Assam to file Interlocutory Application in Supreme Court for issue of Aadhaar cards to NRC applicants

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Guwahati on Wednesday evening

The Assam government will file an Interlocutory Application in the Supreme Court for providing Aadhaar cards to National Register of Citizens (NRC) applicants whose biometrics have been locked in the updating process of the citizenship document.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Guwahati on Wednesday evening.

Later Mr. Sarma tweeted: “Approval to filing of an IA (Interlocutory Application) in the Supreme Court for relaxation of Para 9 of the SOP and for providing Aadhaar cards to NRC applicants whose Aadhaar cards are kept on hold because of existing SOP.” This, he said, will benefit a large section of people below poverty line, students, pensioners, job seekers who do not have Aadhaar cards.

Over 27 lakh NRC applicants in the State had submitted their biometrics during the claims and objections phase for updating the State's NRC. Of these 19 lakh names were not included in the final draft of the NRC published on August 31, 2019, and these people are now facing problems in generating Aadhaar as their biometrics have been locked due to a Supreme Court directive. The apex court is overseeing the NRC updating process.

The State government had said in the Assembly last month that it has written at least twice to the Centre in the last two years requesting them to allow the Aadhaar card issuing authority to access the biometrics of at least those people whose names had figured in the NRC final draft.

During the meeting, a Cabinet sub-committee was formed to discuss the way forward with various organisations by the State government and the meeting approved was given to the proposed Assam State Bridge Infrastructure Project (ASBIP) at an estimated cost of ₹4,360 crore.