Siddaramaiah should have come back again as CM: Home Minister M B Patil
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister M B Patil Tuesday made a pitch for Siddaramaiah "as chief minister again," but clarified the present coalition government under H D Kumaraswamy would complete its full term.
"What's wrong in that? Siddaramaiah is our leader in Congress. People want to see him as chief minister again.
"Even we too want to see him as chief minister again. He gave good governance for five years. He should have come back again," Patil told reporters here.
He was responding to a query on "growing demand" among the Congress MLAs to see Siddaramaiah occupy the top post again.
His statement resonates with Chikkaballapura Congress MLA K Sudhakar's remarks on Monday that it would be good if Siddaramaiah becomes chief minister again.
Batting for another term for Siddaramaiah, Patil claimed the former CM brought many pro-people schemes such as farm loan waiver, irrigation schemes, programmes of 'Bhagya' series such as Anna Bhagya, Krishi Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya etc.
"Siddaramaiah had done a lot of good work. He deserves one more term... But we have to accept people's mandate... When we come to power on our own... but presently that question does not arise.. This government has to complete five years," he said.
"Siddaramaiah has got the eligibility (for second term as chief minister)," Patil added.
After the Congress and JD(S) formed the coalition government following the May 2018 assembly elections, Kumaraswamy took over as the chief minister of the state.
The coalition partners also fought the Lok Sabha elections together though there have been strains between the two ever since.
Many Congress MLAs were not content with the present arrangement and had stated that Siddaramaiah was their leader and they would like to see him chief minister again, an issue that has irked JD(S) leadership.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
New applicants for Aadhaar in Assam need to submit NRC application receipt number: CM Himanta
Guwahati, Sep 7: All new applicants for Aadhaar cards in Assam need to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.
A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared for the purpose and this will be implemented from October 1, he said.
The submission of the application receipt number of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will stop the "influx of illegal foreigners" and the state government will be ''very strict" in issuing Aadhaar cards, he said.
''Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN)," the chief minister said at a press conference here.
He also said, "It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam and hopefully, other states will also be strict in issuing Aadhaar cards."
The submission of the ARN will not be applicable to the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the NRC process, and they will get their cards,Sarma said.
It will also not be applicable in the tea garden areas as many have not got their Aadhaar cards due to some practical difficulties like non-availability of adequate biometric machines, the CM said.
Sarma pointed out that four districts have reported "more applications for Aadhaar cards than their total projected population".
"These districts are Barpeta with 103.74 per cent, Dhubri with 103 per cent, and both Morigaon and Nagaon with 101 per cent," he said.
According to him, the Centre has given the right to the state governments to decide on whether an Aadhaar card can be issued to an individual or not.
''In Assam, we have decided that Aadhaar cards will be issued to new applicants only after a no objection certificate is given by the district commissioner concerned. Such certificates will be issused after minutely examining all aspects. If the applicant has the NRC ARN, it becomes clear that he was in the state before 2014," Sarma said.
The chief minister said his government will "intensify the process of identification of illegal foreigners as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two months and handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country".
Recent reports indicate an "increase in the number of illegal immigrants being detected, necessitating intensified efforts across the state to proactively curb the movement of illegal migrants while also taking steps to repatriate these individuals", he pointed out.
Sarma said border surveillance and patrolling will be strengthened in areas under the jurisdiction of border outposts to detect and prevent illegal border crossings.
Stronger coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other central agencies will be established to facilitate seamless information sharing and joint operations for enhanced border security, he said.
