Assam Govt denies paying any ransom to ULFA (I) for abducted oil employees

Guwahati: The Assam Government will not be paying any ransom to ULFA-I for the release of the two abducted oil company employees.

This was informed by Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Appealing ULFA-I for the release of the two abducted Quippo employees unconditionally, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that no question arises for the payment of ransom.

Mr Sarma said that if the ULFA-I is paid the ransom amount, the outfit will use it to procure arms and ammunition.

“If we pay the ransom, ULFA-I will go ahead and procure arms and ammunition and continue their subversive activities,” Mr Sarma said.

On February 21, the ULFA-I had announced its decision to put on hold its plan of meting out “supreme punishment” to the two abducted oil company employees.

ULFA-I Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah stated that it would decide on the fate of the two abducted oil company employees after discussions with NSCN.

The two abducted employees are Ram Kumar, a radio operator from Bihar and the drilling superintendent, Pranab Kumar Gogoi from Sivasagar in Assam.

Notably, the BJP-led Assam Government, thus far, apart from making plain appeals, has failed to take any considerable step to ensure the safe release of the two abducted oil company employees.

The two employees were abducted by the rebels of ULFA-I and NSCN on December 21, while they were working at the Kumchaika drilling site in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. (UNI)