GUWAHATI, Dec 6 ? The Assam Government today decided to suspend the pilot project of issuing multipurpose identity cards to Indian citizens in the Patharkandi revenue circle of Karimganj district following a discussion with the All Assam Students? Union (AASU).
The Minister in charge of Assam Accord implementation, Dr Bhumidhar Barman, today held a discussion with a delegation of the AASU on the issue as the Government of India decided to launch a pilot project for providing multipurpose photo-identity cards to Indian citizens in Patharkandi revenue circle.
Talking to The Assam Tribune after the meeting, AASU president Prabin Boro said that the AASU refused to accept the guidelines of the Central Government for the purpose and expressed apprehension that foreigners might get identity cards if the same if given by following the guidelines.
He said that the AASU is not against the idea of providing identity cards to genuine Indian citizens but at the same time, the genuine Indian citizens should be identified before the pilot project is launched. He said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of 1951 should be updated and identity cards should be given to Indian citizens on the basis of the NRC.
Boro said that after the meeting, the State Government agreed to suspend the pilot project till the matter is finalised. He revealed that the AASU has already submitted draft modalities for updating of the NRC, and though the Government agreed to update the Register, so far the process of computerisation of
the existing NRC started only in Dhubri district. He said that the AASU would raise the matter in the proposed tripartite talk on the implementation of the Assam Accord at the level of the Prime Minister and it is expected that the modalities for the updating of the NRC and issuing multipurpose identity cards could be finalised in the meet.
It may be mentioned here that just before the arrival of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to the state to flag off the India-ASEAN car rally on November 22, the Central and State Governments assured to arrange for a tripartite talk at the level of the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Accord. Boro also said that a meeting between the AASU and the State Government on the implementation of the Accord would be held on December 15 as a prelude to the proposed tripartite meet.
Meanwhile, the AASU also submitted a memorandum to the State Government today demanding immediate steps to rehabilitate the next of kin of the martyrs of the Assam movement and also the persons handicapped during the movement.