JPC to visit Barak Valley

A Correspondent

Hailakandi, May 3: A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 will be on a two-day visit to Barak Valley on May 8 and 9. It will be the maiden visit of the committee to Assam. JPC during its visit to Silchar will conduct hearings from migrants, NGOs, public representatives and other stakeholders from three districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj of Barak Valley relating to various provisions of the bill.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi Adil Khan has urged all the stakeholders to submit their memoranda along with names of representatives, attending the hearings, latest by May 4 for onward submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The JPC constituted to discuss the proposed bill had hearings from 16 organisations from Assam in Parliament on April 17. The bill is expected to be presented in the winter session of Parliament.

The proposed 2016 Amendment Bill of the Citizenship Act 1955 currently under consideration of the JPC was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 19.  Headed by MP, Rajendra Agrawal, the 30-member committee includes 20 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 MPs from the Rajya Sabha, has already toured the States of Gujarat and Rajasthan.