GUWAHATI, June 22? Top leaders of the proscribed National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) have stashed away huge sums of money which is collected through extortion in Assam, in foreign banks under fake names, according to a bulletin published by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently. The MHA document on the activities of the NDFB over the years claim that the NDFB top leaders including its self-styled ?commander-in-chief? Ranjan Daimari have amassed large number of property and made expensive trips to foreign countries on the strength of extorted money while its lower rung cadres are left to languish in jungles fighting the Indian security forces.
The MHA bulletin also claims that there were differences of opinion and resentment in the ranks of the outfit over financial mismanagement by its top leaders. It is stated that one NDFB leader called Hilarious Basumatary brought allegation against the outfit?s supremo Ranjan Daimari of siphoning off an amount of Rs 1.32 crore in 1995-96 to be deposited in foreign banks. The money had been released to organise a programme called ?Sadbhavana yatra by Darrang district officials of the NDFB. The NDFB has been alleged to have converted the extorted Indian Rupees to US dollars and Nepalese currency to facilitate their deposit in foreign bank accounts. The MHA document reveals that the NDFB had 7,500 US dollars and Rs 4.9 crore in its coffer in the year 1996-97 which increased considerably in subsequent years.
The outfit collected Rs 1.35 crore in 1994-95, Rs 2.82 crore in 1995-96 and Rs 4.43 crore in 1996-97 as ?Boroland tax? from various quarters including tea estates, Government department and non-Bodo traders in Bodo areas. However, the ruthless extortion by the NDFB could be checked to a greater extent by the security forces since 1997-98. As per the MHA bulletin the outfit has targeted tea executives and tea companies as the primary source for extortion. The bulletin quoting an apprehended central-level treasurer of the outfit, Rumal Daimari stated that the banned outfit used to collect Rs 1.5 crore per year from the tea giant Williamson and Magor as ?Boroland tax? and the money was collected in US dollars outside Indian territory.
In desperate attempt to amass money and wealth the NDFB has not even spared Government departments. It was stated that the outfit extorted about Rs 1.4 crore from different Government departments in Kokrajhar district alone during the period from January to November, 1996. Bank and other financial institutions in Bodo Autonomous Council (BAC) areas have suffered a lot because of rampant extortion by the NDFB over the years. The Pragjyotish Gaonlia Bank (PGB) authority was forced to shift at least seven of its branches in BAC areas to safer places due to the threat from the NDFB ultras much to the difficulty of the common customers.
The MHA bulletin alleged that large number of development works including power projects have suffered in Bodo areas of the State because of the NDFB?s unsatiable greed for money. The MHA document pointed out that the NDFB kidnapped Power Grid Corporation Deputy Manager (Project), Jyoti Sharma and Junior Engineer, R K Doley from Singhgaon under Udalguri police station in Darrang district on March 13, 1999 for ransom.
In January, 1996 NDFB had kidnapped Power Grid officials Sekhu Moran and P K Chandra from their workplace in rural Sonitpur district. Later P K Chandra was killed. On February 13, 1996, the outfit abducted the General Manager of Karbi Langpi Hydro-Electric Project, B B Mukherjee from Amtren in Hamren sub-division. The MHA bulletin stated that the NDFB has kidnapped over 100 persons since January, 1994 for ransom. The MHA accused the NDFB of ?resorting to condemnable and nasty way to extort money through kidnapping people? in the guise of a so called ?revolution to secure a sovereign Boroland?.