Assam Tightens Aadhaar Verification To Curb Illegal Immigration

To combat the rising illegal immigration from Bangladesh, the Assam government has implemented stricter measures, including enhanced coordination between the Assam Police and the Border Security Force (BSF), as well as a more rigorous Aadhaar card verification process. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma outlined these new steps during a press briefing on Wednesday.

Following political unrest and the ouster of Sheikh Hasina earlier this year, Assam has witnessed a surge in illegal immigration. To address this, the state cabinet discussed several measures aimed at tightening controls on citizenship documentation, particularly the issuance of Aadhaar cards.

Chief Minister Sarma stated, “To empower Assam Police, which serves as the state’s second line of defence, we have proposed closer coordination with the BSF to prevent illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Additionally, the Assam cabinet has decided to make the process of obtaining Aadhaar cards in the state more stringent."

The state government’s General Administration Department (GAD) will act as the nodal body, overseeing the verification of Aadhaar applications at the state level. Each district commissioner will delegate the responsibility of Aadhaar verification to an Assistant District Commissioner (ADC), ensuring proper scrutiny of all enrollment requests.

Sarma elaborated, “The GAD will now oversee the state-level verification, which the Centre mandates before granting Aadhaar. The Deputy Commissioners (DC) of districts will assign an ADC to ensure thorough verification of all Aadhaar applications."

In the new procedure, Circle Officers will play a key role in inspecting Aadhaar applications after the verification process by the GAD and ADC. They will check whether the applicant, their family members, or parents have applied for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens (NRC). If no such records are found, the application will be immediately rejected, and the information will be forwarded to the Centre.

"If the applicant or their family has applied for NRC, the next step will involve field verification following Supreme Court guidelines. Only after completing all verification stages will the applicant be eligible to receive an Aadhaar card," the Chief Minister explained.

Govt Employees Exempted

Regarding government employees from other states, Sarma clarified that they would be exempt from the NRC rule. "Government employees from other states serving in Assam, who have not applied for NRC, will not be subject to the NRC requirement. However, they will still undergo physical or document verification," he added.

These measures are designed to prevent fraudulent citizens from acquiring Aadhaar cards, ensuring greater transparency and security in the process. "This decision has been long-awaited. Circle Officers previously lacked clear guidelines for Aadhaar verification. With the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), they now have proper direction. Going forward, obtaining Aadhaar will not be as simple as applying and getting it immediately,” Sarma concluded.

The move is expected to significantly enhance the state’s efforts to address illegal immigration and ensure that only legitimate residents benefit from essential services.

Also Read: Assam Ends Aadhaar Card Freeze for 9.35 Lakh Residents Affected by NRC Errors