Gauhati High Court Calls for Reform in Foreigners Tribunal Record-Keeping

The Gauhati High Court criticized the disorganized record-keeping in Assam's Foreigners Tribunals. The court urged the state government to train tribunal members and superintendents for better document maintenance. This observation followed a case where confusion over documents delayed proceedings, raising the need for structured document management.

The Gauhati High Court has highlighted the disorganized state of record-keeping in Assam's Foreigners' Tribunals, which determine the citizenship status of individuals. The court has urged the Assam government to provide training for tribunal members and superintendents to ensure proper maintenance of documents within these quasi-judicial bodies.

Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Malsri Nandi, while addressing a writ petition filed by Gobinda Saha—initially declared an 'illegal foreigner' by a tribunal but later exonerated by the high court—cited multiple instances of mislabeled or overlapping documents examined during the case.

Due to the haphazard record-keeping, it took more than two hours to locate necessary documents, prompting the court to instruct the Assam Home and Political Department to consider training programs for tribunal staff on document organization and management.

(With inputs from agencies.)