Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has termed the final NRC draft publication as a historic day for Assam. The Register General of India (RGI) has released the final draft of NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Guwahati on Monday.
Reacting on the NRC draft publication, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said: "This is a draft only. Those people whose name is not in the NRC draft will have opportunity to file their claims and objections", said Sonowal.
On West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that BJP government in Assam has been trying to evict Bengali speaking population through NRC update, Sonowal said "People of Assam have enough political maturity. This has been reflected during the NRC update process. They will not allow any vested force to derail the historic development. Meanwhile we are abiding by Constitution of India and we will follow all direction of the Apex Court in future".
The chief minister thanked all the officials involved in the NRC update process. About 50,000 officials and 8,000 contractual workers were involved in the NRC update process.
Sonowal has appealed all section of people to maintain peace and tranquility in the state. To tackle law and order situation after the NRC draft role publication, Assam government has made elaborate security arrangement in the state.
The NRC update in Assam was carried out by the Assam government in support from RGI after the Supreme Court had directives. The NRC update process was started in August 2015. The draft role was published on December 31 last year where over 1.9 crore people's name was included. The State government set March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date to identify those who immigrated into Assam unlawfully from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan).
People can track their names in the 1951 NRC or the electoral rolls up to 1971. If they cannot find their names in the electoral rolls, applicants must furnish other documents like land tenancy records, certificates of permanent residence and passports, among others to prove they aren't illegal.
