Shillong, Jan 28 (IANS) Setting conditions to free two abducted government engineers, the insurgent Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) Saturday demanded a “convincing reply” from the Meghalaya government in seven days on the “poor power connectivity” in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills.

Heavily armed GNLA rebels Monday abducted three Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) engineers - Apus Pothmi, Boney Majaw and Marshal R. Swer - at gunpoint from their residential quarters in Rongkhon area, 318 km from here. Swer was later released unharmed.

“Seven days will be given to the Meghalaya government to give us a convincing reply on the poor power connectivity in the interior areas of Garo Hills. The government must answer why there is no power connectivity,” said Sohan D. Shira, the military wing chief of the GNLA.

“If the government fails to give a convincing reply to the people of Garo Hills, we will have no option but to take another step,” Shira added.

However, intelligence agencies and the state police believe the engineers were abducted for ransom by the tribal Garo outfit.

Several organisations, including the United Democratic Party (UDP), a key member of Meghalaya’s United Alliance government, have demanded an immediate release of the two engineers.

Security forces intensified their operation in the region to rescue the abducted trio. “The search operation is on,” Rajiv Mehta, the additional director general of police (law and order), told IANS.

CoBRA (Combat Battalion for Resolute Action) and Meghalaya’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos have been pressed into service to trace the hostages.

The GNLA earlier had sent extortion demands of Rs.50 lakh to the two engineers through SMSes.

Over 20 people, including security personnel, have been killed while over 10 people were abducted for ransom in the area in the last one year by GNLA rebels.

The GNLA, headed by police officer-turned-outlaw Champion R. Sangma, has unleashed a reign of terror in the three impoverished districts of Garo Hills in the western part of Meghalaya.

However, Indian intelligence officials believe Champion has been “arrested” by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) commandos Nov 23 night from Haluaghat in Mymensingh district of that country.

The GNLA has over 100 rebels, including a few women cadres, operating in three impoverished districts of western Meghalaya — East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills.