Assam Hub

Gogoi comfortably placed in Titabor

2011-03-26T04:43:00.001-07:00

Titabor (Assam), Mar 26 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has a clear edge over all his 11 opponents in Titabor Assembly constituency which goes to polls on April 4.

"The chief minister''s win is a foregone conclusion, but now we are striving hard to ensure that he wins by a record margin of votes and creates electoral history not only in the state but also in the country," Titabor block Congress president Sonadhar Rajkhowa said.

The chief minister, who had a minor operation in New Delhi last week, is yet to hit the campaign trail, but his supporters are confident he would ride the poll solely on the basis of development work he had initiated in this once-backward constituency.
Another party worker Ghana Hazarika points out that the real contest is for the second spot which is expected to be a triangular one between AGP''s Montumoni Dutta, CPI''s Kula Das and BJP''s Kaminish Deori.
A traditional Congress bastion, Titabor, which is in the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, has been represented by Gogoi since 2001 after he was elected in a by-election following the party''s wresting of power from the Asom Gana Parishad.
In 2001 Assembly polls, the seat was won by his brother Dip Gogoi who later vacated it for the elder Gogoi, who, then a Lok Sabha MP from Kaliabor parliamentary constituency, had led the party to a thumping win in the Assembly polls as the state unit Congress president.
In 2006, the chief minister had polled 65.15 per cent of the total votes and had won by 32,501 votes over his CPI opponent Kula Das.
The high-profile constituency has witnessed a remarkable development spree during the last 10 years with water supply schemes, metalled roads, market places, a public library and a sports complex being the prominent initiatives taken to make it a model Assembly segment.

Mohet Hojai claims to be pauper' in affidavitt

2011-03-26T04:40:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI: He is the prime accused in one of the biggest scams the state has ever seen, but is the poorest candidate in fray for the assembly elections. He neither has cash in hand nor does he own any land or home. His only luxury is a modest Maruti 800 owned by his schoolteacher wife.

Unbelievable? At least this is what his affidavit submitted to the EC says.

Meet Mohet Hojai, the former chief executive member of NC Hills Autonomous Council, who is contesting polls from prison as an Autonomous Demand State Committee (ASDC) candidate. He is fighting elections from the lone Haflong seat in Dima Hasao district. Named accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the multi-crore funds scam in the North Cachar Hills Autuonomous Council (NCHAC), Hojai was arrested in 2009. The NIA registered two cases relating to diversion of government funds meant for development of NCHAC to DHD (J) in 2009. He is the alleged conduit for the funds diversion from the treasury to militants' coffers. The charges, however, haven't yet been framed in any court.

Hojai's affidavit, in contrast, gives a completely different picture. He is probably the only candidate who has declared that he has no cash in hand and it is his wife who has Rs 40,000 in hand. He has two bank accounts with the SBI at Haflong and Dispur and has Rs 12,557 and Rs 27,607 deposited in these two branches respectively. His wife has an account with SBI, Haflong, where there is only Rs 3,656.

According to the affidavit, Hojai has no investments in bonds, shares or mutual funds. However, he and his wife have two LIC policies of Rs 1 lakh each. Besides, his wife also has gold ornaments of about 10 gms.

Neither he nor his wife own any agricultural land, individually or jointly. The family also does not have any non-commercial land to build a house. The graduate from Lumding College also does not owe anybody and also don't fall under the tax bracket.

According to the NIA chargesheet, Hojai present address at his time of arrest was at an apartment in the city. Contrary to the chargesheet which says he is a "member of DHD (J)", Hojai affidavit shows he is a "social worker".

The NIA chargesheet says, "Hojai and the other accused public servants and contractors committed criminal misconduct and defalcated huge amount of money from the funds available with NCHAC."

Over Rs 7.5 crore unaccounted cash seized in Bengal, Assam

2011-03-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

Kolkata: The Income Tax (IT) department's investigation wing, engaged by the Election Commission to track flow of illegal cash to influence voters in poll-bound states, has seized unaccounted cash amounting to more than Rs 7.5 crore (Rs.75 million) from West Bengal and Assam, said a senior official Friday.

'Acting on specific tip-off, we have seized Rs.4,58,50,000 in six seizures carried out by the officials in different parts of West Bengal in past three to four days. Rs.3,00,66,279 was seized from Assam,' said Director General (Investigation) East, T.B.C. Rozara.

In West Bengal, the tax officials made two seizures at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport in Kolkata and seized Rs.29.5 lakh, while the other seizures were made from different parts of the city and adjacent districts, he said and informed that in both the cases, the passengers came to the city from Silchar and Jorhat in Assam.

'In one case, we have recovered an unaccounted Rs.2.4 crore cash from a city-based businessman and from another we have seized more than Rs.1 crore. Both of them were not politicians but have link with top-level political leaders,' said Rozara.

He, however, refused to divulge further details about the cases.

Assam CM to file defamation suit against AGP leaders

2010-11-30T19:33:00.001-08:00

GUWAHATI, Dec 1 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today announced his decision to sue Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Chandra Mohan Patowary and Leader of the Opposition Prafulla Kumar Mahanta for their alleging in public his involvement in the multi-crore NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) scam.

An official release here said, quoting Gogoi, that Mahanta and Patowary have been trying to smear the public image of the Chief Minister through baseless allegations and smearing campaigns with a political design.

The press release said that the Chief Minister has already made his stand on the NCHAC financial scam clear. But the AGP leaders have been launching their smearing campaign to malign his image.

This has made the Chief Minister to go for the decision to file a defamation case against the AGP leaders, said the press release, quoting Gogoi.

Akhil demands Gogoi’s ouster

2010-11-30T04:57:00.000-08:00

Guwahati, Nov 30 : RTI activist Akhil Gogoi today said he had a strong suspicion that another scam, like the LoC scam that took place during the AGP regime led by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, had taken place during the tenure of chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

“The people of Assam are well aware that an LoC scam took place during Prafulla Mahanta’s rule but we have a strong suspicion that another LoC-like scam took place during Tarun Gogoi’s tenure. Our suspicion is based on the special CAG audit report that exposes massive corruption in the NC Hills autonomous council from 2007-08 to 2008-09,” Akhil Gogoi, the general secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity, said.

The peasant leader told reporters here that the state government had informed the CAG that it had released Rs 151.40 crore to the NC Hills autonomous council. But the CAG found during its special audit conducted over 26 months that Rs 424.04 crore had been released. “The CAG clearly mentions that the state government did not provide them with sufficient information and tried to hide statistics during the special audit process,” he added.

“So we suspect that the LoC-like scam took place during Gogoi’s term and money was released with false documents,” he said.

He also alleged that the state government had concealed the original probe report of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had the names of some cabinet ministers. “The chief minister and his cabinet colleagues are involved in the scam but the state government managed to hide the original report of NIA,” he alleged and demanded the resignation of Tarun Gogoi and his three cabinet colleagues, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gautam Roy and Khorsingh Ingti, on moral grounds.

The Opposition AGP also demanded Tarun Gogoi’s resignation over the CAG report, which observed massive corruption in the NC Hills autonomous council.

AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary asked Tarun Gogoi to follow the example of Union telecom minister A. Raja who resigned after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report was tabled in Parliament. He produced the special audit report of the CAG before the media and said Tarun Gogoi should resign immediately on moral grounds.

“The chief minister had earlier said he would resign if someone could prove the allegations of Rs 1,000 crore scam in the NC Hills council. Now that the CAG report has proved the allegations of financial anomalies, Gogoi should resign immediately,” he said. Quoting the CAG report, he said, “Reasons for release of excess fund by the state government over the budget provisions were not available on record. Release of excess funds over the budget provision is fraught with the risk of misutilisation, misappropriation of fund.”

Patowary said the CAG audit covered financial transactions of only eight departments of the council — PHC, agriculture, forest, social welfare, PWD, education, medical and police from 2007-08 to June 12, 2009. He said during this period, the government gave Rs 272,64,23,000 as excess funds without any budget. The scam would be several times more than Rs 1,000 crore if the financial transactions of all the 30 departments under the council were audited, he added.

NC Hills Council misused special Central aid

2010-11-30T02:18:00.000-08:00

R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Nov 30 – The North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council not only misused huge sums of money allotted under plan and non-plan heads, it also grossly misappropriated funds provided under the special Central assistance for specific schemes for the development of the backward district. These irregularities came out in the special audit of the accounts of the Council carried out by the office of the Accountant General (AG) recently.

The report said that the Government of Assam, Hill Areas Department, accorded sanction for Rs 25 crore as special Central assistance during 2007-08 for implementation of ten plan schemes under PWD (Roads and Bridges) and one scheme under the Social Welfare Department subject to the condition that the Council would have to maintain special accounts and to submit detailed accounts of the monthly expenditures directly to the AG with a copy to the Development Commissioner, Hill Areas. The expenditures were to be made strictly as per the guidelines of the Planning Commission.

The report revealed that the Additional Secretary to the Governor’s secretariat directed the Principal Secretary of the Council that the works worth Rs 20.50 crore under the PWD should be carried out directly under him for timely completion. The Principal Secretary was also asked to constitute a committee for the same but there was no record of constitution of any such committee.

Scrutiny of the records revealed that the Deputy Commissioner of NC Hills, who was also holding the charge of the Principal Secretary to the Council at that time, directed the accountant of the council, in his note sheet, to issue a cheque for Rs 18.50 crore in favour of the Principal Secretary of the Council. The Senior Finance and Account officer pointed out that as per the procedure in force, the cheques should be issued only in favour of the DDOs duly signed by the Principal Secretary. However, on 17.10.07, the cheque was issued in the name of the Principal Secretary and was drawn on 27.10.07. During the audit, the Council failed to provide any record like utilization vouchers, physical and financial progress reports, date of commencement of works, etc., as those were not available with the Council, the audit report said. It is also not known whether any separate bank account was opened for the implementation of the scheme as per the guidelines.

On the other hand, on the basis of the information furnished by the Haflong and Mahur divisions of the PWD, they received Rs 8.01 crore and Rs 6.61 crore respectively during March 2008 to March 2009 but details of the utilization were not available. Major portion of the funds were utilized for clearing the old liabilities without obtaining any permission from the Hill Areas Department and the details of the old liabilities were not available.

During the period from 2007-08 to June 12, 2009, the State Government released Rs 75.04 crore to the PWD of the Council and utilization of Rs 31.90 crore of the same could not be verified due to non-production of the relevant records. The Council claimed that the records were seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Assam elections on schedule, says Gogoi

2010-11-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Monday said that assembly elections will be held on schedule.

'We have not sought early elections in Assam and want them on schedule,' Gogoil told journalists. The term of the Congress-led government expires May 15, 2011.

'We are, however, prepared to face (early elections) and are very much confident of making a hat-trick,' Gogoi said.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister reviewed the law and order situation and various development projects with district police chiefs and deputy commissioners.

'We have asked tough security measures against militant groups involved in violence and are at the same time keeping the doors open for peace talks if they abjure the path of violence,' he said.

Gogoi took on the opposition parties, mainly the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

'If the opposition can prove charges of corruption against me, then I am ready to quit politics. Even if any of my ministers are involved, action will be taken.'

The chief minister was reacting to AGP charges that the government was involved in blatant corruption and misappropriation of funds.

Shootout criminals in Guwahati cop net

2010-11-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Guwahati, Nov. 28 : City police today busted a gang of criminals and arrested nine persons allegedly involved in two shootout cases at Ganeshguri and Dispur in August and October this year.

Dispur police picked up the criminals during a nightlong operation on Friday in three different locations at Hatigaon, Basistha and Dispur, based on tip-offs that the goons were taking shelter at these places. The gang also included a woman.

The police said the gang was involved in the killing of a beverage company employee Keshav Phukan on August 10 this year at GNB Road near Ganeshguri. Phukan was on his way to a bank when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at him and snatched away Rs 12 lakh.

The police said the gang members were also involved in the attack on Pargat Singh, a trader in Dispur on October 4. Two gunmen had fired at Singh at 8.30am that day, injuring him.

The nine criminals have been identified as Manjinder Sing, Ratul Kalita, Girin Saikia, Tarun Das, Dilip Das, Pranjal Deka, Utpal Kalita, Prashanta Kalita and Binita Bora. The police said Manjinder Sing and Ratul Kalita were killers and were involved in several cases of robbery in the city.

The police recovered a 9mm pistol, a motorcycle and some sharp weapons during the raids.

“They are all trained to use arms and used to work in groups. We came to know during investigation that they were involved in several murders and robberies in the city. We are interrogating them to get details of their criminal activities,” a source said.

The police are also investigating if the gang was involved in the attack on Ankit Agarwal, a young trader, in Beltola on October 5 when two motorcycle-borne gunmen had shot at him.

AASU flayed for invoking ‘Assamese self-pride’

2010-11-26T21:11:00.001-08:00

GUWAHATI, Nov 27 – Reiterating that the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) under the leadership of Samujjal Bhattacharya has been coercing business houses into “donating” money, the forum of ex-general secretaries of Gauhati University today said that the AASU adviser was audaciously trying to gain emotional support of the people by relating the matter with “Assamese self-pride”.

In a statement signed by Niren Deka and Pranjit Choudhury, the forum said that Bhattacharya was running the AASU like a dictator and was behaving in an incoherent manner following the expose of just “one of his many misdeeds”.

The forum said that Bhattacharya had no right to involve Assam and the entire community of Assamese people in his justification for donation, which actually is extortion.

“The AASU is a historic organization and Bhattacharya should desist from lowering its image by involving it in forceful donation,” the forum stated, informing that unlike what the AASU has claimed, a representative of Vishal Mega Mart had lodged an FIR(696/10 under Sec 143, 448, 506 of IPC) against some of the AASU members on October 27 with the Paltan Bazar police station.

Bid to bridge miles with words

2010-11-26T20:58:00.002-08:00

Voluntary group to teach mother tongue to NRI Assamese children

RAJIV KONWAR

Guwahati, Nov. 27 : Xobdo, a non-profit voluntary organisation, is providing a unique opportunity to children of NRIs hailing from Assam — a chance to learn their mother tongue.

Come December, Xobdo will launch a unique project to teach Northeast languages online as well as through classroom teaching. Children in the age group of six to 10 years will be covered in the 15-week programme. While classroom teaching will be available in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), children of other countries will be taught through a distance education programme.

Xobdo, which literally means sound or word in Assamese, is a non-profit organisation comprising a group of volunteers based in different parts of the world, with the common interest of promoting languages of the Northeast in the cyber world. It has also been developing an online dictionary covering a host of Northeast languages from March 2006 that includes 31,079 Assamese words.

Speaking about the children of NRI Assamese families, an official of Xobdo said, “These children are usually educated in English. Now, with the help of basic English, we will teach them how to read and write Assamese,” said the official.

Prominent literary personalities and academicians of the state also welcomed the effort, saying it would help these children understand Assamese better.

Nagen Saikia, former president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, welcomed the move and added that while teaching the children, all possible care should be taken to avoid any distortion of the language.

Littérateur Atulananda Goswami said the course content should be prepared carefully and in a way to attract students.

10 poachers surrender in Assam

2010-11-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Jorhat, Nov. 27 : Ten rhino poachers from the villages on the fringes of Kaziranga National Park surrendered today, barely a week after the villagers set a deadline to them to surrender or else their families would be ostracised.

The poachers deposited a 303 rifle, a 9mm pistol and ammunition.

The poachers — their names figure in the forest department’s ‘wanted’ list — will not be arrested but engaged in work related to conservation of the national park.

At a function held at Dhubati Beloguri village on the fringe of Agaratoli range, the poachers pledged to help the forest department protect the animals of the national park.

Nayanjyoti Doley, one of the surrendered poachers, said he had travelled all the way to Manipur to rope in sharp-shooters to kill rhinos at Kaziranga a few months ago.

“We are not used to firing the rifle so we had to engage shooters from either Nagaland or Manipur to kill rhinos,” he said.

Doley and the other poachers said they would do the needful in checking rhino poaching activities at Kaziranga from now on.

“We can easily identify the shooters and we know the connections through which they come to Kaziranga. We will do our best to stop them from coming to Kaziranga,” Kartik Pegu, another poacher, said.

The divisional forest officer of East Assam Wildlife Circle, D.D. Gogoi, said the Kaziranga authorities would engage the poachers in various eco-development projects so that they can earn a living.

The residents of at least three villages located near Kaziranga had set a week’s deadline for the poachers from these villages to surrender and threatened to ostracise their families if they did not do so.

The deadline was extended by another week yesterday after family members of a few poachers sought more time to convince their kin.

This was the first time that the villagers living near Kaziranga have made such a move.

Junai Patgiri, a senior citizen of No. 3 Beloguri village, said it was a very happy moment for the villagers as their “sons” who had taken a wrong path had returned.

“There are a few more misguided youths from our villages and we expect them to return soon,” he said.

Group favours ease in hydro data access

2010-11-08T20:59:00.001-08:00

ROOPAK GOSWAMI

Guwahati, Nov. 9 : The ministry of water resources has been asked to review its guidelines regarding release of “classified” hydrological data on Brahmaputra and it tributaries to private developers to facilitate accelerated development of hydroelectric projects in the Northeast.

Sources said the inter-ministerial group for hydro-power development in Northeast India, in its report, has asked the ministry of water resources to review its guidelines to facilitate access to hydrological data by private developers for expeditious development of the hydro-power potential of the region. This will be done keeping in place the required safeguards to serve national interest.

The inter-ministerial group was constituted by the ministry of water resources on the directions of the Prime Minister’s Office to evolve a suitable framework to guide and accelerate the development of hydropower in the Northeast.

The report said with the shift in government policy, hydroelectric projects are being given to private developers, who are facing difficulty in getting access to the all-important hydrological data. The state governments are reluctant to provide the secrecy undertaking on behalf of the private developers, even as a number of hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh are being executed by the private sector.

Sources said earlier projects were executed by government agencies and there was no problem in acquiring hydrological data on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries from the ministry of water resources or Central Water Commission as per existing guidelines. These guidelines stipulate that no hydrological data should be released to international and private agencies. They provide that in case of requests for releasing data to private parties in the country, the secrecy undertaking should be obtained from the concerned ministry, department or public sector undertaking.

The Brahmaputra is a major international river covering a drainage area of 580,000 square km. Of this 50.5 per cent lies in China, 33.6 per cent in India, 8.1 per cent in Bangladesh and 7.8 per cent in Bhutan.

The hydrological data of any river is the foremost requirement for planning and designing of any hydropower project. The existing guidelines, issued by the ministry of water resources, say that hydrological data may be released to central or state government offices, including public sector undertakings, only after obtaining a secrecy undertaking from an officer of joint secretary rank.

“The data of these basins are classified, and hence is provided to bonafide users on request following a set procedure for release of classified data. Wherever required, the approval of ministry is sought for release of such data,” a water resources official said.

Sources said the non-availability of hydrological data for Brahmaputra is resulting in delay in preparation of the detailed project reports for the hydroelectric projects, and that it would be most helpful if that the procedure for obtaining it is put up on the website of the Central Water Commission.

Apart from Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganga and Barak river basins have been categorised as classified river basins.

Assam admits partial utilisation of Centre's grants

2010-11-08T06:44:00.001-08:00

Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday admitted that it has failed to fully utilize the Central grants under the 12th Finance Commission.

Replying to a question by opposition Asom Gana Parishad's (AGP) Aloka Desai Sarma in the state Assembly, senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said certain "procedural tangles" had resulted in a failure of optimum utilisation of funds.

The minister said the government had successfully utilised 85 percent of the plan allocation, which is "very good" when compared to other states.

"There are certain problems in implementing Centrally-sponsored schemes which was project related and there was bound be some delay in its implementation," he said.

Moreover, Sarma said as the state was approaching Assembly election next year, the fund allocation will come down with the election code of conduct in force.

Assam governor slips, fractures leg, arm

2010-11-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Guwahati, Nov 8 (IANS) Assam Governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik Monday slipped and fell down in bathroom and fractured his leg and arm, besides suffering injuries to his back, doctors said.

Patnaik, 77, was on an official visit to the eastern tea town of Dibrugarh when the incident took place at a circuit house.

'The governor slipped and fell down in the bathroom and X-ray reports revealed he fractured his leg and an arm. His condition is stable,' D.K. Patgiri, principal of Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, told IANS.

'The governor might have to undergo a surgery,' Patgiri said.

Assam rights activist Lachit Bordoloi joins AGP

2010-09-12T06:19:00.003-07:00

Guwahati, Sep 12 (IANS) Noted rights activist Lachit Bordoloi Sunday joined Assam’s main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) along with more than 200 followers at the party headquarters here.
“I decided to join the AGP as I always believe that there is still lots of relevance so far as regionalism is concerned,” Bordoloi said.

“I make a firm commitment to take the regional aspirations of the people of Assam forward by formally joining the party.”

Bordoloi, a leader of the Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS) and also a member of the People’s Consultative Committee (PCG), a civil society body chosen as an interlocutor by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), was on several occasions in the past arrested on charges of aiding and abetting militancy.

He was also believed to be close to the ULFA - and particularly close to the outfit’s chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, now arrested and in jail.

Around 200 followers of Bordoloi too joined the AGP at a function presided over by party president Chandra Mohan Patowary.

“We welcome people like Bordoloi into the party as they are the people who really connect with the masses,” the AGP president said.

Bordoloi in all probability would plunge into active politics as he is sure to contest next year’s assembly elections from the Batadrawa seat.

“I cannot say if I would contest polls or not. My mission is to work for the AGP in whatever capacity I am asked to do so,” Bordoloi said.

Torrential rains hit normal life in Assam

2010-09-11T05:46:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Sep 11 (PTI) Torrential rains lashed the city inundating most of the areas and bringing normal life to a near halt today.
Rainfall of 14.4 mm to over 45 mm was recorded in different parts of the city.
Capital area of Dispur, along G S Road which leads to it, adjacent Ganeshguri, Hengrabari were under nearly knee-deep water. Low lying Tarun Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Anil Nagar and Lachit Nagar areas on both sides of the G S Road were also inundated.
The parallel R G Baruah Road looked like a sheet of water, while Chandmari area had waist-high water paralysing movement of vehicles on the G N B Road.
The rain waters entered dwelling houses, submerging some of them up to four feet.
Vehicles were stranded on the roads due to water logging, creating inconvenience to people.
In some places, people had to take cycle rickshaws to ferry them just across the road. Rubber boats and bamboo rafts were also used in some of the water logged areas.
In May, the Gauhati High Court while hearing PILs filed on water logging problems and artificial floods in the metropolis had directed Guwahati Development Department Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to file an affidavit on the issue.
Taking exception to the minister''s statement at a press meet here that water logging problem of the city cannot be solved, the Court had also directed Sarma to file an affidavit justifying his statements.
Following this Sarma called a meeting in June on the instructions of the Court to listen to the citizens'' grievances related to the civic problems and water logging.

Border haats to bring sweeping changes: CM

2010-09-10T22:44:00.001-07:00

TURA, Sept 11 – Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has indicated that the economy of the State, particularly the border areas of Garo Hills, would soon see sweeping changes to its economic growth once the border haats begin functioning from next month onwards.

He said that the government has taken the initiative to begin international trade with Bangladesh through the border haats and the first to be inaugurated would be at Kalaichar in West Garo Hills and Balat in Khasi Hills as early as October next.

Disclosing this during the foundation stone laying ceremony of Land Customs Station facilitating legal trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh through the Garo Hills border at Killapara, Dalu under West Garo Hills district, Dr Mukul Sangma said international trade is of importance for both countries to develop the economy because the quantum of business generated by Land Customs Stations are enormous.

“It is necessary to derive maximum benefit and we are looking at a much more expanded trade with Bangladesh and through the Land Customs Station. “I urge the people of the region to diversify trade and commerce,” said the Chief Minister.

He added that the region has potential as a commercial hub and so it was deemed fit that Dalu and its adjoining areas have Land Custom Station and they develop into a full-fledged economic zone.

The Commissioner and Secretary for Commerce and Industries, A Som informed that the Government of India recognising the potential of trade and commerce through the border sector of Garo Hills has decided to sanction Rs 12 crore for Dalu and Rs 6 crore for Gasuapara in South Garo Hills for the establishment of Land Customs Stations to boost trade and uplift the border populace.

He also spoke at length about the problem of cattle lifting in the border areas and said the functioning of the Land Custom Stations would lead to facilitation of legal trade and doing away with cattle smuggling and other nefarious activities.

Writ Petition: The Garo Students Union has filed a writ petition in the Gauhati High Court questioning the authority of the municipality and conduct of civic polls in Garo Hills that is scheduled to take place in four municipal boards on September 29.

A petition to the Meghalaya Governor R S Mooshahary has also been submitted by the Joint Action Committee seeking to defer the polls until the High Court clarifies the status and existence of municipalities in Garo Hills.

Assam bags best show in India Travel Mart

2010-09-09T02:55:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Sep 9: The road show organised by India Tourism Department on Sunday, Sep 5, Assam received the best presentation award in India International Travel Mart.

The presentation was a highly-informative and visually-packed highlighting the tourism product profile of the state, accommodation facilities, air connectivity and tourist footfalls trends.

The show attracted a large number of tour operators from Mumbai and media persons from TV channels, prints and travel trade magazines.

The exhibition was also showcased where Assamist put up many traditional stalls and arts created by their ancestors which added more admiration to the participants.

Dams to harm Assam environment: AASU

2010-09-08T06:10:00.001-07:00

Tezpur (Assam), Sept 8 (PTI) Two hydro-electric power projects in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and the proposed construction of 168 river embankments will change the geographical setup of Assam and its natural environment, the influential All Asom Students' Union (AASU) claimed today.

Completion of the 2000-MW Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Power Project at Gerukamukh in Assam's Dhemaji district along Arunachal Pradesh will affect the environment of northern Assam districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur hitting lakhs of people, AASU central executive member Jaan Bora told PTI.

Completion of the Subansiri dam in Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh would also cause Brahmaputra's two major tributaries Ranganadi and Dikrong to dry up in Sonitpur district, he warned.

The 600-MW Kameng Hydro Project in West Kameng district would affect the human habitations of Bhalukpung, Itakhola and Rangapara, and animals of Nameri National Park and Pakke Reserve Forest in Sonitpur district, Bora said.

Asserting the Centre had not assessed the dire effects of the dams on Sonitpur district, he said, the AASU had submitted a 494-page report about the impact of the Subansiri project on the inhabitants and forests of the three districts, he added.

ISRO tech support for Assam floods

2010-09-08T03:43:00.001-07:00

Its Flood Management Information System will provide real-time information on flood situation with 3-D satellite images of the affected areas

Guwahati: Assam will soon be armed with state-of-the-art technology for getting real-time update for assessing floods which almost every year causes massive damage to the state.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon equip the State Disaster Management Authority, Assam (SDMAA) with the technology for getting real-time update on the deluge and making appropriate management plan.

The team from ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) on Monday made a demonstration on National Database on Emergency Management and Flood Management Information System (FMIS).

It not only provides real-time information on flood situation with three-dimensional satellite images of the affected areas, but also helps in taking prompt management decision.

Attending the program Assam Disaster Management and Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman said, “This technology will be of great help in formulating our management plan in tackling flood situation in the state. I think with the real-time information, we can mitigate the damages to a great extent.”

Barman said his department will be in touch with the ISRO office in Shillong to pursue the implementation of the facility in the state.

SDMAA officials said the flexibility of FMIS, developed by Hyderabad-based NRSC under the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), is that it can be operated from Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) cell-phones.

“The effectiveness of the tool is that it can be operated with PDA cell phones. The tool not only provides real-time data but also three dimensional visuals. We will have to prepare a roadmap for developing infrastructure and train up officials in implementing the facility in the state,” a senior official of the department said.

Fox History's 'Mighty Ahoms' draws criticism

2010-09-07T23:55:00.001-07:00

Sivsagar, Sep 8 : A programme on the Ahom rulers of Assam, aired on Fox History channel last week, has drawn sharp criticism from the Ahom Royal Society, which alleged that the channel wrongly portrayed several important facts regarding the dynasty.

The Lakwa-based Society alleged that the producers and directors of Fox History channels programme Mighty Ahoms, telecast on September 3, had deliberately vilified the Ahom community and presented a distorted version of Assam history. Kamala Rajkonwar, chief secretary of the organisation, said the documentary film showed scenes of Royal burial mound where the dead king was buried with a live person tied alongside, which Rajkonwar claimed was a false portrayal.

Rajkonwar also questioned the authenticity of the comment in the documentary that the Ahoms discarded the practice of burial in 'maidams' after adopting Hindu religion when the royal family descendents still continue the tradition.

The Ahom Royal Society also criticised the episode-makers for terming Sankardeva as the lone founder of the Satras (Vashnavite learning sites) in Assam and ignoring the four major Satras founded under Ahom Royal patronage.

The Society further expressed its anguish for overlooking Gomodhar Konwar, the martyr who sacrificed his life fighting the British.

''The Fox History channels telecast has presented a distorted and perverted picture of the Ahom and its culture,'' Rajkonwar said.

Security personnel practice 'water meditation' to promote peace in Guwahati

2010-09-07T23:29:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Sep 7 (ANI): Amidst fear of militancy and terrorism, two policemen in Guwahati have discovered a unique way to find peace through meditation by floating on water.

Munin Sharma (41) and Hitesh Sharma (43) of the Assam Police have been practicing this unique form of yoga to restore peace to the troubled state.

"I started practicing this type of yoga from 1995. But we used to practice 'Pranayama' (Breathing exercises) on our own from many years. My father used practice this and I heard it from him that the 'Yogis' (practitioner of yoga) used meditate on and under the surface of water and they could even float in air," said Munin Sharma.

This form of yoga involves certain rituals and worshipping before getting inside a pond. The duo ties their feet before starting the ceremony in water.

"We have two motives behind practicing this yoga. First is to get our names registered in Guinness Book, and the second is to successfully achieve our religious motive," he added.

Hitesh said they devote as much time as they can spare to meditate in water.

According to eye witnesses, the duo can sleep on water for hours and the longest that they have done it is ten hours.

They have promoted this form of meditation in many states, including Orissa and West Bengal. (ANI)

Assam's Bihu troupe to perform at CWG opening ceremony

2010-09-06T03:33:00.001-07:00

Guwahati: Assam's most popular folk dance form 'Bihu' will be one of the star attractions of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on October three in New Delhi.

A 110-member troupe, comprising 48 dancers and 62 drummers, or dhuliyas in Assamese, led by acclaimed drummer Oja Somnath Bora, has already left for New Delhi to practise for the opening ceremony.

''It is indeed a big honour to showcase our beautiful Bihu dance form before a global audience and we are practising hard to leave a lasting impression in the minds of millions of people who will watch the opening ceremony,'' Bora said.

The state cultural affairs department has asked Bora to bring together the dancers and drummers and prepare for the ceremony.

Bora, a master dhuliya, who was the first Indian to win a gold medal in a percussion playing competition at Delphic in South Korea last year, is, however, keeping the details of the presentation close to his heart.

''We are still evolving and improving on the steps and the final presentation is yet to take shape,'' he said.

The new assignment has kept on hold his long-cherished dream of making it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Assam Tourism calls on India

2010-09-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Mumbai, Sep 4 : The State of Assam is making an all out effort to rebrand its tourism image and promote it as a safe and adventurous tourist destination.

Assam Principal Secretary for Finance and Tourism Himangshu Sekhar Das who led a team to promote the tourist destinations in the state told newspersons here that no tourist had ever been killed even during the troubled days with Bodo and ULFA rebels.

Some of the rebels had in fact after laying down their arms ahve integrated into society and had taken up to tourism as tour operators and taxi drivers.

Mr Das said, ''We are also holding talks with neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh to synergise with the Central government's ''Look East policy'' he said, adding ''we want to promote Assam in an effective way without overkilling its image, or disappointing potential visitors by promising more than what we can deliver'' He said the state has seen its arrivals grow exponentially in the last decade, from 96,8444 tourists including 6,490 foreign visitors in 2000, to 3.9 million visitors including 14,699 foreign visitors in 2009-10. The State's tourism budget has also increased ten fold from Rs four-five crores in 2000 to Rs 45 crores for the current fiscal.

The state has a number of destinations like Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, home to endangered animals like the one-horned rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, wild elephants, the world's largest river island-Majuli and world smallest inhabited island-Umandhan, the Kamakhya Temple, Satra monestaries and little known World War II battle and supply sites that played vital roles in stoping the advance of the Imperial Japanese Army.

In order to attract visitors, the state government has tied up with a number of private investors to spruce up infrastructure. The state's first five-star hotel is being built in Guwahati under a joint venture with Indian Hotels Company of the Taj Group. This will be followed by four more five star hotels. It currently has 1,200 two-star level rooms for visitors.

The state has tied up with private operators to launch luxury boat cruises along the Brahmaputra at 250- 400 dollar a night.

The government is extending subsidies in the form of reimbursement of VAT and luxury tax, subsidising two-star and below hotels, power and approach roads.

The government is also implementing the Central government's policy to subsidise 30 per cent on investments in the state and extending excise breaks to two-star hotels and above, he added.

Mr das said the government was focussing mainly on the middle-class Indian traveller with emphasis on government servants who can avail of special LTC services to visit the north east.

He said ''Our priority is image branding. Assam today is a safe place to visit with some of the most unique attractions for visitors. We plan to leverage our rich nature, wildlife, tea and golf, eco-rural, culture and religious tourism potential.'' At the ground level, we have set up the Assam Tourism Council where 50 per cent of the members are from the private sector and the rest from government departments like the PWD which play an important part in preparing a suitable ground for tourism. The Council is training soft skills like hospitality, honesty to those involed in the industry.

We have also introduced tourist police at popular destinations like Kaziranga Park to help and protect tourists,'' he said.

Assam, with six airports, including Guwahati which is the six buisiest in the country, also plans to be a gateway to the other northeastern states in the region. The government is also holding talks with the Railway Ministry to improve the quality of long train services between cities like Guwahati and Mumbai.

Bid to smuggle jumbos foiled

2010-09-03T22:37:00.001-07:00

Jorhat, Sep 4 : An apparent attempt to smuggle two elephants from Assam to Bangladesh was foiled at the last moment after the forest department seized the animals from near Hillara railway station in Cachar district a few days back.

Both elephants, a mother and her calf, were stolen from Jorhat district and were made to walk for 18 days non-stop before the owner and forest department personnel traced them to Cachar.

The forest department had sounded an alert all over the state after the owner, Paramhansh Singh, lodged a complaint on August 5 on the missing elephants.

“The elephants were made to walk on the railway tracks all through the way,” the divisional forest official of Hailakandi, Isfat Ahmed, told The Telegraph over phone. He said there were no valid documents available with the two persons — Moinul Haq and Abdul Jabbar — who were found with the animals.

“The elephants were being taken to Kailashahar in Tripura on the Indo-Bangladesh border. In all probability the animals would have been smuggled to Bangladesh,” Ahmed said.

Haq and Jabbar said they were supposed to take the elephants to Badarpur in Cachar district from where they would have been handed over to someone called Sattar.

Singh, the owner of the elephants and a brick kiln owner in Demow in Sivasagar district, said he had bought the two elephants — the mother around 45 years and the two-and-a-half-year-old calf — from one Sarbeswar Narah in Sadiya in July 2009.

Singh subsequently recruited a mahout, Rampriya Das, to look after the elephants with a salary of Rs 5,000 per month. Das, who stays in Jorhat, had brought the two elephants here from Demow in October “so that he could look after the elephants properly”.

However, when Singh went to Bihar in July this year, Rampriya allegedly sold the two elephants to someone at Kailashahar in Tripura. Finally on August 30, Singh, with the help of forest department personnel, tracked down the elephants near Hillara railway station. The two elephants are now in the custody of the forest department.

Small tea growers usher in winds of change in Assam

2010-09-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

Tinsukia (Assam), Sep 4 – A green revolution is sweeping Assam, empowering many people for the first time and rejuvenating the state’s economy. Small tea gardens now dot the landscape as more and more people turn their backyards into mini tea plantations.

It does not really matter if you have a small patch of vegetable garden to spare or a big mass of land.

According to the All Assam Small Tea Growers Association (AASTGA), the number of small tea growers has swelled to 65,000 in the last two decades. And it is on the rise.

Assam currently produces around 480 million kg of tea. Around 30 percent of this comes from small tea growers.

Lakhi Gogoi is one of the many who has his own tea garden – Rajashree Tea Estate – in the upper Assam district of Tinsukia.

‘In 2008, my green tea leaf production touched 80,000 kg. In 2009, it rose to 81,000 and this year I am expecting it to touch 100,000. Tea business is good business,’ Gogoi told IANS.

Although Gogoi worked in a well-known tea company earlier, he had no knowledge of the business.

‘I am well accustomed to the knowhows of tea cultivation, spraying pesticides, pruning and plucking. It was a matter of time before I realized that if the big tea companies can grow these plants and reap such big benefits, so can I,’ he said.

‘After years of toying with the idea, I began my venture in 1996 on a small patch of land. Over the years, I scaled up my operations and now grow tea in 50 bighas of land,’ Gogoi said.

Depending on the market conditions, the price of green tea leaves varies between Rs.12 and Rs.18 a kg.

Said an AASTGA official: ‘By growing tea in underutilized uplands, small tea growers have brought in a green revolution in Assam by bringing in huge socio-economic changes.’

‘More than 900,000 people are involved in the small tea growing business in Assam. Almost 250, 000 hectares of land is covered for such plantations. They contribute to 29 percent of the total tea produced by Assam, which is 14 percent of the total tea production of India,’ the official added.

Even farmers in villages, who traditionally grew vegetables, are now opting for tea cultivation. ‘Tea cultivation brings much higher profits and is a steady source of income,’ said D. Bora, a farmer.

In a state where unemployment looms large, youth are the biggest beneficiaries.

Rajiv Sharma, 28, decided to try his hands in tea plantation two years ago. He started small — growing tea bushes in the backyard of his house. And there has been no looking back since.

‘My parents were initially sceptical and said tea production has always been the big companies’ cup of tea. But I was willing to take the risk. I started small and now have the capacity to invest in more land for more plantations,’ Sharma said.

Unlike the big tea companies like McLeod Russel India and Goodricke, small tea growers do not have their own factories. They sell their leaves either to the big firms or smaller private factories which in turn manufacture and market it under different brands.

One of the challenges that the small tea growers are facing is that of maintaining quality.

‘Not all growers are aware of banned chemicals. All they seek for are strong pesticides which will kill the pests – thus making the wrong choice. As a result, this tea does not get a good price at tea auctions,’ Sharma told IANS.

It is for this reason tea leaves of small growers are manufactured and branded differently from the main brands by the big tea companies. Nevertheless, almost 25 percent of the tea manufactured by the tea moghuls are from the small growers.

While the small tea growers are helping to change the socio-economic condition in Assam, they hardly get any help from the state government.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia’s recent announcement of a special scheme to provide financial assistance to the community has, however, given them some hope.

‘If the government is seriously thinking of helping us, it will be great. We are after all an unorganized sector. Let’s just hope it is not another empty promise,’ said Gogoi.

(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.p@ians.in)

Dimaraji state cry grows shriller

2010-08-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

Silchar, Aug. 31 : In a massive show of solidarity, thousands of Dimasa people, led by a conglomeration of 84 frontal organisations of the community, today took part in a rally at Haflong, demanding a separate Dimaraji state.

The rally, which was held in the Town Committee field, was followed by a colourful procession through the main streets of the town (district headquarters) before culminating at the deputy commissioner’s office.

Prafulla Hafila, the president of All Dimasa Students Union (ADSU), which had organised the programme, said a memorandum, addressed to Union home minister P. Chidambaram and chief minister Tarun Gogoi, was submitted to deputy commissioner Dilip Barthakur.

A source in the Assam police’s special branch (intelligence) today estimated that about 6,000 persons had participated in the rally.

While several shops in the town had downed shutters, not many people were present in the state and central government offices today because of the rally.

Official sources in Haflong said there were no reports of any untoward incident during the programme.

Earlier, addressing the sea of humanity, Hafila regretted that the Centre had not paid any heed to the preservation of the identity of the community through creation of a separate Dimaraji state. He warned that the Dimasa people would be compelled to add more teeth to their demand for a separate identity through more such demonstrations if the Centre and Assam government do not consider their demand for a separate state.

Though the organisers had earlier estimated that nearly 20,000 people would take part in the rally, such a number was not reached owing to the lurking fear of trouble in the wake of a blast at Langthasa Bazaar in the town last night.

One person was injured in the incident.

Police said they are investigating the blast, which also damaged a few shops in the market. However, the needle of suspicion points to the Hill Tribal Force, a new militant outfit. The outfit is believed to have recruited Kuki, Hmar and Jeme Naga youths into its fold.
Top

Assam students to get free laptops: Min

2010-08-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, Aug 29 : Assam Government will provide free laptop computers for students, who will secure first division in tenth standard examination in the state, from this year, a top official said.

The laptops will be provided under Anundoram Baruah award meant for first division holders in High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and High Madrasah examination 2010, started by Assam government in 2005.

The meritorious students will also be provided with certificates along with laptops, free training on LINUX operating system, open office and installation, special package of books, course materials on installation and handling of laptop and operating software.

Assam Education Minister Gautam Bora said, “The state government has decided to provide laptops to 19116 students, who secured first division in tenth standard examination held under the Secondary Education Board of Assam, State Madrassa Education Board, Assam, and Sanskrit Board Assam examination this year as part of the government’s move to promote IT education in the state.”

“Assam government had started the Anundoram Baruah award from 2005 and provided with desktop computer to the meritorious students in order to encourage computer and IT education in the state,” Bora added.

As many as 73 thousand students have already been provided with desktop computers under the Anundoram Baruah award started in 2005

The state Education Minister further said, all government high schools and higher secondary schools across the state have already been provided with computers for promotion of IT education.

Assam: Abused girl moves court for justice

2010-08-29T04:03:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Aug 29 : An eighteen-year-old girl from Assam came to Guwahati High Court to seek justice as she was abducted, raped and tortured on Jul 19.

"I went to court directly. I want justice so that this doesn't happen to other girls," said the victim.

According to sources, she was kidnapped from her home by a man who was harassing her for the last one year. She alleges that she was repeatedly raped for over ten days and threatened her not to report the incident to anyone.

It was her neighbours who got to know the news and helped her to inform to the local police. Then the police directed her to go the court. It is said that the man is still absconding.

"Many such cases shy away, the victim here showed the courage to fight for justice," said Monimala Bora a social activist.

Award scheme for students in Assam

2010-08-27T23:16:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Aug 28 (PTI) An award scheme for students securing first division in High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and High Madrassa examination 2010 of Assam (SEBA) has been announced by the state government.

The Anundoram Barooah Award Scheme also includes the tenth standard examination held under the State Madrassa Education Board, Assam, and Sanskrit Board Assam, an official release said today.

The Award consists of a certificate along with a laptop computer, free training on LINUX operating system, open office and installation.

A special package of books and course materials on installation and handling of laptop and operating software would also be provided, the release said.

The award scheme was adopted to enhance healthy competition among students and to help them enrich their perception through up-to-date knowledge and information with the help of IT education to help them in their in their academic pursuit, it said.

The awardees could also opt for financial benefits in lieu of the laptop package, the release added.

Under the scheme, introduced by the nine-year-old Tarun Gogoi government, students securing first division till last year were given desk-top computers.

Border tension: Shoot-at-sight orders in Charaipung

2010-08-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

GUWAHATI : The Assam government today issued shoot-at-sight orders in tension-hit Charaipung sub-division of Sibsagar district bordering Arunachal Pradesh following border dispute between the two states.

The order was given by senior minister and government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma who along with tourism minister Rockybul Hussain visited the area hit by border clashes since August 14 in which several houses have been burnt.

Taking a strong stand against repeated alleged "incursion" into Assam territory, Sarma said the government had taken the matter seriously and would not remain a silent spectator.

Meanwhile, joint patrolling by police of both the states is going on in the area which is still tense following incidents of arson and violence.

The senior minister had a dig at Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, who he alleged was instigating violence through the help of NSCN militants.

"Rio should refrain from such activities and help in restoring peace in the border areas", he said.

Meanwhile talking to reporters during a visit to the border areas, Rio alleged that the Assam government had done little to restore confidence among the people.

"The Assam government should ensure that peace prevails on the border before levelling baseless allegations against the neighbouring states," he said.

Dabi urges cooperation from Assam politicians

2010-08-25T01:35:00.001-07:00

Itanagar, Aug 25 : Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Tako Dabi today appealed to all the politicians in Assam to cooperate with the Aruanachal government in restoring peace and normalcy in the disputed boundary areas.

Referring to the boundary flare-up since August 14 last in the disputed areas of Tirap district of Arunachal and Sivasagar district in Assam, Mr Dabi told mediapersons that a minor issue taken place at Simhokho near Kamkuh Rusa village in Kanubari sub-division in Tirap could have been solved by the local leaders itself.

He termed it was unfortunate that some vested interests on the Assam side with the help of wrong projection in the Assam media lead to tension in the bordering villages on both sides.

The Home Minister appealed to Assam media to have a sense of normality and sticking to journalistic ethics while reporting the truth on such boundary related issue.

Mr Dabi further claimed the people of Arunachal Pradesh have never encroached upon any part of Assam land but alleged that there was violation by Assam of the 1979 status-quo agreement between Assam and Aruanchal.

Referring to the historical relations and emotional attachment between the people of both the states, Mr Dabi appealed for allowing the people of Arunachal to live in dignity in the disputed boundary areas.

He further said there should not be any further economic blockade as the people wants to live in peace and harmony and ruled out the involvement of either NSCN (IM) or Khaplang faction in the recent boundary tension as claimed by Assam.

Assam Minister flays Rio

2010-08-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Aug 25 : Assam has blasted Nagaland and the NSCN-IM for all the border problems in the North East India region.

Spokesman of Assam government and state Health minister Himanta Biswas told media persons in Guwahati today that Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio supported by NSCN-IM continues to carry out all sorts of aggressive activities.

Neiphiu Rio should be held responsible for all its border skirmishes with the neighbouring states in the North East region, said the spokesman of Assam government.

The Assam minister then made it clear that Assam would not part with even an inch of its territory.

At the backdrop of the ongoing row between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on the issue of border, Himanta Biswas said, "Neiphiu Rio is the man responsible for the breach in ties among the 'Seven Sisters' (read the Northeast) on the issue of border".

"Backed by NSCN (I-M), Neiphiu Rio cannot continue with such aggressions.

However, if he persists, like if he treads one step, we'll tread two steps," Himanta Biswas said.

Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam is embroiled in border conflicts with Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

Terming the Nagaland chief minister as "provocative", the Assam government spokesman said Neiphiu Rio was the main person to create border conflict in the North East region.

Himanta Biswas then cautioned, "We will not accept such aggressive attitude of Rio.

By taking along the NSCN if he thinks the Assamese people are weak, befitting reply would be given to Nagaland".

Meanwhile, the Assam government spokesman appealed to Arunachal Pradesh government to immediately flush out the NSCN-IM from Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

"If the Arunachal Government fails to do so, we will write to the Centre for similar action" Sarma said.

He and Assam's Forest Minister Rockeybul Hussain visited Charaipung on Tuesday.

Meanwhile talking to reporters during a visit to the border areas, Rio alleged that the Assam government had done little to restore confidence among the people.

"The Assam government should ensure that peace prevails on the border before levelling baseless allegations against the neighbouring states," he said.

It is pertinent to note that Charaipung, a village in Sibsagar district of Assam and bordering Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh, has been witnessing a tensed situation after the miscreants from Arunachal, allegedly backed by Naga militants, unleashed a reign of terror for the past few days.

However, the NSCN-IM has denied yesterday saying it did not involve in such activities.

Oil India's daily prodn at a new high

2010-08-24T02:27:00.000-07:00

Ajay Modi

Oil India (OIL), the state-owned Navratna oil and gas production company, has achieved a record production level of 10,000 tonnes a day. The company, which produces most of its oil from its Assam oilfields, has been producing 10,000 tonnes daily since mid-August.

The company witnessed a dip of 9.52 per cent at 0.798 million tonnes (mt) in crude oil production during the June quarter of this financial year, compared to 0.882 mt in corresponding quarter last year. Its daily average output for the quarter was 8,770 tonnes, compared to 9,910 tonnes in the January-March quarter. The company operates 30 oil and gas blocks, primarily in Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

The main reason for scaling down production during the June quarter was due to a shutdown by its top customer, Numaligarh Refinery (NRL), which accounts for over 55 per cent of its crude oil sales.

NRL was first shut down for 60 days from March 16 to upgrade units to produce higher quality Euro-III/IV compliant diesel. The shutdown, however, got extended and NRL came back to full stream only on June 27, causing OIL a production loss of 130,000 tonnes in the first quarter.

OIL had set a target of producing 0.928 million tonnes crude oil during the first quarter (April-June), but failed to achieve it due to the NRL shutdown.

There were apprehensions that with this dip in the first quarter, the company would be unable to meet its annual production target of 3.7 million tonnes. However, it is confident of achieving this target. It had produced 3.61 million tones of crude oil in 2009-10.

“This is an all-time high production for OIL, achieved as a result of various improved oil recovery and enhanced oil recovery measures apart from some minor discoveries. We are confident of recovering the loss in production and meeting the output target,” said T K Ananth Kumar, director (finance) at OIL.

The company had invested Rs 280 crore in such recovery improvement measures in 2009-10.

The company saw a 21 per cent decline in revenues at Rs 1,523 crore during the first quarter due to lower crude oil price realisation and lower output. However, revenue for this quarter is expected to be better on higher crude oil output and increased APM (administered price mechanism) gas price. APM was increased by 113 per cent to $3.82 per million British thermal units in June. “The increase output is expected to add over 10 per cent to the company’s top line,” he said.

OIL’s shares closed 2.74 per cent higher at Rs 1,476.05 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Jorhat village Paphar Syman ensures peace and progress

2010-08-22T23:29:00.001-07:00

Jorhat (Assam), Aug.23 (ANI): Annoyed by the long spell of militancy in their State, people in Assam are not just eager to see peace prevailing in the State but many of them are actively working to ensuring this.

A visit to rural areas in Jorhat District reveals about the transformation which could be possible due to people' personal initiative and collective endeavour.

Twenty five kilometres from Jorhat city is Paphar Syman, a small hamlet in Titabor sub-division. Existing since 1825, it has around 90 households, a majority of them belonging to Tai-Turung community.

As peace prevails in Paphar Syman, many government schemes have been implemented in the village and the local have been able to benefit from them. aking advantage of micro finance schemes, many villagers have started small businesses like tea gardening, piggery, fishing and poultry.

Paphar Syman today reflects that more villages in Assam and other parts of the northeast can reap dividends of peace.

There was a time when militant groups like United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muviah) NSCN (IM) were active in this region.

But people of Paphar Shyam did not let them to influence the youth in the village.

Villagers here want their youngsters to get better education and lead a respectable life.

Education has changed many lives in this village, as it today boasts of a primary as well as high school to educate the local youth.

"I will never allow the youth to join any terrorist group. I will teach them how to read and write and get better education to become a doctor or an engineer. With such efforts our state can be developed," said Padmodha Shyam, an educated local youth.

Twenty nine-year-old Nipon Turung, who studied engineering at Guwahati University, returned to his native place here and started tea gardening.

Today, he owns a tea garden spread over 35 Bighas of land and employs eight permanent employees.

He says militancy is a big hurdle in the development of the region.

"Northeast is mostly affected by militancy and unless it is eradicated, no State can become prosperous. Militants continue to misguide the youth and this is the root cause of many problems," says Nipon Turung.

Villagers here want insurgents to shun violence and hold talks to allow others to live in peace and prosper.

"People should call the militant groups to come forward for a dialogue with the government for long-lasting peace in Assam," said Kavita Vikhu, a monk. By Vashipem Kamodang (ANI)

Assam can be top fish producer: Expert

2010-08-10T22:06:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, Aug 11 – The Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, believes that Assam can become a top fish producer because of physical advantages and adoption of new technologies. The challenge is to make fish farmers embrace certain changes and protect the environment in which fish is reared.

The well-known facility that has promoted fish production in the country and achieved a high rate of success has been providing necessary inputs to the State Fisheries department and shaping a new approach to enhance both the quantity and quality of fish produce.

Speaking exclusively to The Assam Tribune, Dr Dilip Kumar, the director of CIFE said, “The time has come for Assam to utilize its natural advantages. In very few other States do we have such virgin water bodies where fish can be farmed with such ease.”

He believes that proper technology made available in time would certainly be a boost to fish farmers. Some positive trends have already been observed, and with more fish farmers embracing new knowledge and skills the State will witness a rapid rise in production.

In Guwahati to launch the first freshwater prawn hatchery, Dr Kumar said that freshwater prawn will become a key income generator to farmers of the State. “There is a huge demand for prawn not just in this region, but also in Bangladesh. The fish farmers could easily multiply their income by raising prawn along with some other fish types,” he remarked.

Freshwater prawn has already been commercially harvested in Tripura, where farmers get anything between Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per kilo. The process of raising prawn is relatively less costly, creating an ideal situation for fish farmers even with small areas at their disposal.

He revealed that the State Fisheries department has been successful in managing the first freshwater prawn hatchery and with two more coming up in Dhubri and Silchar, the fish farmers would be able to procure a steady supply of seedlings. “They have used synthetic sea water, which has proved to be a great success in the new hatchery,” Dr Kumar added.

Admitting great potential for freshwater prawn cultivation in Assam, the senior scientist however cautioned that aquaculture in the State would only bring in rich harvests if the existing water bodies are protected from pollutants. Pollution in natural water bodies has been reported from several parts of the State, and consequently, fish farmers have expressed their concerns.

“Fish are highly sensitive to the quality of their habitat, and it has been seen that fertilisers used in agriculture and raw sewage affect them to a very great extent,” Dr Kumar noted, and hoped that Assam Government would recognise this fact so that fish farmers were not adversely affected.

On climate change and its influence on aquaculture in Assam, he was circumspect, saying “a lot of data needs to be acquired before anything substantial can be said about the impact on climate change on fish farming…” However, a rise of one or two degree in temperature could help the growth of some fish types which are in demand in the region, he added.

Tea outlook remains bullish

2010-08-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

Sutanuka Ghosal

The outlook for tea is quite bullish with the commodity setting new records in price in the domestic as well as export markets. Prices of north Indian tea, which consists of 75% of the country’s tea production of 980 million kg, are on the rise. The auction prices of tea in Kol-kata is higher by about `23 per kg across all categories — CTC, orthodox and Darjeeling. The average price of tea has shot up to ` 151.72 per kg as compared to `128.53 per kg in the same period previous year. The crop shortfall in June in upper Assam has pushed up prices at auctions. The auction price at Siliguri auction centre last week was up by `4 kg. The price at Guwahati auction centre has shot up by `8 per kg.

Production shortfall

While during May 2010 north India (Assam and West Bengal) witnessed 3 million kg decline in crop against the corresponding period last year, June has seen the maximum loss in crop in both Assam and West Bengal. As per tea statistics released by Tea Board, tea produc-tion during June has declined by 13 million kg in Assam and 2 million kg in West Bengal, resulting in an overall decline of 15 million kg in north India. Tea estates in Assam have also reported that production in July has also been adversely impacted due to continuing heavy rains and the slow recovery of estates from the severe helopeltis pest attack seen during the May-June period. The total crop produced by tea estates of north India during the January-June period is 212 million kg compared to 222 million kg in the corresponding period of 2009. However, the south Indian production is up by 15 million kg to 127 million kg in the same period.

Arrivals normal

Arrivals at the north Indian auction centres are at par with that of last year. However, since the orthodox tea production has gone up this year, arrivals of orthodox tea at the Kolkata auction is up by 2.4 million kg. Total quantity sold through the Kolkata auction is 70 million kg in the January-June period this year compared to 64 million kg in the same period last year. Guwahati sold 55 million kg in the same period as against 58 million kg last year. Domestic consumption is growing at a rate of 3-3.5% annually. Therefore, the demand for tea will remain high.

Exports to remain bright

Indian tea exports have registered an increase of 9 million kg during the January-June period vis-a-vis last year. While the exports from north India have declined by 2 million kg, unit price realisation has seen an increase of `7 per kg. Exports from south India have increased by 12 million kg but with lower unit price realisation. Overall, during January to June 2010, total exports from India have registered 84 million kg with a forex earning of `1,036 crore as against 75 million kg last year.

BJP demands fencing of Assam-Bangla border

2010-08-09T07:10:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, Aug 9 – BJP’s national general secretary Vijay Goel on Sunday announced that the party would not be silent on the failure of the government to fence the Assam-Bangladesh border with barbed wire, which is one of the crucial clauses of the Assam Accord.

The party also demanded of the Tarun Gogoi government to come up with districtwise white paper on the utilisation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) funds.

Addressing mediapersons here, Goel regretted that major clauses of the Assam

Accord remained unimplemented even after so many years. August 14 this year would be the silver jubilee of the signing of the historic Assam Accord.

“It is very unfortunate that the main issues of the Assam Accord have not been solved till date,” remarked Goel demanding that the process of NRC update in the State should be resumed at the earliest. The pilot project of NRC update which was started in Barpeta and Chaygaon revenue circles has been suspended by the government following the Barpeta violence. Goel described the move as unfortunate for an elected government.

Further slamming the Tarun Gogoi government, Goel said that it had no answer to the people’s problems. “As of date nothing is right in Assam as the government doesn’t even want to discuss the issues of the people,” he said pointing to the deteriorating law and order situation, rampant corruption and unabated influx to the State, issues which the government has allegedly ignored for its political gain.

Goel also said that a few political parties in the State were abetting the Bangladeshis for narrow political gain.

Referring to the widespread corruption in the State, Goel said that the Congress government was patronizing corruption and huge amounts of central money have been misappropriated including the funds for implementation of the NREGA.

Goel said that the CBI which is probing the NC Hills scam be given the mandate to interrogate any public servants, irrespective of their position, as required for a free and fair investigation.

Goel declared that the movement launched in the State by the BJP against price rise, corruption, illegal infiltration, and construction of big dams would be intensified in the coming days.

Assam: Car thieves flee from police lockup

2010-08-03T23:59:00.001-07:00

Nagaon, August 4 : Three car thieves fled from lockup of a police station in Assam's Nagaon district on Monday morning, officials said. However, one was arrested later the same day (Monday).

"Three car thieves- Anuwar Hussain, Sahjahan Ali and Ajay Singh- broke the lockup at Samaguri police station in the district and escaped around 3.30am, while the constable on duty, Nizamuddin Ahmed, went outside the police station to drink water," said a senior police official.

However, later the same day (Monday), Singh was arrested. Search is on for the other two escapees.

The car thieves were arrested by police at the National Highway-39 near Numaligarh on July 30, when they went to Dimapur in Nagaland for selling a dumper.

It is to be mentioned that, two prisoners fled from Nagaon Civil Hospital on July 30, when they were under treatment in police custody.

APW for resumption of NRC

2010-08-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, Aug 1 (PTI) The Assam Public Works (APW), an organisation of relatives of ULFA militants, today demanded resumption of the updating process of the National Registrar of Citizen (NRC).

"Those who are against the resumption of the process to update the NRC are frustrated as they have failed to convert illegal migrants from Bangladesh to legal voters", APW president Abhijit Sarma said here.Referring to recent violence in Barpeta district against updating of NRC which prompted the government to "temporarily" stop the process, the APW leader said the exercise could continue in other districts of the state.Dismissing fears that there was fault in the NRC proforma, Sarma said there might be some "confusion but this is not a deciding factor".

Earlier the influential All Assam Students Union (AASU) had criticised the government for stopping the exercise alleging that it was ploy to appease the minority community and protect illegal migrants.

Three of a family killed by elephants

2010-07-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, July 27 : Three people of a family were killed in wild elephant attack in Assam's Sonitpur district on Tuesday, police said.

A group of wild elephants attack in the tea garden area of Maijong Pathar, some 45 kms from Biswanath Chariali of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border area in the district, at wee hours of Tuesday.

One 56-year-old Ajit, his wife (49) and son (16) were attacked by the jumbos at their residence while they were asleep, a senior police official said.

The wild elephants reportedly came from Behali reserve forest to the tea garden areas in search of food.

More than 80 people and over 15 wild elephants have been killed in human-elephant conflict in the state so far this year.

Six, including three schoolgirls, drown in Assam

2010-07-26T01:15:00.001-07:00

Six people, including three schoolgirls and three of a family, drowned Monday in Assam's rain-swollen rivers, police said.

Three school girls drowned and two went missing while they were taking a dip at Mangaldoi river near Mangaldoi town (about 80 km from here), a police spokesperson said.

'As part of the Hindu festival of Bol Bom, crowds converged at the river bank to perform certain rituals when three girls drowned,' the police official said.

Rescue workers recovered bodies of three girls and efforts were on to locate the other two missing girls.

In a separate incident, three members of a family - father and his two sons - drowned while fishing at Teok river in Jorhat district.

In another incident, a boy was killed when lightning struck him near Bijni in Bongaigaon - even this boy was part of a Bol Bom procession in the area.

Assam halts registration process after violence

2010-07-22T06:59:00.001-07:00

Authorities in India's northeastern Assam state have temporarily suspended a registration project after police fired on demonstrators in the town of Barpeta.

Police opened fire after protesters vandalised shops and vehicles.
More than 5,000 people, mostly from West Bengal, protested against the government's registration drive.
Demonstrators fear registration could identify them as non-Assamese and that they could be forced from the state.
Prohibitory orders are in force in Barpeta because of the tense situation.
Assamese groups, especially the state's powerful All Assam Students Union (Aasu), have criticised the state government for stopping the registration project.

Police firing kills 4 in Assam, 50 injured

2010-07-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

Guwahati: At least four students were killed and 50 injured when police opened fire on rampaging protesters who tried to stop updating of the National Register of Citizens in Assam's Barpeta town on Wednesday.

Trouble erupted when a group of All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) activists pelted stones and set ablaze a building in the premises of the deputy commissioner's office in a bid to stop updating of NRC work in progress there.

Police opened fire when they failed to disperse them using teargas shells, said Barpeta SP Debojyoti Mukherjee. He said three students died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The students thereafter went berserk and tried to attack shops and business establishments but police brought the situation under control, he said. The injured were admitted to the Barpeta Civil Hospital and those with serious injuries were sent to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The NRC is being updated to identify and enlist Indian citizens in the state. In March, the Assam Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to update the NRC of 1951 by taking 1971 electoral roll as the basis.

Assam to set up 126 model hospitals

2010-07-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

The 50-bedded model hospitals to be set up under the project would be equipped with latest medical treatment facilities

Guwahati: Assam government is set to launch one of its biggest health initiatives and set up model hospitals in every 126 assembly constituencies to improve overall healthcare system across the state.

For this the government has proposed an outlay of Rs 300 crore for the ambitious project expected to be completed by 2013.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the State Assembly that the 50-bedded model hospitals to be set up in each assembly constituencies would be equipped with latest medical treatment facilities. The model hospitals would involve 2,000 doctors and 2,000 paramedics.

“This is the biggest ever health project announced in any state of the country on a single day. We would start works in the project in the next few months and expect to complete by 2013. The model hospitals would not only provide latest healthcare facilities to people across the state but would revolutionise the healthcare sector in our state,” he said.

The initiative would require huge number of doctors and medical staffs. The Minister informed that in order to cater to demand for doctors and faculty five new medical colleges would be set up.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has granted permission for the state’s fourth medical college at Jorhat with an intake of 100 students. The government has decided to set up two medical colleges at Tezpur and Barpeta and is planning another two in Nagaon and at Diphu in the hilly Karbi Anglong district.

“At present we have shortage of 7000 doctors now if we calculate by the standard norms of doctor population ratio. Keeping this in mind we are going to set up five new medical colleges,” the Health Minister said.

Assam at present has three medical colleges at Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar. Sarma said the Health Department is trying to cover people living in the riverine areas across the state under the health project.

Govt gives in to Oppn pressure on NC

2010-07-19T02:38:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI: Dispur has finally given in to the Opposition's pressure, at least on one front. On the final day of the assembly's monsoon session, the state government told the house that it's ready to include all departments of the NC Hills Autonomous Council in the ongoing probe into the financial scam that had rocked the council.

Led by AGP, the Opposition has been demanding that the probe should include the affairs in the council from 2001. However, the government stressed that since the council's term was not same as that of the government, the probe should include at least two terms of the council.

"I am ready for it if the CBI wants to probe all departments. I cannot give the departments but CBI has to ask for it," Gogoi said after his reply in the house.

After the Opposition stalled the first two days of the current session after the Speaker refused to allow discussion on the alleged Rs 1000-crore financial scam in the autonomous council through an adjournment motion, Congress MLA Wazed Ali Choudhury on Saturday moved discussion on the funds scam.

He said the government had acted as soon as the first information of funds of the council being siphoned off to militants was received and the chief minister set up an inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd) RK Manisana Singh.

"Investigation by NIA and CBI came much later. The Opposition now wants the CBI be given mandate to cover all departments but we demand that the central investigating agency should not just cover all departments but should take everything into accounts from 1996.

The leader of the Opposition, Chandramohan Patowary, however, expressed dissatisfaction that the government chose not to discuss the issue through the adjournment motion but by another mechanism. "The motion was sought because the matter was urgent, but the government did not think so," he said.

Patowary said the government might have steered clear of the issue in the house, but the people were quite aware of the scam. "The issue is no longer confined to the four walls of the house," he said.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dwelt on the immunity given to the NC Hills Autonomous Council by the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. "We could not have discussed NC Hills because the government has no powers to interfere there. The governor is the sole head of the council.

But law and order has not been taken away from the state government and we promptly took over the case when the money meant for handing over to DHD (J) militants was found in the city," Sarma said.

Agitators block movement to Lower Subansiri project

2010-07-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

ITANAGAR, July 8: Alleging the NHPC of failing to act on the recommendation of an expert panel that pointed out perils of ongoing Lower Sunasiri hydropower project, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) today intensified their ongoing movement by jointly blocking movement of construction materials to the project site.
Hundreds of members of the organizations today staged a dharna in front of the NHPC godown at Gogamukh, a town near the interstate boundary and refused to let vehicles carrying construction materials move to the project site at Gerukamukh.
The agitating organizations have raised serious allegations against the state governments of Assam and Arunachal. They claimed that both the state governments have to act on the recommendations of the expert committee as it was set up under the aegis of Assam government.
The said Committee, with technical experts from Universities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh and IIT Guwahati, was formed to study the downstream impact of the power project following a tripartite meeting between the state government, the power corporation and the AASU in December 2006.
Talking to The Sentinel at Gogamukh today, the President of Dhemaji district unit of AASU, Chitraranjan Basumatary said that Tarun Gogoi-led Assam government had an “escapist” attitude regarding the issue since the expert committee panel on the downstream impact of the ongoing Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project had submitted its recommendations.
“We have intensified our ongoing movement in protest against the NHPC authorities for continuing with construction of the dam ignoring the expert committee report on the downstream impact of the dam project. Our delegates on Tuesday met the Assam Governor, who had assured to pursue the matter with the central government. We have decided to meet the Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu within next week for apprising him of the situation,” said AASU Finance Secretary Tularam Gogoi, who was also present at the dharna at Gogamukh today.
Referring to the 495 page expert committee report on the downstream impact of the dam, Gogoi said the experts have suggested three main recommendations. According to him the expert committee report reveals that there was no viability to construct such mega dam in such a high seismic prone zone.
“We are demanding for halt of the dam construction. We have also resolved to move the Union Power minister for his intervention,” Gogoi added.
The agitating organizations have alleged that the project is being executed by NHPC 13 km north of Gogamukh along the Assam-Arunachal border to generate 2,000MW of power. The estimated project cost is Rs 6,285.33 crore and the projected year of commissioning is December 2012.
Announcing the first phase of agitation today, the students’ union leaders said they would continue the blocking movement of construction materials to the project site till July 11.
“We will chalk out the next agitation programme in the joint central executive meeting to be held within a week,” the agitating leaders informed.

Indefinite shutdown in Bongaigaon district

2010-07-09T04:13:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, Jul 9 : Life was affected in Bongaigaon district of western Assam today in view of an indefinite shutdown called by the AKRSU in support of their various demands, including creation of a new state of Kamtapur.

Commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed, while vehicles were also off the road.

The bandh supporters reportedly damaged several vehicles that had ventured out.

Parts of neighbouring Goalpara district also shut down in response to the bandh call by the AKRSU.

One person was reportedly killed when miscreants pelted stones on the vehicle the victim was travelling in.

The All Koch Rajbonshi Students Union (AKRSU) had given the indefinite shutdown call in support of their demand for a separate Kamtapur state and scheduled caste status for the Koch Rajbonshi community.

The AKRSU is also protesting the torching of its office at Bongaigaon by local people following an altercation between AKRSU members and public when the student activists nabbed two pickpockets.

28 Assam towns get Central assistance for storm water drainage

2010-07-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Jul 9 : The Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned projects of Rs 207.80 crore, under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for drainage of storm water in 28 small and medium towns of Assam.

Out of Rs 207.60 crore, an amount of about 100 crore was released by April this year so that significant work could be carried out before the peak monsoon.

Towns getting the assistance are Hojal, Titabar, Pathsala, Bokakhat, Lakhipur (water supply), Lakhipur (water drainage), Hailakandi, Hojal, Sarthebari, Dhekiajuli, Marigaon, Hamren, Chabua, Goisaigoan, Barpeta Road, Lanka, Lankhipur, Howraghat, Digboi, Basugaon, Maibong, Lala, Barpeta, Udalguri, Simaluguri, Gauripur, Jorhat, Sapatgram, Dhubri and Dergaon.

Under the JNNRUM, the Ministry of Urban Development is providing assistance for sewerage for improvement of roads and supply of drinking water, besides providing improved buses for urban transport.

The North-East, including Assam, is a priority area under the scheme. Three major projects for development of urban infrastructure in major cities have also been sanctioned for the State.

Three of a family electrocuted in Assam

2010-07-07T01:25:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, July 6 Three members of a family were electrocuted in Assam's Chirang district on Tuesday morning, sources said.

According to report, Nilbala Barman(35) of Bengtol who reportedly was grazing cattle in a paddy field came in touch with a live wire falling on the ground. She was electrocuted.

Two of her sons also lost their lives, while they were trying to save their mother.

Local people alleged that the wire had been on the ground for last
three days, but the Assam State Electricity Board authorities took no
measures.

Assam govt sponsors heart surgery of 130 children

2010-07-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

GUWAHATI, July 7 - The Assam government today said it will sponsor surgery of 130 children suffering from congenital heart defect under a scheme launched by the Health department.

According to the scheme, claimed as the first such project in the country, the state government would bear the cost of operation and treatment of children suffering from congenital heart defect. The patients would be operated upon at Narayana Hrudalaya Hospitals, Bangalore.

This year 130 children have been selected to be operated upon at government cost, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters here.

The government has allocated Rs 2 crore this year for the project, he said.

Assam has a considerable number of children suffering from congenital heart defect. During a three-day screening here, nearly 1,000 children were detected suffering from the condition.

Several injured in clash in Assam

2010-07-07T01:23:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, July 7 : Several persons, including some CRPF personnel were injured in a clash at Merapani on the Assam-Nagaland border.

Trouble took place after the locals wanted to reconstruct their shops which were burnt in a fire caused by electric short circuit yesterday.

The securitymen tried to stop them on the ground that any kind of construction on the border was not allowed.

In a clash that occured, some local people and CRPF men were injured.

The matter was later brought to control.

Gogoi directly involved in NC Hills scam: AGP

2010-07-03T21:42:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, July 4 – Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today launched a broadside against the State Government alleging that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is “directly involved” in the multi-crore NC Hills District Autonomous Council (NCHDAC) scam. The party also reiterated its demand for a thorough CBI enquiry into the scam covering all the departments of the Autonomous Council.

It also alleged that both the Central and the State Governments are politicking on the issue of ULFA insurgency. The Prime Minister and Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister differ in their views on the issue. From their statements, it has become clear that their only concern is how to derive maximum political mileage out of this issue, alleged the opposition party.

Addressing a press conference here, AGP general secretary and chief spokesman Atul Bora said that the latest activities of the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi are enough to make one doubt his (Gogoi’s) ‘direct involvement in the scam or his patronizing those involved in it.

He also alleged that the Tarun Gogoi-led Government in the State was trying to blackmail the AGP by re-opening the CBI cases in connection with the Rs 400-crore Veterinary LoC scam, which were closed 21 years back.

The embarrassment of the ruling party with the Opposition’s demand for a thorough enquiry into the NC Hills scam is apparent. In the face of the issue, the Chief Minister and his Ministerial colleagues busy themselves in different tactics to divert the people’s attention to other things, he asserted.

The ruling party also got Samarjit Haflongbar removed from the post of the Chief Executive Member (CEM) when he assured the CBI to hand over the relevant papers of the period falling between 2001 and 2009, in connection with the NCHDAC scam.

To remove Haflongbar from the post, the ruling party got the meeting the NCHDAC convened with only one day’s notice, which is unprecedented. The role of the Governor in this respect is also not beyond doubt, alleged the AGP spokesman.

The Chief Minister also owes the people of the State a clarification as to whether he is inefficient or corrupt. As, he being the Finance Minister of the State, huge sums of money belonging to the State’s exchequer were misappropriated either without his knowledge or with his consent, Bora said.

He also dared the Chief Minister to make his stand clear as to whom he is siding with on the issue of the mega-dam projects proposed in the NE region after the report of the expert committee calling for steps to shelve all such projects.

The State Government has failed also to rein in the skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities and it is taking recourse to hollow excuses to justify rise in the prices of these items. With such activities, this Government is proving itself as an anti-people one, said the AGP chief spokesman.

Assam forest dept upbeat over Rhino translocation

2010-06-30T01:52:00.003-07:00

Guwahati, Jun 30 (PTI) After the initial jitters and bureaucratic delays, the Assam forest department is now upbeat over the prospect of more translocation of the highly endangered one-horned rhinos among its forests once important tranquilisers are obtained.

"Yes the drugs have finally arrived in New Delhi and our zoo divisional forest officer Narayan Mahanta will soon leave to get hold of it," Assam's chief wildlife warden Suresh Chand told PTI here.

Confirming that after the initial launch of the project in 2008, there was a delay due to unavailability of the drugs, Chand said finally the wait is over.

"There are lot of bureaucratic rules and regulation to get the drug from South Africa which is the only country in the world where it gets manufactured," he says.

Peace still remains elusive in Assam

2010-06-28T09:22:00.001-07:00

Peace and stability in Assam remain elusive, even though people in the tea and oil-rich state want an end to insurgency through negotiations between the powerful rebels and New Delhi.
The state, once racked by insurgency, appears to be quieter after several top leaders of the separatist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were arrested.
These jailed leaders have expressed willingness to hold political negotiations with the government to find a lasting solution to end the three-decades-old conflict.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told a delegation of citizens from Assam last week that leaders of the ULFA would be allowed to attend talks with “dignity and not like criminals”.
At the same time, the government has not withdrawn numerous criminal charges, including ‘waging war against the country’, which were slapped against them.
The jailed rebel leaders have been demanding their release before any peace talks could start. But the government has no powers to release them, unless the courts clear them of those charges and set them free.
Also, there is no guarantee these leaders would not escape once they are let off. In the past, they have fled after being released from jail to hold negotiations.
Though bombings at crowded places and attacks on vital installations and government troops have no doubt stopped, widespread collection of money through extortion and kidnapping for ransom by rebels continue across the state.
Peace still remains a far cry in Assam, one of the eight states in India’s revolt-racked northeast, circled by China, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.
Security experts have warned the government not to push reclusive rebel leaders who are at large and not interested to negotiate anything short of sovereignty.
Trying to sideline those hardcore leaders could only invite more trouble. Though these leaders may have a smaller number of followers, their striking capability is more potent and could cause maximum damage.
Until the deadlock is broken, peace would remain elusive in Assam.

Tea clones may soon pass lab test

2010-06-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Guwahati June 28 : For the tea industry, there appears to be some good news. New tea clones of high yield as well as quality may soon be available for plantation.

Tocklai Experimental Station, based in Jorhat in Upper Assam, has claimed to have developed four tea clones of high yield and these tea clones would be released for commercial plantation by the year-end.

Sources from Tocklai said that these four tea clones have been under developing stage for almost five years and the experimental station hopes to release them for commercial plantation by November this year.

The clones are aimed at enhancing the quality of the tea and will have rich colour and liquor. These new clones would preserve the unique qualities of Assam tea as well, he said.

The tea industry has welcomed this initiative of Tocklai as it feels it has been a long time that any good tea clone, that has both quality as well as enhanced yield, has been developed.

"We welcome this move of Tocklai to develop new clones. We hope that these clones will be viable for plantation as in past there had been many instances when clones failed to live up to expectation of the industry, as a result they were discarded," said Bidyananda Barkakoty, chairman of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA).

However, few other tea industry sources have expressed skepticism as according to them, Tocklai could hardly develop any viable clone in recent memory.

"Tocklai keep on developing clones but we never get to see any viable clone that suits us," said a tea industry source.

Since the Indian tea industry is, of late, concentrating on enhancing quality to maintain its hold in the international market, Barkakoty said that tea clones of high yield would not just suffice. The clones will have to ensure quality along with yield. "In today's date, quality was more important for the tea industry than yield," Barkakoty added.

Moreover, the tea industry of Assam is also in need of a tea clone that can withstand the rough weather condition that the state has been witnessing lately. "Trends show that rainfall has been on a decline in Assam. Due to climatic changes the state now witnesses long rainless spells, thus affecting the tea industry. So, what we need now, or what we will surely need in near future, is a tea clone that is drought resistant," said Barkakoty.

A tea clone, named TV1, developed by Tocklai many years back has been the best of all the clones developed by it, and thus is still being used for commercial plantation across the state by the tea industry.

Tocklai Experimental Station is one of the largest tea experimentation and research centres in the world.

Demand for 24-hr Assamese channel

2010-06-28T01:23:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, June 28 – The Television Producers’ Guild, NE – an organization of empanelled producers of the region, today urged the government to commission the 24-hour Assamese TV channel at the earliest possible.

Ruing delay in the launch of Brahmaputra channel – a project taken up in 1997, the producers’ body said that the process must be accelerated so that the people can have a 24-hour channel, exclusively airing Assamese programmes, and the programme producers, directors, technicians and artistes also get a good opportunity to show their talent, as the slot given to them in the North East Channel is not sufficient.

“The project was announced when Sushma Swaraj was the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister. Though work is progressing on the project, the channel has not been commissioned till date. The government should take immediate steps in this regard,” said Satyabrata Kalita of the Producers’ Guild, while addressing the media today.

The general secretary of the Guild, Dipak Das said that the dilemma in the field of commissioned programme funding from the Union Government is about to get over as the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to announce the commissioned programmes within June. “Around 1,400 empanelled producers, directors and thousands of artistes, technicians and other members of the production team had to suffer a lot as commissioned programmes were not announced in 2008-09 and 2009-10,” he mentioned.

Providing more relief to the producers, the Union Government has decided that service tax of the programmes would be paid by Doordarshan, instead of the producers.

The producers’ body also demanded that the 92 vacant production posts in the 11 centres of the North East Region along with vacant posts of technicians should be filled up immediately.

Pest attack plays havoc with Assam tea crops

2010-06-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

Santanu Sanyal

Kolkata, June 24

An unprecedented pest attack has wreaked havoc with tea crops in Assam.

“The crop loss in May and June wiped out whatever growth achieved till April and the July crop too does not look promising,” Mr Aditya Khaitan, Managing Director of McLoed Russel, the world's number one producer of tea having the largest number of tea estates in Assam, told Business Line here on Thursday on his return from Assam.

Grave situation

“The situation is grave. We do not remember having seen pest attack on such a scale in recent times”.

Many tea growers, as it was pointed out, had pulled down the factory shutters due to poor crop availability. In some cases, a few gardens were pooling their crops together to keep one factory running. “It is really scary,” Mr Khaitan observed. “This is the season for second flush, the best crop, and we're terribly hit”.

combination of factors

A combination of factors is believed to have fuelled the pest attack. Incessant rain for past several weeks helped pest build-up in the gardens. The spraying to contain attack was not possible due to rains. Whatever little spraying was done was washed away. The recovery was slow because of the low soil and night temperature and inadequacy of sunlight.

Pesticides issue

There is another problem. The gardens growing tea for exports could use only a select few pesticides due to the stipulation of MRL (maximum residue limit) norms in the EU and other countries.

These “soft' pesticides were of little use in the present level of attacks.

Price impact

The damage to plantation, it is felt, will reduce supplies and push up the prices, more so because the loss suffered would not be recovered during the remainder of the season. Already, the prices at auctions are up by Rs 15-20 a kg. The cost of operation of the companies too will rise, it is felt.

Mr C.S. Bedi, Chairman of Tea Research Association, attributed the attack to a particular type of pest called, helopeltif thievora.

“In May, the infestation was mild but from the beginning of this month, it became virulent”, he said.

He could not exactly the extent of crop loss, which would be known only around July or so.

However, according to reports coming from different gardens, the production this month would be 40-50 per cent lower than that in the same period of last year, he added.

Cong refutes AGP charge on NC Hills scam

2010-06-24T20:38:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, June 25 – Reacting to the AGP’s allegation that the full report of the NIA was not handed over to the CBI, government spokesperson Himanta Biswa Sarma today repudiated the allegation and stated that the full report was laid before the House and the government will again lay the report complete with the entire set of communication between the NIA and the State government.

“The government will lay the report which it has in its possession. If Chandra Mohan Patowary has a different report, he can send a xerox copy of it to the government and the government will hand it over to the CBI,” said Sarma.

Sarma also hinted that the LoC case might be reopened and called upon former Chief Minister PK Mahanta not to interfere with the CBI inquiry of NC Hills scam by giving unnecessary statements.

“I request Mahanta to leave CBI do its work professionally,” said Himanta accusing that Mahanta was trying to communalize corruption.

It needs to be mentioned here that Mahanta had remarked in a press meet yesterday that tribal ministers were being made scapegoats in the name of CBI investigation.

“Mahanta wants to do politics with corruption,” Sarma said and demanded a public apology from Mahanta for making such a statement.

Sarma also claimed that Dispur and Congress were not involved in the NC Hills scam.

Meanwhile the State BJP has alleged that the Tarun Gogoi government was making every effort to shield the perpetrators of corruption.

The office of the Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom, the Dimasa Apex Body Central Committee, in a statement has demanded a proper mechanism to check misappropriation of funds in NC Hills district.

One dead, three injured by lightning in Assam

2010-06-24T06:23:00.001-07:00

Rangiya: One woman died on the spot and three others were seriously injured when they were hit by lightning in lower Assam's Kamrup (rural) district today.

Police said Asim Khatun died on the spot and three others were injured when lightening struck them while they were working on their paddy field at Baliguri.

The injured were admitted to the Baliguri hospital.

Assam Tea fetches record auction price

2010-06-18T21:58:00.001-07:00

JORHAT: There is good news for the Assam tea industry. The price of CTC (crush, tear cut or curl) at the Guwahati Tea auction Centre (GTAC) has fetched a record high price in recent times.

According to tea industry sources, the sale of No 24 sold on Wednesday at GTAC fetched Rs 225 a kg, which is an all-time high in the sale of CTC category in recent times.

The grade of the record sale of the CTC was BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe), which was sold to Madhuban Tea Company through the brokerage of J Thomas Company. GTAC Secretary Jayanta Kakati said the price of CTC tea reaching Rs 225 a kg "shows good quality of tea fetches good price" and is a positive sign for the industry. He added that producers should focus more on the quality as superior quality attracts better prices.

Kakati said the Halmari TE had been getting good price of its CTC as the last time high price in the same category (Rs 218 a kg), too, was fetched by the same garden at the GTAC sale early this year.

PM hopeful of peace initiatives in Assam: Gogoi

2010-06-17T22:35:00.004-07:00

New Delhi, June 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is "hopeful" of a positive outcome of the Assam government's efforts in ending the decades-old insurgency in the state, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said.

"The prime minister is very hopeful of the peace initiatives. He is hopeful of a positive outcome," Gogoi told PTI, a day after the government gave its "green signal" to the peace talks with the banned ULFA and former Intelligence Bureau chief P C Haldar agreed to act as interlocutor.

Asked to elaborate about the "green signal", he refused to divulge details saying, "I got something very good from somebody very important.

"The interlocutor will talk to them. We will also talk. Then we will move. But there will be no talks on sovereignty demand of the outfit. The talks will be held as per provisions of the Constitution8

"Sumoi Mari Gaon," nature's gift to Assam

2010-06-17T22:35:00.002-07:00

The Sumoi Mari Gaon village on Majuli Island in Assam, lies in the middle of the River Brahmaputra and is blessed with rich bio-diversity and a unique eco-system.
One of nature's amazing facets, the exotic Majuli Island is the largest among 30 other small islands in the area.
After taking a ferry-ride through a seven kilometer stretch from Kamalabari town, the main town in Majuli, one can reach Sumoi Mari Goan, which is populated primarily by the Missing Tribe.
The village has 195 households with 1258 people.
The Brahmaputra River supports a luxurious growth of water plants and fishing is the main occupation of the people.
Farming and weaving are other sources of income for villagers.
A state government scheme under the Handicraft Vikas Yojana (HVY) is providing training to 600 local weavers.
People here mainly depend on fishing, weaving and farming
"After school, we mostly spend our time in weaving, since it is our main source of livelihood. At night, I study under a lamp. My mother works as a daily wage laborer during cultivation period and my father mostly does fishing," said Anjumoni Payeng, villager, Sumoi Mari Gaon
Water is a convenient medium of transport to the village as the existing road is in bad shape.
The river, which provides sustenance, causes severe obstacles during the monsoon season,as water levels rise and embankments get eroded.
Representatives of IMPACT, an NGO actively working towards preventing regular soil erosion in the village, say they want to develop better ways and means of communication.
"We are taking some good steps to save the erosion," claimed Mitu Khataniar, a Social worker with IMPACT.
"There is rapid erosion and flooding by the river every year. All our land and homes are affected by the natural calamity. Now, we are taking shelter in the embankment in a Kaccha house. We don't want to construct Pakka house because it is risky," said Debo Kumar Kotum, villager of Sumoi Mari Gaon
Lack of proper educational institutions and healthcare facilities are some of the other problems facing the villagers.
The village still struggles to have a health centre and a high school of its own.
"There is no health centre, high school or road in my village. My children have to walk seven kilometers daily to attend classes.
In any emergency, we have to carry the patient to Kamalabari town for medical attention," said Koleshori of Sumoi Mari Gaon
The river, which winds it through scenic surroundings, also makes Majuli a potential tourist destination.
Recently during a visit, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh declared that Majuli island would soon come under the eco-sensitive zone in an effort to safeguard it.
Efforts are also on to preserve the rich culture and heritage of the island. By Vaschipem Kamodang (ANI)

Guwahati University Results 2010 declared online

2010-06-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Guwahati University Results 2010 declared online at gauhati.ac.in | gauhati university result
Gauhati university has published guwahati university results 2010. Gauhati University is located in North-Eastern India at Jalukabri district, Guahati city in Assam.

Students of Guwahati University can now check gauhati university result online at official website of gauhati university http://www.gauhati.ac.in/.

Gauhati university declared Gauhati university Results of B. A., B. Sc., and B.Com. Part 2 Examinations 2010.

To check Gauhati university results you will have to enter your Roll code and Roll no.
Gauhati university results can be checked by Name also.
Gauhati university also published Applications are invited for post of 1)Deputy Registrar, 2) Deputy Controller of Examinations, 3) Project Manager Admission Form (BBA,MBA) and Five-Year Integrated M. Com. Course PROSPECTUS 2010-2011.

Flood fury hits Jorhat district in Assam

2010-06-17T03:21:00.003-07:00

Guwahati, Jun 17 (PTI) Jorhat has become the latest district in Assam to face the flood fury with nearly one lakh people being affected in the last two days, officials said today.

Lakhimpur in Brahmaputra valley and Cachar and Karimganj in Barak valley have been already hit by floods.

In Jorhat district, Bhogdoi River breached the dyke at Maloupathar area submerging over 35 villages with 1000 families and inundating more than 1000 hectares of farm land with standing crops and vegetables, the officials said.

Several schools, five colleges, 20 temples of historical importance were also inundated forcing closure of educational institutions for the next three days.

The affected people were taking shelter on the Bar Ali `bundh' (dyke)-cum-road, they said.

SAARC Games gift for Assam

2010-06-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, June 17 : The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice-president and Assam MP Bhubaneswar Kalita today said the apex sport body would try to host the next edition of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Games, also known as the South Asia Federation (SAF) Games, in Guwahati.

This edition of SAF Games will take place in Delhi in 2012. Bhutan was supposed to host the games, but they expressed their inability and Delhi was one of the fallback options available.

Kalita today said the groundwork has been done and the subsequent edition of SAF Games could take place in Guwahati. The games were earlier held in Calcutta in 1987 and Chennai in 1995.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference for the 9th Asian Armwrestling Championship, Kalita said: “The IOA is keen on hosting a SAF Games in Guwahati. We tried to bid for the games in Sri Lanka last year itself but could not do so because of the Delhi Commonwealth Games and other constraints. The deck has now been cleared and we (the IOA) will bid for the mega event in the very next opportunity we get. We hope to host the Games within the next five years.”

“The 33rd National Games was a grand success following which Assam has come out as a prominent sporting venue in the Olympic charter map. Besides, the event has also ushered in a sporting revolution in the state. It is time we utilised our world-class infrastructure to host bigger events so that the new generation gets attracted to sports and adopt it professionally,” Kalita added.

Power bodies come under scathing attack

2010-06-14T01:03:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, June 14 – The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Assam State Electricity Board have faced scathing criticism for favouring a rise in tariff rates, at a time consumers do not enjoy “quality power supply” and Government institutions have repeatedly failed to pay their dues on time. Two civil society groups addressing media persons in the city today urged that the government entities should agree on an immediate roll back on the tariffs, described as “unjustified and bordering on criminal conduct”.

“It is astonishing that a hike such as the recent one has taken place precisely at a time that a large number of government offices and establishments have huge unpaid bills running into crores of rupees. That loss is being sought to be compensated by putting the burden on the common consumer” remarked Ajay Hazarika, chief co-ordinator of Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum.

Hazarika pointed out that even after repeated appeals, which included a petition, there has been little action to recover the dues from power users in the government sector.

He mentioned that till September 2009, 44 departments of the Assam Government in Guwahati had to pay dues of more than Rs 705,17,643 to the ASEB. More shockingly, the ASEB is owed an amount of Rs 33,37,78,134 by various departments of the State Government, according to official data of January 2010.

The speed in which the decision to hike power was taken also came in for harsh criticism. Hazarika was of the view that the increase should not have taken place at a time when the ASEB was asked to identify its weaknesses regarding revenue loss and generation.

In the joint press meet, the North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association highlighted the issue of poor quality power provided to consumers for which they were fully charged by the ASEB. President of NESSIA, Sailen Baruah lambasted the ASEB and the AERC for failing to take into account the condition of the consumer who now faces “the highest increase in tariff in recent times”.

He found it unacceptable the way the Commission was functioning at present, and went on to say that the public also should have a larger role in determining the pricing of power. He regretted that not many organizations felt it necessary to take part in the recent hearings in which only five groups attended.

Baruah also expressed concern over hearings not taking place in other parts of Assam, where the prevailing power situation was much worse than it was in the State capital.

The two organizations said that if the roll back in tariffs did not take place in the immediate future, they would approach higher authorities, and would also move the High Court to seek justice.

Law likely on mandatory medical services to the needy

2010-06-13T00:35:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that the state government was planning to enact a law making it mandatory for private sector hospitals to provide emergency services to the poor and needy.

" It is mandatory that no people are deprived of medical attention due to the lack of finances and we are considering the introduction of a Bill in this regard" , the chief minister said while inaugurating a new private hospital here.

Gogoi further claimed medical facilities in the state has improved remarkably during the last nine years of his government's rule.

"The medical colleges and hospitals have been provided with the latest facilities and as a result many patients do not have to go outside the state for treatment", he added.

4 arrested for killing Assam forest guard

2010-06-13T00:34:00.001-07:00

Nagaon, June 12 (IBNS) Four people, including a home guard, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and killing a forest guard in Assam’s Orang National Park on Saturday, officials said.

Assam Police home guard Ishahoq Ali, Mahout Tajuddin, his father and elder brother were arrested, who allegedly kidnapped forest guard Hasan Ali from Pachnoi from anti-poaching camp inside the park last night.

Orang National Park authorities said, after hearing two gun shots inside the park, a patrolling forest guard group carried out a search operation and Ali's body of Saturday morning.

"There are two bullet injuries in Ali’s stomach," said authorities.

Authorities added, killed Hassan Ali tried to stop several poaching operations and got to know about the arrested people being involved in such poaching incidents inside the park.

Meghalaya Govt slammed over fresh ‘encroachment’

2010-06-10T00:52:00.001-07:00

SHILLONG, June 9 – Meghalaya Government today came in line of Opposition NCP’s fire following reports of fresh encroachment by Assam, less than a week after the two States agreed to constitute a Chief Secretary-level panel to address the long-pending border dispute.

Citing reports that Assam was planning to set up a police outpost at the disputed Khatkasla area in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, Opposition leader Conrad Sangma said, “Assam has broken the assurance given at the meeting between the two Chief Ministers last Saturday that status quo would be maintained.”

“It is an insult to the Meghalaya Chief Minister as well as the State of Meghalaya. It appears that the CM-level meeting had no significance. The government should come clear on the minutes of the meeting to instill confidence among the people,” Conrad told the Assembly, demanding a statement from the Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said he would make a statement in the floor tomorrow.

Reports said Assam was preparing to set up a border observation post at Khatkasla, and constructing a road to connect it with Psiar, another disputed tract.

Jaintia Hills police said they visited the area yesterday to find Assam Government personnel engaging JCB machines for earth-cutting.

“The intention of the Assam officials are not yet known,” they said.

Earlier, on Saturday, the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya, during a meeting in Guwahati, had decided to constitute a Chief Secretary-level committee to resolve the vexed boundary dispute.

It was decided that the modalities would be prepared by the committee within 45 days, after which the CMs would meet again to carry forward the process.

Both the States had agreed to maintain status quo in the disputed areas and not allow any fresh settlement in these places. Any development work would be carried out by either government after intimation to the other, it was agreed upon in the meeting.

Assam hikes doctors’ pay

2010-06-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, June 9 : The Assam cabinet today decided to increase the salaries of teachers in the state’s three medical colleges, in line with the revised All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) recommendations.

As reported in The Telegraph, doctors teaching in Assam’s medical colleges were taking home salaries far below their counterparts in places such as Calcutta and New Delhi, creating a lot of resentment among them, apart from putting the government in a spot in terms of disallowing government doctors from practising in private nursing homes.

Low salaries, coupled with immense work pressure, had also led to a number of senior professors opting for VRS, which it is feared would lead to an unprecedented shortage of teaching staff in the state’s medical colleges.

The revised payscales are to be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006, while dearness allowance would be paid with effect from April 1, 2009.

The UGC and AICTE benefits declared today would also go to teaching staff of the Assam Agricultural University, the state’s Dental College in Guwahati, the state’s nursing colleges, the Ayurvedic College and the Pharmacy Institute in Dibrugarh.

Significantly, and in line with norms elsewhere, doctors in Assam’s medical colleges would from now on also be allowed to avail of a non-practising allowance, which would be 25 per cent of their basic pay, “provided they undertake not to engage themselves in private practice”.

Only those who did not opt for non-practising allowance would be allowed to undertake private practice in nursing homes beyond duty hours.

“Today’s decision is indeed a very good one,” said Dr N.N. Ganguly, general secretary of Gauhati Medical College Teachers’ Association, “and it will go a long way in motivating the faculty members of our medical colleges to provide dedicated service to their patients”.

There had been no revision of payscales for such doctors since 1999, Ganguly said. “This had led to a lot of frustration among our senior doctors forcing them to seek voluntary retirement and undertake private practice.” Dr M.M. Deka, principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital added: “The new pay packages will create a lot of enthusiasm among the younger doctors as they will now take home far better pay than what they have received so far.”

Ganguly said while the government had not committed anything on the doctors’ other demands, including overtime hours, academic and holiday allowances, they had learnt that it had constituted a high-powered committee headed by the state chief secretary to consider these issues “in due course of time”.

Howrah NGO treats mentally ill Assamese woman

2010-06-03T22:24:00.001-07:00

DIBRUGARH, June 4 – It was an emotional and joyous moment for Anjali Das (35) to get united with her in-laws after a gap of two years. Anjali, wife of Arup Das of Bokel village under Lahoal PS, had lost her mental balance two years back and since then had gone missing. Although her husband now resides elsewhere with another woman, Anjali, now healed, was welcomed by her in-laws with joyful tears, thanks to the charitable act of the Howrah-based Interreligious Centre of Development (ICOD).

Villagers of Bokel flocked to the household as she was brought to her in-laws house after two years by a team of ICOD volunteers on Tuesday evening. Faces of people surrounding her radiated aura of joy and excitement. Sushil Das, father-in-law of the woman, said, “I do not know how to thank God for the wonder He has worked for us.” The family members welcomed her after signing a written statement of acceptance and handed over the same to the members of ICOD in front of the crowd. As learnt from the family members, Arup Das now lives with another wife in Tinsukia.

ICOD members located Anjali’s house through the Internet, Bro. Marcus Toppo, a social worker of ICOD, told this newspaper. Anjali reportedly gave her home address after she recovered from her mental problem. ICOD staff took nearly a month as the names Bokel and Thengal Gaon, she mentioned, did not appear in the Internet. Her home was tracked only when she mentioned about Don Bosco School when asked about nearby vital establishments like schools, colleges and industries. The ICOD staff after finding Don Bosco School in the Internet got in touch with the school authorities here and with their help found her house.

The woman who was mentally ill was found loitering in the streets of Kolkata in West Bengal by members of a local club. Vivekananda Smriti Sangha, who then handed her over to members of ICOD for psychiatric treatment. The handing over to the psychiatric centre of ICOD took place on November 3, 2009. ICOD is a voluntary organisation for destitutes and intereligious harmony. Anjali underwent medical treatment free of cost. ICOD incurred nearly Rs 5 lakh for the care and treatment of the Assamese woman, according to Kajal Maity, in charge of the psychiatric centre, ICOD. Kajal along with others brought Anjali to her house.

Election commissioner rules out early poll in Assam

2010-06-02T06:43:00.001-07:00

The Election Commission Wednesday ruled out early polls in Assam, but said the issue of illegal Bangladeshi nationals getting themselves enrolled on the voters' lists was a matter of serious concern.

'There is no likelihood of early elections in Assam and such a possibility is nowhere in the horizon,' Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi told journalists.

Quraishi and V.S. Sampath, another Election Commissioner, are in Guwahati on a two-day visit to take part in a meeting of electoral officers of the eight northeastern states Thursday. Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla will join the meeting Thursday.

Quraishi, however, expressed concern over apprehensions by various pressure groups and political parties about illegal Bangladeshi nationals getting their names listed in the electoral rolls.

'We are taking it seriously and would surely discuss in the meeting,' Quraishi said.

The issue of foreign nationals, especially illegal Bangladeshi migrants, has always been a major political issue in Assam with parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and student groups like the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) claiming that the voters' lists were not free of names of illegal migrants.

The opposition parties have always accused the Congress party of patronizing illegal Bangladeshis for vote bank politics.

The top election officials would hold detailed discussions on issuing photo identity cards and working out logistics for next year's polls.

'We would review the entire process and look at the preparedness for the elections. The poll mode begins a year in advance and hence our visit to Assam,' Quraishi said.

No end in sight for Assam's boundary woes

2010-05-28T04:15:00.001-07:00

The recent trouble at Lampi (Langpih, according to Meghalaya) leading to the death of two persons when the police opened fire, has once again brought to the fore Assam's never-ending disputes over its boundaries with the neighbouring states, more particularly Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Lampi, about 50 km from Guwahati, has been in the news for the past couple of years with both Assam and Meghalaya laying claim on it — an issue that has only made the relationship between the two states more difficult over the inter-state borders. Two years ago, when Lampi had first shot into prominence, Meghalaya rushed to the Centre accusing Assam of illegal occupation of its territory.

Assam has a total boundary of 2885.3 km, of which 163 km and 265 km are international boundaries, the rest being inter-state. While it does not have much problem with Tripura, West Bengal and Bhutan, the remaining portions have been a major headache, including about 500 hectares of its territory that has been under illegal occupation of Bangladesh.

While Assam's inter-state boundary problems date back to 1963 when the Centre created Nagaland out of the then Naga Hills district, controversies with Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram was triggered off by the Northeastern Areas Reorganisation Act, 1971.

In 1972, two hill districts — United Khasi & Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills — together became Meghalaya, while the erstwhile Lushai Hills district was upgraded to a Union territory (later, a state in 1986). The former North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), administered by the Governor of Assam, on the other hand, was made a Union territory and renamed Arunachal Pradesh.

These disputes have in the past led to major flare-ups, especially on the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the worst being that of June 4, 1985, when the police forces of both states were engaged in a war-like confrontation. It led to the death of at least 100 persons.

While several committees and commissions have been set up by the Centre to resolve the disputes, nothing significant seems to have occurred in the past 30 years. One such panel set up by the Supreme Court is headed by retired Justice S N Variava, which is looking into Assam's boundary problems with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It has not progressed much, with tensions along the border becoming almost a routine affair.

"We have been looking at the panels set up by the Supreme Court to resolve the issues amicably. There have been numerous instances of deliberate attempts to encroach upon Assam's territory by Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Nagaland is the biggest problem, especially because that state does not want to abide by the constitutionally demarcated boundary," says Gautam Roy, Assam Minister for Border Areas Development.

Roy had only recently informed the state Assembly that over 86,800 hectares of land belonging to Assam have been under encroachment and illegal occupation of the four neighbouring states. Among them, Nagaland alone has been illegally occupying 66,242 hectares of land, he said.

While most of the "encroachments" have taken place in the reserved forests on the inter-state boundaries, it is only when such encroachments affect villages that the issue flares up. At Merapani and other areas on the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the Centre has deployed paramilitary forces. On the Arunachal Pradesh front, there's been complaints that the other state has constructed police check gates well within Assam's territory.

Assam shares 263 km of international boundary with Bangladesh and 265 km with Bhutan. Nearly 500 acres of Assam land has been under occupation of Bangladesh and the issue has been taken up at diplomatic levels.

Dalim Gohain of Assam transforms life of his village

2010-05-28T04:14:00.001-07:00

By Vashipem Kamodang

Bokdung Bharalua (Assam), May 27 (ANI): Dalim Gohain’s efforts to improve the lives of his fellow villagers have significantly contributed to the development of Bokdung Bharalua village of Assam,around nine kilometres from Chabua Town.

The village has a population of 280 households with 2,500 people. Most of the residents earn their livelihood by farming. A handful of them have joined Government service.

There was a time when these villagers had to send off their children away for studies, as there wasn’t any educational unit here. Dalim, who himself had to study outside his village, always felt the need for schools in the village.

It made him set up the ‘Bharuwa Primary School” in the village.

“There was no high school during my time. I completed my schooling from Dibrugarh. Then I joined the school as a teacher.

After my retirement, I wanted to open a school in my own village because at that time there was no school there,” said Dalim Gohain, the social activist.

“Due to the school in village, students have no problem to gain knowledge or educate themselves. Road connectivity is also improving. Thanks to Dalim, improvements are taking place in the village,” said Sangeeta Das, a teacher.

However, today, Dalim Gohain is bed-ridden and lives with his wife and six children. He enjoys reading and has preserved thousands of manuscripts written in Assamese.

He has been a passionate follower of Mahatma Gandhi and sometimes fondly remembers his meeting with Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

“The work and life of Mahatma Gandhi inspired me a lot. I greatly admired his teachings and Radhakhrishnan’s work to bring about a change. Yes, I still remember my meeting with Jawahar Lal Nehru, who had come to take stock of erosion caused by Brahmaputra,” said Dalim Gohain, the social activist.

The elderly Dalim is hopeful that there will be more changes in his village.

“There is a lot more to be done and I am sure some day my village will be fully developed. I hope our sacrifice and dedication for the development of the village will inspire the younger generation. I hope someone will follow in my footsteps and bring prosperity and happiness to this village,” said Dalim.

“This village has improved and the villagers are leading a better life because of his efforts. Because of him (Dalim) our village now has two schools and one sub-health center,” said Lambodar Gogoi, a village elder.

Dalim’s endeavours to improve the conditions of his village have earned him praise from all villagers. He has set a wonderful example for other villagers to emulate. (ANI)

Assam Govt misused public money: AGP

2010-05-24T22:06:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, May 25 – The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today said that the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, virtually turned the official function to mark the completion of four years of his Ministry into an election rally of the Congress. The regional party also said that the Government spent huge amounts of public money only for the benefit of the ruling party, which is unethical.

Talking to mediapersons today, AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary said that the Chief Minister should have announced the Government’s plans to deal with the burning problems of the State in the rally to mark the completion of four years of the Government, but instead of doing so, he concentrated more on launching an attack on the Opposition.

Patowary said that instead of concentrating on criticizing the Opposition, the Chief Minister should have announced how the Government proposed to solve the problems of insurgency, floods, etc., and as to why only two per cent of the job card holders got 100 days’ work under the NREGA. He said that the Congress not only failed to fulfil the promises made in the election manifesto but also failed to implement the promises made in successive budgets. The implementation of the Central sector schemes were affected only because of the failure of the State Government to provide the matching grant.

The AGP president said that most of the major Central projects for the North-east came only when non-Congress Governments were in power in Delhi. He pointed out that the major projects like the East West Corridor project and PMGSY were started during the time of Atal Behari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister of the country. He said that the funding pattern to Assam to 90 per cent grant was made during the time of VP Singh as the Prime Minister and a special Rs 6,100 crore package came during the tenure of Deve Gowda as the Prime Minister. These proved that the North-east and Assam were benefited only during the tenures of non-Congress Governments at the Centre.

Patowary said that the Congress wanted to keep the problem of militancy alive for its own political gains and everyone knows how the party came to power in 2001. Reacting to Gogoi’s allegation that Patowary had failed as Agriculture Minister of State, he said that at that time, the State produced surplus rice and the contribution of agriculture to GSDP was 33.76 per cent compared to 21.60 per cent now.

Traders vent ire on Gogoi

2010-05-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Jab at ‘blackmarketeers’ draws flak

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi during the function on Sunday.

Guwahati, May 25 : Assam’s business community has taken strong exception to chief minister Tarun Gogoi casting aspersions on it by asserting that the ruling Congress can do without the votes of “blackmarketeers” of Fancy Bazar, the state capital’s business hub.

Gogoi made the comment yesterday at an official function to mark four years of his government at Dispur.

The business community, along with the Opposition AGP and BJP, were the targets of his sweeping statements at the function, which virtually saw the Congress-BPF combine launch its 2011 Assembly poll campaign.

Gogoi, while admitting the presence of “blackmarketeers”, however, did not spell out any action to eradicate the menace of blackmarketeering, which pushes up prices and causes immense harm to the poor, the section that the chief minister assiduously wooed in his speech.

The Assam Chamber of Commerce (ACC), a body of around 15,000 businessmen spread across the state, returned Gogoi’s salvo in equal measure and will submit a memorandum to the chief minister on the matter.

“The remarks were unfortunate, coming as it did from the chief minister. If there are any blackmarketeers, it cannot be without the help of politicians and bureaucrats. What is the government doing to bust this nexus? If anything, the comment only reflects the failure of Dispur,” Vijay Kumar Gupta, ACC’s city-based convenor, said.

The chamber also failed to understand how Gogoi or the Congress could know for whom the traders voted in the elections. “We have a hunch that the chief minister’s comment is some kind of a threat to businessman to side with the ruling party in the next elections. Voting is a secret exercise,” Gupta added.

The AGP this evening also paid back Gogoi in his own coin with party president Chandra Mohan Patowary asking what steps Dispur was taking to check blackmarketeers. “In our first term, we had taken tough action against several Fancy Bazar traders. Can the Gogoi government claim to have taken such a step? Whether Gogoi is a friend of Fancy Bazar or the poor is clear from the unprecedented price rise witnessed in the state!” Patowary asked.

“Gogoi says there is no difference between Ulfa and AGP. I just want to ask one thing: whose help did Gogoi take to win the 2001 elections? Who danced Bihu with Paresh Barua’s mother in Jeraigaon?” he asked.

Former Union minister and BJP national vice-president Bijoya Chakraborty also lashed out at Gogoi terming him as a “king of all liars” and an “arrogant dictator like (Adolf) Hitler.”

On the chief minister alleging that the AASU was a product of the RSS, Chakraborty said in that case, Gogoi would himself be a product of RSS, “because he happened to be an active member of the Assam Chatra Sanmilani — the mother body of the students’ union”.

Small hydro plants planned for Assam, India

2010-05-24T22:04:00.001-07:00

24 May 2010 State owned power company Assam Power Project Development Corporation has signed agreements with Brahmaputra Infrapower and Agnipa Energo for the development of two small hydro power plants to be commissioned in April 2012, local media has reported.According to reports, both projects are irrigation canal based schemes. The agreements will see Brahmaputra Infrapower help develop the 5MW Bordikorai project in Sontipur district, while Agnipa Energo will start work on the 2MW Pohumara project in Baksa, in the Indian state of Assam.
The Government of Assam is currently looking at further small hydro sites to help meet power deficits in the state.

Assam Govt. arms forest officials for anti-poaching drive

2010-05-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Guwahati, May 22 (ANI): As part of its anti-poachig drive, the Assam Government has decided to equip the forest officials with arms.

State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain distributed twenty-five 7.5 mm revolver and 303 Rifles to forest officials here on Thursday.

The step has been undertaken to strengthen the forest department.

"We have begun to give our forest range officers arms. We will be providing it first to the National Park, wildlife sanctuaries and later to the territorial officers and social forestry," said Hussain.

Hussain added that the infrastructure of forest guards and officials would be upgraded by giving them training in forest schools.

The government has also provided five motorbikes to forest guards and promised that more such upgradation will take place in the forest department.

The minister, however, has warned that no one, including the forest officials, will be spared if found involved in poaching or felling of trees.

Poaching and loss of habitat have caused the number of tigers and other endangered animals to plunge by an alarming degree in the country. (ANI)

Tarun Gogoi now looking for a hat-trick

2010-05-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, May 22 – With nine successive years in office and one year left in his present term, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is now aiming for a political hat-trick by harping on the twin mantra of peace and development.

‘It is due to the people’s support and confidence on us (Congress government) that we are in power for nine years now and aiming to repeat the same success story in 2011 assembly elections,’ a jubilant chief minister told IANS.

‘The general perception that there cannot be any development without peace was negated as we managed to accelerate the pace of development Assam while working towards achieving permanent peace in the state,’ he added.

A massive function is being organised in Guwahati Sunday to mark the fourth anniversary of the present term of the Congress-led Tarun Gogoi government. He took oath as chief minister May 14, 2006.

‘The mindset of the people of Assam has changed and everybody is now acknowledging the strides made in key sectors like infrastructure development, education, health, agriculture besides drastic improvement in the law and order front as well,’ the chief minister said.

The Congress swept successive polls, beginning with the 2001 assembly polls, by drubbing the main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

The victory juggernaut continued with the ruling party winning the 2006 state polls, local panchayat elections besides faring well in the 2004 and 2009 parliamentary polls.

The success of the Congress is largely attributed to the follies of the opposition. A fractured opposition actually helped the ruling party to win successive polls.

‘A weak opposition in Assam actually helped the Congress in many ways since 2001,’ said Haider Hussain, editor of the Assamese daily Asomiya Pratidin.

Such has been the dominance of the Congress that even the opposition admits that development works did take place in the past nine years of Gogoi’s leadership.

‘Out of 10 marks, I would give six marks in development works during the Congress government,’ said Mission Ranjan Das, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member in the state assembly.

Assam Industry and Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said he gave seven marks to the government in the development sector.

‘Am I not objective enough to give seven marks out of 10 in terms of development while my colleague from the BJP gave six marks,’ a beaming Bordoloi said, trying to vindicate claims by the chief minister that Assam saw an overall improvement in the development sector.

The law and order situation has by and large improved with all the major rebel groups lying low in recent years, barring the deadly Oct 30, 2008, serial explosions in the state that killed about 100 people.

‘There was a time when people were scared to move in the streets after dusk. Today you find people moving around freely even after midnight,’ the chief minister said.

A number of shopping malls have sprung up in recent years, multiplexes in Guwahati run to full houses, while hotels and restaurants have mushroomed across Assam.

‘These are indicators to an improved law and order situation,’ Gogoi said.

The opposition parties, however, dismissed his claims.

‘The performance of the government is a big zero. Corruption was at its peak during the past nine years,’ said AGP leader Atul Bora.

‘It is a shame to find the opposition saying that there is no development in the state, while the people of Assam had reposed faith on us in successive elections,’ the chief minister said.

But the biggest challenge before the government still remains the insurgency issue, besides boosting the economy.

‘I know and admit that we have miles to go. There are problems on the insurgency front and the economy as well. I admit these are real challenges,’ Gogoi said candidly.

2 hydro power pacts signed

2010-05-19T01:33:00.001-07:00

GUWAHATI, May 19 – The Assam Power Projects Development Company Pvt Ltd (APPDCL), a joint venture company on Tuesday signed two small hydro power implementation agreements with two companies. The projects are to be implemented under the public private partnership (PPP) mode and commissioned by April 2012.

Pahumara small hydro power project of 2 MW will be implemented by Agnipa Energo Pvt Ltd in Baksa district and Bordikorai small hydro power project of 5 MW will be implemented by Brahmaputra Infrapower Pvt Ltd in Sonitpur district. Both the projects are irrigation canal-based power projects.

In view of the large power deficit, the Government of Assam is concentrating on improving its own generation capability with the thrust on developing small hydro power projects all over the State. Minister of Power and Industries Pradyut Bordoloi while asserting that the Government was committed to changing the power generation and supply scenario in the State, said that small hydro power projects would contribute in a big way to meet the deficit.

At present, the peak demand for power in the State is estimated at 1000 MW for which there is a substantial shortfall. The projected demand for power is expected to be 1600 MW by 2011-2012 and 2700 MW by 2014-2015. By the year 2019-2020, the demand is expected to go up to 3423 MW.

“As such, the Government of Assam is giving maximum thrust to improving its own generation capability to cater to the large power deficit,” said Bordoloi mentioning that small hydro power projects were feasible in Assam and such projects would not create social issues like displacement and rehabilitation.

Bordoloi said that the government was encouraging private investment in the power sector as it was not possible for the State to generate many projects on its own. He said in the last five years, there was a steady private investment in the power sector and the government was hopeful of more investment.

It needs to be mentioned here that the Champamati power project of 4 MW capacity in the district of Chirang implemented under the PPP mode is likely to be commissioned by July 2010. The APPDCL is taking up many such projects like Kalanga I and II of 8 MW in Karbi Anglong, Desang of 9 MW in Dibrugarh, and others.

Bordoloi said that a cluster of small projects would be implemented in the next four years which would amount to more than 250 MW.

Poor show by Assam State police worries Centre

2010-05-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

GUWAHATI, May 19 – Though the level of violence in Assam has come down in recent months, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is concerned at the failure of the Assam Police to take even the cases relating to heinous crimes to logical conclusions. Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram is likely to review the security scene in Assam personally within a month.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the records prepared by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on the crime records in the country exposed the utter failure of the Assam Police to take the cases to logical conclusions, which has become a matter of serious concern for the MHA.

Sources revealed that the Assam Police was able to file chargesheets of only 38 per cent of the cases of heinous crimes against the national average of 86 per cent. On the other hand, of the chargesheeted cases, only 16 per cent of the accused were convicted in Assam compared to the national average of 42 per cent. Some of the states managed to submit chargesheets of around 98 per cent of the cases and the national average was brought down by states like Assam. The figures are only of heinous crimes and if all the crimes are taken into consideration, the position may turn out to be worse.

Sources pointed out that the records prepared by the NCRB clearly indicated that the Assam Police was not able to take the cases to the logical conclusions and exposed the failure of the force to expedite the process of investigations. The low rate of convictions also proved that there was something wrong in the process of investigations, sources added. The Assam Police has not even been able to file the chargesheets of major cases like the blast in Dhemaji on Independence Day in 2004, while, the cases relating to serial blasts on October 30, 2008 were chargesheeted within months because the cases were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sources said that the MHA was concerned over the failure of the Assam Police to take the cases to the logical conclusions as there was possibility of the people losing faith on the law and order machinery if such a situation continued, which would pose dangerous consequences. The MHA has already taken up the issue with the Assam Government and Chidambaram is likely to review the security scene in the state shortly to ensure more accountability on the part of the law-and-order machinery.

Sources said that the Union Home Minister is planning a visit to Assam by the end of this month to review the situation. It will be part of his efforts to assess the ground situation in NE as only recently he had visited Arunachal Pradesh following reports of NSCN cadres creating trouble in Tirap and Changlang districts. He is also planning to visit Mizoram to discuss the issue of the problems of the Bru refugees, sources added.

Border clashes: Assam, Meghalaya agree on independent probe

2010-05-15T09:28:00.003-07:00

A high-level ministerial team of Assam and Meghalaya on Saturday agreed for an independent inquiry to defuse tension in the border village of Langpih where four persons have been killed and 26 injured in group clashes and subsequent police firing.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that the chief secretaries of both the states would meet in a day or two to work out modalities of the inquiry and suitable action will be taking accordingly.

Sarma, accompanied by Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman, reviewed the prevailing situation with a visiting Meghalaya delegation led by Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh.

Both sides agreed that all measures would be taken to ensure that the situation does not occur along the boundary with both Assam and Meghalaya deploying additional security forces on either side.

Kamrup (Rural) Deputy Commissioner S K Roy said four persons died and 26 others were injured in the group clash between two communities and subsequent police firing on Friday.

The police claimed that only two bodies had been recovered on Friday though unconfirmed reports had put the toll at six.

Roy said the situation has been brought under control though tension prevailed. Strict vigil was being maintained.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up in Meghalaya, particularly in capital Shillong, with deployment of additional forces.

"Last evening itself I had issued an order directing the posting of adequate forces in Langpih area. There is an urgent need to restore confidence and instill a sense of security among our own people," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters.

He said "more concrete steps" would be taken to assuage the fear in the minds of the people of the area.

"The immediate requirement is to restore normalcy in the area. If Assam Police can be present there, why shouldn't our men also be there," he said.

"Our forces' presence in the area will greatly help the people get over the prevailing feeling of fear and uncertainty," he said.

Sangma iterated that the government would adopt strong measures to ensure that "such incidents are not repeated in future".

He also emphasised the need for concerted efforts by the governments of Meghalaya and Assam to put an end to the long pending boundary issues.

"These are matters of great concern for both the states and unless serious commitment is displayed solving such vexed issues will remain remote," he said.

State Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh and DC and SP of West Khasi Hills were touring the disturbed area.

80 kgs of ganja seized, four arrested in Assam

2010-05-15T09:28:00.001-07:00

Rangiya (Assam), May 15 (PTI) Four persons, including two women, were today arrested after more than 80 kgs of ganja was recovered in their possession in Kamrup (Rural) district here, the police said.

A joint team of police and army, during a routine check of buses on National Highway 31 here, found the contraband in ten gift-wrapped packets in two suitcases.

During interrogations, the accused said they were going to deliver the ganja at Pathshala in Barpeta district and Silguri in neighbouring West Bengal.

Assam farmer provides a home to over 12,000 egrets

2010-05-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dirong Kothalguri (Assam), May 15 (ANI): Kameshwar Rabha, a farmer in the Dirong Kothalguri Goalpara region of Assam, has proved himself to be a worthy ornithologist.

He has endeavoured to provide an apt natural home to nearly 12,000 birds, mostly egrets and thus lend a fillip to conservation of these rare winged beauties.

'Bogoli' (egret) is a bird that is widely found in Assam, and this bird is like the cuckoo, which has found its place in the heart of Assamese poets and writers.

Rabha has been emotionally attached to the egret birds and he has dedicated to conserve them at all costs.

In turn, his endeavour has lured scores of tourists and other wildlife lovers to come over the village to watch the hundreds of flying and chirping egrets.

"It's a unique experience. Inspite of not having any environmental campaign or any educative policies here, I have seen the people are very much interested in conserving nature and especially these egrets, which I have seen today. It is really marvellous," said Utpala Goswami, a visitor.

No wonder, the bird watchers visiting this village are all praise for the efforts of this simple farmer-cum-ornithologist.

"I have been here since last 15 years and now I am trying to preserve these birds because I love them very much. And all of us are aware that that these egrets have been a part and partial of our songs meant for the young hearts. So it's our duty to preserve this bird and thus I am thinking that even at cost of the bamboos, which give me earning. I will not chop these bamboos to sell and make money since they provide a home for these birds," said Rabha.

Rabha wants these egret birds should exist forever as such he has resolved to dedicate his time, labour and resources for their conservation. (ANI)

High level Assam govt team to visit Langpih

2010-05-15T09:15:00.001-07:00

A high-level team of the Assam government will today visit disputed Lagpih village on Assam-Meghalaya border where two persons were killed in police firing following clash between two communities, official sources said here.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, currently in the USA, has directed Health and Revenue Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bhumidhar Barman, Chief Secretary N K Das, Principal Secretary (Home) S C Das and Director General of Police Sankar Barua to make an on the spot assesssment, the sources said.

The situation in the village, where two persons were killed and over 20 injured in an armed clash between two communities ata weekly market and subsequent police firing, is under control with additional police force deployed there, Kamrup(Rural) superintendent of police P S Mahanta said.

Both Assam and Meghalaya stake claim to the village which is on the border of Kamrup and West Khasi Hills districts of the two states respectively.

A joint committee had been earlier formed Sarma and Meghalaya Minister Prestone Tyngsong at its head to resolve the dispute.

Maharashtra officer 'kidnapped' in Arunachal untraced

2010-05-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

Mumbai : There has been no trace of high-ranking Maharashtra forest officer Vijay S. Bardekar who was allegedly kidnapped by suspected Bodo militants in Arunachal Pradesh, where he was on a vacation, a minister said here Saturday.
"Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is in regular touch with his counterparts in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. So far we have no information on the whereabouts of the missing officer," Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam said.
He said efforts are being made by the state governments and security agencies of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to track down Bardekar, who was allegedly kidnapped Thursday night.
Bardekar, in his early 50s, is an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the 1984 batch and is currently posted as joint director (administration) in the social forestry directorate in Pune.
His aged father, Sudhakar Bardekar, told mediapersons in Pune that his family was "extremely concerned" about Bardekar, but was hopeful that the security forces would succeed in tracing him and getting him released from his abductors.
According to reports reaching here Friday, Bardekar was reportedly kidnapped from Daimara village in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh late Thursday when he was preparing to spend the night there.
Two locals accompanying him were brutally assaulted by the suspected militants who abducted Bardekar. The suspected kidnapping was carried out by around a dozen militants belonging to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which also refers to itself as the Bodo Security Force, the reports said.
"He (Bardekar) was on leave to pursue his hobby of observing butterflies, which abound in that region," an official told IANS.
It is suspected that Bardekar may not have been discreet enough about his identity as required for any government officers travelling in troubled or border areas. The official said Bardekar may not have exercised precautions like avoiding use of mobiles and identifying himself openly in public which could have alerted the alleged kidnappers.
On a fortnight’s leave, Bardekar was expected to resume his duties in Pune from May 24.

Assam truckers block checkgate in protest

2010-05-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Trucks being off-loaded at Chagolia inter-state checkgate in Dhubri

Dhubri, May 14: The Chagolia Truck Owners’ Association today blocked the Chagolia inter-state checkgate of Dhubri district for 12 hours today in protest against the offloading of goods from overloaded trucks.

Other truckers’ associations of the state supported them. Nearly 2,000 trucks were stranded on both sides of the checkgate, causing traffic congestion and deep resentment among the transporters who do not come under the purview of the Supreme Court’s directives.

The Supreme Court had issued a directive stating that plying of overloaded vehicles would not be allowed and excess load will be unloaded instantly if detected. The responsibility and cost of unloading of excess goods would lie with the owner of vehicle, it stated.

The president of the trucker’s association, Samad Ali, said they had no objection to implementing the directives of the Supreme Court. However, the infrastructure should first have been constructed.

“The truckers who are coming from other states do not know the imposition of this prohibition by the Supreme Court and were caught unawares,” Ali said.

The president of the Dhubri-Golokganj Truck Owners’ Association, Badsah Khan, alleged that the district transport office should have informed them before implementing the directives.

“But they started offloading the overloaded trucks without giving us any information,” Khan alleged. He said the department was only offloading goods of private parties while they were allowing the trucks carrying government supply goods.

In other states of the country, the authorities only impose a fine and let the trucks go, Khan said.

Dhubri district transport officer Goutam Das said complying with the directives of the Supreme Court against the truckers carrying extra loads, they had started offloading the goods from the trucks since May 8.

“Prior to the implementation of the directives, we distributed leaflets and served notices for a week from May 1 to 7 and then started the offloading ,” Das said.

He said six-wheel trucks carrying more than 10 tonnes and 10-wheel trucks carrying more than 25 tonnes have been categorised for offloading and were also being penalised.

Assam to invest Rs 300 Cr on IT infrastructure

2010-05-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

Assamsetting up a state data centre and a state government portal this year
Guwahati: Assam is gearing up to make big leap in IT industry and attract country’s top BPO firms and call centres to the state by improving IT infrastructure and strengthening Internet connectivity.
As a first move the government is setting up a State Data Centre in Guwahati which would serve as a centre of IT and communication networks in the state.
This comes at a time when the Assam government recently constituted an investment advisory committee comprising of country’s top business tycoons including Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, Bharti Chairman Sunil Bharati Mittal and others to pep up business and investment activities.
An official of the state Science and Technology Department said, “As the government is making all effort to woo investors in the state, improving Internet connectivity and other latest communication networks is a must. Assam has sizeable number of talented young people who are suitable for the BPO and call center jobs. Hundreds are already working in country’s top call centres. If we can set up call centres here, we can generate employment and thereby improve our economy.”
The official said that state government was gearing up to computerise all administrative activities and reduce paper works in government departments by strengthening Internet connectivity across the state.
Gogoi, who is on a mission to project the state as a destination of business activity while laying the foundation of the State Data Centre said that the centre being set up with the expenditure of Rs. 61 crore would gradually help plug the communication gaps.
The construction of the data centre being set up inside the state secretariat would cost Rs 12.13 crore, while another Rs 49.4 crore would be pumped in for the IT infrastructure of the centre.
“The state-of-the-art data centre being set up would strengthen our Internet connectivity and services. This would not only benefit government and common people but would also attract BPO and call centre companies to the state,” the official said.
The State Information Technology Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said the government would soon build a state portal. Once the portal is set up, government departments would be able to download gazette notification and transfer orders online and the process would be hassle free. He said the government would spend Rs 250 crore for the portal and it would be ready by December this year.
Sarma said the bandwidth process would be changed into optical fibre mode from electronic cables.

Assam tea estate goes organic

2010-05-06T09:16:00.001-07:00

Visitors creation their approach along the murky lane heading to the Gossainbarie tea estate in India’s north-eastern Assam state will be greeted by outrageous mounds of cow dung, rotting H2O hyacinth, as well as and fish and beef waste.
But this is no means for warning – the tea-estate has left organic and is following the beliefs of India’s very old plant disinfectant Vriksh Ayurveda.
"This is the fertilizer since we do not have make have make use of of of of any containing alkali ones in the gardens," says Gossainbarie’s owners Binod Saharia.
He has enlisted the assistance of a hermit-like whiskered figure – former government expert Swami Valmiki Iyengara.
Mr Iyengara says he has complicated Vriksh Ayurveda, a complement of normal medicine, and grown a judgment of organic tillage which is both tolerable and profitable.
"All pollutants have been utilitarian wastes and we can modify most of them in to organic manure," he says.
"The very old Indian plant disinfectant sum processes for formulating organic fertilizer from probably anything.
"Much as poisons similar to mercury have been used in normal Indian medicine, pollutants widely separated with alternative materials furnish the most appropriate fertiliser," he adds.

Water hyacinth, cow dung and cow urine have prolonged been used as manure.
But Mr Iyengara has additionally grown organic fertilizer from fish waste, "charasuda" (butcher residence waste), "indsafari" (small fish) and the "bhasmas" (made from spices and metals).
"We have sufficient organic fertilisers for a couple of planting seasons," he says.
Mr Iyengara and Mr Saharia contend they have roughly polished the have make have use of of of of organic farming.
They hold this could purify up India’s – and Assam’s – farming environment, which has been soiled by high have make have make use of of of of of insecticides, harassment repellent and rarely poisonous containing alkali fertilisers.
Environmentalists disagree these have been perspicacious the food sequence and melancholy the health of millions.
‘Ailing estate’ rescued
Going organic can additionally progress the marketplace cost of Indian tea and open up brand new niche markets.
These have been factors which can assistance the country’s tea attention strike the high prolongation costs caused by taking flight salary and costly containing alkali fertilisers.
When Mr Saharia took over the bum Gossainbarie tea estate from Assamese planter Mohammed Arfanulla early final year, the 140-year-old tea estate was watchful for someone to spin it around.

The estate’s annual outlay had plummeted from the rise 900,000 kg of immature leaves to 355,000 kg a year.
One year on and things have been seeking up – the estate is staid to furnish 600,000 kg.
Mr Saharia says he right away wants alternative Indian tea planters to adopt his technology.
"We have no traffic secrets. We wish the sum of Indian tea attention to go organic all the way.
"In most estates, quiescent managers customarily have make have make use of of of of containing alkali fertilisers even after the dirt has left dead. We wish them to be creative."
‘Unique experience’
Inderjit Singh Oberoi, a late soldier-turned-manager, has worked for estates most bigger than Gossainbarie, but he assimilated up 6 months ago to benefit experience.
"The judgment being attempted out here is singular and I wish to be partial of it," he says. "This could save Indian tea and get it niche buyers."
India’s tea attention is impeded with taking flight costs of prolongation and descending prices.

Rampant have make have make use of of of of of containing alkali fertilisers and pollution have denied Indian tea entrance to health unwavering European markets.
India constructed 981m kg of tea in 2009 – roughly a entertain of the world’s sum tea output. Nearly 200m kg were exported.
Half of India’s tea outlay – scarcely 450m kg – comes from Assam’s 800-odd tea estates.
Mr Saharia and Mr Iyengara contend they inspire labourers at the estate to keep cows and pick up waste.
That way, they have been never short of tender element for organic fertilizer and additionally "it is an income addition for the bad labourers".
Some Indian tea planters, such as Swaraj Banerji of the important Makaibari tea estate, in the Darjeeling Hills of West Bengal state, incited organic prolonged ago.
The Makaibari estate pioneered the have make have use of of of of motivating tea jack-of-all-trades family groups to keep cows and supply the dung and urine to the estate.
"But we have shown the approach for all tea planters to go organic on a tolerable basement since we can rise organic fertilisers from probably all kinds of locally accessible material," Mr Saharia says.
‘Reservations’
Mr Iyengara has additionally used his believe of complicated government to rise a complement by which fewer labourers have been indispensable to request the organic manure, over a wider area and in reduction time.
"Labour costs have been the greatest beyond in Indian tea prolongation and they have the teas reduction rival in tellurian markets," he says.
"But we have found a approach to cut down hugely on work costs by saving up on fertilizer focus time."
Mr Oberoi says he had "reservations" about the organic tea civilised world until he assimilated Gossainbarie.
"Now I know which the very old plant disinfectant and the complicated government concepts can work magic," he says.
This essay is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not obliged for the calm of outmost internet sites.

The Assam Express

2010-05-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

By Namya Sinha

Delhi is a melting pot of cultures. People from different states have migrated to the city giving it a distinct culture. In a new series beginning today, HT City gets you into the life of some of these communities. We start with the people from Assam in the North East.

The crowd
Delhi University has a large number of students from Assam. North Campus is the place where most Assamese students choose to stay in PG accommodations. Munirka, Malviya Nagar and South Extension in South Delhi are other areas where you find many Assamese youngsters living in PGs and in rented apartments.

“I’ve been living in Delhi for 11 years. When I miss home I go to Dilli Haat to have food. The other option is Assam House in Chanakyapuri,” says advertising professional Mitali Gohain. “On special occasions, we have community get-togethers at such places. We also hang out at the houses of other Assamese friends. There, we cook our own dishes such as hahor mankho (duck meat with pumpkin) and masor tenga (fish curry).”

The dining table
Not many Delhi restaurants serve authentic Assamese food. But no worry. The city’s Assamese population swears by the food served at the Assam stall in Dilli Haat. Also try Assam Bhavan in SP Marg (23015551) and Srimanta Sankara Deva Bhavan (26537786) in the Qutub Institutional Area. To cater to the student crowd, there are dabbawalas in North Delhi. For Assamese homestyle food, Lohit Da (9891158114) and Daadul Baruah (9990850749) are the popular dabbawalas. The tiffin is delivered twice a day for Rs 1,800 a month. “Thrice a week, we serve egg, fish and chicken prepared in typical Assamese style using ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon, potatoes. A typical dabba consists of dal, chawal, sabzi and no roti because no one like to eat rotis in Assam,” says Baruah.

Wardrobe
Mekhela Chador is the traditional dress of Assam. It is available at Assam Emporium (23344784) at Baba Kharak Singh Marg. “The annual Trade Fair is another place where we get everything from bamboo shoots to clothing items,” says Rip Saikia, a graphic designer. “Otherwise, there’s always the Avadh-Assam Express to go back to Guwahati.”

Citizens' forum holds peace conclave in Assam

2010-05-06T09:14:00.002-07:00

Guwahati, May 6 (ANI): The newly floated citizen's forum in Assam organised a daylong conclave to push forward the deadlocked peace process in the state.

Though the government has already invited the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for a dialogue, the outfit is holding up the process, given the excuse that it has no consensus. Sanmilita Jatiya Abhivartan', a state-level convention in Guwahati held to pave way for talks between the Centre and the ULFA, was hopeful of pushing through the peace process.

In spite of opposition from ULFA leader Paresh Barua, around 1500 delegates from more than 90 organizations and bodies drawn from all over the State participated in the meet. Among the important resolutions passed at the forum's conclave is one for release of all jailed ULFA leaders to enable them to hold their general council meeting to take a decision regarding peace talks with the government. "If someone is not interested to come forward, even then the Government should try their level best to bring them in the discussion altogether on the discussion table," said Chandranohan Patowary, President, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

"We want that the upcoming generation doesn't see all this Insurgency and counter-insurgency violence and such," said Deepali Phookan, Assam "We are hoping for a peaceful situation in the state of Assam and the burning problems get solved. There should be talks between the government and the ULFA," said Surajeet, AssamBarring Paresh Baruah, the entire top brass of the outfit is in jail - the imprisoned leaders include Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, Dy. Commander-in-chief Raju Baruah and many more.

Both the central and the state government's had earlier rejected holding talks with the ULFA on the issue of sovereignty.

Reacting to the conclave, the Assam Chief Minister said that government is ready for peace talks, but ULFA must take some initiative.

"Some scholars believe that there should a discussion on sovereignty and some are against to it. But, our words are clear that we have to be with India and we don't want to discuss sovereignty. Assam is part of India and this relation is since the ancient days," said State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The volatile situation in Assam has led to social and economic instability since 30 years.he consensus today is for peace and development in the region and outfits like the ULFA must understand this. By Peter Todd Alex

Assam's Kohinoor mobile theatre performs in Delhi

2010-05-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, May 6 (ANI): A popular urban mobile theatre company from Assam performed their plays during a festival held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi recently.

Mobile theatre is a unique and popular form of entertainment on wheels in Assam, reaching audiences in far-flung places in the state that has been affected by militancy.he need for peace and normalcy concerns everyone in the region including those in the entertainment sector.he mobile theatre company 'KOHINOOR' came down to Delhi in their self-contained vehicles with their own makeshift stages, equipment and artists.

"The problem of insurgency is going on in Assam. People are tackling it in their own ways. But the one thing that everyone must do, I even request the Government is to talk it out with the oncerned people and find a solution," said Jatin Bora, actor, Kohinoor theatre group

In one of the plays shown during the theatre festival, "O'n Moi Munnai Koisu (Yes, I am Munna Speaking)", the principle of Gandhism, non-violence and importance of humanity were highlighted.

Two other productions, "Assemat Jar Heral Seema" and "Sheetare Semekarati"were also staged.

"The play that we are showing today is based on Gandhism, and whether Gandhism is applicable today or not and the effectiveness of his principle of non-violence in India and Assam. Killings mongst us won't solve any problem," said Ratan Lahkar, Producer of "O'n Moi Munnai Koisu

The company got a chance to showcase their plays to an enthusiastic audience that thronged the venue in large numbers.

A Photo exhibition on the history of mobile theatre was also held during the festival. It is a great opportunity for the technicians, actors and the whole cast and crew of the mobile theater to get the exposure. In Delhi, people from different states reside. So, you can see this programme as a cultural exchange programme," said Biblap, Co-ordinator of the Kohinoor theatre festival

"Through such kind of shows, we will be able to understand how the production works are carried out in Assam. They do unique and highly recommendable plays, which might not be possible in Delhi. It'll surely make a difference," said Sharad, audience.

The plays with a flavor of the Northeast were appreciated in the capital city.uch initiatives definitely help bring the region closer to the rest of the country. By Karam Roniya

Assam launches Rs.300 mn rural health care project

2010-04-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

Guwahati, April 27 (IANS) The Assam government Tuesday launched a Rs. 300 million project offering nutritious meals and compensation for wage-loss to indoor patients, besides post-natal care to the mother, in an initiative that is expected to revolutionise the region’s rural healthcare sector.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi launched the two initiatives – Morom (Assamese for Love) and Mamta (Care), seen as yet another step forward in bolstering rural healthcare facilities in the state after Assam last week won the best performing state award for implementation of the National Rural Health Mission.

As part of Morom, an indoor patient admitted to any of the three medical colleges in Assam would receive Rs.75 per day for seven days, while for
patients admitted to district and primary health centres, the amount would be Rs.50 and Rs.30, respectively, per day.

“The amount under the Morom initiative is meant for supplementary nutrition and marginal compensation for wage loss during hospitalisation,”
state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Under the Mamta scheme, a mother would be provided complete post-natal care for 48 hours after delivery with the newborn to be gifted a baby kit comprising of a mosquito net, baby soap, oil, blanket, towel, flannel cloth, and a plastic sheet.

Both the schemes would be effective from May 1.

“This is yet another small step forward in our commitment for better healthcare facilities in the state,” Sarma said.

The Assam government recently appointed 800 graduate doctors in one single day – all posted in rural areas.

The state government last year announced a series of novel health packages including a Rs.1.8 billion scheme to do away with the traditional gender bias by offering financial assistance to the girl child and radical measures to improve the health of would-be mothers.

Under a scheme named ‘Majoni’ (Assamese for little girls), a new-born girl child would be given a fixed deposit instrument worth Rs.5,000 while a
would-be mother would get Rs.1,000 in cash – Rs.500 each during the first two check-ups.

Half the fixed deposit of Rs.5,000 can be encashed by the girl when she attains the age of 16 and the full amount when she turns 18.

Assam has also launched an ambitious family planning scheme. Couples choosing not to have babies for two years after marriage will get Rs.5,000 and those who opt not to have children for three years will get Rs.7,500.

“We are all set to bring about more radical reforms in the healthcare sector in Assam,” the minister said.

Rhino kills deer in Assam zoo

2010-04-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

GUWAHATI: A spotted deer died at the Assam state zoo on Tuesday after it was attacked by a rhinoceros inside their composite enclosure.

The deer, one of the about 60 in the enclosure, was attacked by the lone full grown rhinoceros inside the enclosure yesterday, zoo director Narayan Mahanta said.

The deer sustained serious injury in the stomach and it succumbed today in the course of treatment.

Infighting among the animals in the composite enclosure has become quite common after population of deer increased there, Mahanta said.

The authorities has been contemplating to shift most of them to another enclosure.

Over 1.5 lakh people affected as flood situation worsens in Assam

2010-04-25T01:38:00.001-07:00

Over 1.5 lakh people have been affected as the flood situation in Assam worsened on Sunday with water level of Brahmaputra and its tributaries showing a rising trend.

The Assam Government has asked all its deputy commissioners to be on high alert.

Officials said that road communication to Arunachal Pradesh through Lakhimpur and Dhemaji has also been disrupted due to the flood.

The flood-prone Dhemaji District was cut off from the rest of the country with the rising water of Jiadhol river.

The rising water of Jiadhol river has breached two embankments and submerged parts of the National Highway number five.

The situation remained critical in Lakhimpur District, with more than 50 villages affected and flood water inundating roads and bridges at many places.

In Dibrugarh District, the Brahmaputra and its tributary Dihing, were flowing above the danger level and flooded over ten villages.

Two boatmen were reportedly drowned in Tinsukia.

Animals in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park were forced to flee to highlands inside the forests, as floodwaters wrecked havoc.

Famous Assamese mobile theatre takes centre stage

2010-04-24T01:57:00.004-07:00

New Delhi: The Kohinoor Theatre, the mobile drama company from Assam renowned for taking mega-stage adaptations of blockbusters like "Titanic" to remote villages, has stepped out of the state for the first time to perform in the capital next week.

The troupe will stage three of its signature productions - "Assemat Jar Heral Seema (Lost in Infinity)", "O'n Moi Munnai Koisu (Yes, I am Munna Speaking)" and "Sheetare Semekarati (On a Cold Winter's Night)" - in a three-day theatre festival at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) April 25-27.

It marks the first official journey of the 50-year-old Assamese mobile theatre out of the state.

The festival will be presented by the National School of Drama and IGNCA.

Announcing the festival at a packed media briefing at IGNCA Wednesday, Kohinoor Theatre owner Ratan Lahkar, senior functionaries of the NSD and IGNCA member secretary Jatindra Jain said the Kohinoor Theatre Festival was part of the "centre's objective to promote folk, regional and ethnic art forms of India and document them for posterity."

"Personally, the prospect of a regional mobile theatre troupe staging opulent plays in the traditional travelling drama company style with its own infrastructure ferried all the way from Assam in trucks looks very exciting," Jain said.

"A few months ago, we had brought the Surabhi Folk Theatre from Andhra Pradesh to stage a form of indigenous Parsi and Marathi theatre. The troupe of 100 members was like a family. We documented and archived 120 years of the Surabhi Theatre, set up in 1889. We are planning to do the same for Kohinoor Theatre."

The Kohinoor Theatre was formed in the small Assamese town of Pathsala in 1976 by Ratan Lahkar and Krisna Roy, 14 years after Achyut Lahkar conceived the mobile theatre in Assam.

It paved the way for a new era on Assamese stage, bringing local flavours and ethnic styles to mainstream proscenium theatre.

The initial Kohinoor plays were based on folkore and mythology - influenced by Bengali drama.

But gradually, the travelling drama company broke out of the mould by adapting classical English plays, popular Assamese literature and Hollywood movies. It has also staged plays on drug addiction and corruption over the last few years.

"We took local dramatic versions of the 'Titanic' and 'Jurassic Park' to remote villages across the state even before the movies arrived on Assamese screen from Hollywood. Such was the popularity of our productions that when viewers in Pathsala watched 'Titanic' in English on screen, they remarked that the movie had been lifted from the Kohinoor play," Lahkar told IANS.

The troupe is known for its adaptations of "Cleopatra", "Mrichchakatika (Assamese adaptation of Matir Garhi)", "Iliad-Odyssey", "Ben Hur", "Mahabharata", "Ramayana", "Hamlet", "Othello", "Mr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" and "Titanic".

The Kohinoor Theatre has been instrumental in making travelling Assamsese theatre a profitable venture in the state.

"Earlier the affluent sections of te society looked down upon the Bhramyaman (travelling) theatre, but villagers kept it alive. Tickets now sell for Rs.50 - Rs.700 and each performance accommodates nearly 2,100 visitors in four categories. Kohinoor was also the first repetory company to have availed of a loan from the Central Bank of India in 1979," Lahkar said.

It brought a semblance of corporatisation to the company and strict discipline.

The troupe travels with three to six trucks of equipment, pitches its own tents, erects its own proscenium (stage) usually measuring 60 ft by 20 feet and arranges manual illumination. The company remains in a location for three days and stages new productions every year - averaging 200 shows.

Bangladesh's landmass increased due to sedimentation in rivers

2010-04-24T01:57:00.002-07:00

Bangladesh's landmass has increased in recent years, thanks to sedimentation in its southern rivers, a study has revealed.

The study shows that the country has actually grown in landmass equal to five times the size of Dhaka city. The new land has emerged in the Meghna estuary.

The 8.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Assam in 1950 increased the sediment flow and has added a net increase of 1,790 sq km to the country's land mass, it said.

This should ease Bangladesh's concern that it could partially shrink in size due to global warming, experts said.

'More charlands (dried up river beds) have emerged than we have lost due to river erosion over the years,' Maminul Haq Sarker, a geo-morphologist who conducted the study, told The Daily Star newspaper.

The new land, which emerged mostly in Noakhali, was discovered when Sarker and his research team analysed satellite pictures and other data from 1943 to 2008 and tracked sediments coming from the Himalayas and flowing down the Padma and Jamuna rivers.

The rivers deliver about one billion tonnes of silt a year from India, Nepal, China, and Bhutan to the Meghna estuary within the Bay of Bengal.

Besides Noakhali, new land has been found at the southern Patuakhali, Shariatpur, Barisal and Chittagong districts.

The findings released Thursday said that this 'shines a ray of hope on otherwise dire predictions by groups such as the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) that Bangladesh will lose about 17 percent of its land area because melting polar ice caps will increase sea levels.'

However, Sarker cautioned that more research was needed.

'This is an indicative study. We need to continue our research to say something concrete,' he was quoted as saying.

'Now we might think to battle the climate change challenge in different way if we can use the sediment in planned way. We can recover certain amount of our land mass from the aggression of rising sea level.'

Cup of woes of own making

2010-04-24T01:57:00.000-07:00

Oldest tea scientist puts onus of dregs on industry
PULLOCK DUTTA

Guwahati, April 23: If Assam tea is losing its space in the international market, none but the industry is to blame for it. And if planters still do not learn from their historical blunder, the future of Assam tea is, indeed, very dark, warned the oldest surviving tea scientist in the country.

Dina Nath Barua, who at 95 claims to be the oldest surviving tea scientist in the world, told The Telegraph over phone from his Jorhat residence that the Assam tea industry has made one of the biggest blunders by not undertaking a scientific approach.

Barua, who was among the first batch of scientists to release tea clones at the Tocklai Tea Research Station in Jorhat in 1949, said the industry had refused to use those then. As a result, the quality of Assam tea deteriorated over the years. Tocklai had released three sets of clones that year.

“We had then suggested that at least two per cent of the total cultivation area in a tea estate should carry out plantations with these clones every year but the industry did not listen to us. And they have not done so in the last 50 years,” he said, adding that if planters did not start using tea clones, the future of Assam tea was very dark.

Barua said Kenyan and Sri Lankan tea had scripted a success story because these countries had carried out plantations from clones.

“These countries did take a few clones from us in the beginning but later on they came up with their own clones suitable for those countries.”

He, however, applauded small tea growers in Assam for doing a tremendous job.

“A large number of small tea growers is using clones to carry out plantations and the tea leaf of these gardens is perfect to produce quality tea. These small growers should be provided proper training in plucking of leaf which is very important for quality production,” he said.

Barua will be honoured during Tocklai’s centenary celebrations, scheduled to start at Tocklai in Jorhat on May 3. Indeed, if Bisa Nong Gaum, chief of the Singpho community, is credited with helping Robert Bruce discover tea in the state in 1823, it was Barua who added value over the years by pioneering research on Assam tea.

“Barua’s contribution towards tea research probably has no parallel. To felicitate this eminent tea scientist at the centenary celebrations of the oldest and the biggest tea research station in the world would be befitting,” Tocklai director Mridul Hazarika told The Telegraph today.

The second edition of Barua’s book, Science and Practices in Tea Culture, will also be released at the inaugural function of the centenary celebrations.

Barua, who retired as the deputy director of Tocklai in 1973, had joined the research station as a senior scientific assistant in 1939 when P.H. Carpenter was the director. He was the first to receive the lifetime achievement award of the Tea Board of India. Barua is still the adviser to the director of Tocklai.

Hazarika said the inaugural function of the centenary celebrations would be marked with a procession taken out from the heart of Jorhat town, where the institute is located. Apart from the daylong programme at Tocklai on the inaugural day, a seminar will also be held in Delhi on May 10.

100,000 displaced by floods in Assam, 100 villages hit

2010-04-23T03:25:00.001-07:00

Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Assam have displaced more than 100,000 people in an estimated 100 villages in Lakhimpur district, officials said Friday.

'The situation is critical with up to 50 more villages hit by flash floods overnight (Thursday),' a district official said.

An estimated 100,000 people are now displaced in the district, about 400 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati.

'Most of the flood-hit people are now taking shelter on raised platforms and railway tracks and in government schools and offices so far untouched by the floods,' the official said.

A large number of mud houses have also been destroyed, he said.

A Central Water Commission bulletin said the Brahmaputra and its tributaries were flowing above the danger mark in at least six places.

'Floodwaters had breached at least three vital mud embankments, compounding the miseries of the people,' the official said.

This is the second wave of floods in Assam this year. The first hit the same district last month although the magnitude was not devastating.

There are no reports of any casualties so far.

'We have sounded a maximum alert and have already kept disaster management teams on standby. We are also taking stock of essentials and other commodities in the district,' the official added.

The 2,906-km-long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers and traverses its first stretch of 1,625 km in China's Tibet region, the next 918 km in India and the remaining 363 km through neighbouring Bangladesh before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

Every year, floods leave a trail of destruction, washing away villages, submerging paddy fields and drowning livestock, besides causing loss of human life and property in Assam.

In 2004, more than 200 people were killed in floods in the state.