The Union Home Ministry has sought an extension for the fifth time till January 9 for framing the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by Parliament in 2019. The Ministry also said that due to outbreak of Covid-19 and flood situation, finalisation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is delayed andthe process of issuing rejection slips has been postponed.
Replying to the question from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, the MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday that “the Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to grant further extension of time upto 09.01.2022 to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019,”
This is the fifth extension sought by the government for framing of these rules. According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should have been framed within six months of Presidential assent or seek extension.
The MHA, to a query from Abdul Khaleque (Congress) on the NRC, said nine Gazette notifications, the last being on July 31, 2019, had been
published by the Office of the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner. “Several communications and instructions have been sent to the State Coordinator of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam, for complying [with] the orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court with
regard to disposal of claims and objections, publication of lists of inclusions and exclusions in NRC, etc.,” said the Ministry.