Jharkhand HC directs state govt to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Santhal Parganas

Ranchi, Aug 13 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh who have taken refuge in the Santhal Parganas region.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai while hearing a public interest litigation on illegal immigration of Bangladeshis ordered the government to launch a campaign to identify the original residents of the area.

The court also directed that documents required for making ration cards, Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards should be issued only after verifying land documents and domicile status of the applicants.

The bench said that illegal immigration from the neighbouring country was a dangerous proposition and a matter of serious concern for the state and the Centre.

During arguments, the court was informed by petitioner Daniel Danish that illegal immigrants have settled in six districts of the Santhal Parganas -- Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj, Pakur, Godda and Jamtara, and the demography of the region has changed considerably as a result.

The percentage of the tribal population has reduced from 44.67 to 28.11 between 1951 and 2011, whereas the population of the minority community has increased from 9.44 per cent to 22.73 per cent, the court was informed.

The court will hear the matter again on August 22. PTI CORR NAM SOM