"SC Orders Surprise Inspections of Assam's Matia Transit Camp to Evaluate Hygiene and Living Conditions"

On Friday, October 4, the Supreme Court directed the Assam State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) to conduct surprise inspections of the Matia Transit Camp in Goalpara, Assam. This camp houses foreign nationals, and the inspections are meant to check the hygiene, food availability, and overall living conditions there. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih instructed the SLSA Secretary to appoint officers for these unannounced inspections, to verify the state’s claims about improvements made at the camp. A report with the findings is expected within a month, with the next hearing scheduled for November 4, 2024. Back in July, the Supreme Court had raised concerns over the poor conditions at the camp, noting issues like inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and not enough toilet facilities. A report from the Assam Legal Services Authority had highlighted these problems, and the Court expressed its worry about the harsh conditions faced by foreign nationals detained there. Last month, the Court also discussed the deportation of 211 foreign nationals detained at the camp, including 66 from Bangladesh. While Assam has submitted a response on this, the Union of India has not yet done so, and the Court has given them until October 25 to file an affidavit on their plans for deportation. Case no. – Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 234/2020 Case Title – Rajubala Das v. Union of India and Anr. www.legalmeet.in