People queue in large number to check Assam NRC list

As soon as the final list of the National Register of Citizens in Assam was published, people in large number rushed to the NRC Seva Kendra in Barpeta district on Saturday to check their names.

The people were seen standing in serpentine queues to check their names on the final NRC list at the Center.

A total of 3,11,21,004 persons have been found eligible for inclusion in the final NRC list leaving out 19,06,657 people.

"All the names of my family members are there in the list except my daughter-in-law. Though we had submitted all the documents to the authorities. We do not have any idea how this has happened. Will go through the process again," a local named Motiurrahman said.

Speaking to ANI, another local said that her mother's name which was missing from the first and second draft of the NRC has now appeared in the final list.

"My mother name was not there in the first and second draft. Now it is there. I am very happy. It really feels good," a local resident of Barpeta, Rahmet Sikdar said.

The status of both inclusion and exclusion of the people from the list can be viewed online on the NRC website, www.nrcassam.nic.in.

The hard copies of the supplementary list of inclusions will be available for public view at NRC Seva Kendras (NSK), offices of the Deputy Commissioner and offices of the Circle Officer.

The list has segregated Indian citizens living in Assam from those who had illegally entered the state from Bangladesh after 1971.

The process of receipt of NRC application forms had started during the end of May in 2015 and ended on August 31 in 2015. A total of 3,30,27,661 members had applied through 68,37,660 applications.

Following this, the applications submitted by the people were taken up for scrutiny to determine the eligibility of their inclusion in the NRC.

Those who will be excluded from the list will get an opportunity to file an appeal within 120 days in the Foreigners' Tribunal (FT), as per the direction given by the Union Home Ministry, said Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

NRC is a register containing names of Indian citizens, which was prepared for the only time in 1951. It is being updated for Assam as of now to weed out illegal immigrants.

The first list of NRC was first published in Assam in 1951. When the draft NRC was published on July 30, 2018, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it.