No Aadhaar card for first-time applicants 18 years or older: Assam CM Sarma

The Assam chief minister also said adult members of SC, ST, and tea tribes will get Aadhaar cards for one year only

First-time applicants who are over 18 years of age will no longer will able to get an Aadhaar card in Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Thursday.

 

However, a one-month window from September 1, will be given to people above 18 years who haven't got an Aadhaar card yet to apply for one, Sarma said after a Cabinet meeting.

 

"The decision to restrict Aadhaar card issuance is seen as part of the efforts to ensure the authenticity of citizens' identities. This move highlights the government's focus on addressing concerns about potential illegal immigration from Bangladesh in the last one year," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

 

The Assam CM also noted that members of tea tribes, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribes categories who are over 18 will continue to get Aadhaar cards for the next year. Aadhaar cards for adults are issued for a lifetime.

 

He added any genuine Indian adult citizen left out of the Aadhaar system can still apply to the relevant district commissioner, who will verify their credentials and issue the card in “the rarest of the rare” cases, PTI reported.

 

"The Aadhaar saturation of general people in Assam is 103 per cent, which signifies that no people are left and the number of cards exceeded the number of total people," Sarma said.

 

He noted, however, that coverage among tea tribe, SC, and ST communities is slightly lower at 96 per cent, indicating that not everyone in these groups has received an Aadhaar card.

 

On being asked about the rationale behind the move, Sarma "In the last one year, we have been regularly capturing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and pushing them back. Yesterday, we pushed back seven people. We do not know if anyone could slip through the security checks and stay back."

 

He explained that the measure is intended to prevent illegal foreigners from acquiring Indian citizenship. "This preventive measure is irrespective of religion or any other criteria," Sarma highlighted.

 

He also confirmed that the decision to withhold first-time Aadhaar cards for adults will be permanent, citing the state’s vulnerability to infiltration, according to PTI.

 

Sarma has been highlighting illegal immigration from Bangladesh into the state for a while now, and has claimed that Assam is facing serious demographic change because of it.  (With inputs from PTI.)