In a significant move , the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is said to have finalized the constitution of High Level Committee (HLC) to deal with demographic, security and other challenges from illegal immigrants in different States and UTs including Assam, West Bengal, North Eastern States and Jammu and Kashmir among others.A notification on setting up of the HLC is expected to be issued shortly, official sources said.
Pertinently, illegal immigrants have also been a major threat in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. Reports indicated that some of them have managed to get voter cards and other documents like Aadhaar card etc through manipulation.
There has been presence of Rohingyas in Jammu district and some of them have even managed to reach Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban and Doda districts posing themselves either as locals or from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
As per the latest figures, there are around 6500 Myanmarese in Jammu district, their ‘bastis’ mainly confined to Narwal Bhatindi, Railway Station, Qasim Nagar, Channi Rama etc, around 550 in Samba and 200 at Hiranagar Holding Centre in Kathua district.
With MHA giving nod, sources said names of the HLC members are being finalized and composition of the Committee is expected to be officially released in next few days, they said, adding Terms of Reference of the Panel will also be made public soon.The HLC is expected to have representation from some of the border States which have been facing brunt of the illegal immigrations.
The setting up of the HLC was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech this year on August 15. Subsequently, the Union Home Ministry gave final shape to the HLC which was then approved by the Union Cabinet in its last meeting held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.Finally, a notification constituting the HLC with representation from the border States/UTs is expected to be issued shortly.
“The Committee will suggest steps to deal with demographic changes arising out of illegal immigrations and other issues like security challenges,” the sources said.The problem of illegal immigrants has assumed alarming proportions in the States like Assam and West Bengal though it has been contained to some extent in Jammu and Kashmir with fresh influx of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. However, still large numbers of Rohingyas have been putting up in the UT. Presence of some Bangladeshis is too not ruled out.
Simultaneously, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is also expected to announce Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across the country, most likely in the month of October or November, to weed out illegal immigrants from the electoral rolls.SIR in Jammu and Kashmir along with West Bengal and Assam besides some North Eastern States assumed significance due to infiltration by Rohingyas and Bangladeshis and inclusion of some of them in electoral rolls as well as other documents to pose as locals.
The Election Commission has asked its State Election Officers to be ready for the SIR by September 30, in an indication that the poll authority could launch the voter list cleanup exercise as early as October-November.
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