New Mechanism To Single Out Aliens From ‘Declared Indians’

GUWAHATI: For Dispur, all opinions (orders) of Foreigners Tribunals (FT) members’ declaring people of suspected nationalities as Indians are not always absolutely true. It has a new screening mechanism to single out foreigners, if any, among those declared Indians.

Now there is a legal cell in the office of the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Border to screen such FT opinions to see if there is any lapse. The cell has been formed recently through a notification by the Home and Political Department. After a thorough screening, if the Cell feels it necessary for a review of an FT opinion, it can send it to the State Level Screening Committee that has the final say on the review of any FT opinion/order.

Such a system has been in place after the BJP came to power at Dispur. The State Level Screening Committee has the Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner and Secretary of the Home and Political department as the chairperson. Now the modus operandi is — as directed, all border SPs are to send the detailed FT order declaring a suspect/suspects as an Indian/Indians to the ADGP (Border) Headquarters and the State Level Screening Committee. It is the legal cell that has to examine such FT opinions first, and if it feels that the opinions are not in order it has to send them to the State Level Screening Committee. It is the State Level Screening Committee that has the final say. After thorough examinations of the FT orders, if it feels necessary, it can recommend the FT orders to the government for review by challenging them in the Gauhati High Court through writ petitions.

So far, the State Level Screening Committee has recommended to the government as many as 433 FT orders for review in the Gauhati High Court through writ petitions.

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