THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has no plans to construct detention centres in the state, said the Chief Minister’s Office.
Refuting reports in this regard, the government issued an order stopping all proceedings initiated by the previous government in this regard.
The CMO brushed aside allegations that the government was planning to construct detention centres.
The CMO said the Central government in 2012 had directed all states to construct detention centres to temporarily house foreigners who had either illegally entered the country or awaiting return to their countries after serving prison terms here.
However, the Centre’s directive could not be implemented and taking into consideration the current situation, all proceedings regarding the construction of detention centres taken by the previous government will be stopped.
The CMO said the Centre had asked the state government to submit a proposal regarding the construction of such centres.
A meeting was convened by the Home Department in 2015 to discuss the matter and it was decided to start the centres under the Social Justice Department.
The Social Justice Department director was entrusted with the task of preparing the proposal. It was also decided to float a managing committee comprising the district officer of the department and the district superintendent of police.
Though the details regarding the number of people to be detained were sought from the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), it has not given any data. Reminders have been coming from the Centre to the state government about the earlier communication in this regard, the CMO said.
The ministers in the present dispensation have not seen the files pertaining to the detention centres, the office said and added that the proceedings initiated by the previous government will be stopped due to the current scenario prevailing in the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
‘UDF planned care homes’
CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that the previous UDF government had decided to build detention centres in Kerala was a ploy to mislead the public, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday.
He added that the CM should answer whether the Centre had given any instructions on constructing detention centres post the CAA.
Justifying the former government’s move, Chennithala said the UDF government had given consent to construct care homes for the foreigners, who had stayed back on expired visas/passports or completed their prison terms for various offences.
Despite being released from prisons, they could not return as their documents were not ready due to technical reasons.
The then government had decided not to let them languish in prisons and instead move them to care homes.
The intention was to set up a new facility where the inmates could be given care and attention.
That’s why the government had decided to entrust the project with the Social Justice Department, Chennithala said.
“It was with evil designs that a comparison is being drawn between the detention centres planned (by the present Union government) for enslaving a section of the population and the care home,” he said.