Enemies against NRC update, warns Hazela

‘Illegal migrants against exercise; forgery for NRC inclusion to be punished’

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, February 9: At a time when the Centre is taking all steps to update the much-awaited tiol Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam with the help of the State government, the NRC State coorditor Prateek Hazela has struck a warning note by saying that there are some enemies active against the NRC update in the State. 

Talking to reporters here on Monday, Hazela said that illegal migrants, who came to the State after March 25, 1971, were mainly against the exercise. But he assured that the process of NRC update will be foolproof.

“For the first time, the NRC update will take place in the State. Our main thrust will be on the inclusion of mes of genuine citizens in the NRC and not of tiols who came to the State after March 25, 1971. We have discussed this issue with all prominent political and social groups in the State and they don’t have any major objection to it.”

He said that a public awareness drive on the NRC update will be launched from February 16 in gram sabha and town committee areas. “A website www.nrcassam. nic.in and a 24x7 toll free number 15107 have been launched for the convenience of people,” he said, adding, “Firstly, the legacy data of the 1951 NRC and pre-1971 rolls, and pre-electoral rolls for the four districts of Kamrup (M), Kamrup, lbari and gaon will be made public through this website, while 100 NRC Seva Kendras will be set up in these districts. Within March, another 2,400 Seva Kendras will be set up for the same purpose all over the State.”

By the end of March and the first part of April, the NRC forms will be distributed among the people in their homes, he said, adding that the filled-in NRC forms should be submitted in the respective Seva Kendras within July next. “People should submit their photos with the forms,” he said. 

On the NRC forms verification issue, Hazela said, “The verification process will start from June. While verifying the NRC forms, the criteria will be that the me or mes of an applicant or his or her family members should be there in the 1951 NRC and the 1971 pre-electoral rolls. By October last-mid November this year, the draft NRC will be published and people will get one month time to lodge their claims and objections, if any. In January next year, the fil NRC will be published.” He further added, “A person will be punished under the law, if he or she forges documents to include his or her mes or mes of his or her family members in the NRC.” 

For updating the NRC, Rs 498 crore will be spent and of it, Rs 140 crore has already been released by the Central government, he added.

It may be mentioned that though the NRC update is a Central government subject, the Assam government has been authorised to carry out the task on behalf of the former.

The decision to update the NRC was first taken in a meeting held on May 5, 2005 in New Delhi, in which the members of the AASU, officials of the Assam government and the Central government were present.