GUWAJHATI, Jan 14 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that there would be joint patrolling by police and security forces of Assam and Meghalaya for preventing violence in the border areas.
Gogoi made this announcement today after visiting some relief camps relief camps sheltering the victims of the recent clash between the Rabha and Garo communities along the Assam-Meghalaya border in lower Assam. He interacted with the inmates and also took stock of the law-and-order situation.
An official release said that the Chief Minister during his interaction with the relief camp inmates assured them of adequate relief and rehabilitation besides security. He said that a number of mischief mongers had been arrested and would be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government was maintaining strict vigil along the border with a matching security mechanism so that no such incidents of violence could recur.
The Chief Minister further said that an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh would be given to the next of kin of those killed during the violence besides appropriate amounts to the injured. In
addition, those whose homes had been destroyed would also get CI sheets and financial assistance.
At the moment 34,266 people are taking shelter in 38 relief camps, while 2,281 inmates have left the camps and returned to their homes.
Meanwhile, the State Government has clarified through another press release that it had never been partisan in dealing with the post-violence situation, and that it had been taking all pro-active steps to normalize the situation and maintain ethnic harmony and peace in Goalpara district and on the Assam-Meghalaya border.
�The Government has been taking all proactive steps to counter the situation and maintain ethnic harmony and peace�it has been making vigorous efforts to provide sufficient relief to the inmates of relief camps in Goalpara district. Steps have been taken for providing immediate rehabilitation grant of three bundles of GCI sheets and Rs 10,000 to the families rendered homeless in Assam,� the statement said.
The statement added that as of now the priority was on facilitating creation of a congenial atmosphere for enabling the persons of both the States displaced in the ethnic strife to return to their homes as early as possible.
Some organizations of Assam and Meghalaya had accused the State Government of adopting a partisan attitude in dealing with the post-ethnic violence situation in the border.
