National Desk, 4th October: The Supreme Court has directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority (ASLSA) to carry out surprise inspections of the Matia transit camp, where proclaimed foreign nationals are being held, to verify the facility’s hygiene standards and food quality.
A bench led by Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih instructed the ASLSA to appoint officers for these inspections without prior notice to the camp authorities, ensuring an unfiltered assessment of the living conditions. The legal services authority has been asked to submit a detailed report of their findings within one month.
This directive follows the Supreme Court’s earlier inquiry in September, where the state government of Assam and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs were asked to outline their plans for deporting the 211 declared foreign nationals currently detained at the Goalpara district transit camp. Of these, 66 individuals have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals.
The ongoing case, which examines the state of detention facilities for foreign nationals in Assam, prompted this latest order. The Court is considering a petition related to the conditions at these camps, with a focus on the detainees’ well-being, including food and sanitation.