While the legal and social implications of establishing a nation-wide NRC already has people up in arms, one aspect that isn’t getting the attention it deserves is its financial fallout. Our economy, which isn’t exactly at full steam, is completely unprepared to take on such a massive exercise. The logistics of it are mind boggling, so we did an approximate breakdown of what it would cost.
Implementation of the NRC in Assam cost the exchequer around ₹1600 crore. Taking that into account, we can get an idea of how much it would cost to implement in the country.
₹70,889 crore – and that’s just an approximation. The actual amount might be a whole lot more. And for what? To make valid citizens dig out their long lost birth certificates? There’s a multitude of other, more pressing causes this money could be used for. Causes such as these.
The numbers are mind-boggling, and the logistics of the register are a nightmare. The money needed would be much better spent on more pressing issues.