NRC final draft release: Assam neighbours keeping police alert

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being updated to identify illegal immigrants in Assam bordering Bangladesh. Assam is the only state in the country having an NRC which was first prepared in 1951.

The state shares its boundaries with Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has asked the police department to maintain a vigil at all the check gates, while the Meghalaya Police has been kept on alert along the interstate border with Assam, officials of the two states said.

The Nagaland government is deploying additional forces along the border, while Mizoram officials said that no specific instruction has been issued to the police on this occasion.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being updated in Assam with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date for legitimate claim to Indian citizenship in Assam.

The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening nights of December 31 and January 1, containing 1.9 crore names out of a total applications of 3.29 crore people.

Meghalaya Director General of Police SB Singh said SPs of adjoining districts with Assam have been asked to keep liasoning with each other to prevent any spillover effect.

"As was during the last NRC publication (on December 31), this time also the state police is on alert," Director General of Police S B Singh told PTI in Shillong.

All the check gates of Arunachal Pradesh have been put on high alert and asked to go for rigorous checking of everyone entering the state, Deputy Inspector General of Police Tusar Taba said.

"We have adequate police personnel in all the check gates of the state and wherever there is apprehension of possible infiltration, we will deploy additional manpower," the DIG said in Itanagar.

Home and police departments under the chairmanship of Nagaland Chief Secretary Temjen Toy held a meeting on Wednesday to decide on the preventive measures to be adopted, the state government said in a bulletin in Kohima.

The Mizoram government, however, is not anticipating any law and problem in the state due to publication of the final draft of the NRC.

"We have not issued any specific instructions due to the coming final publication of the NCR as there have been no specific threats in the state till date," Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama said.

The Centre has already sent over 22,000 central paramilitary troops in order to beef up security in Assam and adjoining states in view of the publication of the final draft of the NRC.

The Home Ministry has also asked the Assam government not to take any action against those whose names do not figure in the NRC.