Top court refuses to extend May 31 deadline to update

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday refused to extend the May 31 deadline for the ongoing process of publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam saying that the panchayat elections in the state should not become an impediment.

The top court, however, spared the additional deputy commissioner rank officer currently engaged in NRC updation work for the local bodies elections scheduled next month.

“We have already said that the deadline for updation of NRC is May 31 and the next 30 days for cross-checking of data till June 30. It can’t go beyond that and complete final draft should be ready by then. You deploy your surplus employees or request neighbhouring states, but no employee engaged in NRC work can be spared or disturbed,” a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and RF Nariman said.

The apex court bench’s remark came after the state government said the panchayat elections were due next month and urged that the employees engaged in NRC work be allowed to be deployed for the polls. The NRC is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam.

The bench said it had no intention to interfere with the panchayat polls in the state and it should be held as per schedule. But the polls shall not become impediment in the work of NRC, it added.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Assam, told the court that as per the Panchayat Constitution Rules of the state, deputy commissioner is responsible for the elections but he was currently engaged in NRC work.

“When we asked the deputy commissioner to work for polls, the state coordinator of NRC said it will be contempt of court as no officer can be engaged in any other work,” he said.

NEW DELHI: