We hope for and expect a flawless NRC: Assam CM

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said his government was expecting a flawless and correct NRC, where not a single foreigner will find a place and no genuine Indian citizen is excluded.

"We hope that the people of Assam will get a flawless document after the NRC exercise is over. So we submitted a plea in the Supreme Court seeking verification of the NRC exercise for a flawless NRC. But at the same time we are committed on ensuring security to all genuine Indian citizens living in Assam," Sonowal said in his Independence Day speech after unfurling the Tricolor here.

The BJP-led government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking verification of 20% applicants in the districts bordering Bangladesh and 10% in other districts. But the request was turned down by the apex court on July 24. Many BJP leaders, however, expressed apprehension about the possible inclusion of illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the NRC slated for release on August 31.

The NRC is being updated to segregate the "illegal migrants" with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date, under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Over 40.07 lakh persons were dropped from the draft NRC released in July last year. Of these, 36.20 lakh submitted claims for inclusion in the final NRC.

Reiterating that making Assam a foreigner free state was his government's prime target, Sonowal asserted its commitment to protecting all genuine Indian citizens.

"Making Assam a foreigner free state is my government's primary aim. So we have been extending help to the Centre and the Register General of India in preparation of the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC), as per instruction of the Supreme Court. Setting aside development work, more than 55,000 government employees and police personnel are engaged in the NRC work," Sonowal said.

The assurance carries significance in view of speculation about the fate of those who fail to make it to the updated NRC.

Sonowal also said that Clause 6 of Assam Accord, which promised Constitutional, legal and legislative safeguards to indigenous Assamese would also be implemented. He said a survey was underway to provide land to indigenous landless families while efforts were also on to free encroached forest land.