SC Constitutes Committee To Oversee Fencing on Indo-Bangladesh Border

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman, on July 31, set up a committee to oversee the border fencing work on the Indo-Bangladesh border including the riverine portion thereof.  The members of the committee include G.K.Pillai, I.A.S.(Retd.) who will function as the Chairman and D.K.Pathak, IPS (Former DG, Border Security Force) and Prof.Abdul Mannan (Retd. Professor of Gauhati University) as Members.

The Committee is expected to start functioning, subject to the consent of the Chairman and members, chosen by the  Supreme Court.

The bench expects the Committee to be formally constituted by a notification to be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs within seven days from July 31.  The bench has requested the committee to begin its work immediately thereafter, and submit its first report to the Court within three months.

The bench passed its order, sitting in Chambers.  Earlier, the bench expressed its hope that the Committee under the chairmanship of Madhukar Gupta, ex-Home Secretary which was monitoring the issue of border fencing on the Western front could also do so for the Indo-Bangladesh border or at least the remaining unfenced area.  However, the Solicitor General, Ranjit Kumar told the bench that Gupta is unable to act in the matter, due to personal reasons, as desired by the  Court.  The Court then had no alternative but to constitute another committee.

On July 21, the bench, sitting in Chambers, considered the names suggested by the Centre for constituting the new Committee.  The bench, however, deferred the consideration of the matter till July 31 because it said the recommendation came belatedly.