Can’t Afford To Miss This Chance: AASU

GUWAHATI: The AASU has appealed to the people of Assam to avail themselves of the opportunities that have come after the extension of the date for lodging objections and relaxation for filing them in district headquarters, apart from NRC seva kendras.

Talking to The Sentinel, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said: “We appeal to the people of the State to lodge objections against inclusion of people of suspected nationalities in the complete draft NRC, without fear. We need to avail this chance to ensure a correct NRC in the State. Since the apex court has allowed lodging of objections in district headquarters (DC offices), apart from NRC seva kendras, now people are free to lodge objections for the interest of a correct NRC. The NRC that had been prepared in 1951 only for Assam was never updated. We can’t afford to miss this chance. We want a correct NRC. We had to appeal to the judges’ committee formed by the apex court and the State NRC coordinator for such a provision for lodging objections in district headquarters or any other central places where people can lodge objections without fear. Since our plea has been responded to positively by the apex court, apart from extending the time for lodging objections, we need to cash in on it.”

Meanwhile, according to sources, the NRC authority is also going to start an advertisement campaign within a day or two on the extended date and relaxations on lodging objections. The NRC authority has already made copies of the complete draft NRC available in all deputy commissioners’ offices. All objections being received now will be disposed of through hearing from February 15, 2019. Each and every DC office has an NRC branch to receive objections. Such objections will be sent to their respective NRC seva kendras. The ARN (application receipt number), which is a must while lodging an objection, is accessible at DC offices.

According to sources, 289 objections were received till Wednesday all over the State.

The provision of slapping fines on any person for providing wrong information in the citizenship of any person as mentioned in the Citizenship Act, 1955 has been exempted in the case of objections in NRC update.

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