'Tea companies still financing militants'

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, MARCH 17. The tea industry is now the only major source of funds for the militant outfits in Assam, according to Assam Addl. DGP (Operations), Mr. G. M. Srivastava.

Addressing a seminar on ``Development Constraints and Economy of Assam'', here today, Mr. Srivastava said while other channels of flow of funds to the ULFA, NDFB, UPDS and DHD had been choked by the police, the tea companies, especially those owning gardens on the Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, were still paying to the militants.

He said tea companies having their head offices in Kolkata were paying in Kolkata. Payments had also been made, of all places, in Patna, which is not associated with Assam militants, he said.

By and large, extortions in towns and cities of Assam had come to an end, he claimed.

The truth of Mr. Srivastava's statement was virtually admitted by Mr. Robin Barthakur, Secretary of the Assam Branch of Indian Tea Association (ABITA).

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