Take States’ consensus before enrolling NPR: Parliament panel

A Correspondent

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Thursday suggested the Union Home Ministry get a consensus of all State governments before rolling out the National Population Register (NPR) exercise.

In its report submitted in the Rajya Sabha, the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs headed by Congress MP Anand Sharma said that the MHA should explore the feasibility of using the Aadhaar metadata for the Census and updation of NPR in 2020-21 and all the States/UTs should be fully convinced on various issues pertaining to the NPR.

NPR exercise commences from April 2020. “It is necessary to have a national consensus so that there is absolute clarity and no apprehension among remaining people across the country which will help in conducting these exercises in a smooth manner,” the report said.

The recommendations made by the Parliamentary panel assumes significance as many of the states have opposed NPR.

The Committee has also recommended that the allocation under the Capital Head for the Union Territories (without legislature) should be increased for the creation of assets particularly infrastructure and ensuring that the developmental projects of the UTs do not get hampered due to shortage of funds.

The Committee, also, recommended that the Ministry must review the capital requirements of the eight UTs (including two newly created Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh) in the first half of the next fiscal year, and expedite the developmental projects in these UTs and project a higher demand for allocation to the Ministry of Finance at RE stage.

It said that Planning Board and Investment Agency to be created for J&K to speed up development The Committee observed that just like Army Personnel, the CAPF personnel are also posted in the treacherous, mountainous and snowy terrains. Therefore, CAPFs personnel needs to be given the Risk and Hardship allowance as admissible to Army personnel. (IANS)

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