Challenging their exclusion in final NRC, MHA makes 200 foreign tribunals operational for excluded in Assam

News Bharati    04-Sep-2019
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New Delhi, September 4: As the National Register of Citizens final list was released, the main question that raised eyebrows was what will happen to those who are excluded. The Ministry of Home Affairs rightly released a statement stating that those excluded still have a chance to prove their citizenship and, in this regard, 200 additional foreigner’s tribunals came to be operational in Assam from Monday where bona fide citizens, whose names do not figure in the final NRC, can approach to challenge their exclusion.

 

These foreign tribunals are being set up by the Assam government with the Centre's assistance. A senior Home Ministry official said that as of now only 100 foreigner’s tribunals are functioning. From September 1, a total of 200 additional foreigner’s tribunals will start functioning across Assam

The tribunals will be required after the publication of the final National Register of Citizens, a list of Assam's residents, on Saturday. People who may be excluded from the final NRC can approach any one of these tribunals for inclusion of their names, the official said.

The Centre has already extended the time period for appeal in a foreigner’s tribunal from 60 days to 120 days. The home ministry had planned to set up a total of 1,000 foreigner’s tribunal in phases.

When the draft NRC was published on July 30 last year, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it. The draft included names of 2.9 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants. In addition to those excluded, the names of over a lakh people were also left out in a list published last month.

The Supreme Court-monitored NRC exercise, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants, mostly from Bangladesh, was carried out only in Assam, which has been facing influx of people from the neighbouring country since the early 20th century.