Rs 40 lakh to pro-talk ULFA for daily expenses NEW DELHI, April 24 – Believed to have led lavish lives in their heydays, pro-talks ULFA leaders have now been given Rs 40 lakh by the Centre for daily expenses and to run their families.The Home Ministry released the first instalment of financial assistance to the ULFA leaders, including ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa, ‘vice-president’ Pradip Gogoi and others besides its cadres – totalling approximately 400.“We have disbursed the money to the ULFA through the Assam government. The money has been given to take care of the daily expenses of ULFA members and other family requirements,” a Home Ministry official said. The Centre may release more funds to the banned group in the coming days.The ULFA was accused of extorting several hundred crores of rupess in Assam to buy arms, ammunition and for training its cadres. The group was also accused of running many businesses in neighbouring Bangladesh.The ULFA leaders, led by Rajkhowa, had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in January for the first time after their arrest along the India-Bangladesh border in 2009, starting the peace negotiations with the government.The next peace dialogue between the government representatives and the ULFA leaders is likely to be held in June. The process has been delayed as the group is yet to fulfill the Centre’s condition to deposit their weapons before a substantial dialogue.The weapons are believed to be in the possession of two senior leaders of the ULFA but they are undecided on whether the outfit wants to double-lock the arms, that is keep it in joint custody with one set of keys remaining with the government and the other with the militant group.Double-locking is a standard practice of the government with surrendered militant groups during negotiation — an exception being the NSCN-IM.The firearms of the Naga National Council are under lock and key at Chidema peace camp near Kohima since 1964. More recently, the pro-talks NDFB double-locked its weapons. The government put the same argument before ULFA as a pre-requisite for a formal dialogue.Meanwhile, the Centre and the Assam government have agreed to allocate land to the group in Nalbari district to set up a designated camp for the ULFA cadres. Officials said it is here that the weapons may be deposited.
( The Assam Tribune , 25.04.2011) _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
