Karnataka drops NRC move, to create citizen database
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has put the Assam-like National Register of Citizens (NRC) proposal on the backburner and decided to narrow down its exercise to creating a database of immigrants without documents and foreign nationals overstaying their visa.
The dilution in the exercise move comes a fortnight after Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the NRC would soon be introduced in the state.
He had said this was part of the Centre’s plan to extend the NRC across the country to identify and weed out illegal immigrants.
The change in stance is also partly due to practical difficulties in preparing and maintaining a registry of that magnitude.
Basavaraj Bommai said, “We’ll not introduce an Assam-like NRC. However, we are considering compiling details of citizens that must help the government in tracking down illegal and overstaying foreign nationals.”
Labhu Ram, an officer with the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office, said about 800 foreign nationals have been overstaying in Karnataka. Detention centre may open soon The number keeps changing as it hinges on cases of detection and deportation.
However, the database proposed by the government is handy and the need of the hour, Labhu Ram added. The government is looking to operationalise a detention centre in Nelamangala— an old social welfare department hostel.
It is expected to be inaugurated soon and will be a first in south India. While the one in Delhi has been handed over to the state welfare department, it is yet to be decided whether Karnataka centre will function under the social welfare department or the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office.
“The detention centre makes sense as screening of immigrants and deportation of overstaying foreigners are a continuous process,” said Captain PG Bhat, an electoral roll analyst.
Courtesy: timesofindia
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Maharashtra completes over 66 pc pre-SIR mapping; urban areas lag
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra has completed 66.42 per cent pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping work, with Gadchiroli recording 90.51 per cent completion, the highest in the state, officials said on Tuesday.
Urban areas in Maharashtra are lagging in this exercise as Mumbai Suburban, Pune and Thane registered less than 50 per cent progress, they said, citing data from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Fourteen districts have completed between 80 and 90 per cent of the mapping work, while 13 districts have achieved 70 to 80 per cent progress. Districts with lower progress include Mumbai city (51.40 per cent), Nagpur (55.57 per cent), Raigad (57.80 per cent) and Palghar (59.28 per cent).
"The urban areas are lagging in the pre-SIR work due to migration of population and an increase in the number of booths following population growth," the official said.
The districts in the 80 to 90 per cent category include Washim (80.76), Latur (80.77), Sangli (81.65), Amravati (81.90), Nandurbar (83.32), Nanded (84.06), Gondia (84.32), Dharashiv (84.62), Parbhani (85.27), Beed (85.31), Buldhana (85.97), Sindhudurg (86.47), Ratnagiri (86.70) and Hingoli (89.08).
As per the data, out of 9.88 crore voters, around 6.56 crore have been mapped so far. The pre-SIR exercise involves Block Level Officers checking the current electoral roll against the voter list prepared in 2002 by the Election Commission.
Names of current voters must be present in the 2002 list to pass scrutiny. Officials are currently matching the two electoral rolls, and this is not a physical verification exercise at present. Young voters, whose names are not in the 2002 list, will have to establish that their parents' names were included in that list.
"We are yet to receive the detailed programme for the physical phase of the SIR. Till then, we will continue mapping the electoral rolls. Until details of the ground exercise are announced, it would be premature to comment on deadlines or proof requirements. Our intention is to minimise inconvenience to voters," the official said.
