NRC list tomorrow will decide fate of 40 lakh, govt increases security in Assam
New Delhi: With just a day left for the release of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC), the government has made arrangements to ease tension in Assam and beef up security.
On Thursday, the government reassured that those excluded from the register didn't mean that they would be labelled foreigners automatically. The government also advised people of Assam to ignore rumours.
The Goverment has ensured adequate safeguards for people whose name may not appear in the Final NRC.
— Assam Police (@assampolice) August 29, 2019
Don't believe rumours, as some elements are trying to create confusion in society.
Safety of citizens is our top priority.#OurNRCFairNRC pic.twitter.com/81ilCotSCT
In anticipation of public unrest, security has been tightened and security personel have been increaded by the state administration, especially at the north-eastern state bordering Bangladesh.
Large assemblies and use of loudspeakers have been banned in violence-prone areas, including parts of Guwahati.
An additional 20,000 paramilitary forces were sent to Assam by the Centre.
Those missing from the final NRC will get a window of 10 months to prove their citizenship before being sent to detention centres, Assam’s Additional Chief Secretary in charge of Home and Political departments, Kumar Sanjay Krishna, told The Hindu.
In a bid to allay panic, the Centre had extended the time limit, for those excluded, to file an appeal in the Foreigners Tribunal from 60 to 120 days.
The Home Ministry had also increased the number of tribunals by at least 1,000 to hear disputed cases.
The government also made it clear that no one can be put in detention centres until all legal options were exhausted. If one loses the case in the tribunal, the individual can approach the high court and then the Supreme Court.
The final Assam's citizenship would be up online at 10 am on Saturday ''and those who do not have internet connections can go to Seva Kendras set up by the state government to check their status," a senior officer in the Home Ministry told NDTV.
NRC, which identifies the genuine citizens of the country and list them without any glitches, is set to be published on August 31.
The first draft list (Assam) was released last year, leaving out over 40 lakh people in Assam to seek for means to prove their citizenship.
