By Manoj Kar
Kendrapara (Orissa), April 7: Toughening its stand on the contentious infiltration issue, Kendrapara district administration has imposed 20-years-domicile embargo on migrant Bengali-speaking people to attain
eligibility for social security schemes.

The Bengali-speaking settlers in Mahakalpada and Rajnagar blocks would now have to produce the proof to have settled in these areas for at least 20 years.

Unless they corroborate 20-years-nativity status, application of these linguistic groups will not merit consideration for government-sponsored social security schemes.

The Centrally funded old-age pension, widow pension, and disability pension besides Public Distribution System schemes would now be out of reach of Bengali speaking peoples living in these areas for less than
two decades, according to official sources.

"We have already implemented 20-years-nativity proof restriction in Mahakalpada and Rajnagar areas. Bengali-speaking applicants who were found wanting were not considered for these schemes," said Kendrapara Collector Kashinath Sahu.

The Block Development Officers of both Mahakalpada and Rajnagar have been issued strict instruction to ensure submission of nativity proof while sanctioning social security benefits to Bengali settlers.

As these areas are widely regarded as major hubs of infiltration of Bangladeshis, we were forced to impose these restrictions. The Bangla infiltrators are firmly ensconced in these places under the grab of migrants from neighbouring West Bengal state.

Migrant settlers from neighbouring States are lawfully entitled to settle here. They are also entitled to enjoy governmental benefits as per constitutional provisions. But crux of the problem here is of a different dimension.

There is little mechanism to differentiate the migrant Bengalis and unlawful Bangla immigrants because of common spoken language of the both the groups, said Sahu.

All these measures are part of the exercise to curb illegal immigration from across Bangladesh.

In exercise of powers conferred by Clause(c) of Sub-clause (2) of Foreigners Act-1946 (act no. 31 of 194), the union government's ministry of home affairs had asked these Bangladeshis to quit the country's geographical boundary within 30 days of the service of quit India notice on January 15, 2005.

The quit notice had sparked off widespread protest both from the illegal settlers and political parties who vociferously claimed that bona fide citizens were wrongfully tagged as foreigners.

The exercise to deport them was later put on hold by center and magisterial inquiry for nationality recheck had been ordered. But move to deport them is still kept on hold largely under political expediency. The findings of magisterial inquiry are still kept under the wrap.

The governmental benefits that an Indian citizen is entitled had been withdrawn in a phased manner from these foreign nationals strictly in conformity with legal provisions of Foreigners' Act, 1946. The residential nativity certificates issued to them have been nullified and their names are also deleted from the voters' list. Ration cards issued to these families were also withdrawn. Likewise subsidised PDS ration supply to Bangla nationals were also stopped. Fresh admission of Bangla children was also accordingly stopped.