GUWAHATI: City-based NGO, Assam Public Works (APW) has urged the newly-appointed Assam NRC coordinator, Hitesh Dev Sarma to institute a high-level probe into the alleged “financial irregularities” in the update of the citizens register in the state under the previous NRC authority.
APW, the original petitioner in the Supreme Court which led to the process of updating the National Register of Citizens six years ago, further sought a third-party audit by an internationally acclaimed organisation into the functioning of the software and IT infrastructure used in the the NRC update in the state.
A delegation of the NGO led by its president, Aabhijeet Sharma met the NRC coordinator here on Monday and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
“As per information available, it seems that most of the software used in the NRC update was put into operation without any test whatsoever leading to wrong entries into the NRC. We also suspect manipulation of data, which can be deleted only through an IT audit. But an IT audit was never done during the update process,” APW stated in the memorandum to the state NRC coordinator.
According to the NGO, the software developer companies engaged in the NRC update process include Wipro, Bohniman Systems Pvt Ltd, Maddoc Technologies, Trans Technologies Solutions and RJ-45 Technologies.
“Verification of family tree would have been the foolproof method of NRC verification, had it been done properly. Then again, almost all the data entry operators working in the NRC Seva Kendras of the immigrant dominated areas are from the immigrant community itself. Likewise, almost all LRCRs/ALRCRs and other verification officers working in the immigrant dominated areas are from the immigrant community,” the APW stated in the memorandum.
The NGO further requested the state NRC coordinator to inquire into the alleged “financial irregularities committed while spending an amount of Rs 1600 crore approximately released by the government of India, during the update process.
“A large number of data entry operators were engaged on the basis of a single tender to “Wipro Ltd”. A remuneration of Rs 14,500 per month to each data entry operator was fixed by the then NRC authority, which was being drawn by Wipro Ltd. However, Wipro had out-sourced the work of supply of IT manpower to a third party organisation, Integrated Systems and Service at Rs 8000 against each ‘data entry operator’ per month. Finally, the employees were paid Rs 5000 per month only,” APW stated in the memorandum.
The NGO further alleged that the previous NRC state coordinator appointed a number of retired government servants as his advisors who were provided new vehicles and a handsome pay package.
“Besides, a large number of school teachers were engaged in the update process. However, no remuneration was paid to them. About 10,000 laptops were purchased at Rs 44,000 per laptop. On survey, it came to light that the market value of such a laptop is Rs 22,500. About 11,000 electric generators were also purchased at double the market price,” APW stated in the memorandum.
“As the process of NRC update is a central subject, in a court of law it must be represented by central government counsels. But the previous NRC state coordinator, as per his own wish, appointed one private counsel, that too without the approval of the Union ministry of law and justice and Registrar General of India,” it added.