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Solution to �D� voter issue demanded

By Correspondent

SILCHAR, April 1 � The Nagarikatwa Suraksha Sangram Committee, a local forum based here has demanded that the government must solve the problem of �doubtful� voters before going ahead with the upgradation of the National Register for Citizens (NRC) in the State.

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, submitted on Tuesday through the Cachar Deputy Commissioner, Pradip Kumar Deb and Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, convenors of the forum said that the �D� voter issue is unique in the State and lakhs of people have been arbitrarily marked �D� against their names in the voters list.

�The government should settle the pending cases of people with the D-tag before going ahead with the NRC,� they said. The forum also placed certain other demands, including priority to circumstantial evidence as laid in the judiciary in the preparation of the NRC, acceptance of any authentic document as proof of citizenship and assurance of citizenship rights to refugees of Bangladesh as per international pacts and national commitments.

On the other hand, the All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students Association (ACKHSA) has made it clear that the provisions of the Indian Constitution regarding citizenship rights should be followed during the enrolment of names in the NRC.

�We are not opposing the NRC. But the ACKHSA will not tolerate any harassment to the people,� said Niranjan Dutta, advisor to the student body. Members of the association also blamed the elected representatives from the Barak Valley for not being effectively vocal on the issue in the floor of the Assembly.

NRC facilitation centre: The Cachar district administration began the proceedings for the National Register for Citizens by opening the NRC facilitation centre at Silchar. The centre at the District Agriculture Office here was opened by the nodal officer in-charge for Cachar district and Additional Deputy Commissioner SN Singh. Dorothi Suchiang, Circle Officer, Silchar and Jakir Hussain Choudhury, the District Agriculture Officer also attended the occasion.

Singh said that 160 such facilitation centres will be opened across five revenue circles in the district, including 65 in Silchar, 37 in Sonai, 12 in Udharbond and 23 each in Lakhipur and Katigorah. He informed that the application forms will be distributed in every home from April. The application form has to be filled by the head of the family and submitted in the respective NRC centres mentioning the Legacy Data Code which will be available at the facilitation centres, Singh said. However, Singh made it clear that while submitting the forms, applicants need not to mention certified copies of the 1966 voters list.

Further, the nodal officer said that copies of voters lists of 1966 and 1971 will be available at the respective centres. Also, two data entry operators will be stationed at the NRC centres along with LRCRs appointed by the government, he added.

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