New Delhi, July 27: Delhi today said it would remove the ?minor? hurdles in the way of a direct dialogue with the Ulfa leadership, but stopped short of acceding to its main conditions for talks.

?I want to reiterate that the government of India is totally committed to holding direct peace talks with the Ulfa leadership. Even if some minor constraints appear in the process, every effort will be made to remove those so that direct talks start at the earliest,? Union home secretary V.K. Duggal told The Telegraph.

Delhi?s fresh overtures to bring the banned outfit on board for direct peace talks is apparently in response to the ?negative feedback? from Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa in his recent communiqu? to writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami, convenor of the People?s Consultative Group (PCG).

Rajkhowa?s letter to Goswami reiterated Ulfa?s three major demands. These include the topic of sovereignty on the agenda for talks, the release of five jailed leaders to facilitate in-house consultations before coming for direct talks and the announcement of information about the ?status? of some senior Ulfa senior functionaries who went missing during Bhutan?s military offensive in December 2003.

The leaders who seem to have disappeared without a trace are Bening Rabha, Robin Neog and Asanta Bagh Phukan.

Although Delhi is understood to be reluctant to take the risk of releasing five jailed Ulfa leaders before receiving a ?direct and clear communication? from the outfit about its commitment to peace, it is being suggested that the government could facilitate ?prior consultation? between Ulfa?s underground leadership and their jailed comrades.

?Arrangements can be made to facilitate a quorum in the Ulfa central committee to decide on direct talks. We will honour our commitment in such a case,? a senior official said.

Sources said the Union home ministry expected the outfit to commit in writing that all its units would maintain peace, specify dates for talks according to its convenience and announce the composition of the delegation that would participate in the proposed dialogue. The government also expects the delegation to include one of the top Ulfa leaders.

Official sources privy to the three rounds of preparatory talks between the PCG and Delhi said Rajkhowa?s insistence on the fulfilment of all Ulfa conditions before a dialogue was akin to going back on what had been agreed to before.

?In the joint statement on June 22 (when the third round of talks was held), the PCG expressed satisfaction over the home minister?s approach to negotiations. Things were moving in the right direction until this new communiqu? from Rajkhowa (to Goswami). Otherwise, the Assamese are aware of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s deep concern. He has said it more than once that our efforts should be to restore Assam?s old glory, when it had the highest per capita income among all states,? a senior official said.

Intelligence agencies blame ?external factors? for Rajkhowa?s ?brinkmanship?. In a statement today, the Ulfa chairman urged the people of Assam to be vigilant against the ?nefarious designs? of the army, which, he alleged, was trying to derail the peace process. Ulfa observes July 27 as ?martyrs? day? in memory of its slain members.