‘CORRUPTION’ IN NRC-UPDATE EXERCISE
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has vowed to expose corruption in the NRC update exercise during the ongoing winter session of the Assam Assembly.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly on the first day of the winter session on Thursday, Sarma said an inspection note of the Accountant General of Assam had revealed incidents of corruption that took place during the NRC update process. Stating that the inspection note is not a document of the State Government, he pointed out that it was prepared by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG).
Terming the final NRC as “100 per cent faulty document”, Sarma said that “the former State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela had committed mistakes after mistakes in updating the citizens register”. He added that the Supreme Court was under the impression that Hajela was doing his job rightly and the apex Court was not informed about the inspection note by anyone.
“We will tell about the role of Hajela by presenting the inspection note in the Assembly either on December 4 or 5. The State Government did not bring out the inspection note during the NRC update thinking that it might have hamper or derailed such important exercise,” Sarma said.
The Finance Minister further said the inspection note signed by the CAG, Assam, was prepared after the officials visited the NRC State Coordinator’s office and raised 16 objection points. He claimed that the inspection note has also prima facie evidences of huge irregularities and anomalies in the NRC update exercise.
Meanwhile, the Assam Assembly on Thursday witnessed a walkout by the Congress and AIUDF MLAs in protest against the Government’s move to go for a fresh NRC. The Opposition MLAs demanded retention of the existing final NRC.
“The protest of the Opposition MLAs has proved that the present NRC is serving interest of some people. The mainstream Assamese people are unhappy with the present NRC. Only the AIUDF and some Congress MLAs are satisfied with the existing document. The entire development has exposed as to how Hajela worked for the interest for some people. Some organizations — including the AASU (All Assam students Union) — have also filed a petition in the Supreme Court for review of the final NRC,” Sarma said.
Strongly favouring rejection of the present NRC, Sarma felt that everyone should call for a new NRC of a national standard. He said the Centre will introduce a Bill in the Lok Sabha to introduce a nationwide NRC after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in the Parliament.
“Once the nation-wide NRC is introduced, errors in the present NRC in Assam could be rectified,” Sarma said while favouring either 1951 or 1971 as cut-off across the country.
On the issue of CAB, Sarma said the Bill will be passed in the current session of the Parliament. He added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold marathon discussions with various organizations and political parties and CMs of the eight NE States on the issue of CAB on November 29 and 30 in New Delhi.
“We want the CAB to protect the interest of Assamese people in future. We will soon inform the Assam Assembly about the number of Hindu Bengalis who could apply for Indian citizenship under the CAB. Such number will clarify many issues and confusion associated with the CAB,” Sarma said.