Guwahati, Nov. 18: The Centre’s representative for peace talks with militant outfits in Assam will be embarking on a maiden two-day stock-taking visit to the state capital here from tomorrow.

Sources here said this evening that former Intelligence Bureau director P.C. Haldar will hold one-to-one talks with chief secretary P.C. Sharma in the afternoon. He will then interact with other officials for an update on the prevailing state of affairs before he gets in touch with leaders of the outfits.

The visit assumes significance as it conveys the seriousness of the Centre to start talks with outfits in ceasefire. It comes less than a month after Haldar’s appointment on October 30 as interlocutor for talks with the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), United People’s Democratic Solidarity and the pro-talks faction of NDFB. Haldar will be the first to act as interlocutor for talks with Assam outfits.

The interaction with the chief secretary is in accordance with Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s announcement that Dispur would be kept in the loop before Haldar starts negotiations with the groups.

“It is also important because Haldar will be the first to act as interlocutor for Assam outfits. For long, outfits in ceasefire have complained that the Centre is not serious about solving the problem as political talks are yet to start. Haldar’s visit is aimed at removing this misconception. He will now become the Centre’s pointsman for talks with the outfits who can now directly discuss their grievances, hopes, aspirations and demands for resolution of their problem,” a source said.