New package likely; Crucial Bodo talks today

NEW DELHI, March 29: The Union Home Minister, L.K.Advani is meeting the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) here tomorrow to give a final shape to the Bodo agreement. The much-talked about Bodo Accord would come in the shape of a new package, highly placed sources said. The Union government officials under pressure of the Assam Government were racing against time to work out a deal with the Bodo leadership. The sudden urgency on part of the Assam Government emanated from the fear that the signing of the agreement may be delayed as the Election Commission is due to announce the poll schedule after which the model code of conduct would come into effect. The ruling AGP's hopes of working out an understanding with the powerful All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) rest on the signing of the new agreement. It is in this backdrop Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today rushed to the Union Home Minister and held a close door meeting lasting for over 40 minutes. The outcome of the meeting was that Advani agreed to convene a meeting with the BLT here tomorrow to discuss the Central package being drafted. The Chief Minister, meanwhile is in the Capital awaiting the outcome of the meeting tomorrow. However, a top North Block official told this newspaper that though the draft agreement may be given a final shape soon, it is unlikely that it would be signed in the next couple of days. According to informed sources the problem has arisen over inclusion of certain items in the Central package being prepared. The Chief Minister when asked said the problem of demarcation has more or less being sorted out and remaining few issues are under discussion. The meeting tomorrow is between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials and BLT, though Mahanta said if it became necessary, the State Agriculture Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary would represent the Assam Government. After emerging from the meeting, the Chief Minister said a lot of proposals were being discussed declining to go into the details. Meanwhile, in a day of fast developments, the Chief Minister soon after arriving in the Capital from Kolkata, held separate meetings with the Ministry of Home Affairs officials and the BLT at the Assam Bhawan here. The two senior officials of the MHA, the Additional Secretary, P.D. Shenoy, who is the principal negotiator and Joint Secretary, (Northeast), G.K. Pillai, briefed the Assam Chief Minister about the progress of the talks, on since past 10 days. Later the Chief Minister was learnt to have held a separate meeting with the BLT leaders. Meanwhile, the ABSU president, U.G. Brahma told this correspondent that they were not the main participants in the talks but were observers. He declined to reveal the details of the ongoing negotiations. Brahma also denied that they have finalised plans to have an electoral pact with the ruling AGP.