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Riot-hit Assam limping back to normalcy - The Times of India by riteshexpert on 26 July, 2012 - 04:18 PM
avatar riteshexpert Riot-hit Assam limping back to normalcy - The Times of India on 26 July, 2012 - 04:18 PM

GUWAHATI: With the Army in full control of the affected areas in four districts since Wednesday, Assam is limping back to normalcy.

There has been no report of fresh killings in the last 24 hours except for stray incidents of arson in Chirang district on Wednesday night. The focus of the administration has now shifted to hundreds of relief camps where food and water scarcity has hit the inmates.

Train services, which were suspended since Monday, have been resumed. The eight trains that were stranded since Monday outside Assam in different stations in West Bengal reached Guwahati late on Wednesday night. Railway authorities have also resumed normal running of trains from Thursday morning. From Friday, railways will run three special trains to Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore to clear the extra rush at Guwahati station.

On Thursday morning, a magistrate on duty was thrashed by inmates of a relief camp in Dhubri district when he was enquiring about the relief materials. Police immediately rescued the magistrate, who has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

There are 128 relief camps with 1.7 lakh inmates and authorities are finding it hard to cater to everyone.

State government spokesman and agriculture minister Nilamani Sen Deka, who is camping at Kokrajhar said, "We are trying our level best to provide food, water and health care at all relief camps."

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi reached the affected areas on Thursday morning and is overseeing relief operations.

The Army has been deployed in four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon, although killings and arson took place only in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

Of the 40 deaths, 25 have taken place in Kokrajhar district and the rest in Chirang district. Bongaigaon and Dhubri districts bordering Kokrajhar and Chiarang are where the affected people have fled to, resulting into tension in these two districts also.

The district administrations are forming peace committees in the four districts, while the Army is patrolling all remote areas