Guwahati: The Assam government, on Thursday, alleged that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) state coordinator, Prateek Hajela, is misleading the Supreme Court and also questioned his apparent failure to share directly with the state government the details that are submitted to the apex court, which is directly monitoring the NRC updating process in the state.
“Hajela submits the information to the Supreme Court, but he doesn’t share it with the state government. Our own MLAs, including state MoS Pijush Hazarika and legislator Gurujyoti Das, are now asking us, is Assam not an Indian state or are we part of the Pakistan government,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in the state Legislative Assembly here.
He was replying to two Zero Hour notices on the NRC updating issue, specifically pertaining to the fate of those whose names do not figure in the final list.
Patowary pointed that the state government has provided Rs 1200 crore for the NRC updating process and 55,000 state government personnel are directly engaged in its work, and yet the state coordinator has not been sharing the information with the state government.
” The state is providing money and manpower, and we are abiding by every word of the Supreme Court. But if still Hajela misleads the Supreme Court by submitting information in sealed envelopes, it will be the first such Constitutional document (where the state is not provided with the information),” he added.
Patowary further pointed that the state government as well as the Central government had requested the Supreme Court for re-verification of 20% names in the NRC, but Hajela informed the court that 27% re-verification has been done, though with any randomization of sample.
He noted with concern that percentage of exclusion of names was high in districts which had more dominant indigenous population, but districts bordering Bangladesh had less names excluded from the draft NRC.
Reiterating the state government’s stand, Patowary said more time was needed for the final NRC as having an error-free document was of paramount importance.
He also expressed apprehension that there would be resentment among the sons of the soil if their names are not included in the final NRC, which could lead to law and order situation.
“If the final NRC is published without addressing the concerns of the indigenous people, there will be unrest. And then, the state government has to take steps to ensure law and order, the NRC state coordinator won’t have to deal with it,” Patowary added.
The minister further claimed that the NRC office here has not shared details of 3.80 lakh applicants whose names had not figured in the draft but did not come forward during the claims and objections filing phase for inclusion in the final NRC.
Affirming that the government wants the NRC, Patowary underlined that it must be an error-free one and urged the House to request the Supreme Court to extend the deadline, now set for August 31 next. (UNI)
