Assam CM, PM discuss ways to check fundamentalist threat

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and discussed a gamut of important issues concerning the state like militancy and the threat from fundamentalist groups.

"There should be similar mechanism of intelligence sharing at inter-state level for West Bengal and northeastern states so that issues of jurisdiction do not come in the way of dealing with insurgency and militancy," he told Modi.

He pointed out to the prime minister that Assam appears to have been targeted by fundamentalist organisations like Al-Qaeda of late.

Gogoi also appraised Modi about the recent arrest of some operatives having links with terror group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh from Assam.

Gogoi requested Modi to impress upon Nagaland to enable a congenial and conducive environment along the Assam-Nagaland border so that people from both the states can benefit from mutual trust and harmony.

Thousands of people were displaced due to the Assam-Nagaland border crisis in August. At present, 1,750 victims of the border clash are still in relief camps in Golaghat district of Assam.

Besides, Gogoi asked the Prime Minister for adequate funds to complete the updating of the National Register of Citizens in Assam within the stipulated time.

Gogoi sought the prime minister's intervention in the matter of payment of crude oil royalty on pre-discounted price in the light of the verdict by the Gujarat High Court on a petition filed by the government of Gujarat, and the interim order passed by the Supreme Court that crude oil royalty to Gujarat be paid on pre-discounted crude price beginning from Feb 1, 2014.

Gogoi also sought Modi's help in the sanctioning of the Assam Flood Erosion and River Management Modernisation Project at an estimated cost of Rs.1,500 crore for tackling floods and erosion more effectively, besides ensuring optimal and productive use of the vast water resources.