GUWAHATI, April 29 � Facing severe financial crunch, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has launched an extortion drive and served extortion notices to cross sections of people in different parts of Assam. Security agencies also expressed apprehension that the outfit might indulge in acts of violence to prove its existence so that those served with extortion notices can be forced to pay the demanded amounts.
Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that the militant outfit is facing severe financial crunch and there have been instances when those served with extortion notices refused to pay the demanded amounts. Sources said that there have also been instances when a number of cadres engaged for extortions, surrendered after collecting substantial amounts in the name of the ULFA.
Sources said that according to information available with the security forces, the ULFA has divided the upper Assam area into three zones for launching extortion drives. The districts of Jorhat and Golaghat is one zone, the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Majuli river island have been included in the second zone and the districts of Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia have been included in the third zone. Different groups of ULFA men have been entrusted with the responsibility of launching extortion drives in their respective areas.
Sources said that the intelligence inputs indicated that different sections of people including politicians, traders etc received extortion demands from the ULFA in upper Assam areas, while, one contractor engaged for the implementation of the Gas Cracker Project, some tea estates and a drilling company also received demands from the militant outfit. Sources said that with the militant outfit becoming desperate for money, they are ready to negotiate even over phone and settle for much smaller amounts. Several persons were also called to the areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh for negotiations.
Sources said that the 109 battalion of the ULFA has been asked to launch extortion drives in Boko, Palasbari and Chaygaon areas of Kamrup districts and in Goalpara district. Dreaded militant Drishti Rajkhowa, who heads the battalion, is now believed to be in Bangladesh and Gulit Das and Pradeep Basumatary have been entrusted with the responsibility of extortions on behalf of the battalion.
Security sources said that the 709 battalion commander Hira Sarania is still at large and the battalion served extortion notices in parts of Guwahati city. The battalion also carried out joint operations with the members of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) from time to time to collect funds for the outfit in recent months, sources said.
