Key facts
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma proposed annual citizenship scrutiny for residents along the international border.
- The proposal includes the possibility of an annual National Register of Citizens (NRC) for border populations.
- A High-powered Demography Mission will review the suggestion and is expected to report within a year.
- Central assistance to Assam has increased significantly since 2016, with numerous infrastructure projects underway.
- Assam's GDP has grown substantially, and a large number of people have moved out of poverty.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has proposed that the state government suggest to the High-powered Demography Mission the implementation of a strict regime for scrutinizing the citizenship of all residents along the international border. This could include an annual National Register of Citizens (NRC) process and checking Citizenship IDs.
Sarma stated that the focus is on demographic change, which he considers a matter of concern, and highlighted the need to ascertain the numbers of Hindu and Muslim populations before and after Independence. The High-powered Demography Mission, chaired by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar and including experts like Durga Shankar Mishra, Balaji Srivastava, and Dr. Shamika Ravi, is tasked with submitting its report within one year, with a possible extension.
In addition to the citizenship scrutiny proposal, Sarma announced that a survey to ascertain the profile of street vendors in Guwahati will commence in August. He also emphasized the significant increase in central assistance to Assam under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, noting a rise from approximately Rs 1.7 lakh crore between 2006-2016 to Rs 5.5 lakh crore for 2016-2025-26. This increased support, he stated, reflects the Centre's commitment to the region's development.
Sarma further reported substantial economic growth in Assam, with the state's GDP increasing from Rs 2.27 lakh crore in 2015-16 to approximately Rs 8.7 lakh crore, and claimed that around 80 lakh people have moved out of poverty. He also detailed several infrastructure projects, including the proposed Silchar-Siliguri Express Corridor, a Guwahati-Tinsukia Express Corridor, and an elevated corridor connecting Guwahati Airport. A double railway line below the Siliguri Corridor and plans for a new railway line connecting Assam with Tawang were also announced.