Odisha Government Takes Action Against Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants
Government Initiatives to Identify Illegal Immigrants
Bhubaneswar: On Monday, Odisha's Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced that the state government has commenced efforts to identify Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally across various districts.
The government has instructed district collectors and coastal security agencies to form a Special Task Force aimed at coordinating the identification of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.
"We have initiated the identification process for illegal migrants in both urban and rural settings. No foreigner without valid legal status will be permitted to remain in Odisha. State engineering departments have been directed not to hire any Bangladeshi or foreign nationals lacking proper documentation. The government is taking a firm stance on this issue," Harichandan stated during a press briefing in Bhubaneswar.
In April, Odisha's Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik and Food Supplies Minister KC Patra indicated that the state would work to identify all foreign nationals living illegally within its borders.
Naik mentioned that the identification of illegal settlers is being conducted at the gram panchayat level, while Patra noted that the government has decided to revoke ration cards fraudulently obtained by such individuals.
Additionally, the Commissionerate of Police in Bhubaneswar-Cuttack convened a meeting with police station officers to address the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the twin cities.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena instructed police stations to compile comprehensive data on undocumented foreigners, especially Bangladeshi nationals, and to take necessary legal actions. He also urged the police to investigate how these illegal settlers entered Bhubaneswar, their activities, and whether they have valid documentation.
According to police reports, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch arrested ten illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, including six men, three women, and a juvenile, at Bhubaneswar railway station in March.
The STF has identified a significant number of illegal settlers in the districts of Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, and Puri.
These illegal immigrants are reportedly involved in construction work, scrap collection, and street vending.
In March, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi revealed in the Assembly that the police have filed criminal cases against 41 Bangladeshis in the state over the past decade.
He noted that a total of 3,738 Bangladeshi infiltrators had been identified in the state previously, with the highest concentration of 1,649 illegal immigrants found in Kendrapara, followed by 1,112 in Jagatsinghpur, 655 in Malkangiri, 199 in Bhadrak, 106 in Nabarangpur, and 17 in Bhubaneswar.