GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has granted 45 days time to the Assam government for completing the construction of the detention centre (now called transit camp) at Matia in Goalpara.
After hearing a petition recently, Justice Kalyan Rai Surana directed the Secretary of Home & Political Department, Government of Assam to file the updated status report after 45 days.
"…The State envisaged that the construction of detention centre at Matia, Goalpara would be completed by September, 2021. In this regard, the learned Advocate General has submitted although he has received specific instruction from the concerned authorities of the Home Department that expeditious steps are being taken to complete the construction work…within a period of 1 (one) month…"
"...But as a matter of abundant caution, the learned Advocate General has prayed for allowing 6 (six) weeks time to the State to complete the construction…and to shift the detenues of the various detention centers to the proposed detention centre,” the court said.
According to the Advocate General, there are about 177 detenues in the various detention centers which are separate cells in district jails.
"It is also submitted that majority of those remaining detenues have not been able to provide the necessary documents, which the State is presently insisting for releasing the said detenues," the court said.
The next hearing has been fixed on September 30.
Being constructed at a cost of Rs 64 crore and on a piece of land measuring 25 acres, the detention camp will be able to house 3,000 inmates.