Kendrapara, May 12: District authorities have initiated steps to verify the residential credentials of alleged Bangladeshi immigrants, who had been served notices to leave India.

"Records of the families who had laid claims to Indian citizenship are being cross-checked. The administration has taken up the matter seriously with competent agencies," said district collector Debraj Senapati.

Leave India notices had been served on the 362 alleged Bangaldeshi families comprising more than 1,551 persons under various provisions of the Foreigners' Act on January 15, 2005. According to the Act, they were to be deported to Bangladesh within a month of the notices being served. However, the deportation move was put on hold following directives issued by Union home ministry, said an official.

Of these 362 families, some 50 have come up with some "proof" to claim Indian citizenship. Others are yet to convince officials about their Indian roots.

Some of the infiltrators have submitted "relief eligibility certificate" and refugee resettlement certificates to lay claim to Indian citizenship. Some others have submitted records to prove that they migrated to Kendrapara from the neighbouring Bengal.

However, the authenticity of these records has come under the scanner. Hence, the matter has been referred to the Union home ministry and the Bengal government to ascertain the veracity of the claims, said an official.

There was widespread opposition to the 2005 move to deport the illegal migrants in the Mahakalpada tehsil of this infiltration-prone coastal district. Political leaders and rights activists had rallied behind the alleged infiltrators when they were asked to leave. The move was put on hold following protests.

Besides, there were glaring discrepancies in the enumeration of foreign nationals. In some cases, even the dead were served notices to leave the country. There were also instances of bona fide Indian citizens and even government employees being served deportation notices.