Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy on Saturday sought third party re-verification of the 27 per cent of National Register of Citizens (NRC) documents that NRC state co-ordinator Prateek Hajela had told the Supreme Court had been verified during the update process.
Names of over 19 lakh citizens were left out of the final NRC published on August 31. Those excluded can submit claims to validate their citizenship within a period of 120 days from the date of receiving the exclusion notice.
At a news conference here on Saturday, Roy sang the tune of the BJP-ruled Assam government.
He said the updated NRC has “caused dissatisfaction among the masses and it should be verified by a third party, without the involvement of state NRC co-ordinator Prateek Hajela”.
Asked what he meant by “third party”, Roy said: “It can be anyone/people, an external agency can be appointed/managed by the government, without Hajela's involvement.”
Coming down heavily on Hajela, Roy alleged that the NRC state coordinator, who was appointed by the Supreme Court for the NRC update process, did not follow the modalities in connection with the mega exercise.
“Rs 1,800 crore was spent on the project. The end result should have been an error-free NRC,” he said.
The exclusion rate of people in border areas was around six per cent, whereas that in non-border areas was around 16 per cent.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” Roy said. Necessary measures should be taken so that a completely flawless citizen’s register is published, he added.
Asked what the government is doing regarding the two non-functional paper mills in Assam, the BJP MP said efforts are on to resolve the issue.
He added that he would try reaching out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon about this and urge him so that the mills are revived and the workers’ salaries remitted.
Speaking about his father and former Silchar MLA late Bimolangshu Roy’s 81st birth anniversary, Roy said a programme would be organised by Bimolangshu Roy Foundation at the auditorium of Silchar Medical College and Hospital on September 20.
BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav will be present on the occasion.