The Hindu : Drive against illegal foreign migrants soon: L-G

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

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Drive against illegal foreign migrants soon: L-G

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 9. A day after the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani, called for a strong action against illegal foreign migrants, the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, yesterday announced that the Delhi police would launch a major drive to identify and deport Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals who have either overstayed or entered illegally in the country.

The number of illegal Bangladeshi migrants is not known but nearly 500 Pakistani nationals are illegally staying in the Capital.

Addressing his annual press conference here, Mr. Kapoor, flanked by the Chief Secretary, Shailja Chandra, the Police Commissioner, R.S. Gupta, and the MCD Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, said the drive would be launched soon after finalising all details.

Although the task to identify the Bangladeshi nationals was difficult, the police would seek to identify them by verifying the original addresses or through dialect which was somehow different. Regarding issuance of identity cards as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani, the Lieutenant-Governor said details of this scheme were still awaited and whenever some direction is received it would be implemented in the Capital.

Mr. Kapoor revealed that those who had entered the country through legal documents were not difficult to trace as the addresses are recorded with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and they could be detected on the basis of that documentary evidence.

He said as per estimates, there were around 500 Pakistan nationals who were overstaying in India without official approval or had disappeared after entering the country.

The Lieutenant-Governor informed that in the first phase, those indulging in rag picking and scrap material would be identified and deported as this section is believed to have the largest number of Bangladeshi migrants. The Police Commissioner said that 2,000 Bangladeshi nationals, who were overstaying in the Capital, were deported during 2002.

In another initiative aimed at inculcating driving sense among Delhiites and enforcing obeying of traffic rules, Mr.Kapoor announced that beginning January 20, any driver found violating traffic laws would have his license punched. Further, all new driving licenses being issued by the Transport Department would have punching space so that the cops could take necessary action whenever violation takes place.

He said that due to various measures taken by the Traffic Police, the number of road accidents had gone done substantially during the past five years which was a big achievement. During 1997, 2,342 people were killed on city roads but during 2002 this figure had come down to1,842.

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