GUWAHATI, Jan 9 � The Centre has taken serious note of the situation arising out of the ethnic clashes between Rabha and Garo communities along the Assam-Meghalaya border and the Joint Secretary (North East) of the Ministry of Home Affairs is scheduled to visit the affected area shortly to assess the ground situation.
Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that ten additional Assam Police Service (APS) officers have been deployed in Goalpara district to bring the situation under control. Sources said that five additional companies of paramilitary forces � three of CRPF and one each of the BSF and SSB � have been deployed in the district, while, the Army also started patrolling the vulnerable areas.
Sources said that the Assam Government is in constant touch with the Government of Meghalaya to try and bring the situation under control.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister and State Government spokesman Rockybul Hussain said that the first priority would be to restore normalcy and only then the process of rehabilitation of the affected people would start. He said that according to information available, at least 30,000 people displaced by the riots are taking shelter in 27 relief camps.
Hussain said that the State Government is in touch with Meghalaya and all possible steps are being taken to ensure that violence does not spread to other places. He said that a detailed list of the displaced people has been compiled and if the situation remains normal for two more days, both the Governments would sit together to start the process of rehabilitation of the affected people with proper security.
