From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: All the doctors in government hospital in Kokrajhar district under the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) of Assam have fled serving no notice to the authority after the anti-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a Bodo tribe insurgent group, demanded Rs one lakh each from them as extortion.
This has rendered medical services in the hospital non-functional since Saturday night much to the agony of the patients. It is the biggest hospital in the entire BTC area of Assam.
The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Bodoland Territorial Council, Hagrama Mohilary told the media that all the 28 doctors of Rup Nath Brahma Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar had fled along with their families after they had been slapped extortion demands by the NDFB (anti-talks) militants. The ultras had asked the doctors to pay up Rs one lakh each by Saturday evening.
The absence of doctors in it for a longer period will cause great inconvenience to the people of the BTC area. The BTC chief is expected to meet the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on December 13 to apprise the worsening situation in the area.
The NDFB (anti-talks) militants were on an extortion spree in the entire BTC area and they have targeted not only doctors, but all other government service holders, teachers working in government institutions and colleges in the BTC areas.
The NDFB ultras killed at least three businessmen in Kokrajhar town during the past one month or so. The BTC is though an autonomous body, the responsibility of maintenance of law and order in the area rests with Assam government.
The NDFB (anti-talks) faction recently declared unilateral ceasefire hoping that the government will call it for dialogue by releasing its leader Ranjan Daimary from the jail. However, the outfit continues with its illegal activities including extortion despite the truce declared by it.
Ranjan Daimary was arrested in Bangladesh and later handed over to Assam police.
Chief Minister Gogoi recently said that former IB chief and Centre’s peace interlocutor P C Haldar had been put on the job to facilitate dialogue with the NDFB faction led by Ranjan Daimary.