Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan 23: Special Task Forces (STFs) will be set up in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the detection, identification and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants, an officer said on Friday.
The STFs will be formed at the district level, and they will work in close coordination with the Election Commission, which is conducting the SIR of electoral rolls, he said.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor DK Joshi at Lok Niwas. It was attended by DGP HS Dhaliwal, along with senior officers of the police and the administration.
“A detailed deliberation was held on constituting the district-level STFs for detection, identification and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants, in line with guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,” the officer said.
During the meeting, the lieutenant governor stressed the need for strong inter-departmental coordination, robust intelligence gathering and strict adherence to due process.
The DGP outlined the preparedness for the operation, including holding centres and biometric procedures.
Multiple STF centres will be set up in all three districts, North and Middle Andaman, South Andaman, and the Nicobar, the officer said.
After training, officers posted in these centres will be tasked to identify illegal immigrants, and after apprehending them, they will be deported to their respective countries, he said.
“The STFs will work in close coordination with the Election Commission, which is conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls here. We have received various complaints about the presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the entire archipelago,” the officer said. (PTI)
