JMG reviews ceasefire situation, UPDS boycott meeting

Guwahati, May 15 (UNI) The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) today visited the twin districts of NC Hills and Karbi Anglong to assess the ceasefire situation there.

The Group, consisting of representatives from the Centre and the Asom government, reviewed the situation with militant groups in the trouble-torn districts.

However, militant outfit United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) boycotted the visit saying the Group was not ''competent'' to talk on behalf of the Union government and thus a meeting with it would be ''infructuous''.

The JMG was led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home, Navin Verma, Asom Home Commissioner Rajiv Bora and IGP(Special Branch) Khagen Sharma.

Yesterday they had a detailed meeting with Dima Halao Daoga(DHD)'s ''Nunisa'' faction, led by Dileep Nunisa at Haflong.

The Nunisa faction had been engaged in pitched battles with the anti-talk faction of Jwel Garlosa.

The meeting discussed the situation arising out of constant friction and DHD complained that NSCN(IM) had been backing the Jwel faction.

The District Council of N C Hills also called on the JMG and submitted a memorandum enlisting a package. The JMG assured that they would intervene to stop Jwel faction from carrying out attack on the pro-talk faction.

But when they reached Lumding for a scheduled review meeting with the UPDS, the latter boycotted the meeting.

''This is unfortunate. We did not want that UPDS walk away from ceasefire unilaterally,'' said Mr Verma. However, the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong district council Mangalsingh Engti called on the JMG and demanded a package of Rs 637 crore for the rehabilitation of the displaced people in the Karbi-Dimasa clash.

They also demanded that Dhansiri designated camp of the DHD should be removed from Karbi Anglong and urged the JMG to ensure that surrendered militants are forced to comply the ground rules of the ceasefire.

UNI