Centre Moves Supreme Court on Prateek Hajela’s Transfer Order, Seeks More Time

OUR BUREAU

GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time for completing formalities to transfer State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela even as the Assam Government has given its green signal to transfer Hajela to Madhya Pradesh but with a rider.

On October 18, the apex court had ordered the Centre and the Assam government to transfer Hajela to Madhya Pradesh within seven days. The top court ordered the inter-cadre transfer of Hajela on deputation to MP for the maximum period possible under the re4levant rules/regulations.

The Assam government has, however, moved the Home Ministry with a view that Hajela should stay in the State for few days to ensure smooth conduct of rejection orders to those whose names did not figure in the final NRC.

On other hand, the Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time for completing formalities to transfer Hajela.

The counsel for the Centre told the apex court that though the government has taken steps to transfer the 1995 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre but “procedural formalities will take some more time.”

On the other hand, the ‘Rejection Orders’ (to be issued by the NRC authority) are particularly significant for the over 19 lakh applicants in the State whose names were excluded from the final NRC that was published on August 31, 2019. These people will have to appeal to the FTs (Foreigners Tribunals) within 120 days after receiving the respective ‘Rejection Orders’, which will mention the reasons for their exclusion from the final NRC.

A total of 3,30,27,661 people had applied to be included in the NRC. Of them, 3,11,21,004 have been included in the document and 19,06,657 excluded.

Although, the apex court did not mention the reason for Hajela’s transfer, it is learnt that that the officer might be apprehending some kind of threat after publication of final NRC list.

The top court has fixed November 26 as the next date of hearing on the final NRC.

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