Guwahati, Sep 1 : The cabinet sub-committee, set up to examine the demand of the militant Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) to rename North Cachar Hills district as Dima Hasao Raji, will undertake another visit to the district before taking a final call on the issue.
Urban development minister D.P. Gowala told The Telegraph that the sub-committee, headed by him, is meeting tomorrow to finalise the date for its second visit to the trouble-torn district to interact with leading organisations and individuals before submitting its report to chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
Gogoi has left for the national capital for a crucial meeting convened by the Union home minister P. Chidambaram tomorrow to discuss the situation in NC Hills and its adjoining districts.
State chief secretary P.C. Sharma and director-general of police Shankar Barua met cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar on the same issue today, sources at the chief minister’s office said.
Gowala said the sub-committee had apprised Gogoi about its assessment of the situation so far.
The chief minister is understood to have sought the report of the committee, which had initially pointed out to the opposition from the majority non-Dimasas in the district.
The sources said the visit would take place before the DHD (J) unilateral ceasefire offer ends on September 7.
In a related development, a group of senior Congressmen has sought the AICC’s intervention to impress upon the Centre and the state to initiate talks with the DHD (J) in view of the outfit’s unilateral truce offer.
The Congress leaders in a report submitted to the AICC on Saturday were of the view that the law and order situation had improved since the arrest of the DHD (J) leader Jewel Gorlosa and chairman of the now-suspended North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council Mohit Hojai.
They said since the outfit had sent feelers for peace talks, a reciprocal move could pave way for development in the district.
Congress insiders said the leaders had urged the party high command to pave a new path by initiating a process which could usher in new possibilities as the state machinery was “unable to handle” the situation.
The leaders, they said had also pointed out to the apparent indifferent approach of hills area development minister Khorsing Engti towards the insurgency problem.
The leaders said Ingti had failed to push the issue in cabinet meetings or at any appropriate fora.
However, sources close to Engti said the criticism was nothing but an attempt to show the low-profile minister in poor light.