Assam: HC grants Dispur time yet again to resolve pending Foreigners Tribunals issues

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday granted a further one month’s time to the state government to take concrete steps related to the remaining issues in Foreigners Tribunals.

During the hearing by Justice Suman Shyam in the case (WP(C)/1754/2015) today, the HC’s amicus curiae invited the attention of the Court to the order dated February 6, 2025, as well as the earlier order dated January 7, 2025, passed in this proceeding, to submit that concrete steps are yet to be taken by the state government towards addressing the four issues identified by the Court.

The court, in its order dated November 25, 2024, had sought a response from the state government on four issues, as follows:

“(i) Number of cases disposed of by each of the Foreigners Tribunals in Assam during the last 6 months ending with May 31, 2024.

(ii) Whether proper library facilities, including regular journals, are being provided to the members of the Foreigners Tribunals and if not, the reason for not doing so?

(iii) Whether there is an internal departmental mechanism to look into the grievances of individual members of the Foreigners Tribunals and staff working under them?

(iv) Whether necessary orders for extension of service of the members of the Foreigners Tribunals have been issued by the state government?”

In reply, D. Mazumdar, Additional Advocate General, Assam, appearing for the state, said that insofar as Issue No. (iv) is concerned, the said issue has already been resolved, with the services of the members of the Foreigners Tribunals already extended.

Regarding Issue No. (iii), Mazumdar said the state government has issued a notification dated January 2, 2025, putting in place a mechanism for redressal of grievances of the members of the Foreigners Tribunals and the working staff in light of the observation made in the court’s order dated November 25, 2024.

Insofar as Issue Nos. (i) and (ii) are concerned, Mazumdar submitted that the government was examining both these issues before taking a decision/further action in the matter and requested four weeks further time for coming up with a concrete stand on both these issues.

Today, Mazumdar referred to the communication dated February 5, 2025, issued by the Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam, Political (B) Department, to submit that the government has accepted the suggestions of the amicus curiae in principle.

He further submitted that 2 (two) journals, namely, GLR and GLT, have already been identified for providing the same to the members of the Foreigners Tribunals, and the resource persons for imparting periodical training/refresher courses to the members of the Foreigners Tribunal have also been finalized.

However, since these issues are associated with some operational problems, Mazumdar sought one month’s further time to obtain complete instruction and apprise this Court as to the steps, if any, that have been taken for implementing the measures referred to in the communication dated February 5, 2025.

Granting his request, the court directed the matter to be listed again on May 5, 2025.

Also read: Supreme Court: Foreigners Tribunals (FT) have no Power to Review their Own Orders

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