AAUA demands appointment of 1,600 selected candidates in Foreigners Tribunals

LAKHIMPUR: The fate of the appeals made by over 1.9 million persons who have been left out of the NRC list published on August 31 last year, are still hanging in the balance due to non-operation of the proposed Foreigners Tribunals (FT). Simultaneously, the fate of 1,600 unemployed youths of the State who have been selected for posting in those FTs is also hanging in the balance.

Notably, the State government initially proposed to set up 1,000 new Foreigners Tribunals in phased manner in the State. But following the discussion between the State and Central governments and the State Coordinator of the NRC, it was decided to set 200 Tribunals in the first phase. In the meantime, these 200 FTs have been set up in the State following the publishing of the final NRC and same number of judges has also been appointed. At present, these judges have been attached with the existing judges of the districts across the State as per report found from a source. Notably, in May 2019, the Supreme Court (SC) bench led by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, hearing the National Register of Citizens matter, ordered that 200 new Foreigners Tribunals should be functional by September 1 of the last year. Following the SC order in May, the government had fast-tracked the recruitment of 221 members, including 21 for the vacancies in the 100 existing tribunals, and setting up of new tribunals by renting buildings to house them.

On the other hand, the State Government kicked of the process for the appointment of the Grade III and Grade IV employees of these FTs as a part of which interview was held around a year ago. In the meantime, 1,600 unemployed youths have been selected to be appointed in the new FTs. But till date, the new FTs have not been made operational and those selected for appointment in the same have not been appointed.

Notably, regarding the issue of non-appointment of the 1,600 unemployed youths, the All Assam Unemployed Association (AAUA) has expressed strong reaction through a press release sent to media. In the press release, AAUA State president-in charge Dharmendra Deuri and general secretary Jiban Rajkhowa stated that the State Government had created only 'advertisement gimmick' in the name of appointment in other departments of the State apart from appointing some unemployed youths in the Education and Health departments.

"The State Government has failed to engage the unemployed youths. The government has not been able to appoint the 1,600 selected candidates in the FTs till date even after appointing the judges and completing the selection process around a year ago. Most of these selected candidates were engaged in non-governmental institutions and agencies and they could appear for the interview concerned after resigning from their previous engagement.

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