Assam riots: CM says situation 'improving', toll rises to 44

GUWAHATI: With the Army in full control of the affected areas in four districts since Wednesday, Assam is limping back to normalcy, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said. He slammed the media for protraying the state as "burning" and insisted the situation is improving.
"Assam has 28 districts and there is trouble in only four districts. Does this mean that the entire state is burning," Gogoi said adding that the media must perform its duties in a "resposible manner".
However, indefinite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders were still in force in worst-affected Kokrajhar district, while night curfew was on in Chirang and Dhubri districts as the death toll rose to 44 on the seventh day of the violence.
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."
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.
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.
PM visit on Saturday
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit violence-hit Assam on Saturday.