Complete the work of Goalpara Detention centre within 45 days: High Court tells govt

Aug 23: While hearing a writ petition filed by Santanu Borthakur and several other pleas, the Gauhati High Court gave 45 days time to the Assam government to finish the construction of the detention centre (now renamed as Transit Camp) in Goalpara district. “…the State envisaged that the construction of detention centre at Matia, Goalpara would be completed by September, 2021,” said Justice Kalyan Rai Surana of the Gauhati High Court. The Gauhati high court has fixed September 9 for the next hearing of the case.

After completion of the construction, all the detainees lodged at various detention centers will be shifted to the upcoming camp at Matia, the court was informed by the government. At present there are around 177 detainees lodged at six detention centres, which were created by marking a part of the existing jails at Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Silchar, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.

The mass detention centre in Goalpara district’s Matia can house 3,000 people and is being built over an area of 2.5 hectares, about the size of seven soccer fields. It will have 15 four-storey buildings to keep the detainees. The detention centre is being constructed in an area of 2,88,000 square feet and will be having separate residential facilities for the security personnel and officials. “There will be buildings for officers grade 4 staff. It will have 2 security barracks. The water system will have a capacity of 50,000 litres. It will also have a hospital, an auditorium, a common kitchen and 180 toilets and washrooms. Women with children and nursing mothers and will get a special care facility within the detention centre.