NRC won’t happen: Mamata repeats as she tells officials to help people get documents

West Bengal Police on Tuesday had said that at least eight persons have died or committed suicide in the state over alleged fear over the implementation of NRC following the exclusion of 19 lakh people from the citizenship register in neighbouring Assam.

“When a person comes to you for his voter i-card or other documents please do not drive him or her out. Some people may not have the proper documents with them. Some may have lost their papers, some papers may have been damaged during the floods. Please do not drive them away. Ask them to lodge a police complaint and do the needful according to law,” the CM told the BDOs and other officials at the meeting.

On the ongoing census and ration-digitising process, the CM asked the BDOs, MLAs, elected representatives of local bodies to go door to door for the survey. “Why are you not conducting a door-to-door survey. BDOs should undertake the surveys. MLAs, panchayat samiti members and zilla parishad members should go for the surveys. Genuine names should be included in the voters’ list,” she said.

“Census happens every 10 years and it is a routine affair. We are undertaking a drive for digitising ration cards. These things have nothing to do with NRC,” she added.

She also warned officials of touts and middlemen who are trying to exploit people in the name of offering documents. “I have information that agents have sprung up. They are not political persons but touts. They are approaching people with the promise of helping them obtain documents…I ask the administration and police to keep a watch on such touts,” the CM said at the meeting.

Mamata said that the state government’s programme to issue, replace and update digital ration cards, that is scheduled to end of September 27 will again commence from November 5 and continue till November 30.

There will be one set of digital ration cards for people who want to keep it for identity proof, while the second set of cards in a different colour will be for those who want to avail subsidised food items and also for identity proof, she added.