Debabrata Saikia

Bongaigaon: Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia on Thursday visited a detention camp in Kokrajhar district to “assess” the situation of the inmates and ponder upon how they can be helped legally.

The camp houses 159 women, declared “foreigners” by tribunals.

Saikia and PCC general secretary Pradyut Bhuyan visited the Kokrajhar detention centre after learning at a detention centre in Goalpara that the former houses only women. Saikia said most of the women could not “properly” contest their cases to prove their citizenship.

“Our visit was to assess the situation and discuss how we can help the inmates legally. Most of them do not belong to Bangladesh, whose envoy has said they will be taken back if they can provide their addresses in that country,” Saikia said.

He also urged the Centre to look into the issue.

The visit came at a time the Registrar-General and census commissioner Sailesh is on a three-day visit to the state to take stock of the update of National Register of Citizens.

Sailesh has asked deputy commissioners to tell applicants not to panic even if their names do not feature in the final NRC draft as they will get an opportunity to appeal.

Sailesh held a video-conference with the DCs at Barpeta on Wednesday and met the DCs of four districts at Morigaon on Thursday.

He will be in Silchar on Friday to take stock of the situation in the Barak Valley.

Saikia appealed to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take the initiative to grant Scheduled Tribes status to Tai Ahom, Moran, Muttock, tea garden, Sootea and Koch Rajbongshi communities.

Tejesh Tripathy Telegraph India