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Assam Police recommends names of aliens for deletion from poll rolls

By SANJOY RAY

GUWAHATI, April 19 - In what could provide some insight into the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam Police has already recommended 50,659 names of �declared foreigners� for deletion from the electoral rolls on the strength of the orders of foreigners� tribunals across the State (since 1985).

In the last six years itself, nearly 15,000 such names were sent for deletion from the electoral rolls through the SPs to the DCs concerned (Election Branch).�

Of the 50,659 names sent for deletion from the electoral rolls, names of 17,547 post-1971 (March 25) stream foreigners, and 33,112 pre-1971 stream �declared foreigners� who came to Assam between January 1, 1966 and 1971, were included.

The pre-1971 stream of foreigners also assumes significance as they would have to get their names registered with the Foreigners Registration Regional Offices (FRROs) and would not be able to caste vote for 10 years from the date of registering themselves as per the Assam Accord and the Citizenship Act.

Records available with the Home Department said that till date, over 14,000 pre-1971 �foreigners�, who had come and settled in Assam between 1966 and 1971, had already registered with the FRROs.

�The draft NRC has kept the provision for the pre-1971 category foreigners, keeping in view the clause in question,� a senior official involved with the NRC update process told this reporter.

The fate of the post-1971 stream of declared foreigners (expected to face expulsion as per the Assam Accord) will be eventually decided by the Union Government after taking care of legal and other relevant issues.

It has further been learnt that the process of deletion based on recommendation from the Home Department is a continuous process and is still on even as the NRC update process is on.

In the last six years, nearly 15,000 such names were sent for deletion from the electoral rolls through the Superintendents of Police to the Deputy Commissioner concerned (Election Department).�

A source at Dispur meanwhile divulged that approximately 1, 10,000 names were disposed off by the foreigner tribunals till October last year. Of those who were declared foreigners, many were cases of ex-parte, as they did not appear before the Court to prove their nationality despite several summons.

Police said that as per records available with the Assam Police Border Organisation, most of these foreigners are traceless.

The draft NRC is expected to be published in a few months time.

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