Confusion still runs high with biometric enrollment of citizens in Cachar district of Assam whose names have not figured in the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) or for those, facing a ‘hearing’.
The Hindu Legal Cell keeping the aforesaid matter in mind, have sent a memorandum to the chief executive officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in New Delhi, wherein, they have put forth that a gross violation is being done in regards to Supreme Court’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for disposal of ‘claims and objections’ in the updation of NRC, 1951 in Assam.
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Dharmananda Deb, convenor of Hindu Legal Cell, an advocate of Silchar, is busy these days. On May 17 last, he has filed a memorandum to the CEO of UIDAI, a statutory body of the Central Government, highlighting, violations of apex court’s SOPs for disposal of claims and objections in the State.
Dharmananda Deb’s point of argument is that why biometric enrollment should be taken from persons who have Aadhaar number, which has been done so, in the district of Cachar and probably in other parts of Assam as well.
Not only that, he questioned, why an Aadhaar enrollment form needs to be filled up in the name of NRC?
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Dharmananda Deb’s queries has raised a lot of eyebrows, for which, Piyush Chetiya, assistant director general of Ministry of Electronics and IT, government of India, have sent a letter dated May 21 this year, to C P Phookan, deputy secretary to the Home and Political Department of the State Government to address these issues and redress the grievances projected by Hindu Legal Cell, keeping in the loop the nodal officer of Cachar district as well.
Talking to Northeast Now, Dharmananda Deb, said, “Not only that, my point of argument is, why a biometric enrollment is being done only for those who have been left out of the list, while, the rest who find there names in the first and final draft of NRC, are still out of its purview. Reference of Aadhaar is only found in Aadhaar and Income Tax Acts, in respect to biometric enrollment; Citizenship act and its rules, mentions nowhere of biometric enrollment. So, taking biometric enrollment is not only illegal but unconstitutional as well,” said, Deb.
Clarifying this point of objections raised by Hindu Legal Cell, deputy commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri, talking to this correspondent, said, “This correction is being done now. Residents having Aadhar card need not give their biometric enrollment once again, but, have to give their Aadhar number. Also, children below the age of five years need not give their biometric enrollment. Those who have already done so, would be deleted. We are just following what has been laid done as per Supreme Court’s guidelines.”
Meanwhile, to meet deadlines, the district administration of Cachar has picked up pace to get the biometric enrollment done. Whether by doing so is a gross violation of ‘rules’, ‘acts’ and ‘procedures’, is a million dollar question.