Over 3,400 militants surrendered in Assam since 2016: Himanta Biswa Sarma

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A total of 3,439 militants

surrendered in Assam since 2016, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in the assembly on Monday.

He said the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) are banned at present in the state, where the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) is also active.

Replying to a question by BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan, Sarma said till July 6 this year, 1,306 arms, 20,722 different ammunitions, 89 bombs, 599 grenades and 121.72 kg of explosives have been seized.

These apart, 748 arms and 19,299 ammunitions were deposited by insurgents who surrendered before the authorities, he said.

The state government has taken special measures to rehabilitate the militants who gave up arms, the CM said, adding, under the Centre's Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme of Northeast Militants, financial assistance of Rs 6,000 each is given every month, along with a fixed deposit of Rs 4 lakh.

It is also imparting skill development training to 1,800 surrendered militants and out of them, 1,192 have been provided Rs 1 lakh to start some livelihood project.

Similar training programmes are also being planned for such NDFB militants in districts outside the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Sarma said.

The chief minister added that his government is currently holding talks with 11 militant outfits, including the ULFA (Pro-talk), Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA), Hmar People's Convention- Democratic (HPC-D), Adivasi People's Army (APA) and the All Adivashi National Liberation Army (AANLA).