Financial anomalies of Rs 360 cr during NRC update process: Assam Public Works

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Guwahati-based NGO Assam Public Works (APW) has alleged that the whole National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam was a "failure" due to the "corruption" of former NRC State coordinator Prateek Hajela.

Addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday, APW president Abhijeet Sarma said "We have always been raising our voice against the financial irregularities in the NRC update process. The recent report of the Auditor General (AG) mentions financial anomalies and irregularities in the NRC update process. So our stand has been vindicated."

Sarma said that the AG report detected financial anomalies to the tune of Rs 360 crore during the NRC update process. "We had filed a case with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing of the Assam Police regarding irregularities and anomalies in the NRC update process. The Assam Police had sought permission from the Home Department to probe these irregularities but we have come to know that the file is still lying in the Home Department. A section of bureaucrats close to Hajela seems to be trying to hush up things," said Sarma. APW has urged the Chief Minister to intervene in this matter and the government to give due importance to the AG report.

In 2017, APW had made some allegations regarding irregularities in the appointment of data entry operators and releasing their salary. "The AG report reveals irregularities to the tune of Rs 155.83 crore related to data entry operators. The AG report also reveals irregularities of about Rs 21.06 crore in the purchase of generators for the NRC Seva Kendras," said Sarma. He added, "APW will soon move the high court against Prateek Hajela's financial irregularities. We also demand probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED)."

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