In a significant move aimed at tightening the Aadhaar Card issuance process, the Assam government announced on Wednesday that applications for the unique identification card will be rejected if the applicant or their family members have not applied for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC). This decision, made during a cabinet meeting, comes in response to growing concerns over infiltration from Bangladesh, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Sarma, addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, expressed that recent arrests of suspected infiltrators by Assam Police, Tripura Police, and the Border Security Force (BSF) over the past two months had raised alarms. He emphasized the need to strengthen the state’s systems to tackle such infiltration attempts and ensure security.
Under the new directive, the General Administration Department of Assam will take over the responsibility of verifying Aadhaar applications, with an Additional District Commissioner assigned to oversee the process in each district. The verification process will begin when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) sends the Aadhaar application to the state government. The local Circle Officer (CO) will first check if the applicant or their family members had applied for the NRC. If there is no record of an NRC application, the Aadhaar request will be immediately rejected, and a report will be submitted to the Centre.
If an NRC application is found, the CO will proceed with field-level verification as per Supreme Court guidelines. Once the officer is satisfied with the verification, the Aadhaar will be approved. However, the new rule will not apply to central government employees working in other states who did not apply for the NRC.
This move is part of the Assam government’s broader effort to strengthen the Aadhaar issuance system and prevent dubious individuals from acquiring the card. The new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mandates that the state government must verify and return the documents to UIDAI online within 45 days of receiving them.
In other cabinet decisions, Sarma announced the reintroduction of the manual land revenue system to address challenges faced by small landholders in Assam. Despite digital payments being implemented last year, farmers and small landowners struggled with online transactions, prompting the government to continue accepting payments through both manual and digital modes. Additionally, the cabinet approved a waiver of renewal fees under the Societies Registration Act to facilitate land allotment applications for social institutions under the Mission Basundhara 3.0 scheme, which aims to simplify land rights procedures for indigenous communities and religious institutions.
