NRC exclusion, Foreigners Tribunal cases not to impact Census-2021

*Only foreigners having diplomatic status not to be counted

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Barring the foreigners having diplomatic status, the Census -2021 will enumerate all persons living in Assam.

There has been fear and apprehension among certain sections of people in the State that those excluded from the final NRC and those fighting cases in the Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs) will not be enumerated in the next year’s Census. Some of the minority organizations have planned to meet the Registrar General of India (RGI) for clarification on the issue.

“All persons (excluding the foreigners and their families, who are having diplomatic status) living in any areas during the enumeration period from February 9 to 28, 2021 are eligible to be enumerated in the Census,” a source in the office of RGI said.

As per the instructions contained in the RGI’s instruction manual for enumerators, all foreigners (having no diplomatic status) staying in any parts of India for the entire 20 days (February 9 to 28, 2021) of enumeration are to be enumerated. “Therefore, the question of not enumerating those excluded from the NRC and those fighting cases in the FTs, does not arise. They will be enumerated in the Census,” the source pointed out.

While the final NRC has excluded around 19 lakh people, there are nearly 1.20 lakh ‘D’ (doubtful) voters and more than one lakh “Declared Foreigners” in the State.

On other hands, the Assam Government is gearing up to conduct Census-2021 across the State. While phase-1 of Census 2021 which includes ‘House listing and Housing Census’ will be conducted from April 20 to May 20, 2020; phase-2 pertaining to ‘Population Enumeration’ will be conducted from February 9 to 28, 2021. Over 50,000 government employees will be involved in this Census exercise.

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