GUWAHATI: As the deadline for filing claims and objections over the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) draws near, records show that only 25 per cent of those left out have filed claims for inclusion.
According to NRC authority, only 10.25 lakh of the over 40.07 lakh excluded have filed claims. Around 250 objections were filed by unnamed individuals, who had doubts about the citizenship of those included in the draft NRC. When the process begun, 3.29 crore people had applied seeking inclusion in the draft.
There are 15 certified documents an individual can provide for inclusion in NRC. The authorities have clarified that those whose names have been excluded after submitting a particular document cannot use the same to file a claim.
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However, most people are clueless about the process.“People left out are at a loss because the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) clearly mentions that any documents issued after August 31, 2015, will not be accepted as List B documents for claim applications,” said advocate and activist Dharmananda Deb. Also, the SOP does not allow those left out to use a new legacy. It means, the applicant cannot change their ancestry.
Meanwhile, 43 organisations in the state’s Bengali-majority Barak Valley demanded an extension of the deadline to file claims and objections. In a petition submitted to NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela, the organisations, under the banner of Citizens’ Rights Protection Co-Ordination Committee (CRPCC), said the applicants are wasting time in searching for documents as government officials are busy with panchayat elections. The CRPCC also alleged that a number of officials at the NRC Seva Kendras (NSKs) were raising “unnecessary objections” when people were going to file claims. The NRC in Assam is being updated with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date. The deadline to file claims is December 15.