Assam NRC final list publication on August 31; security beefed up, CAPF deployed

In a tweet, the Ministry of Home Affairs urged the people not to believe in rumours on publication of the Assam NRC list.

People wait outside the NRC centre to get their names checked in Kamrup, Assam on July 23, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

Guwahati: The Assam government will publish the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) list on Saturday, August 31. Security has been beefed up across in the state to maintain law and order ahead of the citizen list publication. Fifty-one companies of the Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) were deployed by Friday.

Section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in Dispur, where the state Secretariat and Assembly complexes are located. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in vulnerable areas Bhangagarh, Basistha, Hatigaon, Sonapur and Khetri. Prohibitory orders are already in place in Dispur since August 28 and will stay until further notice. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs Thursday urged people not to believe in rumours on publication of the Assam NRC list. “Do not believe rumours about NRC. Non-inclusion of a person's name in NRC does not amount to his/her being declared a foreigner,” tweeted the spokesperson of Home Ministry. 

“Every individual left out from final NRC can appeal to Foreigners Tribunals, an increased number of which are being established,” it added while sharing a five-point guideline: 

1. Non-inclusion of a person's name in NRC does NOT amount to his/her being declared a foreigner.
2. Every individual left out from the final NRC can appeal to the Foreigners Tribunals (FT). 
3. The time limit for filing appeals in FTs has been increased from 60 to 120 days. 
4. Government will provide legal aid to those needy people who have been excluded from NRC, through the District Legal Services Authorities. 
5. An increased number of FTs are being established at convenient locations. 

The guideline also shared 24/7 toll-free NRC helpline numbers: 15107 (for Assam) and 18003453762 (outside).

DO NOT BELIEVE RUMOURS ABOUT NRC.

Non-inclusion of a person's name in NRC does NOT amount to his/her being declared a foreigner.

Every individual left out from final NRC can can appeal to Foreigners Tribunals, an increased number of which are being established. pic.twitter.com/8pzNlFV5Ok

— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) August 29, 2019

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was first published in Assam in 1951 and hasn't been updated since. 

On July 30, 2018, the Assam government published the draft NRC which included the names of 2.9 crore of the state`s total 3.29 crore people but excluded over 40 lakh people due to discrepancies. A massive controversy arose over the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the draft NRC.

On June 26, the state published an additional draft exclusion list of the NRC comprising the names of 102,462 persons. These people were initially included in the draft NRC published but subsequently found ineligible due to different reasons

Last month, the Supreme Court had extended the deadline for the final publication of National Register of Citizens from July 31 to August 31. 

Assam has seen a huge influx of people from neighbouring nation Bangladesh.

Additional reporting by Pooja Mehta