Himanta appeals to ULFA (I) to free captive oil company ‘small employees’

SIVASAGAR: Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today appealed to United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Independent) to free the two abducted Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd employees at the earliest.

Talking to the media while attending a Me-Dum-Me-Phi celebration programme here, the minister said: “On the occasion of Me-Dum-Me-Phi, I would like to appeal to ULFA (I) to free Pranab Gogoi and the other individual (Ram Kumar) whom they have been keeping captive. They are small employees. Nobody can gain anything by keeping them captive.”

“I appeal to Praresh Baruah wherever he is to pay attention to the call of the people,” Sarma added.

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The ULFA (I) and National Socialist Council of Nagalim have claimed to have abducted the two employees from an oilfield in Arunachal Pradesh over a month ago. The two were kidnapped when armed militants came looking for another individual of the company who was on leave that day.

The rebel outfits had recently issued a statement setting February 16 deadline for the petroleum extraction company to take necessary steps to secure release of the two employees. They also threatened to execute Ram Kumar, who hails from Bihar, on February 17 if the company does not secure his release by February 16.

The ULFA (I) had in a statement on Saturday said Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu would be responsible if “any untoward incident” leads to the death of the captive employees.

The outlawed outfit has accused the two chief ministers of recommending Unified Command operations to rescue the two oil company employees.