In bid to track illegals, Assam tightens Aadhaar controls | India News

GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Friday that only deputy commissioners were authorised to clear Aadhaar applications of adults as part of tighter checks to filter illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, marking a departure from the practice elsewhere of UIDAI-run seva kendras processing them.“Tightening of rules for issuance of Aadhaar to adults will make it difficult for illegal Bangladeshi migrants to go through. Without Aadhaar, it will be easier for us to catch and deport them,” Sarma said at a briefing after the cabinet decision.The CM added that Assam had already achieved 100% Aadhaar coverage and only newborns required enrolment, which would continue through the “normal process” in seva kendras.The new system of getting DCs to vet applications filed by adults is based on the presumption that any adult enrolling for Aadhaar could be potentially an illegal immigrant seeking a legal identity.“Last night, we deported 20 more Bangladeshis as part of our ongoing efforts to detect and push back illegal infiltrators. The decision to toughen Aadhaar issuance rules will aid our efforts in this direction,” Sarma said.The plan to channel Aadhaar issuance through DCs includes more rigorous authentication processes and document verification standards before approving the crucial biometric identification that serves as proof of both identity and residence in India. The Aadhaar card, while not establishing citizenship status, serves as a gateway to numerous government programmes and entitlements.