CM Himanta Sarma Announces New Requirement For Aadhaar Card Applicants In Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday that all new Aadhaar card applicants in the state must provide their National Register of Citizens (NRC) application receipt number.

According to PTI, he said that submission of the application receipt number of the NRC will prevent the "influx of illegal foreigners," and the state government will be "very strict" in issuing Aadhaar cards.

''Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN),"  Assam CM said, PTI reported. 

While addressing the press conference today, Sarma also said that it will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam.

The submission of the ARN will not apply to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process, and they will get their cards, Sarma said, PTI reported. 

He further added that it will not be applicable in the tea garden areas as many have not got their Aadhaar cards due to some practical difficulties like the non-availability of adequate biometric machines.

He also pointed out four districts with more applications for Aadhaar cards than their total projected population. The districts named Barpeta with 103.74 per cent, Dhubri with 103 per cent, and both Morigaon and Nagaon with 101 per cent.

''In Assam, we have decided that Aadhaar cards will be issued to new applicants only after a no objection certificate is given by the district commissioner concerned. Such certificates will be issused after minutely examining all aspects. If the applicant has the NRC ARN, it becomes clear that he was in the state before 2014," Sarma said, PTI reported.