Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: While expressing grief over the loss of lives in the calibrated militant attacks in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of `2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of the seriously injured.

The PMO in a statement said an amount of `86 lakh is being released to the state government from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the militant attacks on tribals in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts of Assam,” it said.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to go full throttle against National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants with the help of state police, paramilitary forces and the Army.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by top officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence and paramilitary forces.

“This was an act of terror and we will deal with it accordingly... whatever action is needed, we will take,” Rajnath told reporters after the meeting.

Describing the attack on the villagers by Songbijit faction of NDFB as “very unfortunate and a cowardly act”, he said 50 companies (5,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces have been rushed to Assam to assist the state government to deal with the situation.

Later, Rajnath, accompanied by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, left for Assam to take stock of the situation there following a directive from the Prime Minister.

“If we want to develop the Northeast, peace must prevail. Peace and development are inseparable elements,” Rijiju reportedly said here.

He said security forces were already doing their job in the troubled areas.

Rijiju described the incidents as “synchronised attacks” as the two violence-hit districts -- Kokrajhar and Sonitpur -- are at least 300 km apart.

He said there were intelligence inputs about possible attacks by NDFB, but the forces could not reach on the time.

During his visit to Assam, the Home Minister is expected to hold meetings with the local administration, law enforcement agencies and local tribal leaders at Biswanath Chariali, in Sonitpur on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Rajnath held a series of meetings with state Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and senior officials and unified command at Guwahati in the evening.

Rajnath, while appealing to all sections of the society to maintain peace also said that the situation was constantly being monitored by a high-level meeting of senior officers of the MHA and the MoD.

In fact, the Army, which has its 4 Corps Headquarters in Sonitpur district, has been asked to mobilise troops for the operations against the NDFB militants.