New citizenship act to be enforced in mid-Jan

Kathmandu, December 19:

The government will distribute citizenship certificates as per the Nepal Citizenship Act-2006 from January 15, according to Home Minster Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

“Home Ministry will send teams across the country to distribute certificates after due verification,” Sitaula told parliamentarians in the State Affairs Committee today.

The new Act has a provision to provide citizenship certificates to people who could not acquire the same in the past although fulfilled all criteria. Now, a person can acquire a citizenship certificate with the recommendation of three citizens if he or she cannot provide evidence of him/her being a Nepali.

“We will conduct orientation classes for officials before they visit places as this is a new system of distributing citizenship certificates to the people,” Sitaula added.

“This will help conduct the Constituent Assembly elections in the stipulated time,” he said.

For that, the government yesterday tabled the Bill to Amend and Integrate Voters’ List Act.