Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday confirmed the involvement of militants belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in the abduction of Food Corporation of India's executive director, Dr Phool Chand Ram.
Gogoi informed the media that evidence gathered by the police investigating team indicated involvement of ULFA in the abduction, even as pressure mounted on the state government from New Delhi to rescue the official.
Meanwhile, police on Thursday recovered Ram's official vehicle, a white Ambassador, in an abandoned state near Rangiya, about 35 kms from Guwahati, even as the driver who was also kidnapped, remained untraced.
A team of senior officials is likely to come from New Delhi to monitor the rescue operations, while Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is in touch with Gogoi.
Gogoi renewed his appeal to the ULFA to agree to talks for the sake of lasting peace and economic growth of Assam.
He also appealed to the six fasting wives of 'missing' ULFA leaders to withdraw their fast as the state government already submitted before Guwahati High Court whatever information it received from Bhutan government about ULFA leaders arrested during Operation All Clear in that country in December 2003.
Gogoi also said that the state government had decided to set up two rehabilitation centre for the welfare of widows and orphans of those killed in insurgency related violence in the state.
The rehabilitation centers would be set up based on the model of SOS villages, where there will be facilities of basic and vocational education, healthcare and psychological treatment of trauma, sports facilities.
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