New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told that Supreme Court that it has put in motion the process for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and it would be completed within three years.
Appearing before a bench of justices H L Gokhale and Ranjan Gogoi, the government submitted that about Rs 288 crore would be spent for updating the NRC.
Additional Solicitor General Rakesh Khanna told the court that a nodal officer has been appointed by the Registrar General of India and Rs 25 crore has been released for the process.
The bench, after noting the contention of Khanna, expressed satisfaction on the steps taken by the Centre and posted the case for further hearing on August 4 when it will take account of the progress done by the government authorities in updating NRC.
The bench had earlier pulled up the Centre for the delay in finalising the modalities related to the update of the NRC with the Assam government.
It had asked the joint secretary (Northeast), Union Home Ministry, to file an affidavit explaining the time required to finalise the details, after which it would pass appropriate orders.
The court was hearing a bunch of PILs filed by different NGOs including Assam Public Works seeking its direction to Centre to update NRC in order to find out illegal immigrants in the state.
