Central team to visit violence-hit Assam today

A team of seven senior Central officials will visit ethnic- violence-hit Assam today to assess relief and rehabilitation requirements of violence-affected people.

The inter-ministerial delegation of Joint Secretaries will visit Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang and Baksa Districts.

Apart from Joint Secretary (Northeast) in the Home Ministry Shambhu Singh and Joint Secretary (Disaster Management) R K Srivastava, the other officers belong to the Ministries of Health, Rural Development, Food, Department of Drinking Water and Planning Commission.

The team will hold meetings with state government officials and take stock of the plans being chalked out to implement the Rs 300-crore relief package announced by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for violence-hit survivors.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, earlier visited the violence-hit areas and said: "We must restore peace and calm throughout the area. We are giving Rs 100 crore to the Assam government for relief and rehabilitation of those affected. We are also giving Rs 100 crore as special planned assistance for the development of the affected areas. Another Rs 100 crore will be given under Indira Awas Yojana for repairing the damaged houses."

"We must also address the causes of the conflict. The guilty must be punished. The Central government will also work closely with the state government to ensure security of those affected so that they can progress to their houses," he added.

Violent clashes erupted in Assam in July after unidentified men killed four Bodo youths. In retaliation, armed Bodos - who dominate Kokrajhar and Chirang districts - attacked minority groups, suspecting them of being behind the deaths. (ANI)