NEW DELHI, April 22 � A pilot project for update of National Register of Indian Citizen (NRIC) would get underway in two circles of Barpeta and Chaygaon from June and will be completed within a span of six months.
This was part of a series of decisions arrived at a tripartite review meeting on implementation of Assam Accord convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary, G K Pillai and attended by Joint Secretary (North-east), Navin Verma is the first meeting to be held at the Central level after the 2005 review meeting held at the Prime Minister level.
The Assam Government was represented by Chief Secretary, NK Das, �State Commissioner and Secretary, Home, Subash Das, Secretary, Assam Accord Implementation, P K Choudhury, amongst others.
A four-member delegation of All Assam Students� Union (AASU) included its adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya, Prof Basanta Deka, �president and secretary Sankar Prasad Rai and Tapan Kumar Gogoi, respectively.
Though some of the decisions like launching a pilot scheme for update of NRIC and tightening of vigilance along Indo-Bangladesh border had already been announced by the Centre, the Thursday meeting finalised the time-frame and gave a final shape to the proposal.
The students� body also called for an action plan to implement the Assam Accord in toto signed in 1985. The political safeguard of the indegenious people and sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border are some of issues still pending implementation.
Talking to newsmen after the meeting that lasted over three hours, Bhattacharya said that it was agreed that the pilot project for update of NRIC would be completed within a stipulated period and thereafter the exercise would be undertaken State-wide and completed within one year.
AASU, he said, has also insisted on DNA test for suspected illegal migrants. The proposal concurrs with the modalities suggested by the State Government, currently pending Central Government�s clearance. AASU has also submitted its own set of modalities for NRIC update.
The crucial issue though is the creation of the Unique Identity Card (UID) scheme, an exercise that is set to get under way along side updating of NRC.
The AASU adviser said they flagged the issue and the Central Government assured that issue of UID would not automatically lead to inclusion of name in the NRIC. AASU fears that taking advantage of UID, an illegal migrant may claim citizenship.
The issue has been left for further discussion among AASU, State Government and Home Ministry, Bhattacharya said.
The meeting�s focus was also on safeguard of indegnious people as proposed under Clause VI of the 25-year-old Assam Accord. A decision was taken to revive the sub-committee that was created in 1999-2000. The nine-member committee to be headed by joint secretary, North-east in Home Ministry would have three representative each from AASU, Centre and the State Government.
The sub-committee would meet in May to discuss issues like reservation of seats in Legislislative Assembly for indigenous people and finalisation of the definition of Assamese language. AASU had demanded 100 per cent reservation of seats for indigenous people in Assembly, while it claimed that its suggestion defining Assamese language was accepted by the Centre long ago.
The problem of illegal migrants doing the vanishing act after detection was also raised by AASU. The students� body demanded that the detention camp be set up all over the State and it should house not only the illegal migrants prnounced by the tribunals but also suspected illegal migrants.
AASU called for revamp of the tribunal and fixing of a time frame of two years for settlement of complaints. �We expressed our displeasure over the functioning of the tribunal in Assam,� Bhattacharya said.
The tribunals should be under the supervision of Gauhati High Court, Bhattcharya said.
On the sealing of the international border including the riverine areas, it was conveyed by the Home Ministry that fencing project would be completed by 2012. �
On the economic issue, it was declared that the Bogibeel-rail-cum-road would be completed by 2014. The old demand of double tracking of rail lines and setting up of a coach factory were also raised.
The proposal for revival of the Ashok Paper Mill has been dropped and it has now been decided that a new plant would be set up in its place. AASU has demanded that Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited (HPCL) be handed over the project, said the adviser.
