2 militant groups lay down arms in Assam

Guwahati, Jan 27:  Members of two militant outfits of the State, United Gorkha People's Organisation (UGPO) and Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) today laid down arms before Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma at a function held in the International Auditorium of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here this afternoon.
The TLA was formed in the year 2014 and was active Morigaon, Nagaon, West Karbi Anglong districts of Assam. Today 77 TLA cadres surrendered before the Chief Minister.
The UGPO was formed in the year 2007 and active in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Udalguri and Sonitpur districts. Today 169 militants of the outfit surrendered en masse before the Chief Minister.
 The militants from both the outfits while surrendering together deposited 277 various types of arms, grenades and 770 rounds of ammunition before the authority.
Moreover, in today's ceremony, one-time financial grant of Rs 1.5 lakh each was distributed among former members of RNLF (28), ADF (61), NLSA (41), NLBF (303), and UPRF (29) for their rehabilitation. These militants of the five outfits had earlier surrendered en masse in the year 2000.