GUWAHATI: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has detected large-scale anomalies in the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. In its report of 2020 submitted to the state Assembly on Saturday, the CAG said 215 software utilities were added in a haphazard manner to the core software used for updating the document.
The report said secure software was needed for the updation but due process was not followed either for the development of software or the selection of vendors. The report said the ‘improper’ software development, related to data capture and correction, left room for data tampering. The report further said the project cost of Rs 288.18 crore escalated to Rs 1,602.66 crore due to time overrun.
Over 19 lakh of the 3.3 crore applicants were left out of the NRC’s “complete draft” published on August 31, 2018. It was updated when Prateek Hajela, an IAS officer, was its coordinator. He is now serving outside the state.
Hitesh Dev Sarma, who succeeded Hajela, later filed two FIRs with the CID of police and the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Wing alleging corruption and money laundering by his predecessor.
Sarma on Sunday said he stood vindicated. “I had filed two FIRs... (but) the government did not register the cases. Now that the CAG has detected the anomalies, there cannot be any hurdles in registering the two cases,” said Sarma, who attained superannuation in July. “The government should order re-verification to ensure the names of Indians who were left out are included and those of the foreigners deleted,” he added.
