Service period of contractual appointees in FTs extended, Assam Government tell court

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government has told the Gauhati High Court that the services of 436 contractual appointees engaged in the 100 existing Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam have already been extended for two years – till May 23, 2023.

On September 30, 2021, the court of Justice Suman Shyam had passed an order highlighting certain important areas which required urgent attention of the government to ensure the proper functioning of the existing Foreigners Tribunals in Assam. The issues flagged in the order dated 30-09-2021 included the question of delay in granting approval by the Home Ministry, Government of India for extension of services of 200 additional Members of the Foreigners Tribunals whose terms in office had expired on 20-09-2021, assigning proper posting and assignment of work to the existing Members of the Foreigners Tribunal and making available to them adequate infrastructure and manpower resources to enable them to discharge their duties without any hindrance.

With regard to the order dated 30-09-2021 passed by the court, a meeting of the high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam was held on October 8, 2021, at the Janata Bhavan, Dispur wherein, certain important decisions were taken pertaining to rationalization in the attachment of members in the existing Foreigners Tribunals, issue of accommodation and basic infrastructure in the existing Tribunals, providing basic staff and budget. Video conference was also held by the committee on October 25, 2021, with the Deputy Commissioners as a follow-up measure, whereby, specific instructions were issued to all the Deputy Commissioners to carry out the directions.

In a communication dated October 18, 2021, the Deputy Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam that steps for extending the services of 436 contractual appointees engaged in the 100 existing Foreigners Tribunals in Assam had been granted up to May 23, 2023. The court was satisfied that some significant steps had been initiated by the Government of Assam to ensure the proper functioning of the Foreigners Tribunals.

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