Assam Chief Minister Addresses Needs of 176,000 Victims of Violence

176,440 People In 136 Relief Camps

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday reviewed the situation for Relief & Rehabilitation and Security arrangements and issued instructions to state government officials to respond to the needs of the victims of the recent violence.

During the high level meeting, held in Guwahati, the Assam Chief Minister instructed senior civil and police officials including Chief Secretary, DGP, Principal Secretary, Home and officers from other departments viz. Health, PHE to review the situation for Relief & Rehabilitation and also Security arrangements.

“The overall situation in the violence affected areas of Sonitpur and BTAD has remained peaceful with no fresh incidents of violence reported from any part of the State during the last 48 hours which has remained incident free. Curfew has been relaxed in all the districts following gradual improvement in the overall situation. Camp inmates have been found to be ready to go back in a number of places,” a top Assam government official said.

Assam DGP Khagen Sarma said 50 additional companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) had already deployed in the affected districts.

“These companies are being deployed in the vulnerable pockets to instill confidence amongst people and encourage them to come back to their homes,” the Assam DGP said.

The state government has already released an amount of Rs. 3.04 crores to the Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts for the construction of temporary barracks to accommodate the additional companies.

“There have been reports of rumour mongering particularly in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. The State Government has appealed to all sections of the people not to give credence to rumours and also not spread rumours, and remain calm and maintain peace and harmony,” the government official said.

Four senior officers have been deployed in the field, and they will remain until there is a major reduction in the number of people in the camps.

The State government said a total of 441 (Male 240, Female 201) Adivasi people took shelter in a relief camp under Kumargram Police station in the Alipurduar district in West Bengal and 800 Bodo community people at Namaro in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The total death toll in the violence stands at 78.

A total of pf 370 houses were burnt by miscreants following the violent incidents.

The Police have registered 14 cases of which 4 cases were handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA) through the Government of India.

The state government said a total of 176,440 people took makeshift shelter in 136 relief camps.

“Out of these camps, 64 are Bodos and 72 have Adivasis. The number of refugees belonging to Bodo and Adivasi Communities is 61,003 and 1,15,337 respectively,” the state government official said.

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.