NRC applicants can now submit their documents/biometrics at the nearest NRC seva kendras for verification.

A notice issued by the home and political department of the Assam government said those who had filed claims for inclusion of their names in the final NRC or those against whom objections have been filed can submit their documents or biometrics at the nearest NRC seva kendras in their own district.

The notice said those who have received summons to appear in NRC seva kendras outside their district for disposal of claims and objections can submit their documents/biometrics beforehand in their nearest NRC seva kendra and then appear at the designated centre on the given date for hearing.

An official source said this has been done to spare them any unnecessary harassment.

“Applicants who have already attended hearing at the designated NRC seva kendras outside their district but are yet to submit their documents or biometrics do not have to travel to the designated seva kendra again for submission of the documents or biometrics,” he said.

The state government issued the notice after organisations like All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind had complained that people were summoned for hearings to places 400km-500km away from their homes, causing a lot of inconvenience to them.

Both these organisations had also filed interlocutory applications in the Supreme Court highlighting this problem and last month the apex court had told the NRC authorities to conduct the hearings as far as possible at a place suitable to the applicants to avoid any inconvenience to them.

The NRC is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to detect foreigners living illegally in the state and the apex court has set July 31 deadline for publication of the final NRC.

The complete draft NRC containing names of 28,983,677 out of total 32,991,384, applicants was published on July 30 last year.

Those left out of the complete draft were given a chance to file claims for their inclusion in the final NRC.

Of around 40 lakh applicants, who were not included in the complete draft, around 36.2 lakh have filed claims for their inclusion in the final NRC.

Around two lakh objections were also filed against inclusion of “ineligible” persons in the complete draft.

Currently, the hearing of the claims and objections is going on, targeted to be completed by June 15.