Bhuabneswar: To crack down on Bangladeshi nationals illegally residing in Odisha, the State Government has initiated measures to identify such infiltrators and their departure to their home country.
The Government has entrusted the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch to carry out the identification process.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan today informed the media that under no circumstances will non-citizens be allowed to remain in the State. Once identified, such individuals will be deported, he said.
Shri Harichandan, who is the PWD Minister, said that preliminary discussions have already been held with engineering departments and other relevant administrative wings to facilitate the identification process as it was suspected that many Bangladeshi nationals are illegally entering into Odisha and working in construction firms unknowingly.
Shri Harichandan further informed that engineering agencies operating in the State will be asked to submit detailed reports on Bangladeshi nationals working in their organization.
STF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pinak Mishra said that several hotspots of Bangladeshi infiltration have already been identified.
The STF is in close coordination with district police, the Coast Guard, and other relevant agencies, and will soon begin the identification drive, he said.
According to official reports, 3,738 Bangladeshi infiltrators have already been identified across various districts in Odisha. A majority of them have been found in coastal districts such as Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Puri, and Ganjam.
The State Government has instructed District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to form committees at the block level to identify illegal Bangladeshi residents within their jurisdictions and report their findings to the Government.
“As Odisha shares borders with West Bengal, which shares boundary with Bangladesh, we are keeping a close vigil as there is every possibility of infiltration, be it waterway or via road route,” the DIG said.
Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has also launched a major crackdown to identify illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators residing in Bhubaneswar.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena on yesterday held a meeting with the heads of all police stations in Bhubaneswar and asked them to gather information on Bangladeshi nationals in their respective areas and take necessary action.
Police stations have also been instructed to maintain strict vigilance over the movement and activities of suspected Bangladeshi nationals within their jurisdictions, he said.
On March 9, the STF apprehended 10 Bangladeshi nationals—including three women and a juvenile—at Bhubaneswar Railway Station. They had reportedly entered the State illegally without any valid documents.