Manipur Assembly adopts resolutions to implement NRC, set up population commission

The Manipur Assembly Friday unanimously adopted two private member resolutions to establish the Population Commission of the state and also implement the NRC (National Register of Citizens).

The private member resolutions were moved by Janata Dal-United MLA Kh Joykishan Singh on the last day of the Budget session of the Manipur Assembly.

He claimed that the hill areas of the state saw a population growth of 153.3 percent between 1971 and 2001, and it amounted to 250.9 percent during the 2001-2011 period.

The valley areas also recorded a population growth of 94.8 percent from 1971 to 2001 and around 125 percent from 2001 to 2011, Joykishan stated. The JD(U) MLA raised his concern over the alleged infiltration of outsiders into Manipur.

He claimed that there are restrictions on people from the valley districts for settling in the hills, and the whopping population growth, particularly in the hills, could be attributed to the alleged influx of people from outside.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh participated in the discussion on the resolutions and said such motions to establish a population commission and implement the NRC in the state would serve the collective interests of all the members of the House.

Meanwhile, several civic bodies demanded an updated NRC with a fixed cut-off base year to identify illegal immigrants in the northeastern state.