Centre, PCG to Meet for Third - and Final - Round of Asom Talks

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) The third and final round of talks between the Centre and the Peoples Consultative Group representing ULFA will be held here tomorrow.

The talks will focus on the modalities of final talk between the Centre and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to sort out a host of long-pending issues, informed sources here said.

Mrs Indira Goswami, Chief interlocutor and Media Spokesperson for PCG -- a group of civil society leaders named by ULFA to initiate peace talks with New Delhi, felt that the Government was avoiding direct talks with ULFA.

''Instead of holding various rounds of talks with PCG, they should talk directly to the ULFA leadership to have a better understanding of the issues at stake,'' she observed.

Sources said it was at the behest of PCG that the Centre had asked Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi -- as well as State Chief Secretary S Kabilan -- to also attend tomorrow's talks as PCG was of the view that the CM's presence would contribute to speedier implementation of the decisions arrived at the deliberations.

The meeting, expected to begin tomorrow forenoon, would be attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Home Secretary VK Duggal, and Asom Home Commissioner BK Gohain along with PCG leaders.

Already the Centre and PCG have twice met in peace-talks. ULFA has yet to announce a formal ceasefire although it says it wants an end to military operations in Asom.

UNI BKS/DG VD VV1825