1798 citizenship applications forwarded to Centre: Waii

Itagar, March 12: The Aruchal Pradesh Government forwarded a total of 1,798 applications of Chakma and Hajong refugees to the foreigners division of the Union Home Ministry along with recommendations that the applicants are not eligible for grant of citizenship, State Home Minister Kumar Waii informed the Assembly on Monday.

Responding to a supplementary question from BJP member Pani Taram during question hour as to what circumstances compelled the State Government to forward the applications, Waii said the recommendations were made before the State Assembly adopted a resolution last year not to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs in the State.

"The Supreme Court in an order of September 17, 2015 directed the Centre as well as the State Government to filize the conferment of citizenship rights on eligible Chakmas and Hajongs. Accordingly, the citizenship applications were processed and the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts carried the requisite exercise of verification and forwarded the reports to the State Government, stating that none of the applicants satisfies all the conditions laid down under Section 5 (1) (a) of the Citizenship Act of 1955,"Waii said.

"As per the report of the DCs report, the State Government forwarded all the applications to the Home Ministry," he added.

When senior BJP member C T Mein said that more than 2000 Chakmas had settled illegally at Diyun Reserve forest and wanted to know the steps initiated by the Government to evict them and identify the illegal refugees in the State, Waii said that the Government had already issued directives to all the concerned DCs and action would be initiated after getting the reports from the DCs.