The Union cabinet’s appointment committee has approved the proposal of the central department of personnel and training for inter-cadre deputation of NRC Assam coordinator Prateek Hajela from Assam-Meghalaya cadre to Madhya Pradesh cadre for three years.

The Centre, in a notification, said the approval has been given in relaxation of the existing guidelines to comply with the Supreme Court’s October 18 direction to transfer Hajela to Madhya Pradesh.

In its October 18 order, the top court had asked the government to transfer Hajela to Madhya Pradesh within one week. The Centre later submitted a petition in the court, seeking more time to complete the required procedure.

The Assam government had also written to the department of personnel and training, stating that it did not have objection in transferring Hajela.

The Assam government, however, is yet to release Hajela who has been heading the NRC update exercise in the state since the beginning. Sources said Hajela is likely to be released once the process of issuing rejection certificates — documents bearing reasons of rejection of a person from the final NRC — begun.

The names of over 19 lakh people in the state were excluded from the final NRC published on August 31.

Hajela has been attending office like before even after Supreme Court’s deadline to transfer him to Madhya Pradesh was over.

The court’s direction for Hajela’s transfer came after the bureaucrat reportedly petitioned it, apprehending threats to his life.

Hajela has been subject to criticism and harsh words from political and apolitical organisations, who were unhappy with the NRC results on various grounds.

Sources said no bureaucrat is willing to succeed Hajela having seen the unease faced by the latter after publication of the final NRC.