Assam for photo I-cards after NRC upgrade

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 18 – Government of Assam has conveyed to the Election Commission of India that Election Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) and Photo Electoral Rolls (PER) in the State be undertaken after updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Confirming that Government of Assam has initiated some action for updating of the NRC 1951 on the basis of relevant records, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Radhika Selvi said that Centre has provided Rs 3.02 crore for computerisation of the relevant documents.

In reply to a question by Kumar Deepak Das, the Minister confirmed that Assam government has submitted modalities for updating the NRC in January, which is under consideration.

On the issue of detection and deportation of illegal migrants, the Minister said that in Assam, 32 Foreigner’s tribunal under the provision of Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964 have been constituted and the Central Government is reimbursing the expenditure on these to the Government of Assam.

Meanwhile, in a startling revelation, the Centre has divulged that 62,547 Bangladeshi who entered the country on valid documents have overstayed during the last three years.

In 2005, 4.85 lakh Bangladeshis entered India using valid documents, 12,338 over stayed. What should send alarm bells ringing there has been an increasing trend with 25,712 Bangladeshis overstaying in 2007. That year over 5 lakh Bangladeshi nationals entered the country.

As against this, in 2005, 14,916 Bangladeshi nationals, who had overstayed have been deported by India, while in 2007, 12,135 have been sent back to their country, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sriprakash Jaiswal in a Rajya Sabha reply.

The Bangladeshi nationals, who enter India with valid travel documents, also tend to overstay. It is not possible to indicate the exact number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who may have crossed over surreptitiously.

What is significant, the Minister did not rule out the possibility of the illegal migrants indulging in illegal activities. Violation of the law and involvement in illegal activities by illegal migrants from Bangladesh cannot be ruled out. In some cases, involvement of HUJI of Bangladesh has been reported, he said.

Meanwhile, in a separate reply, the Minister said that in Tripura owing to resistance put up by Bangladesh Rifles and topographical configuration, thick habitations, the fencing works in some patches has been taken up at a distance of over 150 yards from the international border line, inside Indian Territory.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, meanwhile, confirmed that the border work along Indo-Bangladesh border is now scheduled to be completed by March 31,2010. Of the sanctioned 3406.50 km of fence work, 2631 km has been completed. source: assam tribune