Assam waiting for Supreme Court direction on NRC, says Himanta

Guwahati: Assam is waiting for the Supreme Court to decide the next course on the National Register of Citizens, finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said. “The state government is all set to set up 200 tribunals. But how can we move to the next process unless there is a direction from the Supreme Court? We are waiting for the Supreme Court’s direction,” Sarma said on Tuesday.

The SC-monitored final NRC was published on August 31 and included 31 million in the registry, while almost two million were excluded. Those left out were to receive reasons for non-inclusion thereafter. However, the process is yet to start.

Once the people are given reasons for non-inclusion, they can move the foreigners’ tribunal to contest the exclusion. Assam has set up 200 foreigners’ tribunal and has a plan to add another 200 more. The state has witnessed protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act since Parliament passed the law.


Meanwhile, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the state was working in the interest of the indigenous people of Assam and for the state’s development. It would not take any step which would harm their interest and would carry forward the development agenda in consultation with the people of the state, he said.

Sonowal claimed that the indigenous people were deprived of land for seven decades. “Our government took proactive step in this direction and provide land title deeds to 1 lakh landless local families during the year.”