The Assam government is pushing for a strict Aadhaar regime to help check infiltration from neighbouring Bangladesh.
“Last night, we pushed back 20 more Bangladeshis as part of our ongoing efforts to detect and push back illegal infiltrators. The decision to toughen Aadhar issuance rules will only aid our efforts in this direction,” chief minister Himanata Biswa Sarma posted on X after a cabinet meeting. He added that a formal decision in this regard will be taken in the next meeting.
“People who enter Bharat from Bangladesh are mostly adults. We have already achieved 100 per cent Aadhaar coverage. Therefore, we want to thoroughly inquire if there is any new adult applicant,” Sarma said on Friday.
He added: “Today (Friday) we discussed about a rule change where DC (deputy commissioner) is made the authority to approve the issuance of Aadhaar cards. If there is such a rule change it will become tough for (illegal) foreigners coming from Bangladesh to acquire Aadhaar and it will become easier for us to detect them...”
An official said the government was pushing for a strict Aadhaar regime by going for exhaustive verification of applicants. “Though the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issues Aadhaar cards, applicant verification is in the hands of state government. A state government can push or mull for change in consultation with the Centre.” he said.
The state government has been talking about a strict Aadhaar regime after Sarma revealed in September 2024 that there were more Aadhaar cards than the projected population in at least four districts — Barpeta (103.74 per cent ), Dhubri (103.48 per cent) Morigaon (101.74 per cent) and Nagaon (100.68 per cent).