Akhil Gogoi questions, Himanta replies and Riniki issues press release

Akhil Gogoi questions, Himanta replies and Riniki issues press release

Disclose details of cash, Akhil dares Himanta

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 4: Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) secretary Akhil Gogoi today caught Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the “wrong foot” in the manner of payment he had made while purchasing two luxurious cars costing Rs 40 lakh in the name of his five-year-old daughter Sukanya Sharma in March and April, 2008. Gogoi, also an RTI activist, dared the minister to disclose within 24 hours facts like from which bank or banks and when he had withdrawn the amount to make cash payment to two car dealers — Ghosh Brothers Automobiles and Gargia Auto Limited — or a public apology failing which he (Gogoi) would disclose all his corruption in social, political and financial spheres within two months. The RTI activist also claimed to have acquired all information regarding the misdeeds of Himanta Biswa Sarma from his political colleagues, persons whom he was protecting, and various other sources.

Akhil Gogoi questions, Himanta replies and Riniki issues press release

Disclose details of cash, Akhil dares Himanta

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 4: Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) secretary Akhil Gogoi today caught Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the “wrong foot” in the manner of payment he had made while purchasing two luxurious cars costing Rs 40 lakh in the name of his five-year-old daughter Sukanya Sharma in March and April, 2008. Gogoi, also an RTI activist, dared the minister to disclose within 24 hours facts like from which bank or banks and when he had withdrawn the amount to make cash payment to two car dealers — Ghosh Brothers Automobiles and Gargia Auto Limited — or a public apology failing which he (Gogoi) would disclose all his corruption in social, political and financial spheres within two months. The RTI activist also claimed to have acquired all information regarding the misdeeds of Himanta Biswa Sarma from his political colleagues, persons whom he was protecting, and various other sources.

Sikkim zoo designated for captive breeding

Correspondent

GANGTOK, July 2 – The Himalayan Zoological Park here has been carrying out captive breeding of red panda since 1999. It is learnt that the Darjeeling zoo is the coordinating zoo in respect of breeding of snow leopard. So far as red panda is concerned the Himalayan Zoological Park in Sikkim is the participating zoo under the Central Zoo Authority.

Three red panda cubs have been born in captivity at the park taking the total of red pandas in the park to an impressive eleven.

The cubs were born on June 3 and June 30, said the park’s additional director Gut Lepcha.

These pandas could hit the dozen mark with one pregnant red panda expected to deliver soon, zoo authorities informed.

Red panda, the State animal of Sikkim, figures in the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act because of its dwindling population both in wild and in captivity.

But for the moment, the park is having an abundance of red pandas and has placed the animals in three separate enclosures. Earlier, the red pandas were kept in one single large display enclosure spreading across 1,440 sq metres.

Three male and one female red pandas have been kept at the display centre while the other red pandas and the cubs are housed in other two temporary enclosures.

“We will develop two more enclosures”, said the additional director.

“We are having good results lately. Last year, two cubs were born”, said Lepcha. He informed that the captive breeding had started with a pair of red pandas in 1999. Later, two more red pandas who had been rescued from the wild had joined the captive breeding programme.

Meghalaya faces food shortage

Correspondent

SHILLONG, July 2 – Meghalaya has sought an additional 5,500 metric tonnes of foodgrain from the Centre to meet the food shortage in the State, especially in Garo Hills districts.

Food and Civil Supply Minister Augustine D Marak admitted of acute shortage of foodgrain in the State and added: “We have sought an additional 5,500 MT of rice and wheat from the Centre”.

The Garo Hills, he added, is facing acute food shortage this year due to failure of Rabi crops due to flood.

The Minister warned hoarders and black marketeers of strong penal action for creating an artificial shortage in the State. “Stern action would be taken against those who indulge in illegal activities,” the Minister said. He said his department would have a three-tier committee for monitoring price rise in the State.

“We have a shortage of manpower in the department and therefore we are having difficulty in controlling price rice,” he added. He further urged the public to file complaint against black marketeers and hoarders.

Meghalaya has been allocated 10,843 tonnes of rice and 1,430 tonnes of wheat by the Department Food and Civil Supplies under Targeted Public Distribution System for April 2010 to March 2011. The State has to lift the food grains within 50 days of every month and furnish the mandatory utilisation certificate.

There have been allegations of pilferage of wheat in the State. Most of the fair price shops don’t supply wheat to the public under the TPDS system. The Minister said the government was in the process of computerising the TPDS system for transparency and accountability.

source:http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul0310/oth05

GU TDC III results declared

Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, July 2 – The results of BA, BSc, BCom part III examinations, 2010 of Gauhati University has been declared today.

While the Commerce stream got the highest pass percentage of 86.95, Science and Arts streams recorded total pass percentage of 76.79 and 62.38 respectively.

Out of total 22,312 students appearing in BA Part III (Final) examination, 13,919 were successful. 322 got first class in major subjects and 5 got first division in general subjects.

Arindita Goswami of Arya Vidyapeeth College secured highest aggregate marks amongst the successful candidates in the major course as per the result sheet from the GU authorities.

In BSc Part III examinations, 1,568 students were successful among the total 2,042, who appeared in examination. 491 students got first division in major courses, while 18 students secured first division in the general courses.

Among the major course candidates of Science stream, Sahana Bhattacharjee of Cotton College secured the highest marks.

Rajat Bhattacharjee, student of the Gauhati Commerce College got the highest aggregate marks among the major course students of Commerce stream. 2,658 students were successful from among the 3,057 students who appeared in the final examination. Among the major course students, 317 secured first division while one student got first division in the general course.

The results are available at the university websites www.gauhati.ac.in and www.idolgu.org. The results can also be obtained through SMS for which one has to type idolguroll coderoll no and send it to 56070, a press release from the office of Controller of Examinations, Gauhati University mentioned.

source:http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul0310/city07

Minibus operators call off stir

Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, July 2 – Following a discussion with the Transport Department on Friday, the Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha, the Greater Guwahati Minibus Owners’ Association and all other associations of commercial vehicle owners have temporarily withdrawn their strike that started this morning in support of the demand for a hike in fares. Representatives of the associations attended a meeting in which Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua, DC, Kamrup (Metro) Prattek Hajela and SP (traffic) Bibekananda Das were present.

The associations have also decided to ply the city buses and Trekkers at the old fares till August 10, the deadline for the government to find an amicable solution to the grievances of thetransport associations.

Central executive member of Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha Ajit Choudhury said that the decision to temporarily withdraw the strike of thetransport associations was taken in public interest. “The Government has assured us that all issues, including bus fare, would be resolved by August 10,” said Choudhury.

It needs to be mentioned here that private commercial vehicles went off the city roads this morning over the issue of a hike in their fares. This put the unsuspecting commuters great inconvenience.

A senior official of the Police Department informed that an ASTC bus driver was beaten up by some youths allegedly engaged by the protesting bus owners’association at the Six Mile area this morning following which the driver was admitted to a hospital.

“In areas like Adabari and Khanapara, too, some sporadic incidents were reported though the situation was brought under control due to timely intervention of the police and paramilitary forces,” he stated.

Scuffles between ASTC bus employees and passengers and the youths, allegedly engaged by the transport associations, were also reported.

Since yesterday, the city buses had been charging Rs 5 as the minimum fare in a unilateral move. The commuters had been insisting on paying Rs 3 as the minimum fare and that led to some untoward incidents between the passengers and the city bus employees.

The sudden strike by the private transporters forced many commuters, particularly the office goers, to hire auto-rickshaws at exorbitant rates. The auto rickshawoperators also were not found to be generous by the commuters. The auto-rickshaw operators took full advantage of the situation.

Ajit Choudhury said that since 2008, the associations have been submitting memorandums to the Government to consider their demand for enhancing the bus fare in view of the hikes in the prices of petroleum products. But the Government has been turning a deaf ear to the pleas of thetransport associations, Choudhury alleged.

“The minimum city bus fare was fixed in 2004. Since then the prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked several times. In 2004, the price of diesel was Rs 21.66 per litre, at present its price is Rs 38.40 per litre. The prices of all the accessories of the vehicles too have increased over these years,” said Choudhury, in his bid to justify the demand for enhancing private city buses.

Choudhury also said that the associations had served June 30 as the deadline to the Government to address its demand. “As the government did not respond, we were compelled to increase the minimum fare,” he said adding that instruction was issued to all the employees of the city buses not to get involved in altercation with the passengers if they disagreed to pay the fares at the enhanced rate.

Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua said that the associations have been asked to come to the fare revision committee with proper justification for their demand.

The Assam State Committee of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has condemned the act of unilateral fixation of city bus fare by the transport associations and the incidents of scuffle between the public and the transport associations’ ‘goons’.

AJYCP demands probe on Rs 3.5-crore anomalies

AJYCP demands probe on Rs 3.5-crore anomalies

From our Correspondent

JORHAT, July 1: Members of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Titabor subdivision unit, took out a protest rally and staged a dharna in front of Titabor SDO office today. The parishad is demanding immediate probe on the alleged misuse of government funds worth Rs 3.5 crore released for the embankment strengthening works of Saraipani river in the Chief Minister’s home constituency, Titabor.

The organization has also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Jorhat Deputy Commissioner to take immediate steps in this regard. Titabor subdivision unit AJYCP president Debojit Hazarika and secretary Ashim Saikia said due to poor quality of construction works by the department concerned, water of Saraipani river has breached the embankment in three parts posing serious threat to hundreds of people of villages like Birinasayak, Mandalgaon, Sekuria and Madhabpur under Titabor subdivision.

Pointing at the shortsightedness and negligence on part of the officials concerned, the organization also alleged that due to inferior quality of construction work, the complete embankment strengthening fund has gone down the drains. They further alleged that the government officials have misused crores of government funds with tawdry construction work of the Saraipani bridge and reportedly siphoned off lakhs of fund money meant for the work.

They also warned the authorities concerned as well as local MLA and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of rigorous agitation if their demands are not met immediately.