GUWAHATI, Aug 30 - The list of the names of the applicants whose names were not found eligible for inclusion in the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) makes interesting reading as the number of such persons in the districts having international border with Bangladesh is much lower than some other districts of the State. On the other hand, the number of names not included in the draft is even higher in Kamrup (Metropolitan) than some of the bordering districts.
Names of more than 40 lakh applicants, that is around 12.15 per cent of the total applicants, were not included in the draft of the NRC and the total number of names dropped in the bordering districts is much less than some other parts of the State.
According to records available with The Assam Tribune, highest percentage of applicants not found eligible for inclusion in the NRC was in Hojai district as more than 32.90 per cent of the total applicants in the district were not included in the draft of the NRC. This was followed by Darrang district where names of more than 30.90 per cent of the applicants were not included in the draft. The third in the list is Bongaigaon district where names of more than 22.50 per cent of the applicants were not included.
The number of applications rejected in the districts having international border is comparatively much lower. Dhubri district has more than 90 kilometres of international border with Bangladesh including a very vulnerable stretch of the riverine border. But names of only around 8.25 per cent of the applicants of the district were not found eligible for inclusion in the draft NRC. Similarly, the international border in South Salmara is also considered vulnerable to infiltration and names of only around 7.20 per cent of the applicants were not included in the draft. Same is the case with the other two districts having international border with Bangladesh. The percentage of applicants not found eligible for inclusion in the NRC in Cachar district is around 12.50 per cent, while, in Karimganj, it is around 7.65 per cent.
The high number of persons not found eligible for inclusion in the NRC in Kamrup (Metropolitan) is interesting as names of more than 17.89 per cent of the applicants were not included in the draft. The situation in the Hill districts, particularly in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong is also interesting as more than 14 and 15 per cent of the names of the applicants of the two districts were not included in the draft NRC though it is generally believed that the two districts are mostly inhabited by indigenous people.
In Nagaon district, around 14.10 per cent of the applicants were not eligible for inclusion in the NRC, while, the figure in Barpeta was around 13.40 per cent, in Sonitpur it is around 16.70 per cent, in Tinsukia it is around 13.20 per cent, in Morigaon it is around 15.04 per cent, in Goalpara it is around 10.30 per cent and in Biswanath it is around 11.60 per cent.
The figures in the districts of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) are also interesting as in Baska, names of around 15.30 per cent of the applicants were not included, while, in Udalguri, around 14.70 per cent of names of applicants were not included. However, the rejection of applications in the other two districts of the BTAD was below 10 per cent.
The lowest percentage of applications rejected was in Majuli district as only 1.60 per cent of the applications were rejected.
It may be mentioned here that after going through the district wise list of the number of the names excluded, the Supreme Court has ordered re-verification of at least 10 per cent of the names included in the draft NRC in each district.
