Kerala allocates ₹20 crore for nativity cards amid SIR, citizenship concerns

Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal on Thursday announced a ₹20 crore allocation for issuing nativity cards to state residents

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal on Thursday announced a ₹20 crore allocation for issuing nativity cards to state residents, amid concerns over the Citizenship Act and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal said that Kerala government and the LDF (Left Democratic Front) have strongly opposed the attempts of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Act in the country. (ANI)

“Kerala government and the LDF (Left Democratic Front) have strongly opposed the attempts of the Central government to implement the Citizenship Act in the country. Now, the moves to revise the voters list on the basis of SIR have raised concerns among the people. Kerala government has informed its strong stand regarding SIR to the Central government and the Supreme Court of India,” Balagopal said after the budget presentation on Thursday.

“Introduction of SIR has created large apprehensions among the people, including minorities. Kerala has decided to allot a document namely a nativity card to solve the concerns of the people living in Kerala for generations. The government has decided to enact a law so as to give nativity cards to all citizens. ₹20 crore is earmarked for this,” he added.

This comes a month after the Kerala Cabinet gave in-principle approval for the introduction of a permanent, photo-embedded nativity card in the state.

The new nativity card, planned as a document with a photograph, seeks to replace the nativity certificate currently issued by local bodies, indicating the birth and long-term residence of a person in the state. The nativity certificate is not legally binding and must be obtained repeatedly from local bodies at a fee to avail various government services.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said the decision was taken to replace the existing nativity certificate, which currently has to be obtained repeatedly for different purposes and does not carry statutory legal validity.

“The move is aimed at ensuring that no individual is forced to struggle to prove their identity or place of residence in the state. The card can be used for services related to the State government and other needs. The tahsildars will be responsible for distributing the card,” the CM had said.

However, the announcement last month triggered sharp reactions from the BJP, which alleged that the move was an example of “dangerous separatist politics.”

Senior leader and former Union minister V Muraleedharan had termed the move ‘politically motivated’ and argued that issues related to citizenship and identity fall within the ambit of the Union government.