Initial hiccups in controlling clashes

PM visits Kokrajhar: Announces Rs 300-cr relief,says time for healing touch

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday visited Kokrajhar and announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs 300 crore to the Assam government to facilitate proper relief and rehabilitation of the people displaced by violence. He also said those found guilty of instigating and indulging in the senseless violence would be punished.

Singh,who described the Assam violence as tragic,said the ethnic conflict which occurred was unacceptable and should immediately stop. I am visiting Assam in very tragic circumstances. The pain and suffering the recent incidents have caused to a large number of people have saddened all of us. The ethnic conflict which occurred is unacceptable and must stop, the PM said. We must also address the causes of the conflict. If the conflict has been instigated,the guilty must be punished. The Central government will work closely with the state government to ensure this, he said.

Talking to reporters at the relief camp at Kokrajhar Commerce College,he said there were initial difficulties in controlling the violence but both the Centre and the Assam government will take all measures to normalise the situation and provide a healing touch to the victims.

Asked what led to the trouble,he said,The issue is very complex and when peace returns we will analyse it, adding this was not the time to point fingers at each other.

Singh also held talks with Bodoland Territorial Council administration,student,social and literary organisations.

Singh,who visited two relief camps,one each of the Bodos and Muslims,announced a series of measures for relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people. These included an immediate Special Central Assistance to the state government Rs 100 crore for relief and rehabilitation,another Rs 100 crore as Special Plan Assistance for development programmes in the affected areas,and extra funds to the tune of Rs 100 crore under the Indira Awas Yojana for providing houses to the affected.

The Prime Minister also announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund to the family of each of the dead. Moreover,an amount of Rs 50,000 will be provided as immediate relief to the seriously injured. To aid in rehabilitation of the affected people,an assistance of Rs 30,000 will be given to those whose houses are fully damaged and Rs 20,000 for partially damaged houses,he said.

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The Prime Ministers visit to Kokrajhar was delayed for more than two hours after his helicopter had to return to Guwahati 15 minutes into the flight to Kokrajhar. He subsequently left in an IAF copter.

Advani to visit Kokrajhar on July 30-31

BJP leader L K Advani will undertake a two-day visit to Kokrajhar and other areas in Assam and meet the riot-affected people on July 30 and 31. The BJP earlier sent a fact-finding team to the areas. The team has given its report to party chief Nitin Gadkari.

Church slams Centre,Assam govt: Lack will

The disaster in Assam could have been averted had the Central and state governments not lacked the political will to prevent influx of migrants,the National Council of Churches in India general secretary,Roger Gaikwad,said in a letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday.