Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Soil Conservation Department under scanner

KOKRAJHAR, July 29: In a gruelling session, Members of the Council Legislative Assembly (MCLA) of BTC Executive Council bombarded BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary on the progress made by the Soil Conservation Department. In reply to this, Mohilary said that the Department of Soil Conservation is one of the major departments in the Council.

Members like– Rabindra Brahma, Moon Brahma, Rabindra Bala and others questioned the Executive Member of Soil Conservation, Shyam Sundi on his failure to implement any project so far. In reply to this, Sundi said that due to insufficient funds, most of the schemes could not be implemented. He added that, the schemes would be implemented in due course subject to the availability of fund.

Sundi said that, the department received an amount of Rs 573.46 lakh in the last four years of which Rs 2,10,25,300 at Kokrajhar, Rs 61,10,00 at Chirang, Rs 32,20,000 at Baksa and Rs 2,33,37,600 at Udalguri has been utilized. Interestingly, the Soil Conservation Department did not reveal any data on developmental.

Election campaign concludes

SIVASAGAR, July 29: Election campaign was conducted in full swing on the last day of campaigning for the upcoming civic body polls for the Sivasagar Municipal Board (SMB). All the candidates and political parties took out rallies in the town in a last ditch effort to woo the voters.
The Congress party held a bike-rally in the town in support of their candidates today. There are 22 women candidates out of 47 for the SMB elections. Four out of 14 municipal wards are reserved for women.

AIKS stages demonstration

DIBRUGARH, July 29: The order to evict more than hundred families in Jokai Samguri Bongali Gaon here has earned the ire of the Dibrugarh unit of All India Krishak Sabha (AIKS).
The regional unit of AIKS held a demonstration in Dibrugarh today. They are demanding the withdrawal of the order and the allotment of land to the affected families.
The families concerned have been residing in the village, which falls under Mancotta Khanikar mouza in Dibrugarh West Revenue Circle, for more than three decades.
The organization stated that, the concerned land was earlier a grazing field but was allotted to the poor families under minimum needs programme after being turned into ceiling land way back in 1975. Many of these families have lived on the land since the pre-Independence era, they added. While criticizing the order to evict these farmers, the Sabha demanded that they should be issued land pattas.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Governor to restore relationship between Bihar and Asom

DIBRUGARH, July 26: The newly appointed Governor of Bihar, Devananda Konwar, promised to restore age old cordial relationship between the States of Bihar and Asom regretting the fact that there was an amount of disruption in the last few years. He was speaking at a function to felicitate him organized by the Dibrugarh chapter of Axom Xahitya Xabha and Dibrugarh Nagarik Mancha yesterday. Konwar in his speech stated that, though in negative perception about Bihar still exist in some mind, the fact of the matter is that Bihar’s contribution to the Indian civilization and advancement cannot be ignored. He stated that, it is in Bihar that major religions such as Buddhism and Jainism took roots and flourished before spreading all over the world. In the fields of education and in philosophy, Bihar’s place was second to none, he said. Governor said that, Nalanda University is the first university in the recorded history of the world predating even the birth of Christ.

Even in present time, in spite of the mass publicized state of poverty, the fact that students having their origin in Bihar contribute substantially in the list of IAS and IPS candidates as well as to the other streams of civil services is not generally known. As a reservoir and supplier of human resources to each and every States of India and to the world, Bihar’s claim cannot be ignored.

Konwar stated that, it will be his endeavour to build bridges between the States of Asom and Bihar in the field of education and culture so that misunderstanding of the recent past can be erased.

The former president of Axom Xahitya Xabha, Dr Nagen Saikia presided over the function. In his speech, Dr Saikia recalled the academic ties between the universities of Bihar and Asom when Deva Kanta Baruah was the Governor of Bihar and requested Konwar to explore possibility for renewal of such ties. Niva Konwar, the wife of the Governor also accompanied him.

Earlier, Governor formally released the in-house magazine of Dibrugarh Xahitya Xabha.
A number of organizations of Dibrugarh also felicitated the Governor and the first lady of Bihar.

Friday, July 24, 2009

AGP stages dharna

JORHAT, July 23: Jorhat branch of Asom Gana Parishad staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today. A memorandum has been submitted to the DC in this regard.
Senior AGP leader Hemanta Kalita, while condemning the utterances of the State Health Minister saying that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the six years of rule in the State had completely failed to control or discipline his colleagues.

“He may have said something which passes for an apology but we cannot accept this and will not be satisfied unless he is arrested for using such language against our party”, Kalita said.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma has been given a Doctorate degree by Gauhati University so that he can use such language”, Kalita sarcastically said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma had allegedly told news channel that the Government would pay State Government employees one rupee more than the pay received by Central Government employees and this would be like shoes thrown (slap) on the face of the AGP, who were criticizing the Government for not implementing the Central Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendation. “Unless he is arrested soon, the AGP will continue to agitate”, Kalita said.

Munaf donates land

JORHAT, July 23: Munaf of Jengonikotia in Sivasagar district for donating two bighas of land to the Namtipul Girls’ High School, Namtipul Art and Music School (Charukala Kendra) and a branch office of Gyandeep Sahitya Sabha at Namtipul, has been praised by the people of the area.
The institutional heads of these institutions have through separate letters acknowledged Syed Abdul Munaf’s generous gesture and commitment to the society.
Syed Abdul Munaf is the son of a social worker, late Abdul Nayeem, who was not financially sound but had a large quantity land and property. Though Syed Abdul Munaf inherited a share of the land, he does not have a secure Government job and therefore this donation of more than two bighas of land has been appreciated by the people.
Syed Abdul Munaf also heads the NGO– Samannay Mega Society, which he formed in 2005 with permission of the Deputy Commissioner, Sivasagar.
Various organizations and the people in general have praised the works of the NGO and hoped that it continues its good work.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Shootout in crowded Manipur market, two killed

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IMPHAL: A militant and a woman passerby were killed in a shootout at a crowded marketplace in the heart of the Manipur capital on Thursday morning.


Two civilians were also injured when an unidentified militant armed with an automatic weapon was chased by a security team in the market area around 11am, police said.

"The area was crowded with shoppers and vendors when the militant opened indiscriminate gunfire seeing a security team. In the ensuing gunbattle, the militant and a civilian woman were killed," a police official said.

The identity of the militant was not immediately known.

"We are not sure why the militant was moving in the market area with arms. There are some reports that the lone militant was planning to take people hostage at a shopping complex although we are still investigating the incident," the official said.

The shootout led to panic in the area, with shops downing their shutters.

TOI

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Excitement among observers of solar eclipse

DIBRUGARH, July 22: The general atmosphere among the observers who had gathered at Dibrugarh University today to watch the rare event of total solar eclipse was that of excitement.
There was dismay when it began to rain in the early morning hours. However, the rains stopped as the moment of total eclipse approached and all present were able to experience the darkness that fell when the sun was totally overshadowed. But, there was disappointment also as the diamond ring could not be observed.
The university released three balloons today to observe the atmospheric variations during the event.
Meanwhile, the teachers and students of Life Sciences Department had formed groups to watch the behavioural changes in fresh water fishes, tadpole, mollusc (Acatina), kuchia, honeybee, butterfly and mosquito larvae. The groups watching the stomatal reaction in aloe vera and photoreaction in mimosa pudika, amla, nine o’ clock and phylanthus niruri saw visible changes during the eclipse. The department also recorded the effect of the event on photosynthesis in certain plants.
The Registrar of Dibrugarh University, Dr PK Bhuyan, told The Sentinel that the preliminary indication of the studies carried out by the Physics Department was that, there were some of the expected variations of observed parameters. However, further analysis was on and it was too early to say anything, he added.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Safe viewing

July 14: More than two hundred parents and guardians of the students of Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Darrang assembled at the school premises at Kalaigaon from the very morning on July 12 with an unusual gift in hands. The gifts were nothing but four saplings of local fruit yielding trees or valuable trees of its timber value to be planted at the school premises.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Chakka bandh total

JORHAT, July 13: The All Asom 12-hour chakka bandh called by Sadou Asom Motor Sramik Jutia Parishad in association with All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation, Asom unit recorded as total and peacefull in Jorhat district. All the transports, transport undertaking buses and other passenger carrying vehicles have cancelled their daily schedule remaining out of road during the bandh hours of the day. Only a number of private vehicles were running in the road and the day-to-day life was disrupted by the bandh. However, no any untoward incident have been reported so far.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

AJYCP burns PWD Minister’s effigy

JORHAT, July 12: Activists of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) burnt the effigy of Asom PWD Minister at Jorhat recently. The organization demanded the proper utilization of PWD funds meant for the development of different roads in the outskirts of Jorhat town.

SBI branch inaugurated

SOOTEA, July 12: With the opening of 12,972 branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in an agriculture business based area of Sootea in Naduar Revenue Circle of Sonitpur district today, all sections of the society particularly all category of farmers heaved a sigh of relief as the entire area from Asom-Arunachal border to the Brahmaputra near about 50 km radius would be able to avail the banking facilities.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Gangtok-Nathu La Road project going well: Chingapa


Gangtok, July 3 (PTI) A team of senior government officials today expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work being carried out by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for the double-laning of strategically important Gangtok-Nathu La road.

The team led by Sikkim Chief Secretary N D Chingapa inspected the road projects to the Sino-Indian border and expressed satisfaction with the quality of work before a team of mediapersons.

They stopped at 2nd Mile and 8th Mile to assess the material being used for the construction of the road, popularly known as Jawahar Lal Nehru Road.

Chingapa hoped that BRO would be able to complete the Rs 780-crore 64-km road by the deadline of March 2010.

He also assured BRO officials of all assistance of the state government for speedy execution of the road project, which he said, was crucial from the economic and trade point of view and has strategic importance too.
PTI

Assam flood situation grim, over three lakh hit

Guwahati, July 3 (PTI) Over three lakh people have been hit in Assam after incessant rains in catchment areas caused all major rivers to flow above the danger level as the flood situation in the state turned grim today.

Official sources said Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger level at several places including Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Guwahati where over three lakh people have been affected.

In the worst-hit districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Jorhat, vast tracts of land were submerged due to breaches in embankments caused by heavy rains in the foothills of the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh, they said.

The situation in Lakhimpur is very grave following a breach in the 100-m embankment constructed by Malaysian company Sueskira and 200 villages submerged under gushing waters.

Special Ops Teams to deal with terror in Meghalaya


Shillong, July 3 (PTI) Meghalaya government has set up Special Operation Teams (SOTs) consisting of one platoon of specially trained personnel each in Shillong and Tura to deal with any major terrorist threat.

"Efforts are being made to strengthen the teams in terms of manpower and equipment and create more Special Operation Teams in the battalions," a home department official said today.

The operational activities of the SOTs are under the direct control and supervision of concerned district Superintendents of Police.

Besides, a state crisis management group headed by the chief secretary as its chairman has been formed with a view to tackle terrorist threat and other crisis emanating from natural calamities in a coordinated manner, the official said.

A "coordination sub-group" to assist the Crisis Management Group and District Crisis Management Groups headed by