Assam peaceful, Gogoi reviews situation

Assam remained peaceful today with no fresh incidents reported as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reviewed the situation calling for intensifying confidence- building measures in the wake of death of 81 people in NDFB(S) militant attack, retaliatory violence and police firing.
The Chief Minister has directed Assam Director General of Police Khagen Sarmah to intensify confidence-building measures and undertake strategic deployment of forces, so that people who have moved to camps following the violence can return to their respective villages as early as possible, according to CMO sources.
Gogoi also reviewed the status of relief operations with the Chief Secretary, DGP and senior officers from Home, Revenue and Disaster Management, Health and Family Welfare and PHE Departments and officials deputed to the affected districts.

He also directed senior officers to keep a close watch on the relief operations and ensure that all necessary help was extended to those affected.
81 people, including 26 women and 18 infants, have been killed since Tuesday evening in serial attacks by NDFB(S) terrorists, retaliatory violence and police firing across four districts.
The number of relief camps, set up by the government, was increased to 136 today from 81 yesterday with the number of inmates there going up to 1,76,440 from 1,01,272, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) Chief Executive Officer P K Tiwary said.

In 64 camps, 61,003 inmates, mainly Bodos, have been lodged and in the rest, there are Adivasis numbering 1,15,337.

The administration in all affected districts and sub- divisions are fully geared up to provide relief to the camp inmates and there was sufficient stock of food items available there, he said.
The inmates are being provided baby food, candles, blankets and firewood while instructions have been sent to the districts to provide clothing and utensils and arrange for drinking water and sanitation facilities.
To ensure that medicines are available in sufficient quantity, Health and Family Welfare Department has released an amount of Rs 5,00,000 to all the four districts to meet any emergent situation and Revenue and Disaster Management Department has allowed them to arrange medicines locally if need is felt, Tiwary said.

Public Health and Engineering Department has deployed 15 Mobile Treatment Plants in addition to tankers, tubewells and running water taps in the camps and sufficient water purifiers have been sent, he added.