NRC hits tea labour hurdle

Guwahati, Aug 4 (UNI) The National Registrar of Citizen (NRC) has hit tea labour hurdle, forcing the Assam Government to form a sub- committee to fix the modalities for the NRC preparation.

Addressing a press conference here today, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Labour Minister Prthivi Majhi raised the point in the cabinet meeting this morning.

''Most of the Assam tea garden labourers were not included in the NRC in 1971. Mr Majhi had a point and we decided to form the sub committee,'' he said, adding that once the modalities were finalised, the Centre will make the necessary arrangement for constitutional amendment.

The Assam Government is under pressure from both the Union government and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) for early updation of the NRC as per the provisions of the Assam Accord.

Assam has about 26 lakh tea garden labourers, majority of which were not included in the past NRCs.

Expressing determination to throw out the Bangladeshis of Assam, Mr Majhi urged all the parties, youths and student organisations to stop confrontation.

''There is Assam Accord and there should be no other point of arguments. As per the accord, all Bangladeshis should be out of Assam and India,'' he said.

'' We want to set up circle level vigilance committee, where all parties should be in the committee to trace out the Bangladeshis and with the help of the tribunals they should be thrown out of Assam,'' he added.

The AASU had been, however, alleging that the Assam government was not sincere and in the name of vote bank politics, it was actually protecting Bangladeshis.

UNI