Guwahati: The process to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam will start in April.
This was decided at a meeting between officials of central home ministry, representative of the Assam government and the Registrar General of India in New Delhi Monday, officials said here Tuesday.
“We held detailed discussions with the officials of the Registrar General of India to pave way for early initiation,” Assam Home Commissioner G.D. Tripathy told IANS.
Earlier the state government had instituted a cabinet sub committee to deal with the process of updating the NRC.
The committee submitted its report to the chief minister in March 27 last year and suggested that the 1951 NRC will be updated by including the names of those who entered Assam on or before March 25, 1971, provided they furnish relevant documents.
The sub committee had also suggested that the project be started in three phases, with the first phase including 42 legislative assembly constituencies.
The Assam government had already started a pilot project to update the NRC in Barpeta district in 2010. But the government had to put the pilot project on hold following the death of four persons in police firing as supporters of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) resorted to vandalism in the district July 21, 2010.
While the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and some other organisations have welcomed the decision of updating the 1951 NRC, the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) had opposed updating the 1951 NRC on the grounds that the 1951 NRC is not available in six districts of the state. (IANS)