KOKRAJHAR, Feb 19 — More than 1.61 lakh persons, affected by the ethnic riots in Kokrajhar district in 1996 and 1998, are still languishing in 49 relief camps spreading all over the district. Though the State Government has started the process of rehabilitation of the relief camp inmates, the process is very slow because of paucity of funds. According to records available, as many as 1,10,269 persons, including 71386 adults and 38883 minors of 21,523 families, are living in 26 relief camps in Gossaigaon subdivision, while, 51,393 persons including 34,063 adults and 17,330 minors of 8660 families are staying in 23 relief camps in Kokrajhar subdivision. The Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner, Dr AK Bhutani told The Assam Tribune that the State Government is committed to rehabilitate the affected people. He said that as per an estimate, an amount of about Rs 36 crore would be required to rehabilitate the camp inmates. The rehabilitation process started in the months of June and July last year when 970 families were rehabilitated. The State Government has recently released on amount of Rs 3 crore and at least 330 families would be rehabilitated shortly.
Dr Bhutani revealed that for the rehabilitation of the camp inmates, the State Government would have to spend the money, which would later be reimbursed by the Central Government. He said that rehabilitation of those who have their own land is not a problem but the rehabilitation process is slow because of lack of funds. He revealed that according to an estimate, about 17 to 18 thousand families living in relief camps have their own land and they are not required to be provided with any kind of security. These people can be sent back as soon as the Government releases the funds for their rehabilitation. About 11,000 families have their land in vulnerable areas and additional police pickets will have to be posted for their rehabilitation. However, Dr Bhutani said that posting of additional security pickets would not be a major problem. However, the problem will be of rehabilitation of 7,000 families, who were encroachers of reserved forest land as the district administration will have to find vacant land for settling those people.
The Deputy Commissioner said that at this moment, the State Government is providing ration for 10 days a month to the camp inmates and an amount of about Rs 90 lakh a month is spent for the purpose. He said that some of the camp inmates are engaged in rural development works under food for work schemes. But, at the same time, he admitted that it is not possible to engage all the camp inmates in such works as “we cannot send small groups to interior places due to security reasons.” Dr Bhutani also said that the camp inmates are sick and tired of living in camps and all of them are keen to go back to their villages to resume their normal life.”
Meanwhile, the issue of rehabilitation of the people affected in the ethnic riots has also been included in the memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed between the Central and State Governments and the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) on February 10. The Clause 13 of the MoS said, “the special rehabilitation programme for the people affected by ethnic disturbances in Assam, who are at present living in relief camps in Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon, shall be completed by the Government of Assam with active support of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). Necessary funds for their rehabilitation shall be provided by the Government of India and the required land shall be made available by the BTC.”
The BLT publicity secretary Mainao Daimary told this correspondent that they were also keen on immediate rehabilitation of the relief camp inmates. “We have been encouraging the inmates to go back to their villages and many of them have gone back following our persuasion,” he said. However, he admitted that the State Government would have to provide necessary security to instill confidence in the minds of the people.