Saturday, January 21 2006 15:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: The Assam Government has beefed up security across the state in view of the United Liberation front of Assam (ULFA) intensifying violence, sending a Rs 500 crore extortion note to ONGC and giving a boycott call on Republic Day and have adopted special measures to counter the banned outfit's threat to serve more such notices to other public sector units.

Director General of Police D.N.Dutta told sources today (Jan 21,2006) that the Government was taking the ULFA activities 'very seriously' and the law and order was being reviewed daily.

The ONGC and other public sector undertakings like the Oil India Limited and Coal India Limited, which the ULFA threatened would also be served extortion notices, were being kept under a security shield.

Police superintendents of the different districts had been instructed to intensify vigil in their respective areas, he said.

Official sources said the deputy commissioners and police supers of the upper Assam districts, where the operations of ONGC and OIL are concentrated, held meetings with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF) and the army to review the security around the oil majors'operations.

Asked whether the ULFA extortion note would block the ongoing peace process in the state, Chief Secretary S Kabilan said the Assam government was not in a position to comment on it as it was 'not in the picture'.

''Only the Centre will be able to make a comment as the ULFA is directly in touch with Delhi. The ULFA-nominated Peoples Consultative Group, that held the first round of peace initiative meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have not contacted us here,'' he said.