GUWAHATI, June 9: In a major policy shift aimed at protecting the interests of the indigenous population, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced that the state government will invoke the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Order of 1950 to accelerate the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Speaking in the state Assembly, CM Sarma asserted, “The state government is set to use the 1950 law to expel the illegal immigrants here. The apex Court of the country has also given a nod regarding this. The administrative machinery will work accordingly to make Assam free from illegal immigrants.”

Emphasizing his personal commitment to the issue, he added, “I am an Assamese first and a Chief Minister later,” while reiterating his government’s focus on safeguarding the interests of the indigenous Assamese people.

The move marks a significant departure from the previous reliance on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process and the quasi-judicial foreigners’ tribunals. Under the new plan, district commissioners (DCs) will be empowered to issue deportation orders without judicial approval — a major deviation from the earlier legal process that required cases to be taken to the foreigners’ tribunals.

CM Sarma explained, “This time, if someone is identified as a foreigner, we will not have to approach the foreigners’ tribunal to initiate a pushback.” He further cited a Supreme Court hearing on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, noting that the apex court clarified that the Assam government is not obligated to seek judicial sanction for each deportation.

He acknowledged that this provision in the 1950 law was previously overlooked. “Our lawyers had not informed us about this provision earlier. We recently became aware of it, and we are now taking it seriously,” Sarma stated.

The Chief Minister also confirmed that deportations under this renewed legal framework have already commenced, although individuals with pending court cases remain unaffected at this stage.

Previously, those declared “foreigners” by tribunals had the right to challenge the rulings in the High Court and the Supreme Court. The decision to bypass this process is expected to drastically alter how undocumented immigrants are identified and removed in the state.

In a related development, CM Sarma reiterated his government’s commitment to law and order, stating that the Assam Police will adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards all forms of crime.