Central team to visit Assam's Bodo areas; to review security

In the wake of unabated violence, a high-level Central team will visit Bodo-dominated areas in Assam on February 10 and review the prevailing law-and-order situation there.

In the wake of unabated violence, a high-level Central team will visit Bodo-dominated areas in Assam on February 10 and review the prevailing law-and-order situation there.

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The team, headed by Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai, will visit Kokrajhar and hold a meeting with top officials of Assam government, paramilitary forces and others and review the steps taken to stop violence in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas.

Sources said violence in BTC areas has increased abruptly -- 74 per cent -- in 2009 compared to the previous year, primarily due to the fratricidal clashes among different Bodo groups.

In 2008, 110 people were killed in Assam due to insurgency-related violence but in 2009, 194 people -- mostly in BTC area -- lost their lives due to different violence.

"It is a serious situation in Bodo-dominated areas. Violence has to be put to an end urgently," an official said.

The Centre is particularly worried over the fact that despite a large number of militants belonging to NDFB and almost all members of erstwhile Bodo Liberation Tigers surrendering their arms, violence continued unabated there.

"The violence reflects the fact that illegal arms easily available in BTC areas and many young people are still attracted to insurgency," the official said.