OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The Ex-BLT Welfare Society is heading for a split. Around 100 members of the society led by former treasurer of Kokrajhar district BLT and former EM of BTC, Mono Kr. Brahma on Tuesday sat together at Elaisijhar near Kokrajhar and discussed at length about the failure for complete rehabilitation of former cadres of the BLT. They also discussed the responsibility and functions of the society.
Talking to reporters after the end of the meeting, Mono Kr. Brahma said that 17 long years had passed but the governments of India and Assam and BTC were yet to provide complete rehabilitation to former BLT cadres. He said the BPF-led BTC had miserably failed to take appropriate action with the government for which the ex-BLT members had been deprived of the due rehabilitation package. Around 3,000 cadres of the BLT laid down arms and ammunition before the government after the BTC accord and as per MoS of the accord, the Government of India had to provide complete rehabilitation. But till today they have not received the rehabilitation assistance. He questioned the sincerity of the governments of India and Assam and the BTC.
Brahma said that each of the ex-BLT cadre had to receive Rs. 7 lakh (Rs. 5 lakh from the Government of India and Rs. 2 lakh from BTC) but only Rs. 50,000 was given to some cadres as first installment. He questioned why the government had failed to give rehabilitation even after 17 years and how long would it take? He said that giving just Rs. 50,000 was nothing but a mockery and no one could start a new life with this meagre amount. He also said that the complete rehabilitation for ex-cadres was part of the MoS of the BTC accord and thus the government was responsible for time-bound release of rehabilitation aid. He also said there would be another crucial meeting in this month to be held in Baksa where they would discuss the performance and role of the existing Ex-BLT Welfare Society headed by Jono Mohan Mashahary. He said that they had lost faith in the present president of the society. He said that Mashahary had crucial role to play for the complete rehabilitation of ex-BLT cadres but his action was not visible. He hinted that a new association for ex-BLT cadres was likely to be formed soon.
When asked whether they would join some political party, he replied that they would remain neutral and not work with any political party. He also said that they would try to meet the breakaway members of ex-BLT of Udalguri district as soon as possible and form a strong association to raise their problems, including rehabilitation.