Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced that people above 18 years of age will not get first-time Aadhaar cards in the state as a precautionary measure to check illegal immigrants from getting Indian citizenship.
Only a one-month window would be given to people above 18 years of age to apply for an Aadhaar card if anyone has not got the same yet, he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
However, Tea Tribes, SC and ST people above 18 years of age will continue to receive Aadhaar cards for the next one year.
"The decision to restrict Aadhaar card issuance is seen as part of the efforts to ensure the authenticity of citizens' identities. This move highlights the government's focus on addressing concerns about potential illegal immigration from Bangladesh in the last one year," Sarma said.
According to the CM, Assam has 103% Aadhaar saturation, but that this is at 96% among the SC, ST and tea garden communities.
He said this will become operational from October 1, and that members of SC, ST and tea garden communities will have an additional window for a year to apply for and receive Aadhaar cards. Once this window is closed, Aadhaar cards will only be issued to people aged over 18 years in “rarest of rare cases”, and will only be issued by Deputy Commissioners after seeking reports from the district police and Foreigners’ Tribunals.
“If someone is left behind for whatever reason even after one year, they will have to apply to the relevant DC, and the DC will consult all stakeholders, like the Superintendent of Police, Foreigners Tribunal and will be able to give it in the rarest of rare cases,” he told Indian Express.
In July, Sarma had said that the cabinet was discussing a policy for new Aadhaar cards for adults in the state to be issued only by Deputy Commissioners.
Last year, the Assam government said at least four districts of Assam had Aadhaar enrolment more than the population.
Sarma had said in at least four districts, the number of Aadhaar cardholders has surpassed the population. "In Barpeta, 103.74% of the population have Aadhaar cards, in Dhubri 103.48%, in Morigaon 101.76%, and in Nagaon about 100.86% have obtained Aadhaar cards. This raises concerns, as it suggests that suspected foreign nationals may have managed to procure the cards," he told Economic Times.
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