Assam districts report more applications for Aadhaar than their population; Himanta cracks down

As part of efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that new applicants for Aadhaar cards in the state will be required to submit their National Register of Citizens (NRC) application receipt number.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma on Saturday explained that the number of Aadhaar applicants has surpassed the state's population, raising concerns about potential fraudulent applications.

Aadhaar card holders exceed the projected population in at least four districts, which is worrying, the Chief Minister said. ''Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN)." 

The chief minister stated that the move was aimed at halting the influx of people who entered Assam illegally. It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam, Sarma said, adding that the state will toughen the process of issuing new Aadhaar cards.

Sarma highlighted irregularities in certain districts, pointing to Dhubri as a particular area of concern. He said four districts have reported "more applications for Aadhaar than their total projected population". "These districts are Barpeta with 103.74 per cent, Dhubri with 103 per cent, and both Morigaon and Nagaon with 101 per cent," he said.

''In Assam, we have decided that Aadhaar cards will be issued to new applicants only after a no objection certificate is given by the district commissioner concerned. Such certificates will be issused after minutely examining all aspects. If the applicant has the NRC ARN, it becomes clear that he was in the state before 2014," Sarma said.

A formal notification is expected within the next 10 days, Sarma said, adding, "If you don't apply for NRC, you will not get an Aadhaar card in the new process". However, he noted that the regulation will not apply to tea garden areas, with stricter rules beginning October 1 in other districts for adult applicants.

The requirement to submit an NRC application receipt will not apply to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process, Sarma clarified. These individuals will receive their Aadhaar cards without additional conditions.

In addition, the chief minister reiterated his government’s commitment to intensifying efforts to identify illegal immigrants in the state, revealing that several individuals from Bangladesh had been caught over the last two months and handed over to authorities.

The chief minister said his government will "intensify the process of identification of illegal foreigners as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two months and handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country".

Recent reports indicate an "increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detected, necessitating intensified efforts across the state to proactively curb the movement of illegal migrants while also taking steps to repatriate these individuals", he pointed out.

(With inputs from PTI)