Assam govt not doing its bit to tackle illegal migration: PVM

Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM), an NGO against infiltration, today said the Assam government was not doing its bit to tackle the illegal migration issue from Bangladesh.
Urging the Centre to intervene, the PVM alleged that documents are fraudulently being acquired by immigrants in Assam for including their names in the updated National Register of Citizenship (NRC), work for which has already begun.
"There is large scale fabrication of documents, birth certificates, identity proof, land documents etc which needs to be uncovered by a central agency as such papers will be the basis for asking citizenship," PVM Convenor Upamanyu Hazarika told reporters here.

He also claimed that Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, an immigrant can be conferred citizenship in different phases upto December 3, 2004.
"This effectively shifts the NRC cut-off date for grant of citizenship to migrants from Bangladeshi from March 25, 1971 to December 3, 2004. This needs to be addressed by legislative measures," he added.
PVM also alleged that large amount of encroachment have taken place on government, forest and grazing land, but the state government is not doing its bit.

PVM has already made detailed representations to Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Union Minister of State PMO and Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on February 13.

"We hope that the Central government considers our representation and acts expeditiously in addressing these grave issues which confronts the people of Assam," he added.
The organisation, registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, was formed for identifying Bangladeshis and 'foreigners' by the legal process.