Aizawl: The Centre has assured the Mizoram government that steps will be taken to obtain Presidential assent to a six-year-old Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill to identify foreigners and genuine residents in the state.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday and discussed a wide range of issues, including The Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill, 2019, the proposed establishment of a “peace city” at Thenzawl, transfer of Lengpui Airport, and the state’s flagship Handholding Scheme.
Shah assured CM Lalduhoma that he would take the necessary steps to ensure the Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill receives the President’s nod as soon as possible.
Notably, the Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill was passed by the Assembly on March 18, 2019, during the Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by former chief minister Zoramthanga.
The then-state Governor, Kummanam Rajasekharan, initially received the bill and referred it to the President, reportedly because it envisaged the detection of foreigners in the state.
Zoramthanga, who introduced the Bill, had said that after its enactment, it would help the state government in identifying foreigners and genuine residents of Mizoram.
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He had said that illegal influx from neighbouring countries has been a serious concern for several decades, and in many cases, the benefits of development and welfare programmes were taken away to a large extent by such foreigners.
