DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 4 (MExN): The Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI), a recently formed body under the aegis of Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) submitted additional and supplementary suggestions to the Committee on ILP/BEFR formed by the state government on Thursday.
The ‘points of concern’ given by the JCPI for INSERT IGNOREion on the report on measures to check such immigration in the state among others include demand for issuance of Aadhaar only by competent authorities, especially in Dimapur and Kohima.
It stated that in Dimapur town alone around five Aadhaar issuing centres, two of which are run by people of doubtful origins.
It claimed that unaccountable number of Aadhaar cards has been issued to people of doubtful origin with their addresses as Dimapur and called for their re-validation “by any means.”
Re-verify indigenous inhabitant certificate/ST certificate
The JCPI also suggested that all indigenous inhabitant certificate/ST certificate issued in the last 20 years should be verified.
Terming it as a grave concern that in previous years such certificates were issued rampantly to doubtful persons, the JCPI expressed doubt whether the Deputy Commissioner Office has proper records of such documents.
It claimed that unscrupulous elements are also selling such certificates in the market and alleged that the role of administrative officers cannot be discounted.
Marriage
Over the years, more and more Naga/indigenous women are getting married to non-indigenous men, and their children procuring indigenous/ST certificates are increasing, the JCPI said.
Non-indigenous tribes from neighboring states of Manipur, Assam, etc., are willfully giving the names of villages in Nagaland as their native village while filling up the forms for indigenous/ST certificates, it alleged.
In this context, the JCPI suggested that the criteria for issuing indigenous/ST certificate should be based on the production of proper documents proving one’s lineage/ancestry as per the 1963 Electoral roll, land patta, etc.
Rampant issuance of Land patta
The JCPI also maintained that there has been an alarming increase in non-Nagas and Nagas from neighboring states buying land rampantly in Dimapur.
As per the rules, the Revenue office issues patta only to persons with Indigenous certificates. However, as Indigenous certificates were rampantly issued, this rule has become difficult to implement resulting in pattas been issued to undeserving persons. This is a multiple crore scam and the role of administrative officers cannot be ruled out under any circumstances, the JCPI stated.
It therefore asserted that the Revenue office should be “directed not to issue patta to any applicant of doubtful antecedent without cross-checking with the 1963 E-roll.”
Another concern raised by the JCPI is the “case of non-Nagas and people of doubtful origin who having married Naga women” are buying land in their wives name for the sole purpose of establishing themselves permanently in Nagaland. The children of such unions are not eligible for land inheritance under any circumstances. Necessary laws should be enacted to make it explicit, it stated.
Electoral Roll
The JCPI stated that over the years, many people of doubtful origin have enrolled themselves in the Electoral Rolls of different Assembly Constituencies of Dimapur District. This is dictated purely by vote-bank politics.
Documents like Permanent Residential Certificate, Aadhaar, birth certificate, etc., are being used by people of doubtful origin to enroll their names in the E-Roll, it claimed.
In this context, the JCPI suggested that the ECI should carry out intensive revision of Nagaland E-roll to weed out elements of people of doubtful origin who are already enrolled in Assam as well. The ECI has the requisite software to detect registration of names in two places. Particularly the E-roll names in Dimapur district should be cross-swapped with Assam E-roll to detect multiple entries, it pointed out.
The JCPI also reiterated its demand for bringing Dimapur under the purview of Inner Line Permit.
Meanwhile, the JCPI informed that it met the Commissioner & Secretary Abhishek Singh who is heading the Committee on ILP/BEFR on October 4 in Kohima where the supplementary points of the JCPI findings were handed over. During the interaction, the Commissioner & Secretary assured the JCPI delegation that all aspects of the issues related to "illegal immigration" will be covered.
