Centre taking steps to seal Bangladesh border: Minister Atul Bora

192 victims of Assam Agitation get Rs 2 lakh each on Swahid Divas

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Implementation of Assam Accord Minister Atul Bora said on Saturday that the Centre is taking steps to seal the international border with Bangladesh in line with the Assam Accord of 1985, and added that the state government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is maintaining coordination in this regard with the Union Home Ministry, which is the nodal ministry for implementation of the pact.

Bora made this announcement while participating in the Swahid Divas programme organized by the Implementation of the Assam Accord Department. Swahid Divas is observed to honour the sacrifices of 860 martyrs of the Assam Agitation.

Bora further said that the state government will ensure completion of the martyrs' memorial park at Paschim Boragaon here before the end of next year so that it may be formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister on December 10, 2023.

On the occasion, the Implementation of Assam Accord Minister also distributed a one-time financial grant of Rs 2 lakh each to 192 persons who sustained grievous injuries during the six-year-long Assam Agitation. Bora informed that the government had collected a list of 288 persons who had sustained grievous injuries during the agitation, but only 192 could be physically traced as yet. He expressed the hope that the remaining 96 persons would also be traced soon with the help of the district administrations concerned.

Bora said in his address on the occasion that the government has so far provided financial grants of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of 806 out of 860 martyrs of the Assam Agitation, along with fiscal grants of Rs 2 lakh each to 393 persons out of 460 persons who sustained bullet injuries during the agitation. The government has also succeeded in tracing 27 persons out of 57 persons who were otherwise victimized during the agitation.

As part of the programme, the Implementation of Assam Accord Minister also released the 4th and 5th editions of the Assamese anthology 'Axom Andulonor Toithyokoox'.

Those who were present on the occasion included, among others, Cabinet Ministers Chandra Mohan Patowary, Ranjit Kumar Dass, Urkhao Gwra Brahma and Jayanta Mallabaruah, along with MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita and the editor of the anthology, Diganta Ojah.

It may be mentioned that the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) also observed Swahid Divas on Saturday with statewide programmes, with the central programme being held at Sonari.

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