Foreign power does not want NRC: Governor

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Nov 22: Governor PB Acharya today said a "foreign power" does not want the NRC to be updated in Assam and expressed concern that despite extra time being allotted, the exercise remains incomplete.

Acharya, however, chose not to elaborate as to what he meant by "foreign power."

"The people cannot afford to lose this opportunity to get rid of the foreigners constitutiolly. Foreigners cannot be allowed to have any say or decide our political fate," he said, insisting that all genuine Indians should be registered in the updated NRC.

He said an AASU delegation has recently told him that there were reports of people furnishing fake birth certificates with the NRC forms in Sonitpur district. Acharya asked the State government to inquire into the issue.

Inclusion of foreigners and omission of Indians, he said, will be detrimental to the security of India.

The Governor urged that considering its importance and urgent need, the completion of the NRC update work should be expedited and no manpower allotted to the task should be assigned to other duties. His statement came close on the heels of the controversial Revenue department circular asking its officers to concentrate more on departmental work.

Assuring the people that the government is bent upon finishing the remaining work of NRC on time, Acharya appealed to all political parties, student organizations, merchants' chambers, NGOs and Xatradhikars to cooperate in the process and see to it that the work is completed early without further delay. "A proper NRC is the beginning of a vibrant and strong Assam and Northeast," he said.

Meanwhile, NRC coorditor Prateek Hazela has informed the Governor that altogether 68 lakh applications have been received. Nearly 3.5 crore people will be verified. As many as 2,500 centres have been opened and a whole lot of new software are being made for computerization of the entire exercise.