*Voter, ration, Aadhaar cards, fake State Subject recovered
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 23: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that several Rohingyas and Bangladeshis residing in Jammu and Samba districts have reportedly managed vital documents like Aadhaar, voter and ration cards besides fake State Subject certificates by conniving with the concerned authorities and certain politicians in order to justify their illegal stay.
This can be gauged from the startling revelations came to the light in a test-checked case wherein a family was found having all these documents. The six-members family was not only possessing these documents but was also getting ration from the Government depot on the basis of illegally obtained ration card during the past several years without being detected by the concerned authorities.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that few days back Jammu district administration received an information that some of the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis residing in Belicharana area in the outskirts of Jammu city are in the possession of all those documents which a genuine citizen is supposed to have to avail different services of State as well as Union Governments.
Accordingly, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh decided to conduct a discreet inquiry so as to lay hands on documents substantiating the illegalities pointed out in the information. Subsequently, the Deputy Commissioner along with Sub-Divisional Magistrate South Sonu Pargal personally raided the premises of one of the illegal immigrants in Belicharana area.
During this exercise, the administration laid hands on ration card, voter card, Aadhaar card and State Subject certificate. On verification, the State Subject certificate was found to be fake while as voter, Aadhaar and ration cards were found to be genuine ones, sources said while disclosing that the administration has approached the Crime Branch Jammu to register FIR against the immigrant family for possessing fake State Subject certificate.
They informed that while head of the Burmese family was having all these vital documents the other five members were found in the possession of Aadhaar card besides having their names in the Government ration card. “This means the family was obtaining Government ration during the past quite long time without being detected by the concerned authorities of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department”, sources added.
“Now, the administration has constituted multi-member teams comprising of officials from Revenue, Election, Police and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Departments to conduct special census of localities where Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have been putting up illegally”, they said while disclosing that around 35 localities all in the Jammu City South have been identified for action by the administration.
The teams will verify as to how many illegal immigrants have obtained ration cards, voter cards, Aadhaar cards or even State Subject certificates. “From the test-checked case the possibility of huge number of illegal immigrants having obtained these vital documents/cards cannot be ruled out”, sources added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Revenue Minister had furnished a reply during the Budget Session this year that about 5000 Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are illegally residing in various parts of Jammu.
The startling revelations have come to the fore at a time when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has sought detailed report from J&K Government on this grave issue. The Home Ministry is concerned over increase in number of illegal immigrants in Jammu and will take action on the receipt of report from State Government on various aspects of this issue, which if not tackled immediately would be fraught with danger.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh confirmed that he has ordered special verification drive in order to weed out such elements from ration and Aadhaar database and electoral rolls. “The exercise will be completed within a fortnight and necessary action will follow thereafter”, he added.
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