india

Updated: Nov 10, 2019 05:31 IST

A 1986-batch Assam civil servant Hitesh Dev Sarma was, on Saturday, appointed as the next coordinator of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in place of Prateek Hajela. Sarma is expected to assume charge on Monday.

The Supreme Court had on October 18 directed the Centre to transfer Hajela to Madhya Pradesh.

Sarma, who was serving as the secretary to the urban development and finance departments, has been transferred as secretary to the home and political department and state Coordinator, NRC and in-charge directorate of NRC, an official order said here.

The updated final NRC published on August 31 this year has left out over 19 lakh applicants. It was published under Hajela, a 1995-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre who was appointed the NRC coordinator by the Supreme Court.

Now, Dev Sarma has his task cut out as those who have been excluded from the NRC have 120 days to appeal against it at Foreigners’ Tribunals.

If not satisfied with the verdict of the tribunals, they will have the option to move the high court and the Supreme Court for redress.

The Union cabinet’s appointment committee has already approved the proposal of the central department of personnel and training for inter-cadre deputation of Hajela from Assam-Meghalaya cadre to Madhya Pradesh cadre for three years, official sources said. Assam government had also written to the department of personnel and training, stating that it did not have any objection in transferring Hajela.