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Delhi, Dispur passing buck to each other: Gogoi

By SPL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, March 17 - Alleging that the Centre and Assam Government are passing the buck to each other, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that the list of documents required to prove one�s citizenship should be notified.

Contending that publication of a genuine National Register of Citizens (NRC) may be further delayed given the uncertainties, the former Chief Minister said that he held a meeting with Register General of India Shri Sailesh at his office here today.

Gogoi, who has also sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the issue, said the NRC update process was getting late and the speed at which it should have been taken is missing.

�The NRC work should be expedited. The NRC should be a genuine one bereft of names of all foreigners,� Gogoi said, adding that his �main concern is that both the Centre and the State Government are clueless, as a result of which the work has suffered.�

Recalling his experience with the pilot project, Gogoi said that during his time also the Centre has to be guided by the State Government, which on its own had suggested a list of documents. Today, neither the State Government nor the Centre has issued a set of guidelines suggesting that documents are needed as proof of citizenship, he said.

Admitting that the primary responsibility lay with the Centre, Gogoi said that the State Government also had a role to play, as the implementing agency. �The RGI seems confused. But it is also the State Government�s responsibility to implement the Centre�s decision (on NRC update),� he said.

Referring to the Gauhati High Court�s verdict, he said the panchayat certificate may be acceptable now as a supporting document, but the RGI has one specified list of documents. The RGI has to take a call,� he said.

About the 48 lakh names that have become the bone of contention, Gogoi said that authorities should scrutinise the names district-wise. The Supreme Court had recently directed the nodal officer Prateek Hajela to segregate the 48 lakh names and continue with the NRC update process.

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