Acting on a directive from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has concluded a city-wide verification drive targeting sanitation workers to identify undocumented Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals. As part of this statewide crackdown, officials have also operationalised a dedicated detention centre to house those found to be residing illegally.
Verification Drive Covers All Sanitation Staff
Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Singh Sogarwal stated that the verification process was comprehensive. It scrutinised not only the permanent sanitation staff but also outsourced cleaning workers appointed through the CLS (City Livelihood Services) system. To ensure thoroughness, a special three-member committee was formed to oversee the task.
This committee comprised Additional Municipal Commissioner (III) Pramod Kumar, DUDA Project Officer Raju Kumar, and CLS Manager Nisar Khan. Their mandate was to validate the documents and identities of all individuals employed in the city's sanitation sector.
Shahpur Rain Basera Converted into Detention Facility
Following the verification process, the civic body has officially designated the multi-storey Shahpur Rain Basera (rain shelter) as a detention centre. The facility, which currently hosts a humanitarian organisation on its ground floor, has been prepared to accommodate detainees.
The centre has a capacity of around 50 beds—30 for men and 20 for women. Spread across three floors, it features four rooms on each level. Once operational, it will provide food, medical care, and security arrangements for the foreign nationals identified during the ongoing verification drives in sanitation and related sectors.
Statewide Crackdown on Illegal Immigration
This initiative in Gorakhpur is a direct implementation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's order for a statewide campaign. The CM has directed all municipal corporations across Uttar Pradesh to identify and document suspected illegal immigrants. As part of this intensified effort, detention centres are being readied in several districts to manage the process.
The move underscores the administration's focus on addressing issues related to undocumented immigration through systematic verification and designated holding facilities.
