today, Home Commissioner LS Changsan took up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs representative and asked him to expedite the process by taking up the matter with its Bangladeshi counterpart.
MEA Under Secretary Prakash Chand, who could not come up with a clear answer to the concern expressed by the State Government officials, said that he would discuss the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
�We could only deport over 35 Bangladeshi migrants in the last four years or so, while 498 of them are still lodged at different detention camps. If this remains the pace, it would be difficult to address the issue,� Changsan told the MEA representative.
The State at present has 100 Foreigners� Tribunals dealing with the issue.
The training programme was organized at the Assam Administrative Staff College for the presiding officers and the Border Police by the Home department along with the Judicial Academy.
Justice Hrishikesh Roy of Gauhati High Court said that the Central Government must devise some mechanism to facilitate fast deportation of Bangladeshi migrants. �How long will the State Government continue to bear the expenses of the illegal migrants who are in the detention camps,� Justice Roy questioned.
Justice Ranjan Bhuyan too expressed concern over the tardy pace of deportation and said that with 100 functional tribunals, more and more such cases are expected to get disposed of. �A mechanism has to be adopted at the earliest,� Justice Bhuyan added.
