MHA discuss bodo accord implementation, NRC with Assam govt

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) A high level central team today visited Assam and discussed with state government officials the modalities for the National Register Citizenship (NRC), implementation of the ceasefire operation with Bodo militants and assessed the situation at the ground level, especially in border areas.

The team of the Home Ministry, on a two-day visit to the state, would go to Karimganj sector of the Assam border tomorrow which is dominated by Bodo population to assess the situation at the ground level.

The team comprising of Joint Secretary (North East) Naveen Verma, Secretary Border Management Jarnail Singh and the Ragistrar General of India has emphasised the need to strengthen the patrolling in border areas to prevent militancy and smuggling of arms and ammunition across the border. It would also deliberate on how to expedite the fencing work on the border and maintenance of border areas.

The visit is significant in view of the growing tension after clashes between Bodo militants and Muslim population in Assam and evidence regarding involvement of National Development Front of Bodoland insurgents as foot soldiers in the serial blasts. By extending the ban on NDFB recently for two years and holding talks with BTC the government has given the signal that it considered latter as the representatives of Bodos. On the basis of report received from the team, the Centre would take a decision regarding extending the ceasefire with the insurgent group.

The team also discussed the detailed modalities for NRC with the state government representatives and sought details of the documents to be relied on and cost of sops. Since, on the modalities NRC was a contentious issue between the state government and AASU, the Centre wanted the state to give details of the modalities to be adopted for NRC before it could take a final decision on the issue.

Earlier, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta also held a meeting with Assam Chief Secretary and Home Secretary and RGI on the issue on which the state government had submitted draft modalities to the Centre. The issue was also discussed by the Secretary Border Management in separate meeting to emphasise the need for detailed modalities. The Centre was even ready to sanction additional posts in RGI so that it could handle the registration of people as per the Assam accord.

Recently, the Centre has decided to set up a separate authority which would issue photo Identity Cards to all Indians while the Census data collected by RGI would serve as the mother data which would be shared with the proposed authority.

UNI AJ PD CS2008