Guwahati, Jan. 6: Dispur will re-verify all documents submitted during the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update process to prepare a "faultless" list.
Assam chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal has constituted an eight-member committee to execute the decision. The committee will look into difficulties arising out of the update process and convey them to a cabinet sub-committee, which will eventually take up the issues with the Supreme Court, which is supervising the NRC update.
Sources in Dispur said NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela will henceforth have to discuss all difficulties or issues regarding the NRC update with the committee.
Chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia, additional chief secretary (home and political) Tsering Y. Das, commissioner and secretary (home and political) L. Sweety Changsan, commissioner and secretary to the chief minister Sanjay Lohiya, secretary to the chief minister Vishal Vasant Solanki and finance commissioner Ravi Kota are among the committee members.
The decision was taken in a meeting yesterday where Sonowal reviewed the NRC update process with senior officials.
"The government has taken the decision to prepare a faultless NRC. The chief minister had said in the meeting that the state government would face the people's ire if any mistake creeps into the NRC," said the source.
He said the re-verification process would be done across the state but special focus will be given to the nine minority-dominated districts where the government suspected that people have submitted a large number of fake documents.
The source said an official would not be allowed to verify documents checked by her/him earlier to prevent irregularity in re-verification.
Dispur will appoint nearly 40 senior officials to supervise the work.
In yesterday's meeting, Sonowal expressed his dissatisfaction over the information provided by Hajela regarding the authenticity of documents submitted, the source added.
The decision has come at a time when political parties and organisations are expressing their apprehension about the willingness of the BJP-led government to complete the NRC update process.
Sonowal also directed the deputy commissioners of all districts to take a weekly review of the NRC update work in their districts so that the process can be completed within the stipulated time.
The chief minister had informed that the Centre would be requested to set up a branch office of the Registrar-General of India in the state where an officer of deputy registrar rank would be employed to expedite the NRC update.
Panel visit: The Madhukar Gupta Committee on border protection today met the Assam chief secretary in Dispur and discussed issues like infiltration, increase in population and fencing in border areas. The committee arrived here on Wednesday and visited the India-Bangladesh border that touches lower Assam's Dhubri district.
"After the discussion with Pipersenia, the committee left for New Delhi where it will submit a report to the Centre. Among others, the committee suggested erecting a cantonment bridge at a place in Kolai sar in Dhubri," said a source.
