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PM visits violence-hit areas of Assam

By Amitabha Roy Chowdhury in Moran
January 16, 2007 15:15 IST
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On a day's visit to the violence-hit areas of Assam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh On Tuesday, met members of affected families and asked the State Government to prepare a rehabilitation package besides strengthening security.

Sharing the pangs of grief with the next of kin of those killed by ULFA militants in Upper Assam early in January, he said the incidents were painful as those killed could not be brought back to life.

Noting that the Rs 3 lakh compensation announced by the state government and another Rs 2 lakh from the prime minister's relief fund was not enough, Singh said he had asked Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to prepare a rehabilitation package especially for families, which had lost their earning members.

The prime minister reached Assam from Kolkata where he halted for the night on his return from Philippines. He was in the Philippine city of Cebu to attend back-to-back summits.

Nearly 70 migrant workers were killed by ULFA militants in Upper Assam districts including Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.

Since most of those killed were brick kiln labourers, the prime minister asked the state government to provide additional security to the areas around brick kilns to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

The prime minister, who also visited Dibrugarh, assured the panic-stricken people that his government was firm in its resolve to work with the people and state government to ensure that terrorist groups do not succeed in their nefarious designs.

"There will be no compromise with these insurgent groups if they resort to violence. At the same time, I would like to reiterate that doors for dialogue are open to all disaffected groups, including ULFA, who are willing to abjure violence," he said.

He said all problems of any group can be sorted out through dialogue and discussion and there was no scope for any group to take recourse to violence. Singh said he felt sad over the "series of senseless killings" of a large number of people in cold blood and brutal manner.

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Amitabha Roy Chowdhury in Moran
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