ROBOLOOK : First Robotics festival in North East India

MerryLook Technologies Private Limited & Cotton College are going to organize the first Robotics festival in North East India by the name of ROBOLOOK. The event, which spans over half a year, involves workshop, exhibition & competition, which will be in two different phases.

Guwahati HC directs BCCI to formulate guidelines for IPL games

The Guwahati high court on Wednesday directed the BCCI to formulate rules and regulations within three months for selecting the cities for holding IPL matches.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice AK Goswami also directed the BCCI to upload the guidelines on its website within three months.

On October 25, the high court, taking a serious view of the BCCI's decision to not allot any match or team from the North Eastern region, had restrained it till today from taking a final decision pursuant to its October 14 tender on the selection of new teams.

Acting on a PIL filed by G L Agrawalla, the editor of a local newspaper, the single bench of Justice B P Agrawall had passed the retraining order.

The PIL had also alleged that the NE region was discriminated against the BCCI, which could have included Guwahati for bid of teams among the 12 cities selected countrywide.

Senior advocates Dr Ashok Saraf and Amit Goyal argued for the petitioner while the BCCI was represented by senior counsel Niloy Dutta.

The Assam Agricultural University launches e-learning project

The Assam Agricultural University will launch e-learning in classrooms with a five-day training programme for teachers from today.

Resource persons from Sathguru Management Consultants, Hyderabad and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, US, will impart training to the teachers in different phases.

Vice-chancellor K.M. Bujarbaruah said the colleges under the university were well equipped and it was time to inculcate change and carry knowledge to those who were devoid of it through this process.

“In India in 1951, there were 30 universities and 634 colleges to cater to a 351 million population, in 2011 it rose to 635 universities for 1,300 million. At present, the student strength is 1.69 crore and the gross enrolment ratio is 15 to 16 per cent and is predicted to be 22 per cent in the 12th Financial Plan but this is very poor. In such a scenario, it would not be viable to open up more colleges and universities and e-learning could be an alternative,” Bujarbaruah said.

Saraighat bridge completes 50 years

The Saraighat Bridge over the river Brahmaputra, which is the vital link between North East region and the rest of the country, has completed 50 years of its existence and according to the experts of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, the bridge is still fit enough to serve the region for the days to come.

The idea of construction of a bridge over the river Brahmaputra was first mooted in 1910 and the thought gathered momentum during the Second World War. But there were doubts over the stability of the Railway line between Bongaigaon and Amingaon following devastating floods in 1942-43. However, the then Railway Minister announced the decision to construct the bridge in the Budget session of the Parliament in 1958 and the construction work formally started in January, 1959. The bridge was completed in September, 1962 by the Hindustan Construction Company and the first engine plied over the Saraighat Bridge on September 23, 1962, followed by Goods Train service from October 31 that year.

Voice of humanity binds all Region pays tribute to its dear Jajabor

It was relevant when he first wrote and lent it his rich baritone. It is relevant now when that voice has fallen still, been digitalised for the archives and put online for the world.

A chorus, running into thousands across the hills and valleys of Assam, sang Manuhe Manuhar Babe. They sang the song in several languages, holding hands and forming human chains or groups, in a tribute to its creator, Bhupen Hazarika, on his first death anniversary today.

Indeed, the immortal Manuhe Manuhar Babe turned into the theme song for the occasion as the music maestro’s death anniversary came close on the heels of the BTAD violence. The song’s yearning for humanity had been forgotten in a two-month-long frenzy of violence and death.

It was only fitting and poignant then that the song was played over and over through the day in Kokrajhar. Disturbed Dhubri, too, remembered the significance of the song as its residents took out a peace procession.

Film institute to be renamed after Bhupen Hazarika

The State Government today announced that the Regional Government Film and Television Institute would be renamed as Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute as a mark of honour to the cultural icon.

This announcement was made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on the occasion of the first death anniversary of the bard whose songs captured the hearts of millions.

Speaking at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Memorial Lecture and Cultural Programme organized jointly by the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations and the Directorate of Cultural Affairs at Rabindra Bhawan here, Tarun Gogoi said that Dr Bhupen Hazarika was a real mass communicator and that the government would fulfil the vision of the music icon by transforming society through mass communication tools particularly music. “Dr Bhupen Hazarika showed us the way and we will usher in the positive developments in the society through use of mass communication tools,” said Gogoi observing that the Assamese society will overcome all the obstacles and ills through the vision of Dr Bhupen Hazarika.

GMDA development vision for 2025

The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority has asked Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University to prepare a new masterplan to help give shape to the GMDA’s expansion plans.

A total of 13 firms had participated in the bidding process after which CEPT was awarded the work. The institute became a university under the Gujarat State Legislature Act, 2005, with effect from April 12, 2005.

The jurisdiction of GMDA extends originally over an area of 262 square km and the 2025 comprehensive masterplan had stated that the total area would be 328 square km, with the addition of three new towns. The city is likely to witness rapid population growth and reach 2.3 million by 2025.

Barsapara stadium ground inaugurated

It was indeed a historic day for Assam sports as the ground of Assam Cricket Association’s (ACA) newly built stadium at Barsasapa here was formally inaugurated by State PHE Minister Gautom Roy, who is also the president of ACA.

In a brief function prior to the Assam-Odisha East Zone Senior Women Inter State One-day Championship match, in presence of State Sports Minister Ajit Singh, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah along with a host of ACA officials and former players and former MLA Ramen Kalita, Roy inaugurated the ground. Monikha Das of Assam became the first bowler to bowl on the wicket in a official BCCI match.

Gautom Roy later said that the stadium will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi when it will be completed.

English translation of Bhupenda’s 21 songs

‘Let My Songs Be, The Door To a New Dawn’, is a book based on the compilation of 21 songs of Bhupen Hazarika translated in English by first-time author Pronami Bhattacharyya of Jorhat.

The book was released by Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, pro-vice-chancellor of Tezpur University and former vice-chancellor Gauhati University at Guwahati Press Club today.

Eminent artist Sudakshina Sharma, former vice principal of Cotton College Deven Dutta, and senior journalist BN Goswami were present on the occasion.

Daughter of Barada Prosad Bhattacharyya and Rekha Bhattacharyya, Pronami completed M.A. in English from Gauhati University in the year 2010. Pronami is currently pursuing her PhD in English in the area of African-American Literature.

Trade body lambasts Govt over price rise

The Assam Chamber of Commerce (ACC) on Sunday held the Government responsible for the unprecedented prices of all essential items, including foodgrains in Assam and alleged that the Government’s lack of willingness to end the syndicate system was one of the major factors behind the soaring prices.

Addressing media persons here, chairman of ACC, Rupam Goswami said that price rise of the essential commodities has hit the common man hard.

“Though price rise is a national phenomena but in our State the increase is on the higher side,” said Goswami, pointing out that the syndicate system being operated by certain unscrupulous and greedy individuals/groups has contributed to the woes of the consumers. Goswami said that the syndicate system which is a bane of the society creating monopoly in trade should be ended immediately.

“The government has knowledge about those running the syndicate system. We have repeatedly requested the State Government to disband the syndicates, but nothing tangible has been done. We demand of the Government to act, otherwise ACC with the help of the general public will put an end to this trade malpractice,” warned Goswami.

7-lingo salute to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Artistes of seven indigenous communities of Assam will dress up in traditional attires and sing late Bhupen Hazarika’s timeless classic, Manuhe Manuhor Babey, in their mother tongues here on Monday, the first death anniversary of the maestro.

The programme, which is part of the anniversary celebration event — Sangeet Divas — organised by Sanskritik Mahasabha, Assam, will include a procession involving schoolchildren and general public accompanied by gayan bayan troupes and music bands that will start from Court Field in the morning and pass through the main thoroughfares of the town.

Speaking about the rendition of Hazarika’s classic in six languages apart from Assamese, the organising committee’s secretary, Kula Kamal Dutta, said, “We think our attempt is a small step towards living up to the spirit of the song penned by the legend, who always wanted people of various faiths and groups of Assam to come together and had also been able bridge divides in society.”

Dr Hazarika’s lyrics in digital archive

A digital archive of the lyrics of Dr Bhupen Hazarika stored in Unicode format along with the songs was formally inaugurated by Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary at the Dept of Information Technology, Gauhati University today.

The archive has the lyrics and songs in alphabetical order, and one can access those at the website www. bhupenhazarikadigitalarchives.org.

Addressing the function, Mooshahary said that there was an urgent need to expand and promote the timeless compositions of the legendary singer-musician, and that the digital archive would serve that purpose to a great extent.

Lauding the role of the IT dept of GU, Mooshahary said that storing the lyrics in Unicode format would facilitate flexibility and availability of the resources in a universal format so that those could be used, disseminated and analysed by anyone anywhere.

Prohibitory orders along Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam

Prohibitory orders have been promulgated along Assam-Bangladesh international border in Cachar district in view of reports about extremist elements entering the district for creating law and order problem.

South Assam's Cachar district magistrate H K Dev Mahanta promulgated the orders following reports about extremist elements likely to cross the border and enter Cachar from Bangladesh, official sources said.

There is also apprehension of the possibility of illegal export of commodities and cattle from the district to Bangladesh, besides efforts by illegal immigrants to cross over from across the border to cause disturbance and social tension.

The prohibitory orders have been enforced as a preventive measure.

Assam Medical College celebrates 66th foundation day

The premier medical college of northeast, Assam Medical College (AMC) here observed its 66th foundation day on Saturday. Established in November 3, 1947, the Assam Medical College was earlier known as Dr John Berry White Medical School, which was established in 1902. John Berry White, a British surgeon, was a great visionary and the pioneer of modern medical education in Assam.

The foundation day programme kicked off with hoisting of flag by AMC principal Atindra Adhikari. An open session was held at the auditorium followed by a cultural event.

CM ready to face Aasu on white paper

Accepting Aasu's challenge, chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said he is ready for a face off with the students' body over the white paper on foreigners' issue. The chief minister added that he is ready to discuss the issue with any other organization.

On October 20, Gogoi released the white paper on influx which has always been the central poll plank of all political parties in every election. The white paper also happens to be the first-ever documentation of the problem by any state government. But it has drawn criticism from various sections of society.

Gogoi, who is in New Delhi now, said, "Aasu is talking about half truths in the white paper. I am asking them to show me these. The white paper contains facts and figures from government records and court orders." The chief minister even asked Aasu to publish its own separate white paper on the subject. "Aasu has every right to publish one and they can go to the people with it. If I have missed out on anything in the white paper, it should tell me specifically. I am open to discussion, not just with AASU alone, but others too."

40 schoolkids hurt in accident

At least 40 school children were injured in which they were travelling met with an accident on the NH-37 at Naduwa, about 25 km from Dibrugarh town on Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 8.15 am when the school bus (AS-06/A-9869) coming from Naduwa tea estate was transporting the students to their schools. The children were mostly pre-primary and primary school students of Montfort school and Axom Vidyapeeth of Chabua. Eyewitnesses said the bus lost control while trying to avoid collision with a wayward auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction and fell in a 10-feet deep pit alongside the busy highway.

Another NE student assaulted in Delhi

In yet another incident of students from the North East being subjected to physical and mental abuse, Hriini Pao, a student from Manipur studying at the College of Vocational Science, New Delhi, was severely assaulted by some students of the college on October 26.

Pao was admitted to the trauma centre of the AIIMS from which he was released on November 1.

Calvin Hrangkhol, president of the North East Students’ Society of Delhi University, told that the incident started over a trivial matter when a football being played by some NE students accidentally hit a girl student of the college.

Leave Majuli by Nov 10, Aasu tells Bangla nationals

The All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Saturday issued an ultimatum to all suspected Bangladeshi nationals here to leave Majuli by November 10. The organization also asked the administration to take required steps to fulfill their demand.

"We will not be responsible for any problems arising in Majuli after the deadline ends. We will take action against suspected nationals residing in the hub of Vaishnavite culture. This is our last appeal to the government as well as suspected Bangladeshis staying in Majuli,'' said Aasu's Jorhat district president Biren Saikia.

He added, "A large number of suspected Bangladeshi nationals are residing in Majuli right under the nose of the administration. Apart from doing cultivation and other household works, many of them are doing trade in the island to eke out a living. In some years, they will set up permanent settlements here, posing a serious threat to the unique identity of the island.''

Advocate arrested for helping car thieves

A Guwahati-based advocate, who allegedly assisted car thieves, was arrested by Assam police following a request from their Shillong counterparts.

The arrest came after a Guwahati court provided a transit warrant against advocate Tariqul Islam.

Police will present him before the court tomorrow.

“Islam was arrested for assisting car thieves who had been apprehended earlier from Shillong,” a police official said.

Yesterday, Shillong police had arrested six car thieves identified as Md Nazarul Ali Islam, Raju Boro, Md Hasmad Ali, Raj Thakuria, Kamal Rosaili and K.H Devavarata from Upper Shillong.

ABSU displeasure over handling of influx issue

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) on Thursday expressed its displeasure over the alleged irresponsible and half-hearted approach of the Government in dealing with the land and influx issue after the recent violence in the lower Assam districts.

Talking to mediapersons at the Bodofa House here, Promod Boro, president of the ABSU, maintained that the indigenous people have suffered a lot due to the conflicts taking place in the State since the last couple of decades. “The union will not tolerate any conspiracy with regard to land on the part of any agencies, which may cause the indigenous populace to face any kind of conflict again,” he warned.

Boro also said that the ABSU wants effective verification by which the problem of illegal encroachment can be resolved. He appealed to the authorities concerned to hold suspected people, who are returning to villages without undergoing the verification process, legally accountable and keep them in relief camps till they are able to prove their citizenship. Government agencies should not show an irresponsible attitude for which innocent citizens have to suffer again and again, he added.

Ex-AIUDF leader to head SP in Assam

In a bid to strengthen its base in the state, Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday roped in former All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) working president and prominent minority community leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury as the party's state unit president.

Party general secretary Kironmoy Nanda and national secretary Kamal Faruqui were present when Choudhury was inducted into SP. Choudhury, who left AIUDF following differences with the party leadership ahead of the assembly polls last year, will form a new executive committee within a month and launch a state-wide membership drive. He will work for fostering ties between different communities in the state.

Kamalesh Deka and Ratul Choudhury have been appointed as vice-president, while Sanjib Dutta and A F Nasiruddin Mullah have been appointed as general secretary and secretary respectively.

Police crackdown on drugs

Police have stepped up raids to check the supply of illegal drugs like painkiller tablets and cough syrup as well as country liquor, with many youths getting addicted to drugs and alcohol here.

The police have already seized a significant quantity of country liquor and dismantled some outlets here.

BJP leader and physician, Debamoy Sanyal, who has been working on creating awareness among youths about addiction, said youths with a drug habit had sparked off violence in the recent past.

Sanyal said consumption of liquor, tablets and capsules may lead to incoherent behaviour. Dhubri additional superintendent of police, Prasanta Dutta, said owing to action against addicts and peddlers, many had pledged not to indulge in such activities any more. “We have already dismantled many country liquor outlets and raided dens of drug peddlers and will continue our work,” he said.

Darrang admin flayed over law & order scene

The Darrang district unit of the AJYCP has criticised the role of the civil as well as police administration for their alleged failure in tackling the law-and-order situation during the last two days in the aftermath of the suspected kidnapping of a student leader in Sipajhar which even led to the blockade of the NH-52 for about 12 hours. In a press communique issued here today, Bhupen Nath, president and Azmal Hussain, secretary of the district AJYCP unit, flayed the administration for their failure in convincing the aggrieved public about the rescue measures, which led to the highway blockade till 8.30 pm last evening, causing a lot of inconvenience to passengers of long-distance vehicles.

Moreover, it was a pity for the administration that after the student leader was brought to Sipajhar, one pro-talk leader of the ULFA publicly claimed his hand in the recovery of the missing student leader and that too in front of an Additional District Magistrate and Additional Superintendent of Police, added the press release.

PK Borthakur new offshore ONGC director

PK Borthakur has taken over as the director (offshore) in the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).

He steps in at a crucial juncture when ONGC has set ambitious targets in augmenting offshore production in the context of the organization's perspective plan 2030.

Borthakur took over this important board position of ONGC on October 30. Congratulating him for the elevation, CMD Sudhir Vasudeva said there could not have been a better oilman for the assignment at this vital juncture.

Borthakur, like his predecessor Sudhir Vasudeva, is predominantly brought up in the professional nuances of offshore oil engineering. He has a rich portfolio of experiences in diverse fields of oil production chain.

Before being elevated to the board of India's flagship explorer ONGC, he effectively managed India's biggest oil producing asset Mumbai High and biggest gas asset Bassein & Satellite.

Minority leader rejects white paper

Veteran minority leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury today dubbed Dispur’s white paper on foreigners’ issue as a ploy of the Congress party to divert the attention of the people from the real issue of updating the NRC 1951.

Choudhury, an advocate and former leader of All India United Democratic Front, today joined the Samajwadi Party.

“I do not think that there was any necessity of publishing the white paper, which has nothing but some facts and figures about the foreigners’ problem. The main issue is updating the NRC and the ruling Congress government has been delaying the process in its own interest. Now with the publication of the white paper, the Tarun Gogoi government has successfully diverted the attention of the people from the NRC update,” Choudhury told reporters soon after joining as president of the Assam unit of Samajwadi Party.

Choudhury’s allegation has assumed significance after the AASU termed the document as “half truth” or “white lie”.

Anna Hazare to attend KMSS convention in Guwahati

Noted Gandhian Anna Hazare and former Army General of the country V K Singh will attend the two-day convention being organised by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) in association with the Guwahati Mahanagar Unnayan Samiti Samuhar Aikyamancha on November 7 and 8 in the city.

The convention being organised by the KMSS and the Aikyamancha to chalk out an action plan for a secular, nationalistic and progressive anti-alien stir, is also expected to be attended by India Against Corruption leader Arvind Gaur and peasant leader P V Rajagopal, the KMSS said in a press release here today.

The KMSS has made it clear that it is not against the six-year-long Assam agitation. But it is aware of its negative aspects and is maintaining caution to prevent recurrence of those mistakes. The Assam agitation was a famous popular movement in the post-independence era of the country.

Instrumental tribute to Bhupen Hazarika

The humble "bijuli baah", an indigenous bamboo grown in Assam will now represent and carry the name of Bhupen Hazarika in the form of a musical instrument.

'Bhupendra Lohori', a modified version of the percussion instrument called rainstick, was unveiled here on Saturday. The musical instrument has been made by Tridip Mahanta, a Unesco-Sea of Excellence Award conferred bamboo artist. He said he wanted to dedicate the instrument to the doyen of Assam on the occasion of his upcoming first death anniversary.

The instrument which churns out the sound of falling rain and the flow of water is available in two types. The first type consists of a single cylindrical tube which produces sound by holding it and moving it sideways. The other type is an assortment of ten such tubes bundled together which is put in a frame that is moved in circles. The size of the instrument is between 18 to 33 inches.

At least 10 poachers armed with .303 rifles still active near Kaziranga

Karbi Anglong police today claimed that there were at least 10 poachers armed with .303 rifles still active near Kaziranga National Park and making plans to kill rhinos.

Diphu police station officer-in-charge, Nabo Bora, told that during the interrogation of various poachers arrested recently, it has come to light that at least 10 poachers are making plans to strike in the park.

“We have shared this information with our Bokakhat counterparts and are working jointly to nab these poachers,” Bora said.

Police have apprehended more than 20 persons, mostly poachers, recently from Karbi Anglong and near the national park, who are directly involved in the recent killing of rhinos.

Bus, trekker owners call off strike

The city bus and trekker owners operating in the city have called off their strike and decided to resume the services tomorrow following a meeting between the commercial vehicle owners’ association and the district administration here today. For the time being, the fares will remain unchanged and a decision to this effect will be taken in a meeting to be held on November 12. Earlier, Transport Minister Chandan Brahma told reporters that considering the hike in prices of fuel and spare parts of vehicles, the Transport Department prepared a proposal for fare hike and the same has already been cleared by the State Cabinet.

North East fumes at LPG hike

The Centre's decision to hike the price of non-subsidized cooking gas (LPG) by Rs 26.50 on Thursday evoked sharp reaction from consumer forums and people across the northeast.

Chief coordinator of the Consumers' Legal Protection Forum ( CLPF), Ajoy Hazarika, termed another hike in LPG cylinders as "anti-people". "Commoners will be badly hit by this decision. Black marketeering of LPG cylinders is already rampant. If the Assam government does not take steps to curb this, there will be total chaos. It seems many families will have to shift to firewood from LPG if the hike goes on this way," said Hazarika.

Madhurima Saikia, a housewife residing in the Narengi area of the city, said the UPA government has lost the confidence of people. "We just can't tolerate such a decision. The hike in LPG prices has become a joke. How we will run our kitchens," she added.

Relieve me of duties, DGP to govt

The director general of Assam Police, Jayanto Narayan Choudhury, is seeking to move out of the state and be relieved of his current responsibilities after the panchayat election in January next. The former additional director of the Centre's Intelligence Bureau may return to the central government services.

Choudhury is waiting for the state government to release him but sources said that chief minister Tarun Gogoi needs some time to find a new DGP before he approves Choudhury's release.

"I have written to the chief secretary that my tenure expires on January 16 next. I have also conveyed it to the chief minister verbally. The panchayat election will be held in January and I will see the elections through, after which I intend to leave," he said.

Ghatowar call for tech use

PRANAB KUMAR DAS

DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar today said science and technology play a critical role in the process of development and its application can help in transformation of the natural resources of a region into a real economic resource.

Speaking at the inaugural function of TechXetra, the annual technical-cum-cultural festival of Tezpur University at Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha auditorium here, the minister urged the students to work for society.

Ghatowar also said the students should come forward to deal with problems and facilitate all-round development of the Northeast.

“Universities and institutions of higher learning have a great responsibility to develop science and technology tools and strategies. They should also create the much-needed human resource as well. This university has a well-developed school of science, which focuses on both fundamental and applied aspects of the subject,” the minister said.

Assam Police unable to track assets of NC Hills scam kingpin R H Khan

The vigilance and anti-corruption wing of Assam Police is finding it hard to track down the huge amount of money and assets belonging to the prime accused in the NC Hills multi-crore scam, R H Khan, that are hidden in several locations.

Following inputs, anti-corruption sleuths raided two places on Wednesday night but it ended in a wild goose chase. The two places raided simultaneously by the sleuths were the house of one Hari Borah at Borbari area and the plot of Nur Islam at Satgaon area of the city. However, nothing was found in the raids.

"We have information about the locations where R H Khan might have hidden his black money and on the basis of these leads, we made the last two raids. We have to act according to inputs but one can't expect success in every move. We have more information and we should hit upon something concrete soon," said a senior official of the anti-corruption wing. Both the Wednesday operations were meticulous — the sleuths stripped the walls, floors and even opened septic tanks during the searches.

Minister praises DoNER role

DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar today said the Congress-led UPA government was well aware of the problems of the northeastern states and fully committed to develop the region.

“The Centre has been giving special attention for the development of the region and DoNER ministry is a result of its commitment,” Ghatowar said during a party rally in Itanagar organised to mark the completion of one year in office of the Nabam Tuki government.

“The Centre has sanctioned Rs 6,000 crore for the 1,325km trans-Arunachal highway to provide inter-district connectivity to the state,” he said.

Assam gets Rs 9 crore for sports development

The Union ministry of youth and sports on Thursday sanctioned Rs 9.31 crore to the state for development and maintenance of playgrounds in 666 village panchayats and 44 block panchayats under Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA).

In 2009, the ministry had sanctioned an amount of Rs 4.81 crore to the state for the development and maintenance of playgrounds in 333 village panchayats and 22 block panchayats.

Under the PYKKA, which was introduced in 2008-09, playgrounds were developed and maintained in villages and block panchayats across the country in a phased manner. Competitions are conducted annually at block, district, state and national level in these playgrounds.

Jorhat Science Centre-cum-Planetarium to open in January

The Assam government is offering the people of Upper Assam, especially children, an out of this world New Year gift in the form of the Jorhat Science Centre-cum-Planetarium.

The construction of the double-storey building has been completed and installation is in progress. The project, coming up next to the Ahom-era Rajmao Barpukhuri, is likely to be inaugurated in January.

The building is being constructed on a six-bigha and four katha plot of land at a cost of Rs 5 crore approximately, and will be the first of its kind in Assam with Dispur and Delhi both funding the project.

The Assam Science Technology and Environment Council is the implementing agency of the project and the National Council of Science Museum has designed the project and all its technical specifications.

Five geckos rescues by Assam Rifles at Moreh

Joining the multi-pronged drive against the increasing poaching and smuggling of tokay geckos in the state, Assam Rifles personnel seized five geckos meant to be smuggled to China via Myanmar from two smugglers at the border town of Moreh.

Personnel of 9 Assam Rifles launched an operation to curb such smuggling and apprehended the two, along with five specimen of the rare reptile species, at Moreh Gate No 2 on Monday, said Assam Rifles officials here on Thursday.

The geckos were supposed to be smuggled from Moreh to Myanmar and were to be sent to China, the statement said, adding that the estimated cost of a gecko is about Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 in the local (grey) market.

Lets debate on influx : AASU says to Tarun Gogoi

The All Assam Students’ Union today dared chief minister Tarun Gogoi to start an open debate on the problem of illegal migration in the state to find concrete ways to solve it.

The student organisation’s challenge came a day after Dispur asked the former to substantiate its allegation that the government’s recently published white paper on the foreigner problem was a “half truth” or a “white lie”.

On Monday, the AASU had come out with a 90-page booklet accusing the governments at Dispur and New Delhi of betraying the state’s people by not implementing the Assam Accord for the last 27 years.

The union also alleged that the government’s white paper had suppressed many important historical facts to mislead the people of Assam.

Assam's jails are clogged with life convicts

More than half the convicts lodged in jails across Assam are undergoing life imprisonment.

This was revealed by the latest prison statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau recently, which states that the percentage of convicts serving life sentence in the state was 59.7 in 2011. The report added that this was more than the national average — 53.6 per cent.

Besides Assam, the other two northeastern states where the share of convicts serving life sentences is more than the national average are Manipur (62.5 per cent) and Tripura (55 per cent).

In Assam, out of a total of 1,874 convicts serving life sentences, 60 are women, while in Manipur out of 20 such convicts, one is a woman and in Tripura out of 313 such convicts, nine are women.

Lucky draw at 12th Leo International Expo

The lucky draw at the ongoing 12th Leo International Expo in the city which is offering attractive prizes to visitors is drawing huge crowds. The lucky draw, to be continued till November 12 is carried out on the basis of the entry tickets of the visitors. Three lucrative prizes are being offered to the winners daily. The prizes include a 190 litre branded refrigerator, a semi-automatic branded washing machine and a branded microwave oven. On October 28, Ainu Deori, M Rampuria and Esha Kaur were the lucky winners.

NE lags behind in rural skill development institute scheme

Even over three years after the Union ministry of rural development launched of the ambitious Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) project to help unemployed rural youths, the northeast is lagging behind the rest of the country in the implementation of the scheme.

Under the scheme, RSETIs were to be established in every district of the country by different banks to impart skill development training to rural unemployed youths. Respective state governments were to provide land to the banks for setting up RSETIs. In 608 districts across the country, 549 RSETIs have been established so far.

On Tuesday, representatives of banks, rural development officials and members of existing RSETIs from different northeastern states gathered in the city to discuss the problems behind the slow progress in implementation of the scheme. At a two-day meeting here, organised by National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, the participants also thrashed out solutions to overcome these problems.

Government hits back at Aasu over 'lies' in document

The state government on Wednesday hit back at All Assam Students' Union (AASU) for describing the government's white paper on the foreigners issue as a "white lie."

On Wednesday, government spokesman and power minister Pradyut Bordoloi asked the students' body to point out the "lies" in the government's white paper. "This is a white paper on the foreigners issue and not the status paper on implementation of Assam Accord," said Bordoloi. He added that the Aasu might be confused on these two points.

"We have published a white paper based on government facts and figures. We have also incorporated so many government classified documents in the white paper, which were inaccessible to the people."

The government spokesman said other than the Congress, no one has ever been sincere about the foreigners' issue. "We have published the white paper where we have also included the future road to solving the problem. No one can deny this."

2 held for rice smuggling

A CID sleuth, acting on a tip-off on Wednesday, busted a gang involved in smuggling rice supplied by the Food Corporation of India for mid-day meals and BPL families.

The sleuth caught two youths in the case and seized at least 200 bags of rice from a truck near the Boragaon LP School here. Each bag contained 50kg of rice. The youths were identified as Munin Deka (24) and Mujakir Hussain (19), both hailing from Bihata Chariali in Kamrup district.

"There is a huge food smuggling racket going on in the state, especially of rice allotted to various cooperatives for distribution in schools for mid-day meal and to BPL families. There are gangs from Baihata Chariali, Nalbari, Changsari and some other parts of lower Assam that are involved in selling this rice in the black market of Meghalaya," said a CID official.

Assam to levy extra charge on power

Brace yourself for steeper electricity bills for the coming three months as the power distribution company will be levying an extra charge of 27 paise per unit for November, December and January. The additional burden will be levied as Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment (FPPA) charges, which is currently 76 paise per unit. The effective FPPA to be levied for the coming three months will by Rs 1.03 per unit.

The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) had wanted a hike of 36 paise per unit in FPPA, which was rejected by Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) and settled at 27 paise per unit. The hike will garner additional revenue of Rs 111.24 cr for the company.

Power minister Pradyut Bordoloi clarified that the hike has not been imposed by the state government but by the AERC. "The hike has been necessitated as a fuel surcharge following fluctuation in fuel price and the rate of power purchase. The calculation is done on a multi-year basis."

NGO seeks probe into fake financial institutions in state

In a letter to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the North Eastern Economical Development Society (Needs) on Wednesday demanded the state government to conduct a thorough investigation into the workings of all NGOs and financial organizations in the state by December 31.

Amardeep Paul, founder of Needs, said several fake NGOs and financial institutions have come into existence in the city and are committing fraud. "In the name of special schemes, innocent people are being cheated of their herd-earned money. We want the government to look into the workings of all NGOs in the state and find out their authenticity," he said.

Tanya Bhattacharya, a Needs activist, said, "We are a genuine organization, yet people are apprehensive in trusting us because they feel most of the NGOs are fake. Our purpose is to bring about transparency in the workings of the various organizations."

Assam Govt's White paper on influx raises political storm

The white paper on the foreigners' issue in the state has literally kicked off a political storm with opposition parties and All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) charging the government with playing down the "seriousness" of infiltration from Bangladesh.

With infiltration once again taking centrestage in the aftermath of clashes in Bodoland, the state government attempted to make its stand clear on the problem by projecting a "comprehensive" view on the issue. The document even attempted to project the genesis of the problem, its present status and possibilities in the future.

Asserting that the government is committed to detecting and deporting immigrants from Bangladesh, chief minister Tarun Gogoi emphasized that the state is facing more problems in health, education and unemployment. This stand, however, did not go down well with the opposition parties, especially BJP and Aasu. BJP said the state government rather attempted to play down the threat posed by unchecked infiltration to the identities of indigenous people in the state. The saffron party also questioned the government on the whereabouts of thousands of immigrants detected by tribunals.

Call for fixed doc timings, MR Union

The Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives Union (Northeast region) today urged the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital authorities to provide medical representatives with a suitable time to visit doctors and ensure they are not abused or manhandled by any hospital staff.

On the other hand, the union also admitted that certain medical representatives do bribe doctors with expensive gifts and condemned those involved in such activities.

The medical representatives today came forward to clear their stand following an altercation between doctors and medical representatives on October 19 at GMCH over alleged disturbance caused by representatives at a particular outpatient department while doctors were attending to patients. The incident resulted in the doctors boycotting the entry of medical representatives on the hospital premises.

AIIDC officer, trader chargesheeted

The CBI today chargesheeted former managing director of Assam Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (AIIDC) Nur Mohammad and coal trader Naveen Kumar Singhal alias Naveen Kumar Gupta in a case related to diversion of coal meant for small units of the state to the open market.

An official source said the anti-corruption branch of the CBI in Guwahati filed the chargesheet at the special CBI court here today.

“The scam, which took place in 2008-09, amounts to nearly Rs 3.4 crore,” the source said.

The CBI had carried out raids at the residences and offices of the two accused in September last year.

Rigorous imprisonment for internal auditor

The court of special judge, Assam, M. Mazed Ali, today sentenced Manoj Saikia, an internal auditor at the office of sub-divisional planning officer in Golaghat district, to rigorous imprisonment for three-and-a-half-years in a corruption case.

The court found Saikia guilty under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Saikia. He will have to undergo imprisonment for further six months in the event of failure to pay fine.

Saikia was allegedly caught by the project director of district rural development agency (DRDA), B.C. Phukan, while taking bribe from secretaries of five gaon panchayats under the Gomariguri development block in Golaghat district on August 25, 2008.

A case was registered against him at Merapani police station.

Saikia had allegedly taken Rs 2,000 each from the gaon panchayat secretaries.

More than 200 stage dharna for rehabilitation

The Janajati Suraksha Manch today staged a sit-in on the premises of the deputy commissioner’s office, seeking fulfilment of demands related to the relief and rehabilitation of those affected in the recent violence in Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang districts.

Over 200 people, including from the affected villages, participated in the dharna, staged from 11am to noon.

A memorandum with a 14-point charter of demands was submitted to the Kokrajhar deputy commissioner.

Additional deputy commissioner Dinesh Boro accepted the memorandum on behalf of the deputy commissioner.

Mob attacks cops after truck runs over college principal

Five police constables were seriously injured while they attempted to control a mob after a speeding truck ran over Samaguri college principal Pradip Kumar Kalita, 48, at Uriagaon chalk under Sadar police station in Nagaon today.

The principal died on the spot.

After the accidents, enraged local villagers tried to torch the truck.

However, they were thwarted by local police, who reached the site and took the truck to the nearby Borghat police station.

Uriagaon, 5km from Nagaon district headquarters, is under Itachali outpost of Sadar police station.

Probe into ex-MLA’s ‘communal’ remark

Dhubri police today initiated an inquiry into an alleged communal statement by former Dhubri legislator Rasul Haque (Bahadur) after a complaint was lodged by the district unit of the Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sanmilan yesterday.

Dhubri police registered an FIR against the former legislator under Sections 135 and 120-B IPC and started an inquiry into the statement allegedly aired on some of the state-run TV news channels, a senior police officer in Dhubri said.

The president of the Dhubri unit of the organisation, Debasish Bhattacharjee, alleged that the statement would add fuel to the fire.

He asked the police to take steps in the greater interest of social and racial harmony.

Migrants discover new entry route

Infiltrators from Bangladesh have now found a new route for their ingress across the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, raising the hackles of the BSF.

According to a senior official of the BSF in Cachar, a majority of these infiltrators are entering the country through this new route near Umthiang and Kuliang hamlets in East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya and easily get jobs in scores of open cast collieries thriving in that district that shares a border with Cachar district in Assam.

The extent of infiltration of the Bangladeshis in the adjoining state, described by the BSF official as largescale, can be gauged from statistics which state that in October alone, 92 people were apprehended while trying sneak past the security vigil along this border into the country or back to Bangladesh.

Assam Accord was “faulty and weak” says KMSS

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today said the Assam Accord was a “faulty and weak” agreement, which can’t solve the problem of illegal infiltration, as Dispur claimed that the white paper on foreigners issue was a true picture of facts.

The samiti’s statement assumes importance as AASU is demanding deportation of illegal migrants on the basis of the Assam Accord.

KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi today said they are organising a Jatiya Abhibartan (national convention) on November 7 and a mass rally on November 8 in a bid to prepare a roadmap and finding a permanent solution to the foreigners issue.

“We will invite all the political and non-political parties to our programmes, which will be organised in association with the joint forum of Guwahati Mahanagar Unnayan Samitis,” Akhil said.

Guwahati student makes it to Times Scholars list

Ajitesh Gogoi loves gadgets and keeps abreast with anything latest in the world of technology. He loves his computer which is the window for him to explore the world of technology around him.

A student of Class XII at DPS Guwahati, Ajitesh has a dream that one day he will become a top-notch IT professional in the country. Ajitesh, a resident of Beltola Survey area of Guwahati, was born on December 14, 1994. His father, Dibya Dhar Gogoi, is a forest department officer and is currently posted at Kaziranga National Park. His mother, Mouchumi Saikia Gogoi, passed away last year. Ajitesh has a younger sister, Namrata, who studies in Class VII in the same school.

When he was selected for Times Scholars, Ajitesh's joy knew no bounds as he started dreaming that he is moving in the right direction in fulfilling his aspirations.

'Times Scholars' is an initiative by The Times of India to recognize and reward the brightest young minds, 45,000 of whom applied for the scholarship this year. The final round for the top 100 - 105, to be precise - is slated for November 3 in Delhi.

Poacher who killed two Kaziranga rhinos caught

A rhino poacher, who killed two rhinos at Kaziranga National Park, was arrested by police early on Tuesday. A .303 rifle, a .32 pistol, a silencer and six rounds of live ammunition were found on him.

Police said based on some intelligence inputs, security forces including the army, CRPF and police launched a joint operation in the hills of Karbi Anglong on Monday night. But the poacher managed to flee to Bokakhat, where they caught him later.

Superintendent of police (Karbi Anglong) B B Chetry said, "An overnight joint operation of police, CRPF and army was launched in the Karbi hills last night. But, the poacher, along with his weapons, managed to flee from his hideout in the hills and arrived in Bokakhat at around 4.30 am. Our staff chased him away from the hills and caught him at Palashguri area in Bokakhat where he trying to hide."

Project to improve water supply - Assam among four states selected for $1bn World Bank scheme

Assam will get a slice of the proposed $1 billion World Bank loan to improve piped water and sanitation in rural areas.

Official sources said the Union ministry of drinking water and sanitation has identified Assam as the only state from the Northeast, which will benefit from the six-year assistance.

The project information document published by the bank on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low-income States says the ministry has requested for $1 billion loan for Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh for improving piped water and sanitation. The project is likely to be approved by May next year.

Assam has been selected on the basis of having very low indicators for piped water and sanitation coverage. Only 6.8 per cent of households in the state have access to piped water and with regard to toilets, though 60 per cent houses have access to them, about half are not fit for use.

Tribute to blast victims : Candles, tears for wounds still raw

Colours formed a myriad images on canvases under Ganeshguri flyover this morning as painters paid tribute to victims of the October 30 blasts in their way.

One artist was inspired to paint a dove and another painted a flyover joining two human bodies. These paintings today stood at the same spot, where four years ago, blood stained the ground and ominous clouds of acrid, black smoke filled the air.

Veteran artist Gauri Barman painted a bloodstained bird. “The bird, the symbol of peace, lies dead instead of spreading its wings in the air. At the same time, I am also trying to say that we have failed to do anything for the families of the victims.”

A few metres away, stood the newly unveiled martyrs’ memorial. Sculptor Biren Singha’s installation is a reminder that like the fallen leaves of the tree, many lives were snuffed out before their time. The diya at the centre is waiting for a time of peace when it will be lit, Singha said.

Trafficked girls relive trauma

They may have been rescued and their lives changed, but the trauma of their horrific experiences is yet to fade away.

The three teenaged girls — one from Kamrup (metro) and the other two from Myanmar who had come to Calcutta to get their mother treated for some ailment — were trafficked to different locations in the country before their were rescued by anti-human trafficking organisations.

These girls today came forward to share their ordeal during a workshop on trafficking organised by Global Organisation for Life Development (GOLD) in the city today. The workshop focused on how to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking and the laws governing the trade in India.

Scheme for mustard farmers, Borka

Borka village in Kamrup is being targeted for improved mustard cultivation under a joint programme of Lions Club and the Assam Agricultural University.

The programme aims to improve the capacities of 700 farmers of Borka village in Kamrup district in certified seed production technology of high-yielding toria (mustard) varieties TS-36 and TS-38 developed by the Assam Agricultural University.

The village is being targeted under a village adoption programme of Lions Care and Horticultural Research Station Kahikuchi is acting as the technical support partner.

Convenor of village development programme of Lions Care, a philanthropic organisation under Lions Club, Rajkumar More said a number of steps were on the anvil, including contract farming of potato and production of lentil among others, through a farmer group approach.

Violence at Dhubri again

A house at Bahdurtary (Ananda Bazar) here was torched last night though shops, which had remained closed for the past four days, opened during the period of curfew relaxation today.

The house of one Radha Debi at Bahadurtary in ward 11 here was torched late last night with Radha and her daughter’s family of three sleeping inside.

“We woke up when the house caught fire and cried for help. But it was completely reduced to ashes before anybody could do anything,” Radha’s daughter, Kabita Das, said.

She said she and several other persons smelt petrol as the arsonists had probably sprinkled the fuel before setting the house on fire.

People of the locality alleged that since troubled started last week, they had closed the bamboo bridge connecting the locality with other areas. This might have angered the other community and spurred them into torching the house.

Dhubri town sub-inspector Dewan Harmuj Ali said barring the arson, no fresh incident was reported from any part of Dhubri town.

The town is now limping back to normality though tension prevails in some parts of the town.

Shops finally opened and government offices and banks functioned normally during the curfew relaxation period today.

The curfew was re-imposed from 5pm.

Tales of sex workers explored - Assam’s Rabijita Gogoi’s play in Prithvi Theatre festival

Assam’s Rabijita Gogoi is all set to tell the world about the life of sex workers.

Rabijita’s play Ok Tata Bye Bye, which will be staged at Prithvi Theatre Festival on Monday, is about a couple’s venture to document the life of sex workers and their experiences during the process.

Ok Tata Bye Bye is a play written during Writer’s Bloc 2011, where 12 new plays were penned under the guidance of theatre scriptwriters from the UK in a workshop and produced by Rage theatre, Mumbai.

Written by Purba Naresh and directed by Rabijita, the bilingual (Hindi and English) play will cast Alham Khan Karachiwala, Prerna Chawla, Nishi Joshi, Gagan Riar, Sunita Rajwar, Jim Sarbh, Gopal Dutt and Sarika Singh.

Many vulnerable spots still not covered by CCTV Camera

Even four years after the October 30 serial blasts that rocked the state and claimed more than a hundred lives, the state government's promise to bring the whole city under Close Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance remains incomplete as of now.

Soon after the blasts took place in 2008, the state government had announced a slew of security measures, including installation of 291 CCTV cameras at 91 vulnerable spots in the city, as recommended by the Enquiry Committee, headed by retired IPS officer D N Dutta, constituted by the government in the aftermath of the serial blasts. Despite the deadline to complete the installation of the CCTV cameras by September this year has gone by, only 50 CCTVs have been installed in only nine locations till now.

Disaster management exercise in Guwahati

With participation of national and international emergency experts, the Guwahati Emergency Management Exercise (GEMEx) - a joint emergency management programme - kicked off here on Monday.

The week-long programme, initiated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with Assam State Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authority Kamrup (Metro) district, is the highest level of emergency management exercise ever conducted in the country after Mumbai and Chennai.

"According to the 2012 World Disaster Report, 15 million people across the world are displaced by natural and technical disasters every year. As many as 50,000 people are killed by earthquakes every year in the world. Flood affects the lives of 99 million people across the globe every year. Training to combat disasters has become crucial in view of such high number of causalities," said Margarita Tileva, the chief of emergencies, Unicef.

Private bus operators are likely to revise fares

After the Assam State Transportation Corporation (ASTC), the private tour operators are likely to revise the fares fixed by the state government from Thursday. This came while people of the state have just begun to feel the pinch of the 25 per cent hike in transport fares made by the state government after constant demand of the transporters amid hike in diesel prices.

"ASTC is already charging the revised rates from the passengers. But the private bus operators is likely to revise their fares from Thursday as they are waiting for the completion of some formalities," said Pranab Kumar Adhikary, bus division manager of Network Travels, a leading private tour operator of the state.

Guwahati blast 2008 - 4 years later, victims continue to struggle

It’s a day that makes scores of families weep, hundreds shudder and gives thousands goose bumps.

October 30, 2008, may go down as one of the darkest days in Assam history but Naresh Tumung, 35, does not even remember the horrific instant that changed his and his family’s life forever.

The one-time autorickshaw driver battled with death for eight months after the powerful blast at Ganeshguri maimed his left hand and left leg and damaged his brain. Though he won that battle, he lost much more.

Today, living with his mother, Gulapi, in a rickety bamboo hut provided by people of his locality at Hengerabari, he lives off his brother’s income and has no memory whatsoever of who he was before that fateful day. Even his wife was taken away by her family members on the day of the blast. His pastime — playing chess with neighbours who drop by every day to check his progress.

Traffic violation in Guwahati on rise

Over one lakh cases of traffic violations have been registered by cops in the city till August this year.

The figure points to the fact that large numbers of motorists in the city, “particularly a section of youths”, are showing utter disregard for traffic rules.

According to city traffic police records, altogether 1,01,342 cases of traffic violations were registered in the city till August this year and a whopping Rs 1,91,12,100 has been collected in fines.

“By the end of this year, these figures are likely to cross last year’s sum,” a source in the city police said. Last year, traffic police registered 1,27,660 cases and collected Rs 2,59,86,200 in fines.

Doctor's advice for stroke

Many people with hypertension and high cholesterol levels here are not meticulous in taking medicines regularly and not following medical advice which doubly increase their chances of suffering brain strokes. This was stated by doctors on World Stroke Day today.

The city hospitals receive a significant number of patients suffering from brain strokes very frequently. While some patients recover after surgeries, many become paralysed for life.

World Stroke Day is observed across the world to educate people on the causes of brain stoke and ways to prevent it.

World Stroke Day is part of World Stroke Campaign of the World Stroke Organisation.

Adda to hold seminars and workshops in the presence of eminent filmmakers

Adda is all set to organise the ninth edition of its short film festival, which has been providing aspiring filmmakers with a platform to showcase their creativity in front of a greater audience.

The organisers will celebrate the Ninth Adda Short Film Festival 2012 in a grand way. This time it will be a two-day event — December 8 and 9 at District Library — instead of a daylong one. Seminars and workshops in the presence of national award-winning film personalities will be held to encourage budding filmmakers.

Adda has been holding short film festival for more than a decade now to popularise short films. Through these festivals it not only tries to encourage short filmmakers but also makes people aware of short films.

CCITNO urges Dispur not to allow migrants to settle

The Coordination Committee of Indigenous Tribal National Organisation today accused Dispur of making an attempt to settle illegal migrants in Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) in the name of rehabilitation of riot victims.

The allegation has assumed significance in view of tomorrow’s meeting of the group of ministers in Dispur to review the status of the process of rehabilitation of riot victims.

The committee members today met Prithibi Majhi, the chairman of the cabinet committee on rehabilitation of riot victims in the BTAD, and submitted a memorandum to him demanding that the government must not allow settlement of illegal migrants under any circumstances.

AGP writes EC to remove discrepancies from Voters List

The AGP today shot off a letter to the Election Commission of India alleging discrepancies in the draft photo electoral rolls, 2013.

The working president of the AGP, Atul Bora, said they had faxed a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, V.S. Sampath, today requesting him to take suitable measures to remove “discrepancies” in the draft electoral rolls of the state which were published on October 19.

“This issue was discussed during our steering committee meeting held on October 26 and we have moved the chief election commissioner today,” he said.

Bora said there was no mention of the word “draft” in the draft electoral rolls which had created doubts in the minds of the people. “Moreover, in the draft rolls, which were published on October 19, the date of publication was written as January 23, 2013, which was the date for publication of the final rolls. As a result of that there is no way for us to find out if any draft roll is sent to a polling station as the final list,” he said.

Influx facts are half truth, says AASU

The All Assam Students’ Union today described Dispur’s recent white paper on the foreigners issue as a “half truth” and alleged that important historical facts had been suppressed to mislead the people of Assam.

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya told reporters at a news conference here today that though the Tarun Gogoi government had made an attempt to disclose some facts and figures about illegal migration, some important historical facts about the problem had not found place in such an important document. The student body also distributed a document on the history of the anti-foreigner movement in the state among the reporters.

“We are not rejecting the white paper but at the same time, it is not a foolproof document. It cannot be the basis for research and study on the illegal migration issue in the future,” Bhattacharyya said.

Dhubri Women lathicharged by police

Police today lathicharged a group of women who were demonstrating outside Dhubri police station demanding the release of nine persons who were detained by police last night.

The police action not only dampened the festive spirit on Lakshmi Puja but also caused deep resentment among the residents of Dhubri.

Last night, Dhubri police picked up nine persons from Bishnu Hall, Sluice Gate, Korai Patty and Nulia Patty areas in connection with clashes that took place few days ago. Six of them were arrested and the rest were later released. The protesters claimed that all them were innocent and the police arrested them without any inquiry on the basis of a false FIR lodged by some persons.

Memorial to be unveiled for 2008 Guwahati blast victims

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi will unveil a swahid bedi below Ganeshguri flyover at the site of the 2008 serial blasts on Tuesday to honour those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

October 30 marks the fourth anniversary of the tragedy and a memorial service is also being organised by the Kamrup (metro) district administration in collaboration with the state government.

Around 90 people died and many were injured during the serial blasts, which occurred at Ganeshguri, Panbazar and near CJM Court at Kachari.

Assamese sculptor Biren Singha has created the memorial at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh.

“Like every year, this time, too, we are organising a memorial service to pay tribute to the people who had lost their lives during the serial blasts. A prayer service will be followed by lighting of lamps by the public. The chief minister will inaugurate the memorial on the occasion. The families of the victims are likely to be present during the service,” said Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri.

250 Kids joined workshop on songs of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Children here got a taste of Bhupen Hazarika’s music during a three-day workshop on the maestro’s creations that concluded at Gauhati Commerce College today.

Organised by Dr Bhupen Hazarika Literary and Cultural Forum — a body formed in August to promote Hazarika’s creations without distortion among people, especially the young generation — the workshop was attended by around 250 children from different parts of the city.

Hazarika’s brother, Samar, was the resource person during the workshop.

Though the depth of Hazarika’s lyrics apparently eluded the young minds, they enthusiastically learned these by heart and sang along with Samar Hazarika. The fact that most of them were from English medium schools did not stand in the way.

Milk set to get costlier by Rs. 5 to 6 per litre

The morning cup of brew is likely to become dearer with price of milk likely to increase within the next fortnight in the city.

The Brihattar Gauhati Go-Palak Sanstha is contemplating to increase the price of milk by about Rs 5-6 per litre to meet the rising costs of production.

The Sanstha today said rising cost of inputs like cattle feed and fuel have resulted in a sudden increase in the production cost of milk. As a result, for the past few days, the 5,000-odd dairy farmers here are incurring losses.

Interacting with the media today, Mridupaban Baishya, adviser to the Brihattar Gauhati Go-Palak Sanstha, said, “After the rise in fuel prices, the cost of cattle feed has suddenly gone up. Besides, prices of other inputs and labour cost of rearing the livestock are increasing continuously. It is becoming exceedingly difficult for us to meet the production cost. The livelihoods of innumerable families are directly associated with this business. While the present price of milk is Rs 33 per litre, the production cost has increased to Rs 37.50 per litre in the last few days. Hence, we have no other option but to increase the price by the second week of November. We appeal to the public to understand our position.”

GMDA set to go online for building permission system

The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority will move to a computerised building permission system in order to reduce the hassles of the manual system.

The new system is expected to make the whole process of building permission more transparent and user-friendly.

“We get a lot of complaints from the present manual building permission system and want to make it totally error-free,” said GMDA chief executive officer M. Angamuthu.

The new system will be a computer-aided design-based computerised solution for automatic building permission scrutiny. CAD is used to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design and many private organisations use it in varied applications.

The move comes in the wake of the recent meeting between Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers Association president P.K. Sharma and Guwahati development department minister Ajanta Neog, where Sharma requested the entire process be made online with strict penal provisions for offending officials.

Tezpur Medical college hits the Eco hurdle

An expert panel of the environment and forests ministry has found that construction of Tezpur Medical College and Hospital has begun without obtaining the mandatory environmental clearances, which is in “violation” of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification.
The issue came up for discussion at the 116th meeting of the expert appraisal committee for building construction, coastal regulation zone, infrastructure development and miscellaneous projects that was held from September 19 to 21 at New Delhi.

“The committee after discussion (has) concluded that since construction has already begun, this is a case of violation,” the committee report stated. According to the details of the meeting, an executive engineer of the public works department revealed that construction for the above project had already begun.

Environmental clearance for certain developmental projects has been made mandatory by the ministry of environment and forests through its notification issued on January 27, 1994 under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Dhemaji ready to export Organic paddy to European Countries

Dhemaji district in Assam is getting ready to export organic paddy (bao dhan) to European countries.

The development took place after the agriculture department traced the high protein and iron content in four traditional bao paddy varieties in the flood-prone district, during a recent study.

Dhemaji deputy commissioner M.S. Manivannan said samples of four bao paddy varieties have already been sent to the desired European farm through a New Delhi-based institution.

The local administration is waiting to get a green signal from the authorities concerned for sending as much as 40 metric tonnes organic paddy in the first phase.

A team of European experts will visit the district within the next month for a detailed study of the concept of bao paddy cultivation and the visit will follow a direct link between the Dhemaji farmers and the European paddy exporters.

3 ULFA hardcore ultras nabbed in Assam; grenades, pistol recovered

Three hardcore ULFA insurgents were arrested with grenades, pistols and ammunition from Assam's Goalpara and Dibrugarh districts on Saturday.

On a tip off, police nabbed two militants from a bus coming from Arunachal Pradesh in front of the army camp at Lakhipur in Goalpara district.

Five hand grenades, a pistol with 20 ammunition and blank cartridges of AK-47 rifle were recovered from the ultras who are brothers, police sources said.

The two have been identified as Gupesh Hajong, who was trained in an ULFA camp in Bhutan in 1997, and Durlav Hajong, the sources said.

In Dibrugarh district, another ULFA extremist Nitul Das was picked up at Chabua with five grenades, one pistol, ammunition and documents.

Interrogation of the arrested ultras were on, they added.

Vegetable prices in Upper Assam burn holes in customers’ pockets

The flood that swept across the state in September might well be over, but the impact it left behind is still causing pain to the common man, particularly in the two Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh where almost 90 per cent of the population suffered directly or indirectly due to the floods.

One major impact which the common man is encountering these days is a massive price rise in the prices of vegetables. As the summer vegetables gradually vanish from the markets, winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbages, brinjals, beans, etc., have started arriving in the markets. But, as the customers go to the market they are stumped with exorbitant prices of these vegetables.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan enthrals audience

Internationally acclaimed Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan enthralled audiences at the ITA Machkhowa this evening.

Among those who witnessed the show of the legendry musician in the State were Assam Governor JB Patnaik, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar, besides a host of noted personalities.

The Sarod maestro was accompanied by his two sons – Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan.

Titled ‘Peace and Harmony Concert’, the show was organised as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC). NEZCC chairman Nikhil Kumar, who is also the Governor of Nagaland, was the chief host of the event.

The performance of the Sarod maestro is part of the year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations of the NEZCC – a premier autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The celebrations have been organised in various parts of the Northeast for almost a year now.

Eid-ul-Zuha celebrated in Assam

Eid-ul-Zuha was celebrated across Assam on Saturday with prayers for peace.

In Guwahati, thousands of people offered namaz at the historic Machkhowa Eidgah. Over 5,000 peace and communal harmony at Jalukbari Eidgah Maidan in the city as well. Eid-ul-Zuha prayer was also offered at Burha Jame Maszid and other mosques of Guwahati and on the outskirts.

Eid prayers were also offered in western Assam districts which witnessed bloody ethnic clashes a few months ago. Riot-hit displaced Muslims celebrated Eid in relief camps, where they are awaiting rehabilitation.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi also offered Eid-ul-Zuha prayer at Rajdhani Masjid near the state capital here. Gogoi said love and brotherhood is the main essence of all religions. "Eid-ul-Zuha evokes the feeling of love, compassion and understanding. Let us reaffirm our resolve to further strengthen the spirit of brotherhood, unity and peace," said Gogoi. The chief minister appealed to people to endorse the longstanding tradition of amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in society.

Disaster management training for Guwahati residents

In a bid to harness the strengths and capabilities of people who can respond during an emergency, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will train people in Guwahati Emergency Management Exercise (GEMEx) from Monday.

GEMEx is the third massive emergency management exercise of the highest level in the country after Mumbai and Chennai. The northeast is earthquake prone for being located in Seismic Zone V.

"The kind of training that will be imparted to the participants is for the first time in the north east. As many as 19 international faculties will train the participants during GEMEx. On November 3, a mock drill will be held at the Assam Engineering Institute Playground, where disaster preparedness of all government employees will be tested," said Dhruba Jyoti Das, the CEO of Kamrup (Metro) district disaster management authority.

The emergency management exercise will be conducted in various parts of the city by NDMA experts, in collaboration with the district disaster management authority, Kamrup (Metro) and Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

Erosion victims Majuli turn to Almighty after Govt's apathy

It is not in the power of modern science and technology to fight nature's wrath. At least the residents of Majuli think so, for these victims of erosion have decided to go for the last resort, the Almighty.

Over two thousand people from 23 erosion-affected villages along the Brahmaputra offered prayers to the river on Saturday in order to appease god. They were joined by vaishnavites from three ashrams situated in Majuli. Despite spending crores of rupees on anti-erosion schemes, the government has failed to bring the situation under control.

"We have no other alternative than to offer prayer to the Almighty to save ourselves. The river is washing away the villages one after another and gobbling up hundreds of hectares of culpable land belonging to the farmers here. Government projects bore no fruit. So we decided to come together to offer prayer to the river seeking her kindness to save us," said a villager, who was present at the programme held at Bhogpur Puhardia area.

National Register of Citizens will be linked to AADHAR cards of Assam

Unlike other parts of the country, AADHAR cards for residents of Assam will be linked to National Register of Citizens, which is the data base of citizens, as the state is facing the problem of illegal migrants. The AADHAR number is proof of residence only and not citizenship.

"The AADHAR enrolment exercise here would be government-driven. It is going to be different than other states," a source said.

The unique identification project is an initiative of the Planning Commission to provide identification for each resident across the country. This brand name of this 16-digit number of the unique identification number (UID) is Aadhaar. The objective is to issue every resident a UID linked to the resident's demographic and biometric information, which they can use to identify themselves anywhere in the country and to access a host of benefits and services.

Assam's woman MP likely to get berth

With the Union ministry set for a reshuffle on Sunday, there is a likelihood of lone woman Congress MP from the state, Rani Narah, getting a berth in the council of ministers. The hopes of Congress got a boost after Narah was summoned by the party high command to New Delhi on Saturday.

"We believe Narah will find a berth in the new council of ministry," a source said. Narah is an MP from Lakhimpur constituency. The Union council of ministers, at present, has two faces from the state - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who represents the state in the Rajya Sabha and minister of state with independent charge for development of northeastern region and parliamentary affairs Paban Singh Ghatowar.

Narah's inclusion would also raise the number of representatives from the NE region in the Union council of ministers from three to four after the resignation of water resources and minority affairs minister Vincent H Pala. The other one is minister of state for rural development Agatha Sangma.

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Assam governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik greet people on Eid-ul-Zuha

 

Governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik has extended his greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha on Friday.

Highlighting the importance of free observance of all religious festivals with the spirit of joy and brotherhood, and maintaining the right balance between piety and gaiety, Patnaik appealed all citizens to uphold the longstanding tradition of amity and communal harmony.

Meet for power supply to Bongaigaon grid

With successful generation of power from northeast's biggest gas-based thermal project of Palatana in south Tripura, officials from the Union power ministry met NE power department officials on Friday to make immediate arrangements to transmit power to Bongaigoan national grid.

The non-availability of power evacuation line beyond Silchar has created an obstacle in the commercial run of the first unit (363-MW capacity) of the project.

Officials of ONGC-Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC) here said Palatana had produced 42 MW of power on October 22, and in two days, its power generation capacity reached to about 72 MW during test run. Very soon, the first unit of the project would be able to generate about 363 MW of power.

"Due to non-availability of power evacuation system up to Bongaigoan, the Palatana project can't produce power as per its capacity. After 120 MW, we have to put a cap on production, as the northeast load dispatch centre is yet to get the transmission nod," a top OTPC official said.

Tarun Gogoi & Okram Ibobi Singh to oppose Naga integration demand

 

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said he and his Manipur counterpart, Okram Ibobi Singh, will jointly oppose any move by the Centre to accede to NSCN (IM)'s demand for territorial integration of Naga- inhabited areas of Assam and Manipur with Nagaland. The duo had earlier blocked such a move during the NDA government's tenure.

The NSCN (IM) wants to carve out a greater Nagaland by including all Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunchal Pradesh to the present state of Nagaland. "I welcome a solution with NSCN (IM) but without territorial integration of Naga-inhabited areas of Assam or other states," Gogoi said here on Friday. He added that the Centre didn't hold any consultation with the state government in this regard.

Center okays floodlight project along the Indo-Bangladesh border

 

The Union home ministry has issued the much-awaited administrative approval to Cachar-Mizoram Frontier Force of the BSF to erect floodlights along the 138km-long Indo-Bangladesh border in Cachar and Karimganj districts in south Assam, in a bid to improve security.

A senior BSF official today said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 41.92 crore to set up the floodlights along the international boundary by the end of next year to check illegal migration.

He said an electrical firm in New Delhi had been assigned the task to install the floodlights.