Govt to hold talks with Ulfa after team nomination

Guwahati, July 11 (UNI) The Asom government will start political dialogue with the United Liberation Front of Asom after the outfit nominates its team to continue the negotiations, state Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain informed the legislative assembly here today.

Replying to a short question of former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the minister said the Centre has assured to consider the release of five top ULFA leaders favourably, to the outfit's appointed Peoples' Consultative Group (PCG) in the third round of talks and also has urged the PCG to impress upon the militants to create a conducive atmosphere for direct talks with the government.

He said the PCG expressed satisfaction and assured the government to appeal to ULFA for maintaining peace and it was decided that modalities for holding talks between the militant outfit and the Centre in a fixed timeframe would be worked out through mutual consultation.

In reply to the issue of sovereignty, Mr Hussain said discussions can be held on all issues but within the ambit of the Indian Constitution adding the government considered the ULFA problem both as an insurgency as well as a political problem.

UNI XC-MT KK PA RS1652