CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visits Digboi blast site, announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with a host of MLAs and ministers, visited Tingrai's grenade explosion site here in Digboi on Saturday morning. The explosion had claimed the lives of two innocent youths -Surajit Talukdar and Sanjiv Singh- leaving two others injured earlier on Friday afternoon.

The Chief Minister during his visit also interacted with Puranmall Agarwal, the owner of the hardware shop wherein the grenade had exploded at around 1 pm on Friday. "The Chief Minister inquired if I faced any threat for extortion by any rebel group," said Agarwal.

Addressing the media persons from the blast site, Sarma, without quoting any rebel group for the incident, termed the act as 'dastardly and inhuman' and said that the Government of Assam on Friday immediately asked the Director-General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta to initiate steps and book the perpetrators under the appropriate sections of the law.

"We will not allow any forces to disrupt peace in the State," said the Chief Minister. While replying to the queries of the reporters regarding the whereabouts of the abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia, Dr. Sarma said that Saikia was in good health and was reported to be in Myanmar as per security agencies' inputs.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, accompanied by minister Sanjay Kishan and MLA Suren Phukan along with other officials, also paid a brief visit and met the family members of blast victim Surajit Talukdar near Tingrai market and expressed his condolence.

In the meantime, Sarma also announced a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the bereaved family members of both the deceased, besides assuring free medical aid for both the victims undergoing treatment at AMCH, Dibrugarh. "The process of handing over the benefit to the next to the kin will be taken care of by Digboi MLA Suren Phukan," said the Chief Minister.

Notably, the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA (I) faction, which had on Saturday morning declared a unilateral ceasefire for 90 days citing COVID situation in Assam, had on Friday evening through a press communiqué categorically denied its involvement in Tingrai's grenade blast.

Also Read: Digboi Grenade Blast Is a Sign of Desperation & Cowardice: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

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