No one turns up to complain!

BY Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 29: No specific complaint has been received so far regarding tampering of the tiol Register of Citizens (NRC), officials said today.

Following allegations of tampering, the Kamrup metropolitan administration had constituted a public hearing cell which had notified two days of public hearing.

Not a single complaint turned up on the public hearing days.

Earlier, the Prabrajan Virodhi Manch had lodged a complaint with the Union Home Minister seeking an investigation by a Central investigative agency into the reports of tampering of the origil NRC document “where mes have been reportedly inserted in the gaps between two serial numbers, by giving sub-numbers and also by inclusion of mes at the end of the list.” The Manch has, however, termed the public hearing as a “meaningless” exercise.

“The purpose of public hearing is only to serve as a cover-up. This is the procedure adopted under the IMDT Act which required the complaint to prove that a person complained against of being a foreigner, when it is only the suspected foreigner who should prove or disprove the complaint,” Upamanyu Hazarika of the Manch said, reiterating that a Central agency should investigate the allegations through a Central Forensic Laboratory.

“Officials who have been given custody of these documents need to be investigated and questioned. The public does not have access to the documents and it is only from reports received from some data entry operators – who do not wished to be identified – that the revelations regarding the tampering of NRC came about,” he added.

Allegations of tampering of the NRC have been received from other places as well.

However, the NRC update State coorditor Prateek Hazela said no specific complaint has been received from anywhere in the State so far.

“We have instructed the Deputy Commissioners that in case any specific complaint is received, it should be investigated through forensic tests. However, no one has so far come forward with a specific complaint,” Hazela said.