Watch out for NPR frauds on Indo-Bangla border: PC

NEW DELHI: Union home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday broke off from his colleagues who practice political correctness with a vengeance on the issue of infiltration when he asked officials posted on Indo-Bangla border not to let fraud-prone groups to swarm the National Population Register (NPR) gathering process. Lax enforcement has so far been a key component of the power grab by politicians in border states.

“There is a danger, mostly in Indo-Bangla border — people crossing over and get enumerated in the NPR,” he said addressing the All India Conference on National Population Register here. He said there have been some instances in border areas where people from across the border have tried to get themselves enrolled in the NPR, which will be updated across the country beginning April 1.

UPA politicians usually duck from commenting on the issue for the fear of attracting the wrath of the open-border enablers in its ranks. These leaders often accuse those who want to secure borders and enforce immigration laws of lacking “compassion”.

This has led to border chaos, haphazard law enforcement and deportation negligence. If the minister’s statement is anything to go by, the home ministry’s response will not be dictated by politicians who rush to sell out to special interest groups in the name of “minority” outreach.

The Indo-Bangla border is 4,095-km long. The enumeration exercise will cover all 35 states and Union Territories and the country’s 1.2 billion citizens living in 7,742 towns, 6,08,786 villages and 24 crore households involving 25 lakh government employees.

The minister said there are 3,331 border towns and villages where the problem may arise. “Obviously, any inflated enumeration will take place only in land border. We are not talking about east or west coast. We are talking about the Indo-Myanmar border and Indo-Bangladesh border. The other side of the Indo-Myanmar border is very thinly populated. The real danger is in the Indo-Bangla border. We are cautioning our field officers to be careful while enumerating in Indo-Bangla border,” he said.

Mr Chidambaram, however, said there was not much problem along the border with Pakistan as it was mostly fenced. “There is a not a great danger along the border with Pakistan. Indo-Nepal border is a porous border. Yes, there is some danger there too. We have to be cautious there too,” he said.

The minister said the NPR is a register of usual residents and the nationality being canvassed in the form as per the declaration of the respondent and this will not confer any rights of citizenship on anybody.

“If any false claim is being made, it should be brought to the notice of the relevant authorities that have been notified namely, the village officer, the Tehsildar or the Collector who will cause the verification of antecedents and appropriate action will be taken under the law,” he said.