Guwahati: Assam Governor JB Pattanik today said the elections to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) will be held as per schedule and the government will ensure its smooth conduct.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Patnaik said, ‘ The government will ensure that the elections are held. If needed, additional forces will be sent.’
‘ The government is serious about holding the elections in a smooth manner,’ he added.
The Assam government has deployed 28 companies of additional security forces in Goalpara district and sent soldiers to help police to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, four state Cabinet ministers on Tuesday visited Goalpara district, where seven people were massacred by Garo militants on November 3 night.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is away in London, had asked ministers Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rakibul Hussain, Nilamani Sen Deka and Rajib Lochan Pegu to rush to the site of the incident and to make a first-hand assessment of the ground situation.
They distributed interim ex-gratia payment to the distraught families.
“We also met police and district officials and reviewed the situation,” Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said.
“The Assam government had told police and the district administration to deal with the militants firmly. Steps will be taken to provide security to the innocent civilians,” he added.
The families of the deceased will get Rs.6 lakh each and those seriously injured will receive Rs.50,000 each. Those who got minor injuries will receive Rs. 25,000 each.
Dr Sharma, speaking to reporters here before leaving for Goalpara, said the situation was under control but a strict vigil needs to be kept.
‘ We have to be careful till the last minute,’ he said. He added that the people of RHAC support the polls and extra security will be provided, if needed, to the people.
The RHAC areas had witnessed widespread violence, mostly by non-Rabhas demanding exclusion of non-Rabha dominant villages from the Council purview, since the announcement of election schedule.
Public property have been damaged and recurrent bandhs and blockades imposed in the RHAC areas in Goalpara and south Kamrup districts.
Garo militants of GNLA had gunned down seven people and injured eight others at remote Gendamari village in Goalpara district, in Assam-Meghalaya border, on November 3 night.
The GNLA is also opposed to elections in the area.
Night curfew has been clamped along the Assam-Meghalaya border in Goalpara district since Monday night.
The Assam government decided Sunday to launch a relentless counter-insurgency operations against the militants in the area and have imposed night curfew along the Assam-Meghalaya border.
“The situation has been improving in Goalpara,” Assam Home Secretary G.D. Tripathy said.
A high-level security review meeting held here yesterday decided to send 50 additional platoons of paramilitary forces to Goalpara district.
The Chief Minister has taken up the matter with the Government of Meghalaya to assist in nabbing the suspected GNLA militants in November 3 massacre and to see to it that the militant outfit did not create further trouble with elections to RHAC round the corner.
The first-ever RHAC elections are scheduled to be held in three phases from November 13. (UNI)