Migrants issue: SC asks Assam govt to upgrade NRC by March 1

The Supreme Court today said that all "endeavours" should be made by the Assam government to complete upgrading of draft as well as the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) by March 1 next year.
The apex court has also said that the state government shall not assign any other work to the personnel involved in the preparation of the report till the time the "said mammoth task is completed".
"We have considered the report of Prateek Hajela, State Coordinator, NRC, Assam... Hence we direct that the personnel involved partially in preparation of the NRC, will perform only works related to NRC and they will not be assigned any other job by the state government, till the time the report is completed," a bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman said.

It further said that there will be no alteration of the date as sought by the state coordinator, who expressed difficulties related to manpower and funds besides others.
"As the state government will provide all assistance by making available the requisite and adequate number of employees working at different levels, the work shall be done in full swing and every endeavour shall be made to complete the report within shortest time period," the apex court added.
Earlier, the court had set October 31 this year as the date for draft NRC, while fixing January 1, 2016 as the date for publishing the final NRC.

The bench, which is hearing various pleas arising out of its verdict on PILs on influx of illegal Bangladeshi migrants to Assam, however, decided to keep monitoring implementation of its directions.

The apex court had, in December last year, passed a slew of directions, including an order to the Centre to complete fencing work along India-Bangladesh border within three months to check cross-border influx of illegal Bangladesh nationals into Assam and streamline the process to deport them back.
It had also laid a time-table for updating of NRC in Assam so that the entire updated NRC is published by the end of January, 2016.

In pursuant to the apex court's November 5 direction, a committee was formed consisting of personnel from the Centre and the state government to look into the infiltration at the border areas here.