Two weeks since ULFA rebels destroyed a 5,000 kilolitre naphtha tank inside the world’s oldest functioning refinery at Digboi, the Assam government has finally woken up to the need of providing extra security cover to vital oil installations in the state. A high-level security review meeting held here on Saturday divided the state into four distinct zones and put three IGPs and one additional DGP in charge of these areas. The CISF, which guards these vital installations, has been advised to take extra-precaution. In the Digboi fire, naphtha worth Rs 15 crore and property valued at Rs 5 crore were destroyed after militants lobbed grenades at the refinery. Director-General H.K. Deka said the possibility of the ULFA making similar attempts around April 7, its 24th foundation day, cannot be ruled out. The police have got some vital information about the outfit’s plan from Bhaiti Gogoi, a close aide of Paresh Barua, who surrendered before the Army at Tezpur last week. The state is drawing up an MoU with the Petroleum Ministry to beef up security around oil installations.
