Assam govt clears long-pending Aadhar card issuance issue, 9.35 L to receive cards within weeks

Guwahati, Aug 28: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that over 9.35 lakh people who have been deprived of Aadhaar cards will now be able to obtain them from their designated Aadhaar Kendras.

This group of 9,35,682 individuals had provided their biometrics for Aadhaar card issuance at centres that were also NRC (National Register of Citizens) centres between February and August 2019.

“The affected individuals also include those who were not directly linked to the NRC but had their biometrics collected during that period when Aadhaar registration and NRC enrolment were conducted simultaneously,” Sarma explained.

Chief Minister acknowledged that despite extensive efforts, the state faced challenges in establishing a clear link between NRC and Aadhaar, leading to a standstill in card issuance.

To address the issue, he said, the state government had formed a cabinet sub-committee, which engaged with various organisations, including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU).

“We also discovered that there is no connection between the 19 lakh people whose names are missing from the NRC and these 9.35 lakh individuals. Initially, we thought the latter were part of the former, but our analysis shows they are not. The committee’s findings concluded that there was no substantive connection between Aadhaar and NRC issues at the time, clearing the way for Aadhaar card issuance. The cabinet approved the sub-committee's recommendations and pursued the matter with the Centre for the past two years,” he said.

Chief Minister Sarma further informed that on July 29, the Centre requested official documentation regarding the issue. Following consultations with the Solicitor General, the Centre directed the resumption of Aadhaar card issuance.

“Within a month, individuals can collect their Aadhaar cards from the centres where they previously provided their biometrics,” Sarma stated.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Centre, noting that resolving this long-standing problem will now enable affected individuals to access government services such as ration cards and others, using their Aadhaar cards.