Assam govt forms panel to identify facilitators to illegal migrants

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has constituted a five-member panel to initiate “immediate and proactive steps to identify intermediaries, facilitators and collaborators of illegal migrants from across the international border”.

The committee will also initiate legal action to bring them to justice.

Special director general of police (Border) Mukesh Agrawal confirmed the setting up of the panel on Tuesday following a discussion with state chief secretary Jishnu Barua.

In his notification, Agrawal said: “The committee has been constituted to take immediate and proactive steps to identify the intermediaries, facilitators, collaborators facilitating the infiltrations of illegal migrants from across the international border into Assam and initiate legal action to bring them to justice.”

The panel is headed by Kokrajhar district-based 7th Assam Police Battalion commandant Subhrajyoti Borah.

Agrawal’s notification said the deputy commissioners of police (border), the superintendents of police (border) of all districts, superintendent of railway police (border) and other officials concerned would take legal action in their respective jurisdictions on the recommendation of the five-member team.

 “They would also render necessary assistance to the committee in performing its task including utilisation of border staff of the districts as and when required by the committee,” the notification adds.

The deputy inspectors general of police (ranges) have been entrusted with the task of supervising the work of the committee and follow-up action being taken in their respective ranges.

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The Assam government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for upgrade of 50 border outposts and decided to further tighten the vigil along the frontiers to strengthen security related infrastructures along the state borders.

The 263km India-Bangladesh international border along Assam is being guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF) while the 267km Indo-Bhutan international border is manned by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). A second line of defence is being provided by the Assam Police. Besides, Assam shares 2616.1 km inter-state borders with six north eastern states.