Assignment to new members of Additional FTs (Foreigners Tribunals) after May 2

FUNCTIONING OF FTs

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State government has decided to review its policy decision of engaging the newly-recruited members of the Additional FTs (Foreigners Tribunals) only in NRC (National Register of Citizen)-related cases.

However, the ECI's (Election Commission of India) MCC (Model Code of Conduct) doesn't allow it till May 2, 2021. This has led the Gauhati High Court to list a case related to the functioning of FTs for its next hearing on May 11, 2021. The High Court listed the date of hearing following a request from the State Government.

This was revealed during the recent hearing of a writ petition (WP-C-1754/2015) on the functioning of FTs in the Gauhati High Court. Advocate General of Assam RC Barpatra Gohain informed the High Court that "there is a policy decision of the State adopted on June 12, 2020, according to which the newly-recruited members are to continue to operate as attached members till such time the process of issuance of rejection slips by the NRC authorities. But the State has decided to review its earlier policy decision, and if necessary, assign regular positing to the newly-recruited members of the FTs". However, the decision cannot be reviewed till May 2, 2021, because of the MCC currently in force in the State.

In September 2019, the Government of Assam recruited 221 FT members as sanctioned by the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs). While 23 of the newly-recruited FT members were assigned to regular duties in the existing FTs, 179 others were engaged as attached members. The remaining FT members, however, resigned.

The Additional FTs were created in the State as sanctioned by the MHA for the disposal of the cases relating to the applicants who were found ineligible for inclusion in the final NRC. Since the rejection slips are yet to be issued to the around 19 lakh NRC-ineligible applicants, the State government stopped short of assigning duty and places of postings to the newly recruited FT members.

The move for reviewing the policy decision on the assignment of the newly-recruited FT members was taken after the MHA had informed the High Court that it had no objection if the State Government used the new FT members in the disposal of regular FT cases till the issuance of rejection slips to the NRC-ineligible applicants.

Assam has 100 FTs at present.

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