'Situation is improving in violence-hit areas': Assam CM Gogoi

Kokrajhar/New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said the situation is improving in violence-hit areas of the state, and expressed hope that everything will be normal in the next two to three days.

"The situation is improving and I hope in the next two-three days the situation will be normal. And I have reviewed the whole situation. I met my administration, my police force, CRPF and the army also," Gogoi told mediapersons in Assam's Kokrajhar District.

Gogoi also announced an ex-gratia of six lakh rupees each to the next of the kin of those killed in the violence.

Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh said the law and order situation in Assam has improved, and added that more supplementary security companies were sent to the state for urgent aid.

"Its much better, yesterday last night there were two incidents at two different places where some people were injured. At one place one person died, but otherwise nothing. Throughout the day nothing, vehicles are moving," Singh told mediapersons in Delhi.

Singh said 42 companies of para-military forces have already been deployed to assist the state government in normalising the situation.

"Most of our security companies have reached. 42 companies have already reached and 22 companies will be reaching by this evening that will make it 64 companies. About 5 more companies are expected to reach by tonight. That will make it sufficient force there," he added.

Scattered violence continued for the sixth day in riot-torn lower Assam districts where one person was killed in police firing while four persons were injured in an attack by a group of persons in Baksa district. Over 44 people have been killed in the violence so far.

Indefinite curfew and shoot-at-site orders are in force in Kokrajhar district, while night curfew is on in Chirang and Dhubri districts. Nearly two lakh people have taken shelter in 150 relief camps.

With gradual improvement in the situation, train services, which came to a halt for two days, have resumed.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, will visit ethnic violence-hit Kokrajhar District on Saturday to take stock of the volatile situation.

According to police officials, the latest wave of violence was sparked last week when unidentified men killed four youth in the state's Bodo tribe-dominated Kokrajhar District near the borders of Bangladesh and Bhutan.n retaliation, armed Bodos attacked Muslims, suspecting them to be behind the killings. (ANI)