Put in place minimum infrastructures to FTs across state: Gauhati High Court to DCs

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked the deputy commissioners of all the districts to take immediate steps to put in place the minimum infrastructural facilities to ensure decent working conditions in the Foreigners Tribunals across the state, wherever necessary.

The High Court also asked the Secretary to the Home and Political Department, Assam to take follow-up steps for ensuring compliance with this order. The High Court further said that the State Government would place a compliance report before the court on October 28, 2021, when the case (WP-C-1754/2015) will come up for the next hearing.

Assistant Solicitor General of India RK Deb Choudhury informed the High Court that the Government of India was processing the file for the extension of service of 200 additional members of FTs whose terms in office had expired on September 20, 2021. "The necessary approval is expected within a short time," he said.

"…due to non-finalization of the NRC and consequent non-issuance of the NRC rejection slip, the purpose for which the additional 200 members of the FTs recruited has remained unfulfilled, as a result of which, they were not assigned any regular work for a long period."

The state counsel said, "There is still some uncertainty as to their continuance in office as the State Government would not be in a position to extend their service in the absence of approval from the Government of India."

"Upgrading the infrastructure in the existing tribunal may take some more time due to operational reasons. However, the report regarding the fact that the Tribunal Members are presently being made to function even without a proper sitting arrangement is wholly unacceptable to this court," the Monitoring Bench said.

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