NRC applicants' biometric data locked: Assam pursuing matter with Centre
Guwahati: The matter of NRC applicants whose biometric details were locked during the claims and objections phase of the citizenship document update process, and thus making them unable to get their Aadhaar enrolment done has been raised by the Assam government with the appropriate authorities, the state assembly was informed on Monday.
No eligible beneficiary under Prime Minister Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme or the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the state was being deprived due to the absence of their Aadhaar cards, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a written reply to a query.
The biometric details of over 27 lakh NRC applicants were collected during the claims and objections phase while updating the National Register of Citizens, prior to the publishing of the document's final draft on August 31, 2019. However, it is yet to be notified by the Registrar General of India (RGI).
This data has since been frozen pending completion of the NRC, leaving these people unable to generate their Aadhaar numbers, which has also reportedly led to problems in availing benefits under various government schemes.
Responding to a question by ruling BJP MLA Kaushik Rai, Sarma informed the House that the state government has raised the issue of a section of the people failing to get their Aadhaar number as their biometric details have been locked with the RGI and the Union home secretary.
The Supreme Court has directed that an appropriate regime be enacted for NRC data on lines similar to the security regime provided for Aadhaar data. Subsequently, the RGI has sanctioned requisite funds for it, with the NRC State Coordinator taking up the project and C-DAC the implementing agency, he added.
The reply was laid in the House in the name of the chief minister in his capacity as the home minister though he was not present.
His reply further said linking of Aadhaar details of the beneficiaries under the PMAY-G scheme is not mandatory for Assam yet.
However, there is a directive from the Ministry of Rural Development to capture and upload Aadhaar details of beneficiaries for the preparation of PMAY-G additional list (Awaas+).
In case any person is left out of Awaas+ due to non-generation of Aadhaar number, the beneficiary will be included in the eligible list once Aadhaar-like security regime for NRC data is available, according to the reply.
Similarly, all beneficiaries under NFSA are getting food grains by showing their ration cards and no one is being deprived of their monthly entitled quota due to lack of Aadhaar card, it added.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
