Dispur Moves Supreme Court Seeking One-Month Extension

GUWAHATI: Talking to the media in Guwahati on Monday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said: “We’ve already moved the Supreme Court of India seeking the extension of a month of the claim-and-objection phase of NRC update.”

The claim and objection phase of NRC update work is going to expire on December 15, 2018.

Talking to The Sentinel, Principal Secretary of Home and Political Department LS Changsan also said: “A special mention on Assam Government’s plea for the extension of the claim-and-objection phase of NRC update was made in the Court of the Chief Justice of India on Monday. The apex court, however, kept its ruling on the plea reserved.”

Sources said that the government has appealed to the apex court to hear the plea before December 15, 2018, when the phase for claims (seeking inclusion into NRC) and objections (seeking exclusion from the final NRC) will expire. It was additional solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta who moved Dispur’s plea to the Supreme Court.

According to sources, Dispur has sought another extension of the claim-and-objection phase of NRC update on different grounds. In its plea to the apex court, Dispur, according to sources, said that (i) it has heard that the people of Assam remaining busy in the democratic process of panchayat poll has led to fewer number of claims and objections, (ii) the awareness programme was taken up on claims and objections may not reach far-flung rural areas, (iii) it has heard that people find it difficult to ascertain ARNs (application receipt numbers) of NRC applicants for filing objections, (iv) it has also heard that people find it difficult to fill up the forms meant for claims and objections, (v) the people get acquainted themselves with the SOP (standard operating procedure for claims and objections) much later, etc.

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