Cabinet panel pushes for 2014 voter list

NRC UPDATE

By Our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 10: The cabinet sub-committee on tiol Register of Citizens (NRC), recently constituted by the Chief Minister, today decided to recommend the State government to pursue the issue of including the 2014 electoral roll as an additiol document for inclusion of mes in the NRC.

The decision sparked immediate reaction, with the All Assam Students Union describing it as a "ploy to include mes of illegal migrants in the NRC".

The cabinet sub-committee headed by Dr Bhumidhar Barman, during its second meeting today, took eleven decisions which it will place before the Chief Minister.

The decisions are: certificate given by the tea garden magement should be an acceptable document for people of the tea community, application forms should be simplified, the last date of submission of forms should be extended, infrastructure at the 2,500 NRC Sewa Kendras should be upgraded with additiol manpower, government employees should be engaged in the Sewa Kendras, form distribution should be intensified, village headman's certificate should be an acceptable document for children who do not have birth certificates, LP/ ME/ HS school certificates should be a valid document in case anyone does not have HSLC certificate, Indian citizens who migrated to Assam after 1971 can use any government document of their respective state to establish their citizenship and caste certificates should be included in the list of valid documents.

Today's meeting of the sub-committee was attended by members Rakibul Hussain, Ajanta Neog, Atuwa Munda, Ajit Singh, Additiol Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu and NRC State coorditor Prateek Hazela.

Rakibul Hussain said the committee will submit its decisions to the Chief Minister.

Sources said the State government may place the decisions before the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the NRC update process, during the next hearing of the case on July 14.

Even though the State government has been insisting on its own set of conditions, unless the apex court agrees, those cannot be put into effect.

Peeved at the cabinet sub-committee decisions, AASU president Dipanka Kumar th and general secretary Lorinjyoti Gogoi said the State government is confusing the people by raking up new issues every day.

"It is a ploy to facilitate the inclusion of mes of illegal migrants in the NRC. But we will not allow this to happen. The conspiracy will be thwarted," they said.

The AASU said a cabinet sub-committee set up after the May, 2005 tripartite talks, had held extensive consultations and had recommended the modalities of NRC update to the Central government. "We don't see any logic of forming another sub-committee at this stage," they said, alleging that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is aiming to sabotage the NRC update process till next year's assembly elections.

Meanwhile, a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk Barak Valley bandh called by garikatwa Suraksha Sangram Committee and a few other organizations evoked response in both urban and rural areas. Hundreds of picketers were arrested from different parts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi for blocking entry to the administrative headquarters and Central and State establishments.

Around 150 picketers were hauled up by a posse of policemen from in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar. The DC and the entire staff of his establishment did not turn up. According to information from Hailakandi district, the Deputy Commissioner, Barun Bhuiya could enter the office, but no staff could make attend office due to the strong barricade by bandh activists and supporters.

The bandh was called against the alleged "harassment of genuine Indian citizens in the me of NRC update".

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