“Even Basic Amenities Are Lacking” : Supreme Court Directs Assam Government To Provide All Facilities In Transit Camp Within One Month
The Supreme Court today (November 4) criticized the Assam government over the poor conditions at the Matia Transit Camp, which houses foreign nationals in Goalpara, Assam, and directed it to provide all facilities within one month.“To say the least, the condition of the transit camp is far from being satisfactory. Even basic amenities are lacking, as can be seen from the detailed...
The Supreme Court today (November 4) criticized the Assam government over the poor conditions at the Matia Transit Camp, which houses foreign nationals in Goalpara, Assam, and directed it to provide all facilities within one month.
“To say the least, the condition of the transit camp is far from being satisfactory. Even basic amenities are lacking, as can be seen from the detailed report submitted by the team constituted by the State Level Services Authority. We direct the secretary in charge of the concerned department of the state to immediately make a visit to detention camp, hold a meeting with all concerned authorities and ensure that all facilities are in place in detention camp within maximum period of one month from today. Even the Secretary of the Legal Services Authority shall be invited to the meeting”, the Court stated in its order.
A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih noted that the transit camp lacked basic amenities, as revealed by a detailed report submitted by the Assam State Legal Services Authority (SLSA).
Justice Oka remarked that the conditions in the camp were unsatisfactory, with no vocational training center, no provision for distance education, and no female doctor available on-site. The Court directed the Secretary of the relevant Assam government department to visit the camp and convene a meeting with all concerned authorities to ensure the implementation of necessary facilities.
The Court set a timeline of one month for the facilities to be provided and directed the Secretary to submit a comprehensive affidavit. The Court posted the matter on December 9, for consideration of compliance and of the issue of deportation of foreign nationals.
Background
On October 4, the Court had directed the Assam SLSA to conduct unannounced inspections at the Matia Transit Camp to assess the facility's hygiene, food quality, and overall living conditions. This inspection was to verify claims made by the Assam government in a compliance affidavit, which asserted that the state had improved conditions at the camp. The Court instructed the SLSA to submit a report within a month.
In July, the Court noted the “sorry state of affairs” after a report by the Assam Legal Services Authority highlighted issues like inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and insufficient toilet facilities. At that time, the Court expressed concern over the substandard conditions under which declared foreigners were being held.
The Court will also address the deportation of the 211 foreign nationals detained at the camp, including 66 individuals from Bangladesh. The Court had directed Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Assam Government to respond on how they planned to deport these foreign nationals. On October 4, the Court noted that while Assam has filed an affidavit in this regard, the Union of India hasn't, and granted time till October 25 for Union of India to file an affidavit.
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