Nicol Tamang yet to be traced, case filed against him

A case has been filed against Nicol Tamang, the prime accused in the murder of All India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang, after he escaped from CID custody in Pintail village near Siliguri even as efforts were on to trace him. "Nicol is yet to be found. All police stations in Darjeeling district have been alerted so that Nicol cannot escape to Nepal," Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Devendra Pratap Singh said.

He said CID officer Aniruddha Chatterjee and constable Arabindo Kumbhokar, who were in charge of his custody at a house used by the CID in Pintail village have been suspended.

A case has been filed against Nicol, a close aide of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung and a central committee member of the party, at the Pradhanagar police station, he said.

Bharati Tamang, president of the All India Gorkha League alleged that the escape of Nicol was a conspiracy by the West Bengal government.

Campaign for NRC update, total autonomy for Assam

Campaign for NRC update, total autonomy for Assam

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Intellectuals, leaders of different organizations and students today organized a sit-in near Dighalipukhuri in the city demanding resumption of the pilot project for updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), land and property rights and total autonomy for the people of Assam.

Participating in the programme which was organized by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain, former Gauhati University Vice Chancellor Deboprasad Baruah, artiste Surya Das, advocate Nekibur Zaman, All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) leader Parag Koch, Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) leader Aditya Lahkar, PCG member Lachit Bordoloi, All Assam Motok Yuba Chatra Sanmilan leader Nikheswar Saikia and Gorkha Students’ Union (GSU) leader Bhaskar Dahal sharply criticized the State Government’s decision to put the pilot project on NRC update on hold and called for total autonomy for Assam.

They demanded that the government should immediately resume the pilot project on NRC update.

AJYCP general secretary Manoj Barua said, “The State Government is playing with the future of Assam for the sake of its vote bank.”

“The current stand of the Assam Government on the NRC issue is anti-indigenous people. After the signing of the Assam Accord, there were hopes of a solution to the foreigners issue through revision of the NRC. But the government stopped the pilot project on the NRC only because of unruly behaviour by members of a particular organization,” said Barua.

He said, “The Cabinet Committee on the NRC formed recently is just a ploy of the government to delay and then stop the NRC update exercise.”

The State Government had decided to temporarily stop the pilot project on the NRC following the July 21 Barpeta incident in which four persons were killed and over 50 people injured after the police opened fire to control an unruly mob during the rally called by the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) in protest against the pilot project for updating of the NRC, 1951.

The Congress-led Government had later constituted a Cabinet Committee to go into the alleged errors in the NRC form. While the AAMSU claimed that there were errors in the NRC form, the AASU said there was no error in the NRC form.

The AGP, State BJP and several organizations have slammed the State Government for its decision to keep the NRC pilot project in abeyance.

The first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the NRC held recently decided to remove the “minor errors” in the NRC form and speed up the process of updating of the NRC through consultations with all political parties and organizations. The meeting , however, did not make it clear when the pilot project on the NRC would resume. THE SENTINEL

Transport subsidy scam in Assam, other Northeast States

Transport subsidy scam in Assam, other Northeast States

From our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Aug 4: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) today revealed a transport subsidy scam that took place in Assam and other States of the Northeast. It its report tabled in Parliament today, the CAG pointed out documentation in support of subsidy claims in transportation without proper verification leading to loss of crores of rupees in the form of transport subsidies.

According to the CAG report tabled in Parliament today, there were huge irregularities in the transportation subsidy in Assam and other States in the Northeast. The report pointed out that in order to ascertain the extent of checks exercised at different levels by the implementing and monitoring agencies regarding the correctness and genuineness of the subsidy claims, compliance to some of the aspects regarding documentation, collateral evidence, timeless of the claims, and transportation by other modes etc were checked on sample basis in the States.

ABSU set to send 2 lakh letters to PM

ABSU set to send 2 lakh letters to PM

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, Aug1: As part of the movement, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has decided to send over two lakh letters through postal services on August 4.to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh demanding creation of a separate Bodoland state.

According to the sources from the ABSU, all regional committees across the State including unit committees of the Universities and Colleges will take part in the programme on August 4. The ABSU activists and supporters will send letters to the Prime Minister demanding creation of separate state of Bodoland.

The Union also said that for all round development of the region and society living within the areas, creation of a separate state is the only option for which the ABSU has been compelled to revive the movement for Bodoland. THE SENTINEL