Violence is not the solution to any problem, said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. He reiterated his appeal to the banned ULFA to come for direct talks with the Central Government. “Violence and terrorism will lead us to nowhere. I once again appeal to the militant outfits, especially the ULFA, to come forward for direct talks with the Central Government in the greater interests of the State,” Gogoi said.

Meanwhile, rejecting Gogoi’s offer to release five jailed leaders to facilitate direct talks with ULFA’s top leadership, the group today stuck to its demand for sovereignty as a condition for such parleys.

“Killing of the innocent is barbaric and sheer cowardice, and we condemn it in the strongest terms… The Government is committed to protect the lives and property of all the people living in the State,” the CM said and urged the people to put up a united stand against militants.

Gogoi also said that steps had been taken to intensify security in Karbi Anglong district. “Additional police stations and outposts would be set up in Karbi Anglong and other violence-affected places. We will take urgent steps for rehabilitation of the violence-hit families and take care of the educational needs of the children,” he said.

Using the occasion to give an account of the State Government’s achievements in different fields, the Chief Minister made a number of announcements that related to rehabilitation of the flood-affected, a grant for freedom fighters, grants for educational institutions, hike in pensions of freedom fighters, litterateurs and sportspersons, special measures for welfare of destitute homes, among others.

While the freedom fighters will receive a one-time grant of Rs 5,000 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence, their monthly pension has also been hiked to Rs 3,000. Artiste, literary and sports pensions have been hiked to Rs 2,000.

Expressing concern over the havoc wreaked by floods that had affected 67 lakh people of the State, Gogoi said that the next of kin of the 37 people who had died in the floods would get Rs 1 lakh each. The small farmers and fishermen would receive a grant of Rs 6,000 per hectare for rehabilitation of their cropland and fisheries respectively. Small farmers and agricultural labourers who have lost bullocks and buffalos will be compensated to the tune of Rs 10,000 per animal. Those who have lost land due to erosion and change of course by rivers will receive compensation of Rs 15,000 per hectare.

Meanwhile ULFA claimed that from time to time, the Government raised the issue of direct talks without any reference to the issue of restoration of Assam’s sovereignty. In its mouthpiece Freedom the militant outfit hit out against the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his recent statements on the issue of talks, and said that Gogoi was not aware of the facts. The outfit said that the Chief Minister also failed to keep its commitment of releasing five jailed central committee leaders of the ULFA and till date, the Government has not declared the whereabouts of the ULFA men missing since the operations in Bhutan. Of late, the Government of India is also quiet on the issue of talks with the ULFA, the outfit said.

On the issue of floods, the ULFA said that a permanent solution to the problem would come only after the end of the “colonial rule”. The ULFA alleged that till date, the Government of India failed to take any steps for permanent solution to the problem of floods and the Government is concerned only about floods in Mumbai, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The ULFA also alleged that the political leaders also failed to play their part to provide help to the affected people and expressed the opinion that the proceedings of the State Assembly should have been suspended and all politicians should have rushed to the affected areas.