Centre rushes 10 companies of paramilitary forces to Asom

New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) The Centre today rushed 10 additional companies of paramilitary forces to Asom to deal with the volatile situation after renewed violence by the outlawed ULFA that has claimed 66 lives so far.

Home Ministry sources today said the Centre has directed the Asom government to protect the lives of all sections of the society.

The Centre had dispatched 20 companies of paramilitary forces yesterday.

There are already 70,000 personnel drawn from the Army, state police and paramilitary forces in the state.

Sources said the additional forces would be deployed in areas where there was concentration of migrant workers, mostly from Bihar.

The Chief Secretary and Director General of Asom have been summoned by the Centre for a meeting here on January 12.

Patrolling is being intensified in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia region of Upper Asom while additional police pickets are being set up and intelligence gathering is being beefed up in the state.

Meanwhile, the Army resumed combing operations in Upper Asom, which continued to be apprehensive of further attacks.

According to official reports, there were no incidents since last night, apart from a bomb blast in Guwahati.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stepped up the pressure on the Centre, asking it to issue a statement and reveal its action plan to control the situation, in which migrant workers from Bihar were the target of ULFA.

UNI