Ground reality: Aadhaar saturation in Seemanchal region above 100%

As electoral roll revision exercise kicks off in Bihar, Muslim-dominated districts bordering Bengal witness a surge in applications for domicile certificates; govt orders investigation

- RAMASHANKAR @ Patna

THE Bihar government has ordered an investigation into the sudden surge in applications for domicile certificates in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region of the state, particularly after the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began on June 24.

Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said on Thursday that around two lakh applications for domicile certificates had been submitted in the past week in Kishanganj district alone. A sudden jump in applications for domicile certificates in Muzaffarpur district has also raised concerns, he added.

Choudhary did not rule out the possibility of Bangladeshi nationals settling in the region, as the country's international border with Bangladesh is not far from Kishanganj. Districts in the Seemanchal region are also close to West Bengal.

An IAS officer, posted as District Magistrate in the Seemanchal region, said on condition of anonymity that the district administration was keeping a close watch on applications for domicile certificates under his jurisdiction.