Asked about Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia, who is currently in a Dhaka jail, Pillai said he was likely to be handed over to India shortly.
Peace talks with the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) could be held right away even without a formal letter from the proscribed insurgent outfit, Union home secretary GK Pillai said today.
"Talks with the jailed Ulfa leaders can be held immediately and the Centre is neither waiting for any letter nor insisting on it," Pillai told reporters after attending the North East Council meet in Guwahati.
Asked about Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia, who is currently in a Dhaka jail, Pillai said he was likely to be handed over to India shortly.
On the whereabouts of elusive Ulfa 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua, he said, Barua was probably somewhere in the Kachin-Myanmar border area.
Pillai was hopeful that Barua would attend the peace talks, but said the parleys could begin without him.
"We are hopeful of discussions once there is a consensus on how we should go ahead with the talks," Pillai said.
A strategy for the discussions was being formulated with the Central and state governments for talks with the Ulfa, Pillai said. A strategy was also being worked out for dealing with the Ulfa, especially after the recent success against them, at a meeting with the Assam chief secretary and DGP in New Delhi last week.
The recommendations of the meeting will be sent to Union home minister P Chidambaram and then discussed with the chief minister of Assam.
Stating that insurgent outfits from the NE region continued to operate from Bangladesh, Pillai said, there was positive response from the neighbouring government for halting terror activities against India from its soil.
Pillai said he had visited Myanmar recently and had fruitful discussions with leaders there for coordinated action in border areas against insurgents.
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