Government taking steps to control Assam violence: Shinde

August 9, 2012 | National News | Written by

New Delhi, Aug.9: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Thursday said that the Central Government is providing all possible assistance to the Government of Assam to control the violence and rehabilitation of affected families.

In statement read out in the Rajya Sabha on the second day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Shinde said described the violence in Assam as unfortunate, and expressed his deep sense of anguish over the violence in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon Districts in Assam from July 6 onwards.

After comprehensively detailing the causes leading up to the violence, Shinde said that the government was fully aware of the steps to be taken to curb it.

He said that as of Wednesday, the violence had claimed 77 lives and caused injury to another 50, including 14 police personnel. He said that seven persons were missing, 244 villages and 47,936 families affected, while 5,367 houses had been burnt.

He informed members that the Assam Government has set up 340 relief camps for the affected families.

From the security point of view, the Home Minister said that 14 additional companies of the CAPF had been rushed to Assam as against the 10 demanded by the state government.

Additional Forces continued to get deployed on a daily basis till the number of additional companies reached 65. Some of these companies were airlifted, he said.

He said that the Cabinet Secretary had presided over a meeting and teams of doctors were being sent to the affected areas.

Shinde also informed members of the Upper House that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed to assist the District Administration, Kokrajhar in relief operations.

A flag march by the army and patrolling by Assam police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is continuing in the affected areas, he added.

He revealed that security forces have arrested over 170 persons so far and 309 cases have been registered in connection with ethnic violence.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) with ADGP (CID) as over all in-charge has been constituted to investigate six important cases, he added.

He concluded by saying that a comprehensive security plan has been chalked out to provide foolproof security to the affected population, and added that the government strongly condemns the acts of depredation in Assam.

He urged leaders of the Bodo and Muslim communities to intervene in the matter for restoration of normalcy in the area. (ANI)