Guwahati, October 12 2009: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked the Centre to take steps to "restrain" NSCN rebels, alleging that the Naga cadres are indulging in extortions in North Cachar Hills district.

In a letter to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram last week, Gogoi informed him that there were frequent reports of NSCN members behind increasing extortion incidents in the district after the mass surrender of Dima Halam Deogah (Jewel) militants last month.

The NSCN rebels are trying to fill the "void" left by the DHD-J militants, he said in the letter but did not specify which faction of the NSCN was behind the alleged crimes.

Official sources said Gogoi asked the Centre to take steps to restrain the Naga outfit as it was engaged in peace talks with the Union Government.

In view of the situation, the district administration had sought permission for setting up nine border outposts to check the inflow of Naga activists into the district's Naga-dominated areas.

The DHD-J had also requested for a designated camp at Mahur in the district to check inflow of the Naga rebels, the sources added.

Earlier this year, fifty people were killed and thousands rendered homeless in clashes between local ethnic Dimasas and Zeme Nagas in the district, in which the Naga cadres were also allegedly involved.

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