The No 2 Foreigners Tribunal (FT) in Goalpara district now has a new address in a renovated historical building at Kacharighat by the side of river Brahmaputra in Goalpara town.
The Foreigners Tribunal, which was earlier functioning in a rented building near the district Agriculture office since its inception in the year 2014, has been shifted and began functioning from Tuesday.
Varnali Deka, Deputy Commissioner, Goalpara, inaugurated it on Tuesday in presence of the tribunal member Debananda Das and dedicated to the people of Goalpara district.
“I hope that the people will receive justice from this office and no original Indian would be harassed and not a single foreigner will go scot-free,” said Varnali Deka.
The Kacharighat building has a history that it was constructed during the British era approximately in 1930 and since then it had been functioning as a Munsif Court. The building was lying without use when the Munsif Court was shifted to the newly constructed campus of Goalpara district court few years back. Significantly, the Gauhati High Court has tagged this as a heritage building.
“When Captain David Scott first stepped in Assam in 1826, he camped in this site. He had also initiated ‘Dewani’ judiciary system from this area,” informed advocate Jiten Das, vice principal of Goalpara Law College.
The FTs in the State were created to determine cases of ‘D’ or Doubtful Voters by the Government. There are eight FTs in Goalpara district.
Debananda Das has joined as the FT member in April this year after being transferred from his posting at Karimganj district. He has a track record of disposing 180 cases since April this year.
The FT No 2 has declared 41 people as foreigners including 31 ex parte. At present, 1413 cases are pending in this court.
On Tuesday in the inaugural session, all the FT members except FT No 1 were present in the function besides senior advocates Jiten Das, Amzad Ali, Abdul Baten and Anwar Hussain, DSP (border) and other Government officers.