Assam govt constitutes special review committee for detention

Assam Government has constituted a special review committee to evaluate the condition of the detention centres which house persons declared aliens by the Foreigners Tribunals, a senior official said on Friday.

The committee will be headed by DIG (Border) and would comprise the inspector general of prisons, District and Session Judge Hardeep Singh (retd), one representative to be nominated by the deputy commissioner of the district concerned and any other member co-opted by the chairman, said a government release.

Assam has six detention centres across the state where the Foreigners Tribunals send people prior to their deportation after declaring them as aliens while determining their citizenship.

The state has 100 Foreigners Tribunals which are quasi-judicial bodies to determine citizenship or declare people as foreigners.

The committee will visit all the detention centres in the state and review the legal aid and health status of each detainee and give its recommendation for improvement if needed, the release said.

The quality of food, hygiene and living conditions in the detention centres will also be reviewed by the committee.

The body is also mandated to check the education system of the children staying in the centres and provide suggestion.

The committee will conduct the review urgently and submit its consolidated report within three months, the release added.