Ex-Bodo militants tell Govt ’03 pact not followed

Former Bodo militants of Assam have reminded the Centre to allocate the financial package of Rs 500 crore as per the agreement signed three years ago and without new stipulations that would complicate matters and nullify the gains.

A three-member Bodo delegation of the erstwhile Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) led by Mainao Daimary today registered its protest at a meeting held at the North Block. They were upset since the yearly allotment of Rs 100 crore (out of a total of Rs 500 crore) was being given as 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan, which according to them is against the terms of the agreement reached on 10 February 2003 following their surrender. The Bodoland Territorial Council (BLT) set up after that has already received two yearly allocations of Rs 100 crore each from the Centre to take up development projects.

The meeting was chaired by Secretary of Border Management in the Home Ministry B S Lalli and attended by senior officials from the ministries of Development of N-E Region, Textiles, Human Resource Development, Industries and Commerce besides Planning Commission, the BSF and the CRPF.

Several other issues associated with the implementation of the agreement came up for discussion today. The Home Ministry has asked all ministries concerned to visit the region and examine ways and means of overcoming the problems in the way of a faster implementation of development schemes.

The Bodo leaders also apprised the Centre of the need to fulfil the commitment that former militants would be recruited in paramilitary forces. While the CRPF and the BSF have almost completed the recruitment, the Assam Rifles is yet to initiate the process.