GUWAHATI, August 31: Assam Public Works (APW) has alleged that about 80 lakh “foreigners” have been “illegally” included in the “supplementary” list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) published two years back, and sought 100 percent re-verification of the citizens’ register in as many as 20 districts of Assam.
APW is a city-based NGO and the original petitioner in the Supreme Court that led to the update of the NRC in Assam seven years back.
Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, APW president, Aabhijeet Sharma claimed that the audit report of the Accountant General has revealed funds misappropriation to the tune of Rs 360 crore in the NRC update process.
“In this regard, APW will file a plea in the Gauhati High Court in September and subsequently demand a CBI inquiry into the anomalies, the biggest of which is that over 80 lakh foreigners have been included in the supplementary NRC list (published on August 31, 2019) as original inhabitants (OI) in areas such as Samaria, Baghbor, Morigaon, Dalgaon and Kharupetia,” Sharma claimed.
“Such anomalies have been admitted by incumbent state NRC coordinator, Hitesh Dev Sarma, and placed before the Supreme Court, while seeking 100 percent re-verification of the NRC list,” he said.
The districts where APW has sought 100 percent re-verification of the NRC list are Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bongaigaon, South Salmara, Goalpara, Nalbari, Barpeta, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Udalguri, Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Morigaon, Hojai, Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
“Cent percent re-verification will reveal that about 80 lakh foreigners have been included in the supplementary NRC list,” he said, while adding that the APW has so far registered 10 cases, be it in CID, enforcement directorate or local police stations.
“Worse still, the home department has over the past six months not given the permission letter to the anti-corruption branch of Assam Police to probe the case of (alleged) irregularities against former Assam NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela, based on our preliminary findings and facts,” Sharma said.
“Anomalies in the recruitment/salary payment of data operators engaged in the NRC update process, sale and purchase of legacy documents, procurement of generators and installation of duplicate software, involving five software firms, have come to the fore,” Sharma alleged.
He however admitted that the pandemic situation has prevented physical hearings in courts since January 2020, delaying the NRC update process.
