Mizoram's NRC-like bill awaits Centre's approval

Aizawl: The Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2019, which seeks to identify illegal immigrants and genuine residents of the state, is pending with the Centre for approval, Chief Minister Zoramthanga told the Assembly on Friday.

Zoramthanga said the state government will continue to make efforts to ensure that the bill received the Centres consent.

"The bill is with the Centre and is yet to be approved," he told the House.

The bill is pending clearance by the Union government for about a year after it was introduced by the chief minister and passed by the Assembly on March 18, 2019.

The NRC-like bill was then sent for assent of the state governor, who referred it to the Centre as it involved detection of illegal immigrants, a subject under the Centre's jurisdiction, an official said.

While introducing the bill Zoramthanga had said its enactment will help the state government identify illegal immigrants and genuine residents.

He had said that influx of infiltrators into the state through its porous borders has been a matter of serious concern for several decades.

In many cases, the benefits of the government's

welfare programmes could not reach the targeted beneficiaries and were appropriated by illegal immigrants who

clandestinely stayed back and mingled with the local population.

He underscored the need for a comprehensive database of all residents of the

state, in villages or towns, permanent or temporary, for updating it.