More than 40 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants have been left out of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. 

The draft NRC was released in Guwahati on Monday by Registrar General of India Shailesh, and NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela.

As many as 3,29,91,384 people had applied and the applications of 2,89,83,677 were accepted, said Mr. Shailesh.

The remaining 40,007,707 applicants, whose names didn't figure in the list will be given "ample opportunity" through a process of claims and objections till September 28, and their citizenship status will not be questioned till the final, error-free draft is prepared on an unspecified date, Mr. Shailesh and Mr. Hajela said.

Those not on the list include 2.48 lakh Doubtful-voters (D-voters) and their siblings and descendants.

'List not final'

"The process has been completely transparent, fair, objective and meticulously carried out. Adequate opportunity to all applicants were given," Mr. Shailesh said.

Reiterating that the list released was only a draft and not the final one, he said, "Reassuring those not in the draft, they will get ample opportunity to file claims and objectives with adequate time. People who lack knowledge will be provided assistance. Full justice will be meted to all."

No penal action

To a question if those left out in the draft NRC would be intimated, Mr. Hajela said: "We consider them as applicants. Each of them will be sent letters individually for the next step. We are trying to tell them they might have missed out because of some reasons such as unsubstantiated documents. We will provide assistance to them to file claims and objections."

The names of applicants left out in the list would not be revealed to protect their privacy. "We cannot provide district wise breakup of these 40 lakh for the same reason," he said, adding that the total expenditure on the NRC exercise since September 2013 was Rs. 1,220 crore.

Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, said there would be no penal action against those who missed out until their cases were sorted out. "We want law and order to be maintained, and no one will be allowed to create trouble."

The draft can be found online at www.nrcassam.nic.in, www.assam.mygov.in, www.assam.gov.in, and www.homeandpolitical.assam.gov.in. The helpline numbers are 15107 (within Assam) and 18003453762.