Guwahati: The biggest detention center in Assam, formally called as Transit Camp in the Goalpara district, was recently erected and received the first batch of 68 persons who had been classified as foreigners by the Foreigners’ Tribunal.
All 68 foreigners declared by the Foreigners’ Tribunal were moved to the Transit Camp located in the Matia area of Goalpara.
The first batch of 68 foreigners proclaimed by the Foreigners’ Tribunal was transferred to the Matia Transit Camp on Friday, Assam Inspector General of Prisons Barnali Sharma told ANI.
“Out of 68 people, 45 male, 21 female and two children were lodged at Goalpara jail. The process has been started following the directives of the Gauhati High Court. There are six detention centres in the district jail and central jail in Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Silchar and Tezpur,” Barnali Sharma said.
Sharma added that the Matia Transit Camp can house up to 3000 prisoners.
“As of now, we have taken three blocks of the Transit Camp – one block for females and two for males,” Barnali Sharma said.
Inmates who are now housed in six detention facilities will gradually be transferred to Matia Transit Camp, according to Barnali Sharma.
The Transit Camp was built for Rs 46.51 crore on 20 bighas (28,800 sq ft) of land in the Matia region, around 129 kilometres from Guwahati.