Measures in place to prevent citizenship irregularity

By Bishnu Prasad Pokharel,Damak, July 15: In response to an incident involving an Indian national's failed attempt to obtain Nepali citizenship using false documents, the Area Administration Office in Damak, Jhapa, has implemented stricter protocols when issuing citizenship certificates.

Maheshraj Timsina, the chief of the Area Administration Office, Damak, said that in a recent incident, an Indian national was revealed to have made a failed attempt to obtain the Nepali citizenship certificate. 

Timsina said that the individual's father had obtained the Nepali citizenship card approximately 10 years ago, followed by the mother acquiring citizenship after a significant period of time.

However, doubts surfaced when evidence emerged suggesting that the family had purchased a piece of land merely two days after the mother had obtained her citizenship. 

Timsina said, "We were suspicious when we found that an individual registered his birth 20 years after his actual birthdate and submitted education certificates obtained from India."

They became increasingly skeptical about him when he repeatedly said that his parents were out of town. This raised further concerns and heightened the need for a thorough investigation into the matter.

"Despite the presence of substantial evidence, the area administration office investigated the case thinking that the issue of the citizenship certificate should not be taken lightly," said Timsina.

Upon investigation, it was found that he had obtained an Indian passport, and his entire family has been living in India. Timsina further emphasised the need for a careful evaluation of all the submitted evidence before issuing a citizenship certificate. 

"We had engaged in discussions with the elected representatives regarding the sensitivity surrounding the issuance of citizenship recommendations," Timsina stated.

They had also urged the people's representatives to carefully verify the documents and adhere to the necessary procedures before issuing recommendations for the citizenship certificates, he added. 

"The authority should exercise caution to ensure that genuine Nepali citizens face no obstacle in acquiring the citizenship card, while also preventing non-Nepali nationals from obtaining the citizenship," he emphasized.

Timsina, however, mentioned that he was unaware of the arrest of an individual in Damak who had allegedly collected a sum of Rs. 100,000 each from three individuals, promising to assist them in obtaining the citizenship certificates.

A week ago, the local police office in Damak arrested an individual and filed a fraud case against him.

The Area Administration Office, Damak, has recently introduced a token system in response to the rising number of individuals seeking citizenship certificates following the enactment of the Citizenship (First Amendment) Act, 2022.

The enactment of the act has opened doors for the siblings of those parents who acquired citizenship by birth to obtain citizenship certificates. 

Within the past two weeks, the Area Administration Office in Damak has issued citizenship to 557 individuals who have submitted necessary documents, Timsina informed.

According to him, under the new provisions, a total of 228 individuals from Damak Municipality, 202 individuals from Shivasatakshi Municipality, and 127 individuals from Kamal Rural Municipality have acquired citizenship.