50 companies of Central para military force to assist Assam police in NRC process

GUWAHATI: With the Supreme Court insisting on publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam on or before December 31, Assam police has made elaborate security arrangements. As many as 50 companies of Central para military force will be deployed for assisting the state police in the NRC process.

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the Centre’s request for extension of deadline for publication of the NRC.

Registrar General of India (RGI) Sailesh had submitted before the Supreme Court that the entire process of preparation and publication of the draft NRC will be completed on or before July 31, 2018.

NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela informed the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman that verification of 47 lakh people belonging to the category of family tree was yet to be completed.

He also informed that village panchayat certificate verification of about 29 lakh people was yet to be done.

Attorney General K K Venugopal has further submitted that part publication of the draft NRC could result in a law and order situation inasmuch as a large segment of the people is excluded from the draft.

A senior police officer who does not want to be quoted told ET, "The security ring will cover NRC Seva kendras and the teams visiting households for verification. We have 50 companies of forces from the Centre and they will be used to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the run-up to the publication of NRC."

He said intelligence agencies had inputs that there may be law and order problems in the wake of the release of the draft.