Sonowal asks district officials to expedite updating of NRC

Assam CM Sonowal (File Photo: IANS)

Guwahati- Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday asked deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of 12 districts to expedite process for updating the National Register of Citizens within the stipulated time frame.

In a meeting with the district administration and police chiefs in 12 districts of the north bank, central Assam and upper Assam at Dibrugarh Circuit House, he also urged police to take deterrent action against the drug trade.

“Its our national commitment that we would complete the NRC updation within a stipulated time frame. Towards this end all out efforts must be made to complete the process within the stipulated time frame and there should not be any cause for delay,” he said, asking the deputy commissioners to devote at least two hours every day to the exercise.

He further urged them to create an awareness campaign within a week in their respective districts involving students’ organisations, NGOs, civil society and literary organisations in the work.

He also asked the officials to take all possible measures to ensure a flawless NRC free from the names of foreigners while ensuring at the same time that no genuine Indian citizens are left out and that they are not subjected to any harassment in the name of detection of foreigners.

Urging police to gear up the drive against illicit drugs, he said that a sustained and all out drive should be made against illicit drugs and punitive action must be taken against the perpetrators.

He also discussed with the need to strengthen the Foreigners’ Tribunals to make the process of detection of illegal migrants speedier.

Sonowal also took stock about the preparedness to meet any exigency in case of flood and other disasters like earthquakes and landslides in the state. He asked the district chiefs to make all preparations like sufficient stock of food grains, medicine, clean drinking water, fodder stock and to keep country boats ready for relief and rescue operations in view of the monsoons lashing the state early.