From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: During his visit to violence-affected Korajhar and Chirang district areas in Assam to assess the ground situation through interaction with violence-hit in relied camps and officials in the field, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday assured proper security and all possible help to violence-displaced people lodged in a relief camp in Kokrajhar Assam so that they can go back home.
The Home Minister, who was on a day-long tour of the strife-torn areas of the state, also directed the state authorities to immediately ensure basic amenities, including clothes, food and medicines.
“All people I have spoken to are anxious to go back to their villages, but naturally they want security and their houses to be rebuilt. I have assured them on behalf of the Government of India and Government of Assam that we will help them in rebuilding their houses and we will provide security in their villages”, Chidambaram assured.
“Our immediate task is to ensure that peace and harmony is restored, rehabilitation takes place and that confidence comes back and the displaced people are able to go back to their villages,” he told reporters here.
Talking to media in Kokrajhar, Chidambaram said, ‘I have assured them (violence-hit people) that Government of India (GOI) and Government of Assam (GOA) will help them rebuild their houses.’
‘Both the government are fully geared up to accomplish the task of rehabilitation. Security will be provided in their villages so that they can live at peace.’
‘I have come here to assess the situation in the ground, talks to the officers in the field, to visit some affected areas, to meet people in the relief camps.’
‘The immediate task before us is to ensure peace and harmony so that a confidence is instilled in their mind. They (relief camp inmates) are gently persuaded to go back to their villages.’
‘ All of them are anxious to go back to their villages but they are naturally asking whether they will be safe or not. We will help them rebuild their houses and will provide security in the village,’Chidambaram said.
‘Police and the administration have drawn up a plan for rehabilitation. It is an eminently doable plan. We will also provide mobile and fixed security pickets in the village. We won’t set a deadline for it, but will be done as early as possible,’ said the Home Minister who visited two relied camps at Titaguri High School and Bhutgaon in Kokrajhar and two other camps at Basugaon College and Basugaon Higher Secondary School in Chirang district.
Chidambaram said situation was becoming normal as there was no fresh incident of violence or death during the last 72 hours and mentioned that 57 precious lives had been lost so far.
He said the present concern of the government was to look after people in relief camps, provide them with food , drinking water and medicines and gently persuade them to go back as early as possible.
When drawn to the allegation of availability of illegal arms in Bodoland Territorial, Council (BTC) area, Chidambaram said, “We are aware of, we are aware of it. It is an important thing. It is in our mind and we will do something.”
On apprehension about mis-utilisation of relief funds, he requested the media to report such cases if they came to their notice.
On allegation of involvement of illegal migrants from Bangladesh in the riot, Chidambaram said that all other issues could be addressed in due course of time.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi during his visit to meet violence-affected people at a relief camp at Noyaguri in Dhubri district urged people to go back to their villages at adequate security would be provided at their villages through setting up of security pickets and mobile patrolling.
He asked the people to go back to their villages within 15 days.
He announced that Rs 500 would be provided immediately to every relief camp inmates to buy cloths.
He said land of the violence-displaced would be fully protected so that no one could encroach upon it.