There were 3987 infiltrators in Odisha and all of them hail from Bangladesh, the state assembly was told today.
"The state has no infiltrators from any country except Bangladesh," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while replying to a written question in the assembly.
While the highest number of 1,649 Bangladeshi infiltrators have been identified in coastal Kendrapara district, 1,112 foreigners were found in Jagatsinghpur district.
Patnaik said 655 Bangladeshi have settled illegally in Malkangiri district, followed by 313 in Bhadrak district, 150 in Balasore disrict, 106 in Nabarangpur district and two in Baragarh district.
The Chief Minister said District Collectors and Superintendents of Police (SPs) have been directed to identify the Bangladeshi nationals settled in the state after March 25, 1971. "The district authorities have also been asked to verify voter identity cards or ration cards, if any, issued in names of such infiltrators," Patnaik said.
He also assured the House that the state government has been taking steps in consultation with the central government to deport such infiltrators.
Replying to another question, Patnaik said the state government has no information regarding a group of Bangladeshi people living near railway tracks in the state capital.
