Keepingaside all the speculations, the Government of India will sign an accord withthe ULFA prior to the Bohag Bihu, confirmed a Ministry of Home Affairs source. Accordingto sources, the accord will be signed with ULFA without Paresh Barua faction ofthe group.

AB Mathur,the peace interlocutor informed Pratidin Time that the accord will besigned once the Clause VI committee submits its reports to the Government ofIndia. "The accord is likely to be signed within March this year; however,there was no discussion with the Paresh Barua faction of the group," saidMathur.

Also,speaking to Pratidin Time, ULFA leader Anup Chetia said, "We are hopefulof signing an accord with the GoI before Bihu. But Paresh Barua has not agreedto come to the discussion table without 'sovereignty' as the precondition, sowe are going to sign the accord without ULFA (I)."

Meanwhile,the government of India is also likely to sign another accord with the KukiNational Liberation Front (KNLF) within February.