By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Thursday forcibly stopped the enrolment drive for the National Population Register (NPR) in certain parts of the city prompting the State Government to put on hold the ongoing enrolment drive with immediate effect.
The State Government’s decision came hours after the KSU stopped the NPR enrolment camps at Oakland, State Central Library, St Edmund’s and Pine Mount on Thursday.
Following the incident, the State Government convened an emergency meeting with officials of the East Khasi Hills district administration, Shillong Municipal Board, Census operators and the General Administration Department were it was decided to temporarily call off the enrolment.
“The NPR biometric enrolment has been kept on hold temporarily from today and we will first conduct awareness drive on NPR enrolment issue,” Principal Secretary also in charge Census Operations & NPR, Peter W Ingty said.
He informed that an official notification was being processed for involving the local village authorities in the NPR enrolment process and the role of the traditional authorities will be defined in the notification to be issued soon.
Ingty also informed that the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, who is also the NPR District Registrar, has been asked to prepare the programmes for conducting the awareness on NPR in Shillong and other parts of the district.
Meanwhile, justifying their stand, the KSU said that the enrolment camps were being organised despite an assurance by the State Government on July 19 that the enrolment under the NPR would be undertaken in Meghalaya only after proper awareness among the people of the State.
The KSU maintained that the Government should first familiarize the people with this new system of biometric enrolment so that the people can learn about the importance of NPR and its benefits.
