Dehradun, Nov 22: Welcoming the Centre’s decision to implement the NRC process across the country, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the exercise will permanently settle issues related to infiltration and anti-national elements.

He said the exercise is particularly important for border states like Uttarakhand.

His remarks came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be carried out across the country and no one, irrespective of their religion, should be worried.

“Implementing NRC across the country is a good step. Uttarakhand has open international borders. So, NRC acquires more importance here and in other border states,” Rawat told reporters here on Thursday.

“Implementation of NRC will permanently settle issues related to infiltration and anti-national elements,” he said.

The NRC exercise was first carried out in Assam as per Supreme Court orders.

The final NRC list, which validates bonafide Indian citizens of Assam, was released on August 31. Of the 3,30,27,661 people who had applied to be included in the NRC, the list excluded names of over 19 lakh.

PTI