Home Minister Gachchhadar had issued circulars to all district administration offices two weeks ago to provide citizenship by descent to children of citizens by birth. [break]
The CDOs, apart from those close to Gachchhadar or from Madheshi origin, argue that they cannot act against the constitution. “We will move forward in accordance with the constitution and Citizenship Act,” CDO of Rupandehi Hari Krishna Paudel said.
Our Biratnagar correspondent Khilanath Dhakal reports that District Administration Office (DAO), Morang has stopped issuing citizenship certificates from Sunday saying the circular has invited disputes.
“We have stopped issuing citizenship certificates considering the fact that many non-citizens got citizenship by birth in 2063,” a Morang DAO source told Republica. Around 42,000, half of them allegedly Indian nationals, had got citizenship by birth in 2063 from Morang, Gachchhadar´s stronghold.
Assistant CDO Surendra Paudel, however, claimed that the process has been halted because CDO is in Kathmandu on leave.
Meanwhile, DAOs in Dhanusha, Mahottari and Sarlahi, all of which share border with India, have not implemented the home minister´s directive calling it confusing, reports our Janakpur correspondent Suresh Yadav.
Our Kaski correspondent Santosh Pokharel reports no one has come to the DAO to get citizenship as per the circular. Parsa DAO, however, said it has not received the home ministry circular.
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