In order to thwart any post-Eid violence in Assam following the SMS/MMS threat, the State Government has put a commando crack team on high alert in the Guwahati airport from August 20. The commando team is equipped with sophisticated arms and ammunition and chopper.
ACCORDING to The Sentinel, Assam Government Home Secretary GD Tripathi on Tuesday said the commando crack team comprises ten highly skilled soldiers who can effectively deal with any kind of violent situation with a short notice.
Tripathi said in order to assess relief and rehabilitation requirements of violence-affected people in Assam, a seven-member team was visiting the strife-torn Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) and other affected districts on Tuesday. “The visiting Central team will mainly look after the relief and rehabilitation requirements of the violence-hit people, including supply of pure drinking water, medical help and adequate security,” Tripathi said.
After reaching Guwahati, the Central team members visited the relief camps in Dhubri district. On Wednesday, the members of the Central team will visit Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Bongaigaon in two parts to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken there. On August 23, the Central team members will hold two separate meetings with the Chief Minister and the State Chief Secretary.
Tripathi said the violence-affected people in the BTAD were still not feeling safe to return to their villages due to the fear of reprisal. He further said the Central team members would take stock of the plans being chalked out to implement the Rs 300 crore relief package announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the violence-hit survivors. “Out of Rs 300 crore, Rs 100 crore was received by the Assam Government as gratuity relief. Out of the received money, Rs 45 crore was already spent for relief,” he said.
According to Tripathi, about 14,000 houses were burnt down by the miscreants during the BTAD riots. “A financial grant of Rs 50,000 and three bundles of tin were provided to the persons whose houses were burnt down during the riots,” he said, adding, “Relief would be provided to the people in the violence-hit areas at the time of building their houses.”
The State Home Secretary also stated that a data base of the people living in the refugee camps in the violence-hit districts was collected. “The government has verified and cross checked the data base with the electoral roll and the census report and no persons having suspected nationalities have been detected so far. Forty per cent of the cross checking work of the data base has already been completed,” he said.
On the issue of mass exodus of the northeast people from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Tripathi said about 40,000 northeasterners including 20,000 Assamese had returned to their home States. “From September 1, a special train would be provided for the people to return back to the States from where they fled.”
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