Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sharply criticized the West Bengal government for its perceived leniency in addressing border infiltration. Speaking to reporters, Sarma identified West Bengal as a “weak link” in the broader effort to combat illegal entry into the country. “The weak link in our campaign against infiltrators is the West Bengal government,” Sarma remarked. “We apprehend six to seven illegal infiltrators daily in Assam, as evident from my social media updates. However, unless infiltration is curbed in West Bengal, the problem will persist and spread nationwide.” Highlighting the pressing need for a nationwide implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Sarma stressed that such a system is essential to safeguard the country’s borders. “How and when this will be executed is another matter, but its necessity cannot be overstated,” he added. The Chief Minister’s comments have reignited discussions on the challenges posed by illegal infiltration and the importance of inter-state coordination in national security efforts.
In a significant administrative move, Sarma announced that Assam’s General Administration Department will now act as the nodal agency for verifying Aadhaar applicants in the state. The decision, finalized during a Cabinet meeting, mandates that an Additional District Commissioner (ADC) in each district will oversee the verification process.Under the new protocol, once an Aadhaar application is submitted, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will forward it to the state government for further scrutiny. The Circle Officer (CO) will first verify if the applicant, their parents, or family members had applied for inclusion in the NRC.If no NRC application exists, the Aadhaar request will be rejected outright, with the rejection communicated to the central government. For applicants with pending NRC cases, field-level verification will be conducted in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines. Aadhaar will only be issued upon satisfactory completion of this process.
Sarma clarified that these stringent measures will not apply to central government employees from other states who did not apply for the NRC. The move aims to ensure a robust Aadhaar issuance system, preventing individuals with questionable credentials from acquiring the identity card. The NRC, published on August 31, 2019, included 3.11 crore names out of 3.30 crore applicants, while over 19 lakh individuals were excluded. Sarma’s initiatives reflect the Assam government’s continued commitment to tightening border security and maintaining the integrity of official identification systems.
