Central team visits riot-hit Assam areas, reviews security

Guwahati, Aug 21 (IANS) A central team Tuesday visited the violence affected Dhubri district of Assam to take stock of the security and relief and rehabilitation measures taken up by the district administration for the people living in relief camps.

The seven-member team that included Shambhu Singh, secretary (northeast) in the union home ministry, and other senior officials drawn from various departments and ministries, is scheduled to visit violence-affected areas of Kokrajhar Wednesday and Chirang district Thursday.

The team Tuesday interacted with the district administration officials as well as with those who had been living in the relief camps since last month.

Sources in the Dhubri district said that the team visited relief camps at Barkanda People's Academy, Maspara LP School, Indranarayan Academy and Bilasipara College and interacted with the people at the camp. It also took stock of the security and relief and rehabilitation measures taken up by the district administration so far.

The central team also assured the inmates of relief camps that their security would be accorded the top priority.

The violence that broke out between the Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers in Kokrajhar district on July 19 soon spread to Chirang and Dhubri, killing 77 people from both the communities and displacing over four lakh people.

As of date, over two lakh people are being sheltered at 224 relief camps in the three districts.