GUWAHATI, Aug 4 � The process of setting up as many as 112 fixed security pickets in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts has started and this will be the first step for the rehabilitation of the people displaced in the recent ethnic clashes in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) areas.
The Inspector General of Police, in-charge of BTAD, SN Singh told The Assam Tribune today that the process of deployment of the fixed security pickets would be completed by August 6 so that the displaced people can return home safely. He said that the vulnerable areas have been identified for deployment of the fixed pickets. According to the plan, 63 fixed pickets would be placed in Kokrajhar district, 33 in Chirang district and 16 will be in Dhubri district.
Singh said that all the fixed pickets would be manned by one platoon of Central paramilitary personnel. He expressed the view that the security personnel posted in the fixed pickets would not have much problem in guarding the vulnerable villages as each picket would be given responsibility of guarding only two or three villages. �We want that the displaced people should return home after the security force personnel are deployed properly to avoid any untoward incident,� he added.
The IGP revealed that 65 companies of Central paramilitary forces are now available in the vulnerable areas and four companies of SSB personnel have been deployed for guarding the railway tracks, while three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed for guarding the railway stations. He said that such care has been taken to ensure that train services are not affected in any way as it happened during the last part of July.
Singh said that once the displaced people return home, steps would be taken to form village level peace committees. He pointed out that in the past, district level peace committees were forced, but the messages did not percolate down to the ground level. �That is why, this time we have decided to start with village level peace committees and then go up to police station level and district level committees,� he added. He said that steps have also been taken to strengthen the village defence parties in the entire BTAD area.
Replying to a question on reports of availability of illegal weapons in the BTAD area, Singh admitted that availability of illegal weapons in the hands of some people is a fact and in the past one year, a number of such weapons were seized. However, he said that such weapons are not kept at anyone�s homes and it is difficult to seize those without specific information. Moreover, police and security forces hardly come across anyone moving around with illegal weapons. �Whenever anyone is found with any illegal weapon, strict action is taken,� he added.
