Guwahati:
The Assam government is set to file an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court seeking a directive to the Centre to issue Aadhaar cards to over 27 lakh residents.
The move was cleared by the state cabinet in a meeting held at Dispur, on April 20.
“We discussed the issue in the cabinet today. The cabinet approved the government for filing an interlocutory application in the apex court soon,” parliamentary affairs minister and government spokesperson Pijush Hazarika told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The biometrics of 27 lakh people had been collected during the process to update the NRC (National Register of Citizens) in 2019 as per a SoP approved by the Supreme Court. However, as their names had not been included in the NRC list and hence, were not issued Aadhaar cards.
“We have held a meeting with representatives of 27 organisations, including Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chantra Parishad (AJYCP) and several other tribal student organisations on March 24. All of them expressed concern over the non-issuance of the Aadhaar cards to such a large number of people and the problems they are facing in availing benefits of various government schemes due to the lack of Aadhaar cards,” said Hazarika.
The minister further added that all the organisations suggested that since the Aadhaar card is not a citizenship document, these people should be provided with the Aadhaar cards.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved 2 per cent job reservation for ex-servicemen for Grade I and Grade II posts, and allotment of 5 bighas of land for the construction of the Royal Bhutanese Consulate General office at Dimoria near Sonapur.
Apart from that, it also approved the Assam State Bridge Infrastructure Project which will be funded by a Rs 4,360 crore loan assistance from the World Bank. The project has been undertaken to improve all-weather road connectivity in the state. A total of 1,085 wooden bridges will be converted to RCC bridges under this project. The cabinet also gave administrative approval for the allotment of land for the construction of the warehouse, FCI godown.
“From now the deputy commissioner will be able to allot land for such projects with approval of the Land Advisory Committee and without the approval of the revenue department,” Hazarika said.
The cabinet also approved the proposal for the allotment of 77 bighas of land for the setting up of a battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Kukumaraa near Chaygaon in the Kamrup district.
In another decision, the state cabinet approved the proposal for a new CM’s Emergency Public Fund scheme under which the government can extend financial assistance to the victims of the flood, fire, boat tragedy or any other emergency like situation. A Rs 10 crore fund will be reserved for this purpose to bear all emergency expenditures.