Three-day Manipur bandh begins

IMPHAL, April 30 – Manipur Tribal Joint Action Committee Against Election Under Unwanted District Council Act-sponsored three-day bandh in the five hill districts began amidst demand to take up alternative form of agitation in the interest of the general public.

The bandh which began from midnight yesterday was called as a mark of the beginning of Black Day opposing the proposed elections in the autonomous district councils (ADC)s in five hill districts since not enough monetary power was given to the district councils.

The striking committee has also asked the tribal MLAs and Ministers to resign from their posts without further delay. There are 20 tribal MLAs in the 60 member Manipur Assembly.

It may be recalled that the State Election Commission had issued the election notification for the first phase elections to three ADCs of Sadar Hills, Chandel and Churachandpur on April 26 and the last date for filing nomination papers was fixed on May 3. As per the notification, elections in the above ADCs would be held on May 26.

All Naga Students Association Manipur has also been imposing an ‘indefinite economic blockade’ on the National Highways passing through the State since the second week of April affecting normal life in the land-locked State.

Meanwhile, All club, organisation, association and Meira Paibi Lup (ACOAM Lup) has strongly opposed frequent imposition of bandhs and blockades on the NH saying blockade enforcers should find alternative means of agitation to achieve their demands.

Soruce:http://www.assamtribune.com

Centenary celebrations of Tocklai from May 3

JORHAT, April 30 – Standing on the brink of completing 100 years, the Tocklai Experimental Station (TES), an epitome of good research in the tea sector in the country as well as in the world, is now ready to inaugurate the centenary celebration on May 3, 2010. This was disclosed by Dr Mridul Hazarika, director of Tocklai Experimental Station at a press conference at TES, here today.

Dr Hazarika further stated that in this curtain raiser programme, the centenary celebration would be inaugurated by DN Barua, adviser of TRA.

Addressing mediapersons DN Barua said, “The tea industry of the country should implement the methods of cultivation of tea invented by TES for optimum benefit.”

On the other hand Raj Barooah, TRA council member, said that TES has been providing a helping hand towards the tea industry since its inception. The institute has tremendously served its purpose for which it was established, he added.

Dr Hazarika further revealed that during the function on May 3, as many as 13 retired employees of the institute aged 80 years and above residing in and around Jorhat would be felicitated. They are DN Barua, NN Sharma, MC Katoni, AC Dutta, Khagen Dutta, BN Gogoi, Purna Kanta Bora, Bipin Dutta, SU Ahmed, Haripada Baruah, Someswar Gogoi and A Ahmed.

The second edition of the book entitled Science and Practices in Tea Culture written by Dr DN Barua, will also released in the function.

After the hoisting of the flag at Tocklai Experimental Station campus in the morning on May 3, the centenary procession will be flagged off from District Library, Jorhat. Employees of North Eastern Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Central Muga Eri Research Institute (CMERI), Small Tea Growers, ACMS and many other social organizations will also participate in the procession.

Source:http://www.assamtribune.com

Service tax exemption on NE air travel

NEW DELHI, April 30 – Bowing to pressure, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced exemption of service tax on domestic air travel to and from the NE region.

Replying to a discussion on the Finance Bill 2010, Mukherjee said the effective rates of levy, when they come into effect, would be a maximum of Rs 100 per travel for domestic journey in any class and a maximum of Rs 500 per travel for international journey by economy class. “Further,domestic air travel to and from the NE sector would be exempt even from this moderate tax,” he declared.

“Since I proposed imposition of service tax on international and domestic air passengers in the Budget this year, I have received a number of representations expressing concern that this levy would adversely affect the civil aviation sector and would make air travel prohibitive. I would like to clarify that it would not be so. It would not be linked with the percentage of the fare,” he said.

However, that was about the only announcement, the Union Finance Minister had to make concerning North-East, prompting the Opposition to cry foul.

Meanwhile, the UPA Government came under attack of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha for dilution of the incentives given under the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy - 2007 (NEIIPP).

While Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MP Kumar Deepak Das alleged decline in investment, AUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal took on the Congress Party accusing it of ignoring the interest of the poor in Assam in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Participating in the discussion on Appropriation Bill, 2010 in Rajya Sabha, Das charged that the Budget has ignored North Eastern region’s share. The Budget failed to restore the sanctity of NEIIPP 2007 that got shattered because of dilution of some incentive originally extended to it. “Necessary corrective steps need to be taken,” he said.

The Budget has increased the rate of Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT) by three per cent. It will act as disincentive for companies located in the North Eastern region.

In the Budget speech of 2010, the Finance Minister failed to utter a single word about ‘Assam’ or North-East’, he said.

There is only vision, but no reality for Assam or North East Region. The Budget proposed special focus on agriculture, as an amount of Rs. 400 crore has been provided to extend the green revolution to the Eastern Region. “It is disheartening to note that Assam was not included in the green revolution process, he said.

The State Governments are not utilising the funds properly in the North Eastern region and the State Governments have very poor record of fund utilisation, he alleged.

Meanwhile, two days after voting for the UPA Government in the Parliament, Budruddin Ajmal attacked the Congress Party, complaining of complacent attitude of Assam Government towards granting land patta to the poor in the State.

Participating in the discussion on the Finance Bill 2010, amidst taunts from rival BJP, Ajmal took a swipe at the Congress party.

Punching holes at the implementation of the UPA Government’s flagship NREGA programme, he said there is corruption in execution of the scheme. “Money does not reach the poor,” he claimed.

Referring to Assam, he said floods and erosion have devastated the State. He called for declaration of the flood and erosion problems as national disaster. Congress President Sonia Gandhi andFinance Minister Pranab Mukherjee were among senior UPA leaders, who were present.

Taking pot shots at Tarun Gogoi Government, he said the poor in the State were suffering because the State Government has stopped issuing land patta. Assam Government has not given patta to the poor and as a result of this they do not get loans from banks,” he complained.

In his brief speech, marked by frequent intervention by BJP, he also demanded a bridge over Brahmaputra river in Dhubri.

On Tuesday, Ajmal after a call from political secretary to Congress president, Ahmed Patel voted for the UPA Government in the crucial voting on the Demands for Grants. He later told this newspaper that he voted for the UPA Government because he could vote alongside BJP.

Source:http://www.assamtribune.com

Centre awaits Gogoi nod for ULFA talks

NEW DELHI, April 30 – In a significant disclosure, Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said Centre is waiting for a nod from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to start dialogue with outlawed ULFA – with or without Paresh Barua.

The discussions are on between the State Government and Central Government. “We are waiting for a response from the Chief Minister of Assam. We would be initiating the talks with or without Paresh Barua,” said Pillai.

The Union Home Secretary, in a way confirmed what Tarun Gogoi had said last week, hinting that he was expecting some good news soon on the ULFA front. But then he had also reiterated that theGovernment would not talk on the demand for sovereignty.

Pillai’s response also confirms that Centre has endorsed the Chief Minister’s line on holding dialogue with ULFA. Reportedly, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was not keen on holding talks with any faction of the banned outfit and had stressed that Centre is interested to engage in talks with all the factions and in case of ULFA with Paresh Barua at the table.

With Assembly elections round the corner, the Tarun Gogoi Government is not about to take risks by waiting for Paresh Barua to turn up. He has opted to engage with the detained leaders, most of whom being members of the central committee of the outfit.

The Chief Minister over the last couple of months has been pressing the Central leadership, including Congress president, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allow him a free hand to tackle the situation, a senior Congress leader disclosed.

Earlier, presenting the monthly report card, the Union Home Secretary mentioned that implementation of Assam Accord was reviewed in a tripartite meeting.

He claimed that significant successes were achieved in 2009-2010 and a number of leaders of the underground outfits in North-east were arrested.

Top leaders of the DHD (J) were arrested on June 4 last year, and 416 cadres have laid down arms and are staying in designated camps. At least 412 cadres of the KLNLF laid down arms in February. Tripartitetalks with ANVC were held in Shillong. The SoO with ANVC was extended by three months up to June 30.

Prominent members of the top leadership of the ULFA were arrested in November-December, 2009 and further efforts to curb the activities of remnant cadres are underway.

In consultation with MHA, the Government of Mizoram has prepared an action plan for the repatriation of the first batch of about 12,000 Bru migrants to the State. They have been living in relief camps in Tripura for the last 12 years.

On the border fencing project on India-Bangladesh border, he said 210 km of fencing and 309 km of road works were completed in 2009-10 and 30 km of fencing and 25 km of road works in April, under phase II of the project. At least 401 km of fencing were replaced in 2009-10 and 5 km in April under phase III of the project.

Poles for floodlighting were erected on a stretch of 445 km in 2009-10 and 40 km during the month of April.

On the India-China border, 65.74 km of formation works and 13.70 km of surfacing works were completed in 2009-10 and 5.17 km of formation works and 3.3 km of surfacing works during April.

Source;http://www.assamtribune.com

Can the BJP-less AGP now resurrect itself?

Can the BJP-less AGP now resurrect itself?

The regional AGP, Assam’s main opposition party, has at last thought it prudent, and most importantly, gathered the courage, to snap ties with the BJP. This alliance, which the AGP always thought would serve as a marriage of convenience and could be used as an effective weapon to beat the Congress with, have miserably failed right from the start to boost the regional party. In fact, the AGP’s alliance with the BJP sent out several wrong or confusing signals all these years: first, it gave an impression that the regional party was trying to ride piggyback on the BJP to get some respite from the Congress onslaught since the 1998 Lok Sabha elections in the State

If assets were declared, why is it that we didn’t know who they were?

If assets were declared, why is it that we didn’t know who they were?

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 29: Assam Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma today claimed that some ministers of the State had already submitted reports of their assets to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. He, however, stopped short of naming the ministers who, according to the government, had already submitted the reports of their assets to the Chief Minister.

The official version of none other than the Chief Minister was that as soon as the ministers submitted the reports of their assets to him, the reports would be made available on the State Government website. However, till the filing of this report, no such reports were seen on the State Government website. Talking to newsmen in Guwahati today, Sarma cited ‘‘tax-related matters’’ as the reason behind the delay on the part of the ministers to submit the reports of their assets to the Chief Minister.

The issue of ministers’ assets has been hitting headlines since August last, but the State Government has not at all been serious on the matter. Even at today’s press meet, Sarma was very casual while responding to queries on the assets of ministers. In a casual manner he said that some of the ministers had already submitted reports of their assets, but he did not think it necessary to disclose who the ministers were.

Such a casual approach is also visible whenever the Chief Minister addresses the press on the issue of assets declaration by the State’s ministers. Now the question is: If some of the ministers have indeed submitted the reports of their assets to him, why has he not disclosed that before the media?

source: sentinel assam

Government to set up 1,521 primary schools

Government to set up 1,521 primary schools

From Our Correspondent

JORHAT, April 18: The Government of Assam has planned to set up 1521 primary schools comprising 27 districts of the state. The Assam Sarba Siksha Abhijan Mission has released the required funds for construction of the said school buildings in March 2010 and the construction process of the schools have been started from this month, said Assam SSA Mission director LS Changsan to The Sentinel.

Changsan also said that, presently the villages which lack primary schools have been providing elementary education by Education Guaranteed Scheme (EGS) centres of the SSA Mission to ensure education in the age group of 6 to 14. The EGS centres in the said villages will also be upgraded to primary schools under the project of the government , she added. She further said that, the government has also conceived a plan to upgrade as many as 3500 EGS centres in the state in the days ahead.

According to the official report of the Education Department, over 1500 revenue villages of Assam have been lacking primary schools on date. For want of a of primary school construction project by the government for a long time, children of these villages are deprived of elementary education across the state. But, after the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act in August 2009, the state government has taken up the matter seriously and decided to set up a number of primary schools accordingly.

After the Meet

After the Meet

In the wake of the assurance given to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by US President Barack Obama during their recent meeting in Washington that India will get access to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, who has revealed to the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the LeT’s Mumbai 26/11 plot, India should now prepare a very comprehensive road map to extract information from the US-based jihadi terrorist. According to reports, the US is working out the legal route to let Headley be questioned by India, and the details of access will be worked out between the national security advisors of the two countries — Shiv Shankar Menon and Gen Jim Jones. Those who would travel to the US to interrogate Headley must keep in mind the fact that he is a prized repository of jihad blueprints pertaining not just to the Mumbai savagery but also to the so-called Karachi Project involving serving and retired Pakistan Army officers with the sole intent to bleed India in as many ways as possible, and that a highly professional questioning of him can go a long way in comprehending the Pakistan-generated jihad story in totality. India must know that story, especially the infrastructure behind the Karachi Project that has come to light following Headley’s startling revelations to the FBI. The Karachi Project is purely India-specific, and going by our experience of the Pakistan-packaged terror brand all these years, there is every reason to believe that the project is a joint venture of the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and ‘good’ jihad fronts like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for a protracted assault on India, especially to bleed its economy. And the grand project might as well entail cyber-terrorism — of course with help from China’s ‘‘vibrant hacker community that has been tied to targeted attacks in the past and has been linked through informal channels to elements of the Chinese state’’ as a University of Toronto research has enlightened us with. Therefore, the imperative and importance of interrogating Headley cannot be overemphasized.

RTE Hiccups

RTE Hiccups

After the Right to Education (RTE) Act euphoria, now the pain of the reality. Almost all State governments now want the Centre to increase its proposed share from 55 per cent to between 75 per cent and 90 per cent. Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh want the Centre to give all funds. However, the States do support the Centre’s move to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of six and 14 years, and believe that the new education initiative is unique, welcome, revolutionary and long overdue. And States like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have no problem with the funding pattern proposed by the Centre. But why are most of the States against the Centre’s RTE funding formula? Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has an answer: ‘‘The States lack sufficient resources to implement the RTE Act, and it is the responsibility of the Centre to meet cent per cent expenditure on this head.’’ The main challenges are shortage of teachers and infrastructure and ways and means of ensuring that every child in the 6-14 age group is indeed availing of free and compulsory education, which is a Herculean task. While the Centre would have done well to address those problems first before effecting the RTE Act, on their part the States seem to be reluctant to cut down on unnecessary, anti-people government expenses and divert them to the education head. It is a matter of will.

Contributions of Bezbaruah recalled

Contributions of Bezbaruah recalled

From our correspondent

NAGAON April, 13: President of the Jajari Unit of Asom Sahitya Sabha Thagit Mahanta , addressing a meeting organized by the Nagaon Zila Sahitya Sabha recently at Raidengia, said that Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah is still relevant even after 136 years of his birth or 63 years of his death.

Mahanta further said that it is not at all possible to think about an Assamese society or its literature without taking into account the noble contributions of Sahityarathi. In his deliberation Mahanta further claimed that it is clear that Bezbaruah was the first to bring out the ideals of Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhabdeva and also Gopaldeva from the campus of the Namghars to the world outside.

Dr. Naren Kalita, president Nagaon Zila Sabha hoisted the Sabha flag in a largely attended gathering while Mahi Bora President, Saonai Saurab unit led the Smriti Tarpan.

Arunachal hikes DA

ITANAGAR, April 13 – Arunachal Pradesh Government has decided to pay bonus and enhance the dearness allowance of its regular employees from the existing rate of 27 per cent to 35 per cent with effect from January 1, 2010.

Finance Minister Setong Sena said that the DA and bonus, to be paid in cash, will involve a total expenditure of Rs 77.96 crore annually, including Rs 74.46 crore for DA.

The non-productivity linked bonus, equivalent to 30 days’ emoluments for the accounting year 2008-09, has been sanctioned to casual and contingency employees who are not covered by any productivity-linked bonus schemes and for those who were in service on 31-03-2008 and had rendered at least six months’ continuous service during the year, he said. – PTI

IIM, Shillong issues tamper-proof certificates

SHILLONG, April 13 – There is something more to an IIM certificate that can make you feel proud of it.

IIM, Shillong has become the first among the prestigious IIMs to issue unique certificates that are boil-proof and tear-resistant.

During its maiden convocation held recently, the B-school issued certificates and marksheets on a high-tech tamper-proof material to its first batch of 63 graduates.

The recyclable material was chosen to fulfil the sustainability model of the management school since it provided the two-fold advantage of preventing tampering or counterfeiting, chairman of the IIM’s Post Graduate Programme (PGP) Prof Swapan Kumar Mazumdar said.

Provided by Cognet, a city-based communication and security consultant, the testimonials were printed on Tyvek – synthetic but environmentally safe material.

Cognet’s chief executive Sanjay Sharma said any imprint on Tyvek remains indelible due to its unique physical and chemical properties.

“Its unique ability to breathe while being waterproof ensures that the printed matter remains completely intact even after up to six months of submersion in saline water,” he said.

Sharma, an accredited consultant on Tyvek and its applications, claimed that even the most skilled forger would find it impossible to work on these certificates without the evidence of tampering apparent even to the naked eye.

“Highly resilient, documents on Tyvek are tear resistant and can withstand temperatures ranging from 120 degree C up to 150 degree C, making them even boiling-waterproof. Lamination is rendered redundant,” Sharma said.

He, however, cautioned against attempts to use laminating devices or laser printers, which use heat to bond the toner pigment with the surface of the document. – PTI

Rs 668-cr DoNER fund for NE in 2009-10

NEW DELHI, April 13 – Faced with the criticism of delay in release of funds, the Ministry Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on Tuesday, claimed to have made higher disbursement last fiscal, releasing Rs 668.62 crore under the Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR).

The Ministry of DoNER released an estimated Rs 668.62 crore to north eastern states for development projects in 2009-10. The disbursed amount under NLCPR is higher than the allocation made in 2008-09, which was Rs 660.38 crore, said official sources.

In 2009-2010, the Ministry had earmarked Rs. 700 crore under NLCPR Scheme but ended up releasing Rs 668.62 crore. These funds are released to the north eastern states including Sikkim in instalments in the sanctioned projects on first come first served basis.

Often faced with complaints from the north eastern state about delay in release of funds leading to hold-up in project work, last June, the Chief Ministers of the region at a meeting with Minister DoNER, Bijoy Krishna Handique decided to have a re-look at the NLCPR guidelines. The revised guidelines have since come into force.

While the NE States complain of delays in release of funds, the Ministry DoNER argues that it is primarily due to delay in submission of Utilisation Certificates by the states.

The Ministry has sought a quantum jump in allocation projecting provisional budget allocation of Rs.800 crore for NLCPR.The Ministry has prepared a foolproof mechanism to avoid bunching of expenditure at the fag end of the financial year, sources said.

During the last fiscal, the NLCPR Committee of the Ministry convened 12 meetings, wherein a total of 97 projects for the north eastern states were sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs.834.99 crore. The Ministry has also retained 163 projects at an estimated cost of Rs.1635.83 crore from the Priority List 2009-10, sources said.

Sources, however, conceded that timely implementation of NLCPR projects has become a major challenge for the DoNER Ministry.

Following the decisions taken in the North East Chief Ministers’ conference in Shillong, specific deadlines have been fixed for ensuring accountability on both State Governments and DoNER Ministry. Accordingly, revised guidelines for NLCPR have been issued, sources said.

The new guidelines stipulate that projects with only Rs 3 crore and above would only be proposed. States has been asked to submit priority list by November for the next financial year.

Detailed project reports (DPRs) are submitted by the State Governments within two months of retention. The retention of projects has to be completed by the Ministry of DoNER within a month ending December 31. Submission of DPRs by the States must be within first two months of the year.

It was mandated that the technical wing would approve the DPRs within a month, while clearance from Minister DoNER would come within two months from the date of receipt of complete DPRs from the state.

The state is made responsible for delay in completion of the project beyond six months. Cost escalation is allowed up to 10-15 per cent only. In exceptional circumstances, it is allowed up to 20 per cent.

Any cost escalation beyond 20 per cent is required to be shared by the state and Centre. While duration of projects is not to exceed three-four years, funds are to be released in three installments. Fund released by the Ministry is required to be transmitted to the implementing project authority by the state within 15 days. These funds are to be utilised within 12 months.

Source:http://www.assamtribune.com

Central Task Force endorses Assam’s stand on mega dams

NEW DELHI, April 13 – In an endorsement of sorts of Assam Government’s stand, the Task Force for Hydro Power Development has recommended that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) should ensure that storage projects are taken up wherever feasible.

The recommendation is in line with the stand taken by Government of Assam over construction of mega dams in upper reaches of Brahmaputra river in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. Assam has been opposing construction of run-of-the river projects and insisting on construction of storage dam projects to ensure flood moderation in lower riparian states.

The Task Force today recommended that at the time of techno-economic appraisal of DPRs of hydro electric projects, CEA would ensure that storage projects are taken up wherever feasible

On Tuesday, a meeting of the Task Force for Hydro Power Development was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Power. The Task Force on Hydro Development was constituted by the Ministry of Power in 2007 to examine and resolve all issues relating to hydro power development including flood moderation of hydro power projects with states downstream of storage projects.

Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Minister of Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Water Resources, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister of Rural Development, Dr CP Joshi, Minister of State for Power, Bharatsinh Solanki. Power Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Shabir Khan, Minister of Power Sikkim, SG Lapcha and Minister of Power West Bengal, Nirupam Sen also attended the meeting.

Official sources said that projects in the Siang basin would be taken up for fast track environment and forest clearance by the MoEF. A special relief and rehabilitation package will be evolved for the Siang basin projects.

The meeting further decided that in the wake of the requirement of compensatory afforestation in lieu of forest land diverted for construction of hydropower projects, there was an urgent need to identify the non- forest and degraded forest land by Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The state will prepare an inventory of available non-forest and degraded forest land which may be offered for compensatory afforestation. States may complete this activity by July 2010.

Souce:http://www.assamtribune.com

BPF sweeps BTC elections

GUWAHATI, April 13 – The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), headed by former BLT chief Hagrama Mohilary has regained power in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) by winning the elections with a thumping majority.

The BPF won 32 of the 40 seats of the Council, while, the Congress, an alliance partner of the BPF in the state won three. BPPF, the main opposition party in the BTC area, managed to win only one seat, while, the UPDF won one and independent candidates won from three constituencies. However, the control room of the State Election Commission could formally declare results of only 27 constituencies and BPF won 25 of those. The AGP and BJP failed to open their accounts.

The process of counting of votes was by and large peaceful in all the four districts under the BTC and Mahilary is all set to become the chief of the Council for the second successive term. However, it is still not clear whether the BPF would form the executive council on its own or members of the Congress would be inducted into the same.

Our Kokrajhar corres-pondent adds: BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary today thanked the people of BTC for voting his party to power for the second successive term. He claimed that the achievements of the BPF-led Council in the last five years in working for the overall development of the backward area prompted the voters to vote in favour of his party.

Addressing mediapersons in Kokrajhar this evening, Mohilary said that the victory of a few opposition candidates including that of BPPF chief Rabiram Narzary was a positive sign as there was need for a strong opposition for a healthy democracy. He said that the results were on expected lines.

Mohilary further assured that the BPF would try to improve its performance in the constituencies where the party’s candidates lost, in the next five years.

The BPF chief, who was elected to the Council from Debargaon constituency by a thumping margin of over 27,000 votes, is all set to become the Chief Executive Member of the BTC for the second successive term and he is likely to formally stake claim to form the Council before the State Governor after the Bohag Bihu festival. It may be mentioned here that most of the senior leaders of the BPF managed to get re-elected to the Council.

Meanwhile, a festive atmosphere gripped Kokrajhar town this evening after the election results were declared and the BPF supporters celebrated the victory with bursting of crackers. A victory procession was also taken out in the town.

source:www.assamtribune.com

Of Rongali Bihu and its preservation

Of Rongali Bihu and its preservation

Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH, April 11: With only a few days to go for the Rongali Bihu celebrations to begin, various organizations have geared their preparations to hold Bihu functions. There seems to be an undeclared competition among them to offer bigger prize money to Bihu Konwaris and husori teams.

It is, therefore, not surprising that the commercialization of the festival had invited criticism with voices of dissent growing louder. As against the tradition of celebrating the festival for the first seven days of the month of Bohag, the functions continue well beyond the month, sometimes till the month of June, though the first month of the Assamese year long gets over. These issues came under discussion during a programme organized by Lok Sanskriti Sangrakhyan Aru Samannay Parishad, Assam (LSSASPA) here yesterday.

Child of Assam Accord has nothing Assamese in it...

Child of Assam Accord has nothing Assamese in it...

If the Assam Accord was a draft of deception, the ongoing gas cracker project near Dibrugarh is simply an addition to the trickery. With the announcement of the gas cracker project — Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) — the people of Assam were overtaken with a fond dream of employment, economic well-being and related affluence, but only to be disillusioned very soon. The dream of economic well-being was strong enough for Lepetkata villagers to part with their ancestral land and property. Ironically, the gas cracker project, even before becoming productive, has the local people’s dreams and aspirations lie completely shattered.

BSS plea for peaceful BTC poll

BSS plea for peaceful BTC poll

AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary today campaigned in support Bodoland People’s Progressive Front (BPPF) president Rabiram Narzary who is fighting the BTC poll from Salakati and Parbhotjhora BTC constituencies. Patowary addressed poll rallies at Kalipukhuri and Dotoma. Meanwhile, the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) today appealed to all pollical parties and the administration to ensure peaceful poll in the BTAD. BSS president Kameswar Brahma said that the people of the BTAD were apprehensive of violence during the BTC election slated for April 9. He sought intervention of the Governor and the Chief Minister in the recent violence in the BTAD.

Much to be done for RTI awareness

Much to be done for RTI awareness

From our Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH, April 4: The Right to Information (RTI) Act was promulgated almost five years back. However, the awareness about it or the provisions under it is lacking among the masses. This was the unanimous opinion of the panelists during a discussion on the Act organized on the occasion of the 15th biennial conference of Dibrugarh District Journalists Association by the Dibrugarh Press Club here from April 2.

The ADC and Public Information Officer at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here, Bandana Tamuli, said that the said legislation aims at creating transparency so that public can know what was going on in the various departments. She further said that the common people were yet to appreciate the Act. The ADC mentioned that she received applications seeking information that concerned other departments whereas these can be submitted to the heads, who were also the PIOs, of the concerned departments.

Artificial shortage of coins

Artificial shortage of coins

Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, April 3: Dibrugarh has been hit by an artificial scarcity of coins and low denomination currency notes which is resulting in exchange of heated arguments among customers and vendors of all kinds alomost everyday. The people here alleged that the current situation is due to utter negligence on part of the Dibrugarh district administration.

The people further alleged that the district administration was well aware of the growing shortage of coins but did not undertake any effective steps to control the situation. The scarcity has resulted in a number of shop keepers and traders in issuing or giving coupons and chocolates as change. This again results in heated arguments among the shopkeepers and the customers who said this was a common penomena.

Others who are benfitting from the shortage of coins are the Rickshaw pullers and Auto rickshaw drivers who do not return the exact change to the people. The local inhabitants have, therefore, demanded the Government Authority to take concrete and effective steps to solve the artificial coin crisis and shortage of currency notes be removed at the earliest.

Declaration of assets: Gogoi hesitates, but why?

Declaration of assets: Gogoi hesitates, but why?

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 2: Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, during his stint as Assam in-charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), had given an assurance that all members of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s Cabinet would make their assets public. Six months after Moily’s assurance, Gogoi too gave the same assurance to the people of the State that his Cabinet colleagues would make their assets public. In February last, Gogoi opted to set March 10, 2010 as the deadline for the ministers to disclose their assets. Significantly, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had told the media that he would make his assets available online by March 7, but neither Sarma nor any of his Cabinet colleagues have disclosed their assets yet.

Tripura announces district council polls

Tripura announces district council polls

Agartala, April 1: The elections to the Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council (TAADC), which facilitates the socio-economic development of the tribals, will be held May 3, an official said here on Wednesday. The 30-seat TAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of the State’s areas, was constituted in 1985 after amending the Sixth Schedule of the constitution.

State Election Commissioner YP Singh told reporters that 6,36,169 voters, including 3,16,027 females, are eligible to vote in the elections. “To conduct the sixth TAADC polls in a free and peaceful manner, the State Government has sought central forces from the union home ministry,” Singh said. The State Governor will issue the statutory notification April 5, inviting nominations from candidates.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front, which now controls the council, also announced its candidates on Wednesday. “After the Congress’ debacle in the 2008 Assembly Polls and the last year’s Lok Sabha elections, the TAADC polls are an acid test for the main opposition party,” veteran Congress leader and columnist Tapas Dey said.

“The Congress would be in an alliance with the tribal Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT),” Dey told IANS. There are 18 departments functioning under the TAADC, including agriculture, forest, school education, industry, health and family welfare, finance, law and public works. In Tripura, tribals constitute one-third of the State’s 3.5 million population. In the 60-member State Assembly, 20 seats are reserved for the tribals. (IANS)