Joint committee of Centre & State to decide on fate of those excluded from NRC: Himanta

November 27: In a latest development, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told media on Tuesday that the next course of action regarding those who are excluded from the final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be decided by a committee which will be constituted by both the Centre and the State (Assam). He further said that the nomenclature of the committee or its composition has not yet been decided. Both the centre and the state will submit proposals regarding how to proceed about it.

Himanta Biswa Sarma was in Delhi along with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to meet the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He informed that in that meeting with the Home Minister, threadbare discussion will be held regarding the formation of that committee to decide about the fate of those whose names will not feature in the final list of NRC. As regards the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Sarma said that it is the prerogative of the Parliament to decide on it and refrained from making any further comment.

Meanwhile, out of the total 40 lakh people only 5,11,254, who were excluded in the draft NRC have filled up and submitted Claims form. Further, Objections have been filed only against 198 individuals till 22 November. As per the verdict of the Supreme Court, the last date for filing of Claims and Objections has been extended till 15 December.