APW Demands RTI on Assam NRC and Audit of Rs 1,600 Cr Spent

Guwahati, September 18, 2019:

Assam Public Works (APW) has demanded that the matter of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) be taken to the jurisdiction of Right to Information (RTI).

APW Chief, Aabhijeet Sarma has questioned the overall process of NRC. In a latest statement, he said that timely audits of the money spent on NRC should be published soon and RTI should be filed.

“Is it been calculated and examined properly of how much money been spent in the entire process of NRC? Were the timely audits of the funds allocated by the state and the central govt. performed properly as per the books?” asked APW in its statement.

He has also asked publication of the funds if they were not performed properly as per procedure.

Also Read: NRC in Assam is Quite Ironic and a Mockery: Indigenous Peoples' Body

It is to be noted that over Rs. 1,600 Crore was spent till the completion of the process of NRC. APW said that the money should have been monitored and audited very properly at regular intervals.

He further said, “As time goes by, the information would be manipulated. So, the central government under its ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga’ policy should properly verify this matter.”

He, through his statement, also drew attention towards the technology used in NRC and questioned whether those are properly audited or not or properly examined by any third party IT expert or not.

APW demands verification of the technologies, including the software and hardware used in the process, by some internationally acclaimed institution that is beyond the reach of the authorities involved in the process.

Additionally, APW has also demanded to verify the expenditure of the allocated funds by the Government and whether there were manipulations and corruptions by the Enforcement Directorate.

The final draft of NRC was published on August 31, leaving over 19 lakh people. Locals and leaders expressed discontentment over the matter. APW has demanded CBI inquiry on the entire process of the National Register of Citizens.

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