AGARTALA, Feb 6 (TIWN): Addressing the government, Justice Gogoi said, “If you want the NRC work to go on, there are a thousand and one ways for the Government of India to do it... Do you want us to call the Union Home Secretary here?

“You have 3,000 companies of Central armed police forces... You need 2,700 companies for the election. The NRC work requires 167 companies. So what is the problem,” he asked.

Asserting that the Central forces were also required to ensure overall security, Mr. Venugopal said, “We need to protect the borders also. The security of the country is involved. This is a real problem.”

The Home Ministry, which had initially sought a three-week suspension of the NRC work from the last date of filing of nominations to the date of polling, had subsequently curtailed its plea to two weeks. The Bench, however, remained unmoved.

“At this stage, we are not inclined to pass any orders,” the court observed, signalling it stands firm by its earlier direction to ensure that the NRC work is completed by July 31.

The Bench directed that an “adequate number” of the State government officials — Assam State NRC Co-ordinator Prateek Hajela had indicated a number of 3,457 — be kept free for the NRC work. It also requested the Election Commission of India to examine the scope for exempting officers of the ranks of District Magistrates and Additional District Magistrates from any transfer likely to be made in view of the election.