GUWAHATI:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that 1527.90 crore has been the expenditure till date for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), an official database of genuine Indian citizens residing in the state.
In response to a query in the Assam parliament from Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purakayastha, the chief minister stated that the Registrar General of India (RGI) has yet to notify the final NRC issued on August 31, 2019.
The NRC, which was revised under the direction of the Supreme Court, excluded almost 19 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants.
The Assam CM stated that the issue of rejection slips to individuals who were not included in the final register is the responsibility of the RGI and the NRC State Coordinator.
A 20% re-verification in border districts and a 10% re-verification in the rest of the state has been petitioned by the Assam State Government, informed Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, Supreme Court did not consider it because the former NRC State Coordinator had submitted that a 27% re-verification had already been completed.
In a response to another query from AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam as to why biometric data was being collected during the claims and objection process of NRC updating, the Assam CM notified him that it was being done to link the entries with that of the data provided in the Aadhar Card.
While the government has yet to proclaim a nationwide NRC, a number of detention facilities are being constructed around the country. In Assam, which has seen a campaign against mostly Bangla-speaking immigration for more than four decades, at least six detention centres are already in operation.
The construction of Asia's largest and the world's second largest detention camp, which has received extensive coverage in the national press, is well advanced. The Assam Police Housing Department is supervising the development of 25 acres of land on the banks of the Dudhnoi River in Matia, Goalpara district, at a cost of Rs 64 crore. According to sources, individuals identified as foreigners would be detained at the detention centre. This detention centre is intended for both men and women. The camp will have 17 buildings erected in total, two of which will be allocated for women.
According to reports, the development of the detention complex is around 80% complete. This enormous camp will have a primary school, library, hospital, recreational activities, a dining hall, and a kitchen, among other amenities. The camp will hold three thousand people, with each structure sheltering two thousand people and providing bathrooms and other amenities. In addition, 120 separate restrooms and toilets have already been constructed.
Also Watch