Sonia asks refugees to maintain calm, says 'rehabilitation will take some time'

Kokrajhar, Aug 13 (ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who visited the relief camps in riot-hit Assam's Kokrajhar District today, said refugees will have to wait for some time for the situation to become calmer before returning home.

Interacting with the media after visiting the camps here, Sonia Gandhi said, "Naturally the refugees in the camps want to return home, but that will take some time."

"As soon as the situation is little calm , I am sure the Chief Minister and everyone will make sure they are able to go home," she added.

Sonia Gandhi, who was accompanied by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, also said she asked the refugees whether they were facing any problem in the camp or had any complaints but they replied they had none.

"I have asked a number of inmates, if they are facing any problem. The reply was that there are no complaints they are receiving rations everyday. One or two children are I think unwell, so the doctor is here, he is going to check up," she added.

Meanwhile, the situation in violence hit Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) has improved as no untoward incident has been reported, and security personnel have also been deployed at 104 fixed pickets.

District administrations have closed 101 camps so far. Assam government has ordered a judicial enquiry into the BTAD and Dhubri district violence. CBI is also investigating seven cases.

Earlier, the Home Ministry said the situation in the Northeastern state was peaceful and under control and 170 people were arrested after registration of 309 cases there.

In a statement, the ministry on Saturday said that by and large normalcy has been restored in Kokrajhar and other violence-affected districts.

"104 fixed police pickets have already been established. At present, the security situation in Assam is peaceful and under control. 65 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed. In addition, Army has also been deployed in the violence-affected areas," it said. (ANI)