Assam to enforce strict Aadhaar verification from Oct 1: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Individuals seeking Aadhaar cards in Assam will face a more stringent verification process from Oct 1, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sep 7, adding, the move comes in view of a disturbing trend in certain districts, where the number of Aadhaar cardholders has surpassed the population.

The new applicants will have to submit their National Register of Citizens (NRC) application receipt number (ARN) and a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be implemented from Oct 1, Sarma said.

''Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens. This raises concerns that suspected foreign nationals may have managed to procure the cards,” the Chief Minister told reporters at a press conference.

"For instance, data shows that in Barpeta, 103.74% of the population, in Dhubri 103.48%, in Morigaon 101.76%, and in Nagaon about 100.86% have obtained Aadhaar cards," he added.

The submission of the ARN will not apply to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process, and they will get their cards, according to Sarma.

It will also not be applicable in the tea garden areas as many have not got their Aadhaar cards due to some practical difficulties like non-availability of adequate biometric machines, the Chief Minister said.

“The submission of the ARN of the NRC will stop the "influx of illegal foreigners" and the state government will be ''very strict" in issuing Aadhaar cards,” he added.

According to him, the Centre has given the right to the state governments to decide on whether an Aadhaar card can be issued to an individual or not.

''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 issued 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.

Illegal immigrants

The Chief Minister said his government will "intensify the process of identification of illegal immigrants as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two months and handed over to the authorities of the neighboring country".

Citing recent reports indicating an "increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detected, Sarma said intensified efforts across the state are needed to proactively curb the movement of illegal migrants while also taking steps to repatriate these individuals.

“Border surveillance and patrolling will be strengthened in areas under the jurisdiction of border outposts to detect and prevent illegal border crossings,” he said.

“Stronger coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other central agencies will be established to facilitate seamless information sharing and joint operations for enhanced border security,” he added.

Intelligence-gathering mechanisms, focusing on cross-border networks and infiltration routes will be enhanced along with community awareness programs in border areas, he said.

The Chief Minister stated that residents in border areas will be encouraged to report suspicious movements or new settlers, which will help early detection of potential illegal immigrants.

“All cases of illegal immigrants must be promptly documented and forwarded to the Foreigners Tribunals for adjudication, while periodic verification of records should be conducted to prevent them from evading detection,” he said.

“Village or field-level government functionaries will be activated to gather information on new and unknown persons and upon receiving such information, an enumeration of suspected illegal immigrants must be conducted in consultation with Assam Police (HQ), district administration, and district police,” he added.

Sustained efforts will be launched to locate and apprehend individuals, who have been on the run after being declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunals, the Chief Minister said.

“After identifying suspected individuals or families, their biometrics will be collected and if such individuals possess Aadhaar, PAN, Voter IDs, or passports, their numbers should be recorded for future reference,” Sarma added.

Notably, from Jan 2024 till date, at least 54 illegal immigrants have been detected - 48 in Karimganj, 4 in Bongaigaon, and one each in Haflong GRP and Dhubri districts. Of them, 45 were handed over to their country of origin, while nine were arrested in Karimganj.