From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: After taking stock of violence affected areas of Assam, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh announced that probe would be conducted into the spell violence to punish anyone found guilty of instigating it and promised all possible help from the Centre to bring back normalcy to the life of ‘hundreds of thousands’ of violence-displaced.
Talking to the media at Kokrajhar Circuit House following his visit to two of the relief camps in Kokrajhar town under violence-ravaged Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area, Dr Singh announced Rs 300 crore immediate financial assistance to Assam government to facilitate proper relief, rehabilitation of the violence-displaced people.
Dr Singh said “healing touch” was the need of the hour.
Altogether 150 people have been arrested from the affected areas for inciting violence, while the death toll stood at 53 and another 10 people reported missing.
Railway services, which had been suspended since July 23 noon through western Assam, was resumed since July 25 night and train movement has been continuing unhindered under security cover.
“At this juncture, I can say that the Centre will work closely with the Government of Assam to provide adequate security to help the violence-displaced people to go back home and lead a proper life in a peaceful atmosphere,” Dr Singh said in presence of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
The PM assured that inquiry would be conducted into the causes of the violence that had affected hundreds of thousands of people and punishment would be handed out to anyone found guilty of instigating it.
He announced Rs 100 crore immediate assistance to Assam government for facilitating relief and rehabilitation of the violence-affected people in BTC districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa and Dhubri district outside the BTC; another Rs 100 crore special Plan assistance to Assam for development of the violence affected people and areas and Rs 100 crore under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) scheme to facilitate rehabilitation of violence displaced people. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in Rajya Sabha, further announced Rs two lakh ex-gratia compensation against each of the death due to the violence, Rs 50,000 to each of seriously injured in the violence. Those whose houses have been completely damaged will get Rs 30,000 per family while Rs 20,000 will be given per family to those whose houses were partially damaged. He said these assistance would be provided from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
He said, “This is no time for recriminations, we need to first help the people to rehabilitate and bring peace.”
After landing at the SAI stadium at Kokrajhar at 1-15 P.M. in an Indian Air Force chopper, Dr Singh went straight to interact with violence-displaced people in two relief camps at Kokrajhar Commerce College and Bhutgaon.
The violence that broke out on last Saturday has so far left over 50 dead, 58 injured while displaced about four lakh people in the districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Dhubri in Assam.
The Prime Minister also interacted with representatives of several political and non-political organisations at Kokrajhar to get feedback about the violence. Earlier, a delegation of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by its leader and MP Badruddin Ajmol met the Prime Minister at Guwahati Airport before his departure to Kokrjhar. (With inputs from agencies)