NRC is sensitive exercise: Hajela before leaving Assam

Prateek Hajela, the IAS officer on Tuesday said the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was a sensitive process related to the state's long-standing immigrant problem.

Hajela, who served as NRC state co-ordinator since September 2013, made the statement before leaving Assam for Madhya Pradesh for a three-year deputation. Hajela was released from the job on Monday as per an order of the Supreme Court. The state government appointed Hitesh Deb Sarma, an Assam civil service officer, as the new NRC state co-ordinator.

"I hope the rest of the work goes well and the process is completed," he said on Tuesday, before boarding his flight for Bhopal.

A native of Madhya Pradesh, Hajela is a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre and served as commissioner secretary in the home and political department, before assuming the charge of the NRC exercise.

Although the Supreme Court bench headed by chief justice Ranjan Gogoi did not reveal the reason for Hajela's deputation, sources said the decision was taken after the IAS officer cited a security threat.

Hajela's job as NRC co-ordinator was initially praised by various organisations but had invited much ire soon after the release of the final list of NRC on August 31. Over 19.06 lakh persons were excluded from the final list, leaving them to move the foreigner tribunal to prove their Indian citizenship, with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.

Two FIRs were also lodged against Hajela, alleging his failure to provide an error-free NRC. The ruling BJP, All Assam Students' Union and Assam Public Works, the original petitioner seeking an update of the NRC, alleged that a large number of illegal migrants managed to make it to the NRC but genuine citizens including the indigenous people were left out of the final list of NRC.