Guwahati: Admitting to intelligence
failure in anticipating the large-scale violence here which
left three dead, the Assam government on Thursday ordered a probe
into the incident and has promised action within 3-4 days.
"Yes, there was failure of intelligence and police,
the deputy commissioner failed to anticipate such large-scale
violence," senior ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rockybul
Hussain told reporters here.
Announcing that a committee under Additional Chief
Secretary Surajit Mitra has been formed to probe the matter
and which will submit its preliminary tomorrow, they said
action will be taken within the next three or four days.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will go through the video
footage of the incident, they added.
"The police and deputy commissioner failed to
anticipate when they gave permission for the rally, but at the
same time the rallyists had given assurance to the
administration that it would be peaceful. This is also a
breach of trust", Sarma said.
Protestors of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS),
agitating against eviction of encroachers, clashed with the
police yesterday, leaving three dead and over 60 injured.
The ministers said the background of organisations
proposing to hold rallies will now be examined before giving
permission in future.
They said the chief minister held a high-level meeting
earlier in the day with state director general of police and
top officials besides senior ministers.
Asserting that the government would not talk to those
responsible for yesterday`s violence, Sarma said another
committee has been formed under the chairmanship of former
minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman to decide the future of people
staying in forest and revenue lands since a long time.
The ministers said the eviction drive has been stopped
and the entire process will be reviewed after the committee,
which would also have members of the civil society, submits
its report within a month.
However, the ministers made it clear that the
government will not allow settlement on wastelands and water
bodies but those who had been staying in the hills would
be considered.
Forest Minister Hussain said there would be a
1000-strong Guwahati hill protection battalion to protect
forest areas from encroachers.
On the police handling of the situation yesterday, the
ministers were of the view that in future before deployment
their capacity of handling rioting would have to be
considered.
Sarma said there would be no new human settlement in
the hill sides of Guwahati but those who had been living there
for long would be scrtunised as to whether they were landless
and belonged to below poverty line.
Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said there would
be a 1000-strong Guwahati hill protection battallion to
protect forest areas from encroachers.
On the police handling of the situation yesterday, the
ministers were of the view that in future before deployment
their capacity of handling rioting would have to be reviewed.
PTI
