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GUWAHATI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled in the Union Budget a special development package worth Rs 500 crore for projects proposed by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) – the first tranche of a Rs 5,000-crore fund to be disbursed over five years under the 2023 peace agreement between the Centre, the Assam government and the militant outfit.
Anoop Chetia, Secretary General of Ulva, welcomed this step and described it as a positive first step in implementing the agreement.Ulfa submitted a list of 36 projects, spanning education, transport infrastructure, sport, wetlands and initiatives under the Centre’s Act East policy. The proposals include making Assam a green energy hub, setting up an IISER, and setting up an IIM in Guwahati, the latest of which is already underway.
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The peace agreement was signed on December 29, 2023 with the Center and states agreeing to allocate matching funds for development. More than 9,000 Ulva cadres have since surrendered and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been withdrawn from 85% of Assam.One faction – the Ulfa (independent) – remains outside the settlement.The Ulfa package underscores New Delhi’s quest to secure peace dividends through development spending after decades of insurgency. It is part of seven special packages worth Rs 1,046 crore announced for the North East, including Rs 156 crore for the Bodoland Regional Council, Rs 200 crore for the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Regional Council, Rs 100 crore for the Dima Hasao Autonomous Regional Council, Rs 70 crore for the Dimasa people, Rs 50 crore for the tribal people of Tripura and Rs 70 crore for the Adivasi groups.
