The Supreme Court on Wednesday accused the Centre and the Assam government of “dragging its feet” on fortifying the country’s “porous” eastern border with Bangladesh despite its judgment last year that security chinks along the border are posing a threat to the lives of ordinary citizens.
Deciding to have an independent look at what is happening on the ground, a Bench led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi appointed a court commissioner to visit the border and report back on the state of fencing and roads along it.
In a December 17, 2014 judgment, the court directed the Centre to build motorable roads alongside the international border and install floodlights to prevent incursion and cross-border trafficking. It noted that the estimated number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India as on December 31, 2001 was 1.2 crore.
The court said it would monitor the progress made by the Centre. However, on Wednesday, the Bench expressed its dissatisfaction with the Centre and Assam.
“The court is left with the impression that the Union and the State have been dragging its feet in implementing our orders on fencing along the Bangladesh border in Assam and other connected issues. Time has come for us to do something,” the Bench said.
The court appointed senior lawyer Upamanyu Hazarika as the court commissioner to visit the border and submit an interim report in three weeks. He would file his final report by June 30.
Foreigners Tribunal The court further asked the Guwahati High Court to set up a Foreigners Tribunal by August 10, 2015.
The judgment questioned the government’s resolve to secure the eastern border even after 67 years of Independence. “The western border with Pakistan, being 3,300-km-long, is not only properly fenced but properly manned too and not porous at any point,” the court said.
The ruling came on a batch of petitions filed by NGOs — Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, Assam Public Works and All Assam Ahom Association — contending that large influx of people from Bangladesh led to clashes in border areas. The petitions challenged the validity of Section 6(3) & (4) of the Citizenship Act, accommodating migrants from East Pakistan between January 1966 to March 24, 1971 as deemed citizens of the country.
