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RAILWAYS OFF THE TRACK
The Government has decided to raise a battalion which will have 1000 former militants from different outfits. The railway engines which will move in the hill section will have bullet proof sheets in the driver’s window.
Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi informed, “The battalion will be raised very soon. It is easy to engage former militants in counter insurgency operations as they already have necessary training. “Before recruiting them into the battalion, their past record will be scanned. They will be engaged in any part of the state as and when the situation demands. To start with we want to engage them in North Cachar Hills,” he said.
Mr Gogoi while condemning the recent violence in the North Cachar Hills, said killing of unarmed labourers by the Black Widow faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) is not an act of heroism but an act of cowardice. “To make up for the shortage of the security forces, ex-servicemen will be recruited from different states and will be engaged in counter insurgency operations,” he said.
He further said, “Development activities including the work of the railways and highways has come to a halt. However railways service in the railway stations of the area will resume very shortly and railways will introduce engines with with bullet proof protection while adequate force will be deployed in the railway stations to protect railway men and property,” he said.
He informed that more forces will be rushed to the area, the army has intensified operations. “The Black Widow faction which is also known as the Jewel faction of the DHD, has anexus with the Naga militant outfit NSCN (IM) and Kuki militant outfit,” he said.
New Delhi has taken strong exception to the violence in the hill section. NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), Chief Executive Member (CEM) Depulal Hojai has blamed the State Government and the Centre for the current situation in area.
Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Brindabon Goswami said that the State Government failed to do anything in this regard. “We want the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to intervene in the situation in NC Hills,’’ he stated.
Assam government spokesman and health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that the government has asked the police to institute an enquiry against three members of the NCHAC, for alleged nexus with Black Widow faction of DHD militants.
He added that a commission of enquiry will be set up to probe the alleged siphoning off of about Rs 10 crore to the Black Widow faction by some politicians of NCHAC. This is based on the reports of the Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh, who is the constitutional head of the autonomous council under provision of the Sixth Schedule of the constitution.
Mr Sarma said, “We have the evidence and the Chief Minister has asked the police to institute regular cases. We have to move cautiously when we are dealing with political leaders. It is not a question of politicking and we have hard evidence against these three council leaders, Depolal Hojai (Chief executive Member), Parkanta Warisa and Mohid Hojai,” Sarma said.
He said the governor has recently informed the state government verbally that at least Rs 10 crore has been diverted by the council meant for DRDA and roads and paid it to two contractors, as payment against pending bill, who in turn handed over the money to DHD black widow. The government has no plans to dissolve the council on these grounds. These are the only three leaders against whom action is being initiated,” Sarma said.
Meanwhile the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC)-BJP-run autonomous council has strongly refuted the allegation made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that CEM Hojai and former MP Prakanta Warisa have a nexus with the Black Widow
Mr Hojai said not being able to bring the volatile law-and-order situation in the hill district under its control; the Tarun Gogoi-led State Government is passing the buck . “The Congress-led Government at Dispur could not digest the ASDC-BJP combine taking power in the NCHAC. The people of the hill district rejected the Congress in the last council election due to misrule of the last council formed by the party,” Hojai said.
Nearly 16, construction companies engaged in construction of broad gauge project have ceased work and refused to start the work till adequate security is being provided.
In February this year, Black Widow militants killed four persons working for a private cement company. In the same month they attacked security personnel of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation’s (NEEPCO).
In 2007, Black Widow militants killed two state police personnel and injured five others. In 2006, the militants killed 13 personnel of Railway Protection Force.
The Black Widow attack on the contractors and the security personnel engaged has hit hard the Lumding - Silchar - Jiribam gauge conversion project.
The constriction project has been badly affected as time and again the DHD (Black Widow) has unleashed a reign of terror.
The project involves 370 km at a total cost of Rs 1676.31 crore, part of which is funded by the finance ministry. The project has been targeted for completion by March 2009. However substantial protion of the project is yet to be completed and it is feared that it will not be completed before 2011.
