Funding for the remaining works of NRC: Dispur at a loss!

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Funding for the remaining works of the NRC (National Register of Citizens) is quite uncertain with the RGI (Registrar General of India) refusing to fund for it beyond March 31, 2021. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) promulgated in the State for the Assembly election has also worsened the situation as the government can't take any major policy decision now.

The Registrar General of India (RGI) did inform the Assam Government that the former would not be able to provide funds for the NRC update exercise beyond March 31, 2021. Jaspal Singh, Joint Director in the Office of the RGI in the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi in a letter to the Assam Government on March 23, 2021 made it clear that all activities for the updation of NRC had to be completed within the approved cost of the scheme within March 31, 2021.

Gauging the gravity of the situation, the State Home and Political department has brought the NRC funding issue to the notice of State NRC Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma. The department asked Sarma if the monthly NRC expenditure could be curtailed from the proposed Rs 3.22 crore per month.

In his response to the Home and Political department, the State NRC Coordinator said that he is ready to curtail some of the expenditures. He proposed that he can run the NRC works with an expenditure of Rs 2 crore per month.

According to sources in the Home and Political department, the government is going to hold a meeting on the NRC funding issue soon. The Chief Secretary may remain present at the meeting. The meeting is supposed to see all pros and cons relating to the funding for NRC works.

According to sources, the NRC office is still left with a lot of works like issuance of rejection slips to around 19 lakh people who were declared ineligible for entry in the final NRC.

A big question that continues to haunt Dispur is: who will fund for the NRC exercise in the event of the RGI not funding for it? If the RGI doesn't fund for it, the State government may bear the expenditure.

The final NRC was published on August 31, 2019.

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