Daltonganj: Two Nepal-born women, married to Daltonganj residents and living in the town for decades, have applied for inclusion in the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Palamu, officials said on Saturday.The women submitted their claims at an SIR camp at Palamu Club on Thursday. “Their applications are being scrutinised under Election Commission (EC) guidelines,” assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) Amardeep Balhotra said.“We received claims from two Nepalese women at the camp. One of them is married to a Nepal native while another woman’s husband is a Daltonganj resident. But their cases require scrutiny under the applicable provisions,” Balhotra said.Officials said the applicants have been living in Daltonganj since 1987. Under EC guidelines, those born between July 1, 1987, and Dec 2, 2004, are required to submit proof of birth and documents concerning either parent.The women have told officials that their parents live in Nepal and they are currently unable to furnish the required parental documents. They have submitted marriage-related papers, which are also being verified.“The documents produced by them need careful scrutiny. Verification is under way,” Balhotra said, refusing to share further details on privacy grounds.He said persons born outside India to non-Indian parents can acquire Indian citizenship only through registration or naturalisation under the Citizenship Act. “They will have to establish citizenship through registration or naturalisation. Adequate time has been given to submit the necessary documents,” he added.Officials clarified that an Aadhaar card cannot be treated as proof of Indian citizenship and serves only as proof of identity and residence. Palamu UIDAI project officer Uday Pratap Singh said an applicant must have resided in India for at least 182 days in the 12 months preceding an Aadhaar application.Administrative sources said the women may have to provide documents relating to their parents or other immediate family members in Nepal to support their claims.Palamu deputy commissioner and district election officer Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat has directed officials to speed up disposal of applications and complaints received at SIR camps.Most complaints concern missing names and roll anomalies. No deletion requests have been received. JMM and Congress functionaries said the engagement of their cadres has remained limited as they are occupied with protests against the MMDR Amendment Act.
