Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has proposed a presidential retreat in Assam at the 68th plenary session of North Eastern Council (NEC) on Tuesday. The Presidential retreat is a guesthouse wherein the President spends two weeks conducting official businesses. Currently, only two presidential retreats are being housed in the country — 'The Retreat Building' in Shimla and 'Rashtrapati Nilayam' in Shimla.

Read: Assam: Gorkhas Suffer A Setback After NRC, Over A Lakh Excluded

CM Sonowal says presidential retreat will give Assam sense of pride

The Chief Minister's Office tweeted that a presidential retreat in the Northeast region would give people a sense of pride and for that NEC should take further decisions. Sonowal has urged the NEC to play an important role in the implementation of the Act East Policy by focusing on issues relating to trade, investment, tourism, and connectivity. He also suggested the council to hold festivals in each Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country to promote the Northeastern region's heritage and potential tourism.

Read: Assam NRC: MHA Says Those Excluded Will Receive Adequate Legal Aid

The NRC debate

National Register of Citizens (NRC) is aimed at separating undocumented immigrants in India which was first prepared in 1951 and presently being worked only in Assam. As per the NRC, a resident has to prove that they were ancestors who entered Assam before midnight on March 24, 1971, and failing to do so would term them as a foreigner.

The final list of individuals was released on August 31, excluding over 19 lakh individuals from it; among the ones excluded are more than a lakh of Gorkhas.

Read: NRC Final List Out, Assam Police Adds Another Feather In Its Cap

The Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that the ones excluded from the list will not face detention and consequences until all the remedies available are exhausted. The individuals also won't automatically be considered as a foreigner. Since only a Foreigner Tribunal has the authority to do so, people left out from the list can appeal to these FTs within 120 days. On August 30, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal also assured saying excluded individuals “don't need to worry” and is ready to extend support to those who require legal assistance.

Read: Amit Shah On NRC: Every Illegal Immigrant Will Be Expelled From India