People throng DAO for citizenship as SC clears legal hurdle

Published On: April 20, 2019 07:12 AM NPT By: Mithilesh Yadav

LAHAN, April 20: Gaurav Kumar Sah’s long-cherished wish of getting citizenship through descent came true on Friday.

His father Devendra Sah had obtained citizenship by birth. Due to lack of clear government policy Gaurav was deprived of citizenship even after he became eligible for the vital government document.

Gaurav, however, was successful to obtain the citizenship card after the Ministry of Home Affairs resolved legal complications, issuing a circular to all District Administration Offices mandating them to provide citizenship cards to the children of those born to citizens by birth.

Two days after the ministry issued the circular Gaurav approached Lahan Area Administration Office, producing all required documents but the concerned officer had gone on vacation that day.
He approached the office a second time after five days. His second effort also went futile as the Supreme Court had already ordered local administration offices not to implement the ministry’s circular.

Gaurav continued to wait, hoping the decision to halt issuance of citizenship would be revoked. On Tuesday, the court ended his wait, ordering the local authorities not to halt providing citizenship to those born to parents holding citizenship by birth.

A day after the order he obtained his citizenship and shared happiness together with his friends.
Gaurav is just one among many benefiting from the recent government decision to provide citizenship cards to the children of those who obtained citizenship by birth.

DAO chief Som Prasad Bhattarai said more eligible citizens have been approaching the office seeking citizenship cards. According to Bhattarai, as many as 70 people approach the office daily.
“Many of them want to obtain citizenship at the earliest fearing the government will stop distributing citizenship cards again,” said Bhattarai.

On an average, 100 citizens come to Siraha District Administration Office daily to obtain citizenship-almost double from previous days.

Many locals in tarai have been celebrating after the apex court upheld the ministry’s circular ordered to issue citizenship by descent.

A division bench of Justice Hari Krishna Karki and Bam Bahadur Shrestha had decided to do so after advocate Balkrishna Neupane challenged the ministry’s decision.