WB-MAMATA NRC

NRC won't happen in Bengal : Mamata
    Midnapore (WB), Sep 25 (PTI) West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday allayed fears among the
people that NRC exercise will be carried out in the state.
    Addressing an administrative meeting at Debra in West
Midnapore district, Banerjee said it is shocking that people
have commited suicide fearing that NRC would be implemented in
the state.
    "NRC will not happen in Bengal," she said.
    The chief minister had iterated on earlier occasions
that NRC will not take place in West Bengal.
    Government sources had claimed on Tuesday that four
persons have committed suicide in fear of NRC so far, while
four others had died while waiting in queues to procure the
requisite papers.
    Banerjee said that the state government's programme to
issue, replace and update digital ration cards, which was
originally scheduled from September 9 to 27, will again
commence from November 5 to November 30 "to help each and
every citizen of the state."
    The announcement comes at a time when large queues are
seen outside the offices of BDOs and borough offices in
different parts of Bengal, besides at the civic body offices
in the city to procure requisite documents. There are
apprehensions among a large section of the people that NRC
will be carried out in the state in future.
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister
Amit Shah had repeatedly said during the campaigning for the
Lok Sabha elections that NRC would be implemented in Bengal
which has evidentally trigerred the fear.
    Banerjee said the state government will start the
process of updating digital ration cards again after the
festive season and there will be new ration cards in two
colours.
    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 said.
    Banerjee cautioned people against middlemen while
updating digital ration card at government offices in the
districts.
    She claimed that she had reports that some of the
government officers in the districts are not following the
directives of the secretariat.
    "I have heard allegations that some BDOs have been
harassing common people and are not following directives of
the state government. This can't go on," Banerjee said. PTI
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)