VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 08 by G Plus

What are transfats and why are they bad for you?

PG 17

Malini A Divine Human Tree PG 14

Ankita Barman

New Chic on the block

Page 24

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 08 NOV 28 - DEC 04 , 2015

PRICE `10

State Zoo all set for the winter rush

Traffic is a hindrance to Smart City dream,

feel 36% Guwahatians

Infernos singe Guwahati again

10 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

16 Gautam Bhattacharya General Manager, SBI

Stepfather sexually abuses minor

03 WARD WATCH

LAKHTOKIA

On-going development creates chaos due to poor management

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Lead Story

36% Guwahatians feel traffic congestion should be solved to make Guwahati a smart city

rahul chanda

Strategy components of area based development and indicative areas in Guwahati City improvement or retrofitting – Fancy Bazar, Pan Bazar, Athgaon & Tokobari area, along the GS Road, Paltan Bazar and Ganeshguri area City renewal or redevelopment – Umananda Temple area, Kamakhya Temple area (Nilachal Hill), along the NH 37 (Boragaon area), Dighalipukhuri area, Kharghuli area and VIP Road area (cycle track, pathway for pedestrian) City extension or greenfield development

uwahati successfully competed with seven other districts in the state in the race of smart cities and was selected as a city which has the potential of becoming “smart” with 82.5% marks. Union Ministry of Urban Development had sent letters to all states and union territories to shortlist potential smart cities in the first stage of intra-state competition. There is a budget of Rs. 4 crores for the smart city proposal preparation. There is a yearly budget of Rs. 200 crores for five years to implement the plan of smart city; 50% of the expenses will be provided by the Central government and the balance will be borne by the state government. More specifically, every year Rs. 100 crores will be provided by the Centre and the state will bear Rs. 100 crores. For the proposal preparation, the Centre will provide Rs. 2 crores and state will provide Rs. 2 crores. While the GMC was expected to submit the proposals by end of December, according to sources in the GMC, they are expecting to submit the proposal by as early as 15th December. G Plus checks the present status.

Present status The central government has not prescribed any particular model to be adopted by the smart cities. Each city has to formulate its own concept, vision, mission and plan for a smart city that is appropriate to its local context, resources and levels of

Pan-city initiatives in which smart solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city – Brahmaputra river-front development, Bharalu River water navigation route, storm water and sewerage system of Guwahati city ambition. Cities have to choose their model of a smart city and describe what kind of smart city they want. The city vision plan will be about the vision - how the city visualises itself in five years. The proposal will be made based on a review of previous plans, interventions and documents of all departments and agencies (like the old or revised city development plan, sanitation plan, mobility plan and the master plan) and will include identification of key challenges like physical, economic, social, legal and institutional infrastructure. So, GMC took some decisive steps on what can be done.

What GMC has done GMC importantly decided to seek citizen participation in the preparation of smart city proposal. Stakeholder meeting was held on 7th October with government departments and other agencies. On the same day a meeting was held with media houses. On 21st October a meeting was held with educational institutes and on 24th October a meeting was held with elected representatives (MPs and MLAs). M/S WAPCOS Limited in association with OASIS Inc. was selected as consultant for preparation of smart city proposal through tendering process. Data collection from various departments and agencies to complete the self assessment and city wide concept was carried out by the consultant. As part of the citizen

participation, GMC with WAPCOS carried out the following activities:-

• Ward level meeting • Essay competition on 31st October • Seminar with technocrats on 7th November • Discussion and polling on main city issues are still going on through the website

www.mygov.in • Various media campaigns have been conducted to engage the citizens in the proposal preparation process • GMC activated social media to engage citizens The smart city proposal will be submitted on 15th December but as

Percentage of importance allotted by Guwahatians on various city issues to build a smart city

36% Solid waste management and disposal – 8% Storm (rain) water drainage – 10% Drinking water supply – 8% Proper power supply – 8% Better public transport system – 8% Quicker and safer health facility – 8% Better higher education facility – 8% Affordable housing – 3% Culture and heritage conservation – 5% Traffic congestion –

So, traffic congestion is the main issue that the public requires a resolution for to make the city truly smart. Along with all these initiatives, a highly placed source in the GMC said that the time for submission of smart city proposal is very less and it should be extended to properly assess the needs of the city. The source also said that GMC is particularly concerned that the following things can be taken into consideration.

of now the views and suggestion of the citizens are very important and which the GMC will take till 30th November, 2015. The consultant is analysing all the suggestions the GMC has received so far. The data throws up a picture of the public view.

The public view According to the discussions and the polling that was done by the participating citizens, there are various issues that need to be addressed. The most important issues which were discussed and polled on were traffic congestion, solid waste management and disposal, rain water drainage, drinking water supply, continuous and sufficient voltage power supply, better public transport system, quicker and safer health facility, better higher education facility, affordable housing and cultural & heritage conservation. Till the polling done up to 27th November by the public, 36%, i.e., the maximum people, feel that traffic congestion is the main problem that needs to be addressed to make Guwahati a smart city. 8% gave importance to solid waste management and 10% to rain water drainage. Similarly Guwahatians discussed and polled on all other issues but traffic congestion topped the list. Time will tell us if Guwahati will ever become smart or not but at present, solving traffic congestion is the core issue which should be resolved as soon as possible. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Crime

KALYAN DEB

Stepfather sexually abuses minor daughter

In an incident that took place on Tuesday, 24th November a stepfather was apprehended for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter. The accused, a resident of Santipur, is the second husband of the victim’s mother.

It was only after suspicious neighbours informed Childline that the misdeeds of the stepfather came to light. Following the complaint the accused has been taken into custody by Bharalumukh police and a case (number 483/15) has been filed under section 376(f) IPC R/W 6 of Posco act 2012. The victim had been repeatedly abused for the past two years. Currently, the victim is under Childline’s care, refuses to go back home and wants to be sent to her biological father or her uncle.

n yet another abominable incident that took place on Tuesday, November 24th a stepfather was apprehended on the accusation of sexually abusing his daughter. A resident of Santipur locality of the city, the accused is the second husband of the victim’s mother. The victim, aged 14, left home for school on Monday morning and did not return. Out of sheer resentment towards her stepfather, she decided to stay back at a friend’s place following which the stepfather went to Bharalumukh Police Station to file a missing complaint at 9:30 am on Tuesday. It was only when suspicious neighbours informed Childline, a helpline for children in distress, at around 11:30 am that the wrong doings of the stepfather came to light. Apparently it was not for the first time that the victim had to go through such trauma. She has been subjected to abuse for the past two years. However, after Sunday her tolerance broke down and the victim decided not to go back home. The victim had also intimated about her stepfather’s abusive behavior to her mother but could not manage to get her mother’s sympathy resulting in multiple instances of abuse. Talking to G Plus, the victim said that such incidents have happened several times before but after Sunday when she was assaulted again, her sense of resentment overcame her and compelled her to take a stand for herself. “I had informed my mother many times about his misdeeds but she used to ignore what I said. At times he used to come home drunk and abuse my mother as well. It was maybe due

to my mother’s insecurity of taking on the burden of feeding the family and educating my brother and me that she did not pay heed to my cries for help. We are not a very well-to-do family and need his support to survive. Every time I complained about his misdeeds, my mother asked me to ignore the same and move on. She consoled me saying that such things will not recur.” The victim’s mother got remarried after separating from her biological father ten years ago. During the nuptial the children were left uninformed and as asserted by the victim, she was at her uncle’s place when the event took place. She was brought to Guwahati two years ago and the innumerous incidents of sexual abuse by her stepfather started immediately thereafter. She was also threatened by her stepfather

to keep the matter a secret and not share it with anyone else. On apprehending the culprit, Bharalumukh police has filed a case (case number 483/15) under section 376(f) IPC R/W 6 of Posco act 2012 which carries a jail time of 10 years. If the offence is found to be more severe, the punishment can go up to life-time imprisonment along with imposed fine. Currently, the victim is under Childline’s care as she has refused to go back home. She wants to be sent to her biological father who currently resides at Alipurduar or her uncle. However, Childline will produce the victim to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Kamrup (M) and after observing the necessary details, further steps for the benefit of the child will be taken. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

In The News

Lachit Divas

n 24th November, 2015, the birth occasion of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, remembered for his heroics in the Battle of Saraighat, was celebrated. Lachit Borphukan had led the battle to thwart the invasion of the Mughals defeating their mighty army in the historic battle of April, 1672. To mark the occasion, Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the official government function, observed every year as the Lachit Divas, in the presence of various dignitaries and officials at the Jalukbari statue site. The bronze statue of the Ahom general was decorated and the podium was taken over by the CM and the dignitaries. In his speech, the CM applauded the locality’s efforts to gather the crowd and take some time out for the function. DCP (Traffic), Pranab Goswami, was also amongst the officials who attended the function. However, not too far away at the Machkhowa river front, another statue of the Ahom general is still under construction and has been so for the last four years. The DCP Traffic spoke to G Plus and said that construction of the other statue would be “completed within a month or so.” According to him, the construction of the Lachit Borphukan statue in Machkhowa began about four years

G Plus News

celebrated in city

While Lachit Divas was celebrated with a good deal of fervour, a statue of the Ahom general lies unfinished since 4 years leading to irritation and problems for the locality ago. The sluggish construction activities of the 16-tonne bronze statue are also causing problems for the local people. The people residing around the Machkhowa area have many complaints arising from the non-completion of the statue. According to the locals, on a couple of occasions, people were hurt by the rods and other sharp construction materials sticking out from the unfinished site. Amin Ali, a nearby resident and small business owner, said that this construction activity is proving to be a hindrance for the resident locals. “People from the vicinity like to take walks by the park but the slow construction activity is proving to be a bit of a bother. Also the construction has been stopped since about a month now and the site has been very untidily cordoned off.” Residents are worried that this might well be the start of a long culture of unfinished statue erection activities.

Emergency nursing and ICU Nirvaan yoga centre care training conducted in launched in the city GNRC

ervice quality standard is the primary thing that needs to be emphasized on in the healthcare sector in the city as well as in the state for a better treatment of patients. In order to enhance health care delivery in trauma and emergency medicine, GNRC and Singapore General Hospital conducted its first certified course in emergency nursing and ICU care. “As accidents occur frequently resulting in many medical emergencies, it is absolutely necessary to provide the best treatment to emergency patients at the first stage. Therefore, the nurses need to be properly trained. Although the nurses here in Guwahati are well-trained they do not get the opportunity to apply their skills. The service quality standards also need to be improved. They should have the knowledge of everything and the presentation should be in a different way,” said Professor Lim Swee Hia of Singapore General Hospital while speaking to G Plus. The professor also said that the doctor-patient relation is also very important to provide better treatment. “There should be strict protocols and rules which need to be followed and this helps in building the relationship between the patient and the doctor,

nurses or technicians. Nurses are an integral part of healthcare and with specialized training they can collaborate with diverse medical teams in a greater way,” said Lim Swee Hia. Dr. Unmonna Borgohain, Joint Director cum Principal at Asian Institute of Nursing Education said, “We want to bring healthcare standards at par with the most advanced countries. Health professionals across the country require such training as to be ready to appropriately manage life-threatening injuries and health conditions.” Dr. Borgohain said that they are trying to develop the skills of the nurses so that the healthcare sector gets more improvised and also to provide better care to the patients.

82 nurses from across the region have participated in the training and it will continue in the near future. “The healthcare sector in the northeast region has improved a lot but it still needs to go so far and for that, this type of training is important. The technology in the healthcare system also needs to be improved in order to provide the best quality treatment,” Dr. Borgohain said. Accidental deaths have assumed epidemic proportions in the northeast causing thousands of trauma and emergency cases and to meet those challenges, GNRC had organised the four-day training. Nurses aspiring to enhance their life-saving skills for trauma injuries have participated from across the region.

.K. Pipersenia, Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam inaugurated “Nirvaan,” the yoga centre at Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium building. Inaugurating the centre, Pipersenia said, “This new-age yoga centre is a novel and first of its kind initiative of the sports and youth welfare department in collaboration with Sports Authority of Assam. This will become the nerve-centre for spreading yoga throughout the state.” Brand ambassador of Nirvaan, actress Prastuti Parashar, praised the efforts of the sports and youth

and welfare department and gave a commitment to continue working towards the development of yoga in future. The yoga centre shall cater to the young and old, housewives and executives, through its various specialised programmes such as asanaas, pranayams, meditation, yoga nidra and power yoga. It will function in seven batches everyday and there will be special programmes for kids on Sundays. The fees have been kept at Rs. 500 per month. Renowned Yogacharya Subhashis delivered a lecture on benefits of daily yoga and available yoga therapy practices.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

In The News

Has Paresh Baruah lost his ground to Anup Chetia? Syeda Ambia Zahan

he long awaited return of ULFA general secretary, Anup Chetia and his reported willingness to be part of the peace process has added strength to the pro–talk ULFA section and at the same time is a blow to the other faction led by his cousin Paresh Baruah. Anup Chetia’s return, his concurrence for a negotiation and his colleagues’ affirmation of his joining the peace process is not good news to militant commander of ULFA, Paresh Baruah. Baruah, a cousin of Anup Chetia, has always remained at large and is opposed to the peace talks. Baruah, who is operating out of bases near the Sino-Myanmar border, will be the only major ULFA leader to remain outside the political process if Anup Chetia joins the peace process. Paresh Baruah has been isolated in his organisation after most of the senior leaders including Pradeep Gogoi, Arabinda Rajkhowa, Mrinal Hazarika, Chitrabon Hazarika and Raju Barua, who have come over ground in the last seven or eight years, have joined pro-talk faction leader Arabinda Rajkhowa. But, Baruah, a hardliner who is strongly opposed to talks, had reaffirmed his tough anti-India position when his faction of ULFA joined hands with the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) and other militant

outfits to form the United National Liberation Front of West South-East Asia. But anyone can observe the change of tone of Paresh Baruah, post Anup Cheita’s extradition to India, when he stated he would join the talks if he is “invited for peace talks

bipasa saikia kashyap

2 city children lose their lives Victims went in for a swim in the Amsang Forest Reserve’s lake Victims were students from city’s reputed local schools

respectfully.” Sources say the leader is very unhappy with Anup Chetia’s willingness to join the pro-talk faction. Talking to some local TV news channels, Paresh Baruah said, “We have not said that we’ll not participate in talks. If invited with respect

we’ll come. But we’ll maintain our earlier stand as we have only one core issue” Assam DGP, Khagen Sharma, has stated, “Chetia’s return from Bangladesh will definitely have a huge negative impact on Paresh Ba-

ruah’s faction which has refused to be part of the peace process. Though Chetia was in prison for nearly 16 years, it had a positive psychological impact on rebels seeking shelter in Bangladesh. This is now over,” said Assam DGP Khagen Sarma. “Now it is clear that Chetia wants to join the peace process headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa. This definitely means a major loss for Paresh Baruah,” the DGP added. Anup Chetia’s role in the ongoing peace process is crucial given his influence within ULFA. In fact, his internment in Bangladesh for the last 18 years prevented the peace talks from reaching their fruition. Indian authorities are hoping that Chetia will be able to convince Baruah to come on board the peace process. Simultaneously, the Assam government under Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi has, over the years, undertaken a series of low-key measures to persuade ULFA cadres to surrender and join the mainstream. All of these measures have slowly choked off the separatist movement, forcing the group’s leadership to consider negotiations. If Chetia joins the negotiations, the need for Paresh Baruah at the discussion table would recede fast as most of the senior leaders of the outfit have joined the process over the last seven to eight years.

Two Teenagers drown to death in City

arendra Singh and Jyotishman Das, students of Army School Narengi and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khanapara respectively, went with a group of friends on what became the last day of their lives. Chaos ensued in Guwahati’s Satgaon area when on 25th November both teenagers met with a fatal accident and drowned in a lake. According to Satgaon PS Officerin-Charge, Madan Kalita, the incident occurred between 1 pm and 3.45 pm. “A group of about 10 children went to the Amsang Forest Reserve and walked deep into the forest grounds. Eventually they came to the lake where they lost their lives.” According to the official, Narendra Singh and Jyotishman Das were not trained in swimming and they did not realize the force of the water currents when they went in for a dip. A case has been filed at the Satgaon Police Station and the bodies have been taken for post mortem. Apart from just one, the rest of the children

all belonged to Kendriya Vidyala, Khanapara. Narendra and Jyotishman had left their homes on the pretext of going somewhere else but they were actually visiting the Amsang Reserve

Forest situated on the way to Chandrapur and Pobitora. No one was informed about their whereabouts which is what caused a delay in letting the information out. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central),

Amitava Sinha, stated that police are investigating all angles and are currently waiting for the post mortem report. There are a few claims of murder, but OC, Madan Kalita, has waived off such claims and said that even though the post mortem report is awaited, there was no murder conspiracy involved. According to him, the children were just at the wrong place at the wrong time and the accident happened. “We cannot overlook the tragic deaths of two young lives but this was an accident. Otherwise the other friends would not have rushed to us as soon as they did. They were not even consuming any toxic substances. All we found were a few pairs of jeans, and some food.” The first steps of investigations are on and the police are looking into the matter. The families are in mourning and no one was there to speak on the matter from their side. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

In The News

rahul chanda

Two infernos singe Guwahati again

On the same day two separate fire incidents reported at Goswami Service and Barthakur Mill Road; in the latter fire trucks find it tough reaching the spot because of chaotic traffic

Two fire incidents rocked the city on 26th November The first fire incident occurred at 12.45 pm in an insurance office at Goswami Service The second incident took place in some thatched houses at Barthakur Mill Road in Ulubari In the first incident property worth lakhs of rupees was gutted and an insurance office was totally destroyed In the second incident six thatched houses were burnt to ashes Fire trucks had a tough time reaching the second spot because of chaotic traffic and narrow by-lanes

he Fancy Bazar inferno victims are yet to recover from the shock of the devastating Diwali incident when on 26th November two more fire incidents singed the city. An insurance office was destroyed at Goswami Service near Chandmari and some rented houses on the property of former mountaineer, Late Nasim Akhtar at Borthakur Mill Road in Ulubari, were scorched in the incidents. In both the fire incidents no casualty was reported but assets worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed. G Plus individually reviewed both the incidents and analysed the safety scenario in city buildings.

First incident At around 12.45 pm, the road from Guwahati Club to Chandmari was jammed with vehicles as some fire trucks rushed towards Goswami Service. When we reached the spot the fire fighters were in action trying to douse the fire inside the Star Union Daiichy Life Insurance office on the 2nd floor of SS Mansion Commercial Complex next to Paradise Hotel. At 1.52 pm, the fire fighters were able to completely douse the fire inside the office and it was sheer luck that the other shops and offices in the building were not affected. Area Agency Head of the insurance company, Kuntal Hazarika, talked to G Plus and narrated the incident. Hazarika said, “I was in my cabin and suddenly there was a spark in one of the electrical lights placed in-

1 side the false sealing of the cabin. The light then burst and fire sparks fell on the floor. We ran and switched off the main electrical switches but because of the fire sparks which fell on the floor, the carpet caught fire and suddenly it became huge. We opened the fire extinguisher but were scared of using it as the fire was increasing. We were around eight employees in the office and all of us ran downstairs and called the fire and emergency services.” He further added that the fire trucks reached within minutes of their call and started their work, but by the time the fire was completely doused, the entire insurance office was destroyed with property worth lakhs of rupees burnt to ashes. Fire service officials said that around six fire trucks reached the spot to douse the fire. The head office of Star Union

Daiichy Insurance Company is in Mumbai and besides Guwahati they have two other branches in Shillong and Silchar. An eye witness said that the first and third floors of the building were luckily vacant, so it was easier for the fire fighters to use both the floors to douse the fire. Also if these two floors had been occupied, the chances of the fire spreading through the entire building would have been more. The insurance company officials said that two laptops, eleven computers, seven small ACs and one central AC were gutted in the inferno along with many documents but added that customers will not suffer as the customer’s data and other records are available online. Asked about the authenticity of the company after so many insurance scams in the

country, one of the officials said that the insurance company is genuine and customers will not suffer in any manner. Owner of the shop, Computer Terminal, which is located at the ground floor of the building, Upanta Das, said that the building was constructed in 1977 and it is a very safe building with all fire safety measures because of which it was easy for the fire fighters to douse the huge fire easily and other offices and shops did not suffer. Das also said that seven years back there was a fire incident in the building when a shop in the ground floor was gutted.

Second incident The same day, at around 6 pm, G Plus received information that some

fire trucks were rushing towards Ulubari as there was another fire incident at Borthakur Mill Road. At house number 26 (A) in By-lane No. 4 of Borthakur Mill Road, a fire incident took place where six thatched houses which were constructed on the property of former mountaineer Late Nasim Akhtar were gutted. According to some eye witnesses, no one knows how exactly the fire started as there was no chance of a short circuit; the houses did not have electricity connection. An eyewitness said that the fire trucks had a tough time reaching the spot because at the entry of the road there is a doctor’s clinic because of which there is always a huge jam during the evenings. Of the six houses gutted, three houses were on rent while the other three were vacant. Amin Akhtar is the owner after Nasim and she said the rent from these gutted houses was her means of survival and she is worried about her survival now. Some local people assumed that a candle or a lamp could have been the cause of the fire but the local police said they are yet to find the cause of the fire and investigation is on. These two incidents have raised questions about the chaotic traffic in the city which makes it difficult for the fire trucks to reach the accident spots during emergencies. Also, many houses and buildings in the city still remain vulnerable to such emergency situations. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Governance

Juthika Baruah

Family tree form mandatory for verification of NRC

The draft NRC will be published on 1st January, 2016 instead of 1st October, 2015. The final NRC will be published on 1st March, 2016. Family tree form is mandatory in order to make the NRC error-free

he verification process of National Register of Citizens will mandatorily include the family tree of the applicants so that unscrupulous elements cannot insert their names in the ancestors’ legacy data. Family tree contains the details of different generations of a family comprising the names of the legacy persons and the children and grandchildren of the legacy person. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), Mukta Nath Saikia, while speaking to G Plus said, “We use the legacy data of our grandfather and the same is used by all the siblings of the subsequent generations but the family tree will help identify the genuineness of each person. If a family has five siblings, they will have to fill up the family tree form and if someone enters a name illegally, it will be detected immedi-

ately as the family tree names will be entered into the website.” Saikia said that the family tree form requires individuals to provide the names of their siblings and the children including the married sisters. “The legacy data has a number which will be matched with the form and if any person tries to include the names illegally, it will be automatically detected through direct image software. In order to publish an error free NRC, family tree form is very important,” Saikia said. On the other hand, the citizens are worried about another round of form filling exercise and alleged that the government is unnecessarily harassing the genuine citizens in the name of NRC. “From the very beginning it has been a harassment for the indigenous people. At first they said that they will deploy officials to

help the people in filling up the form which seems to be neglected at the end of the day. Many people do not know how to fill the form and taking advantage of it, a section of the people are charging money for filling up the forms. Some people struggle to find one square meal a day. How will they afford the time to fill up the form? But just for their future security they have to somehow fill up the form whether by paying or not. Will the NRC actually identify the illegal Bangladeshis or is this just another way to harass the indigenous people of the state?” asked Reena Roy, a resident of Birubari. The verification team will collect the family tree details during the house-to-house visit and if the people are willing to fill the form earlier, they can do so. “In order to save time people who can fill the form them-

Points to be noted while filling up Manual Family Tree Form: • I f the family is using any other admissible document (and not NRC 1951 or any of the Electoral Rolls), the box naming “Legacy Data Code (LDC)” shall be left blank. • If in case the Legacy person has/had more than one spouse, the names shall be provided separated by comma. • Names of all deceased members, if any, shall also be required to be mentioned in the family tree. • All known Legacy Data Codes against the legacy person shall be mentioned in the Manual Family Tree Form to ensure that the alternate LDC is not misused by anyone. • Names of married daughters of the family are also to be provided. • The Manual Family Tree Form can be filled up in Assamese/Bengali/Bodo/English. • Family Tree details once submitted to verification officials can’t be altered or withdrawn.

selves can do so or else our officers will fill the form during the houseto-house visit for verification,” Saikia said. Under Rule 8 of The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, the verifying officials are empowered to ask any person to furnish any information within his knowledge in connection with the determination of Citizenship status of any person and the person required to furnish information shall be bound to comply with such requisition. As such the public would be required to provide the family tree details to the verification teams.

What if a family does not know in detail the names and addresses of all members of the family tree? In that case the applicant family may give details of only those members of the family who are known to them. While the verification team would mandatorily capture the names of the first generation of the family, in cases of the family members of the second generation whose names or locations are not known, the public may only mention the nick names. If nick names are also not known then the number of children or grandchildren of the legacy person as known to the applicant shall be mentioned. In such cases against the serial number “Name Not Known” may be written. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

City

Umananda temple to have lift and sky bridge

Juthika Baruah

Umananda temple to have lift and sky bridge for the convenience of the elderly GMDA has undertaken development projects for the two temples which are likely to be started from February Infrastructure and park development to be done at the Navagraha temple premises

mananda temple is set to be fitted with a lift and a sky bridge to make it more convenient for elderly persons to visit the temple. As of now they have to climb stairs which makes it difficult for them. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has undertaken development projects at Umananda and Navagraha temples in order to attract more visitors. “The work is likely to start from February as the administration’s approval is yet to be received. The development project includes a lift, sky bridge and development of a pathway. The lift and sky bridge are important for the elderly persons as they have to climb stairs which is painful for them,” said Dilip Pathak, Chief Engineer of GMDA, while speaking to G Plus. Pathak said that the two being the oldest temples in Guwahati, they should be developed more to make them attractive to visitors. For this, the infrastructure has to be up-graded and modernized. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Sri Sri Umananda Devaloy Parichalana Committee, Amarendra Sarma, said that there are many development works to be done but due to the laxity of the Government the works remain incomplete. “People

GMDA has undertaken development works for Umannanda and Navagraha to improve the infrastructure of the city’s oldest temples. from North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) have also visited the temple and offered to install solar lights but we opposed the same as solar lights cannot be maintained. This is the fourth time that they expressed their desire to install solar lights but once they are installed they do not repair the lights after these gets damaged. Further, the resident monkeys also get affected by the solar lighting system and many properties get destroyed in storms. So we opposed it. We have demanded that three towers be set up respectively at Umananda, Urvashi and at DC Court so that a more reliable conventional power line can be brought to the temple,” said Sarma. Sarma said that other than the lights there are also drinking water, toilet and other infrastructure problems that need to be removed. He said, “A project of drinking wa-

ter was started 2-3 years back but has not been completed till date. We cannot provide drinking water to the visitors. We have also repeatedly written to the Government for repairing the kitchen and the f loors of the campus as these are in a very dilapidated condition. The f loors got damaged and we have asked for the same to be re-laid with tiles.” The Secretary also informed that a maintenance expense which was earlier provided by the Government has not been received since 13 years. “There is a monthly expense of Rs. 8000 in the name of the temple and as we do not get many visitors we do not get much money. This compromises our maintenance efforts. The toilet is also in a deplorable condition but we cannot repair or improve it as we do not have funds,” Sarma said. He further informed that the gov-

ernment has neglected the temple for which it is in a deplorable condition and while they keep hearing that development work will be done no action has been taken till date.

Navagraha Temple The authorities of Navagraha temple are living with a hope that the Government will come up with a development project as it had been assured long back that the main temple will be repaired. Ratul Sarma, one of the priests, said that they do not have a proper place to live. There are 80 priests and 8 employees but there is a huge shortage of living space. “Many development works have been done but there are still more to do. We do not have a proper kitchen and as many people come here to take part in religious rituals we cannot

Project

Estimated value (Rs. in lakhs)

Amount required for 201516 (Rs. in lakhs)

Development of Umananda Temple premises (Phase I)

990.00

70.00

Development of Navagraha Temple premises (Phase I)

263.03

40.00

provide the prasad hygienically. The people now-a-days look for hygiene and a healthy environment and if we fail to provide such facilities, it dissuades people from visiting again. Two years back Minister Ardhendu Dey visited the temple and said that he will provide funds for the construction of the kitchen but now it is half done,” said Sarma. The President of the temple, Raju Prasad Sarma, said that GMDA has two projects in hand the construction of two buildings and a garden. “The building is necessary as many people come here for rituals and there is not enough space where we can provide food. They have to sit on the f loor and serving food there becomes awkward. Therefore, the building is necessary so that people can organize small functions. Earlier, there were no parking places for the visitors but now we have also made space for parking so that the visitors do not face any problem,” Sarma said. He also said that the Government can only give the money but the rest depends on the institution or the organisation to maintain the premises properly so that it can attract the visitors. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

City

bipasa saikia kashyap

Authorities restrict vehicles for a safe morning walk experience City streets to be customized for morning walkers Vehicle entry to be restricted between 5 am to 7 am. Move made for the improvement of the citizens’ health

here is good news for all early morning walkers in the city. According to a recent rule, most of the streets in and around the city are going to be closed during certain time-spans to allow a safe walking experience. The DCP Traffic, Pranab Jyoti Goswami, in a statement to G Plus mentioned that city streets are going to be restricted for all vehicles. “This is to ensure that the pedestrians in the city feel safe and secure. From 5 am to 7 am all vehicles are going to

have to rely on alternate routes,” said PJ Goswami. The rule was initiated a year ago but due to constructions and other technical projects being carried out on the streets it is has been made effective starting now. Guwahati, as a city, rises early. It has enthusiastic early-morning walkers, but due to the shortage of parks and natural surroundings, people usually walk on the narrow streets. This restriction in the movement of vehicles will be good for walkers - es-

pecially those in the city who do have access to a park or a playground. “This is in the interest and for the benefit of all the health conscious people of Guwahati. We have a sizeable number of health enthusiasts in the city and people do like to go out for walks. Many Guwahatians are making this a part of their lifestyle today. This rule has been made effective on a number of streets in the city,” said Pranab Goswami. The IAS Colony in Khanapara and the road under the Chandmari

flyover are examples of where this rule has already been implemented. All trekkers, carriers, rickshaws, trucks, cars and even two-wheelers are going to be halted on these assigned streets. The streets are going to be open only to the pedestrians and bicyclists. “Guwahati, as a city, doesn’t have the necessary number of parks, playgrounds or open spaces, which is why we have made this mandatory,” Goswami said. All routes are going to be made one-way for a couple of

hours every morning and this is a rule that the city dwellers will have to follow. In the early hours of the morning, Guwahati has very thin traffic. “The residents are also coming forward with a collective effort. So far all the walkers have maintained and adhered to the rules and the same applies for all vehicle owners,” the traffic official mentioned. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

City

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

State Zoo all set for the winter rush • Animal exchange happens; much more scrutiny than before in the selection process • With winters approaching, the State’s only Botanical Garden awaits the huge rush of visitors • Endangered species raised in captivity - total number of 6 species rescued

ome the winters, the Assam State Zoo Cum Botanical Garden becomes one of the most visited spots of Guwahati. While it is one of the favourite destinations of citizens to take their children during weekends, the zoo is a major tourist attraction for visitors to the city. The State Zoo is truly that one tract of undulating land within Guwahati that has given the nature-lover a chance to get acquainted with the world of flora and fauna. From the end of November through the month of December and January, the zoo witnesses a transition with a surge in the number of visitors. As Guwahati gets soaked in a blanket of mist, the zoo offers the perfect spot within the city for people to spend some quality time in the lap of nature. “We experience our first surge of visitors during early December every year,” mentions Ajanta Kumar Das, Junior Assistant, Assam State Zoo while speaking to G Plus. “We get tourists from all over the world. Each year though, Europe is where the maximum number of foreign visitors comes from. The zoo is most crowded during the months from November to February. Last year, on just the one day of 1st January, we got a crowd of about twenty thousand people. The rush of visitors to the zoo goes on till the middle of the year and during peak summers the rush comes down.” The Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden was established in the year 1982 and is one of the largest zoos in the country. Also its landscape is one of the most beautiful often giving the feeling of actually being in the wild. It houses a total of 1161 animals, birds and reptiles, belonging to about 256 different species. The endangered species include the One-horned Rhinoceros, Golden Langur, Hoollock Gibbon, Asian Elephant, Great-pied Hornbill, and the Golden Cat. In the year 2014-15, about 6 of these species were saved viz. Deer, Brow-antlered Antelope, Four-horned Hog Deer, Macque Stump Tailed, Cat Leopard and Common Langur. The zoo campus is also part of the Hengerabari Reserve Forest. A total of 15 species of mammals including Sambar and Barking Deer inhabit the area. The campus is a bird-watcher’s paradise with species of over 152 birds being in captivity. The months of November through February witnesses the campus becoming host to many rare migratory birds.

The Assam Botanical Garden also sees its share of exchanged animals every year. A selected number of wild animals are exchanged with some other botanical gardens in the country and in return other species of animals are added to the Guwahati State Zoo. “We usually exchange our animals from the Central Zoo in New Delhi. When an exchange happens, there is usually an expert committee sitting and deciding on it. Both the animals are studied for long and matters like the infrastructure of the zoo to which it will be transferred, climate, surroundings etc. are taken into consideration,” the Divisional Forest Officer, Mr. Chandan Bora stated. If the habitat of any particular animal is changed suddenly, it might become traumatic for the animal and might lead to its death. Statistics show previous records of such occurrences.

2013-2014 2012-2013 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008 2006-2007 2005-2006 2004-2005 2003-2004 2002-2003 0

50 Reptiles

100 Birds

150

200

250

300

Mammals

Chart depicting rescued animals of Assam State Zoo 2002 - 2014

The most common Leopard cats are exchanged for Black Panthers from the Central Zoo of New Delhi. According to the DFO, a lot of deer, fowls and pheasants are exchanged as the reproduction of these animals is quite high. In 2014, almost 82 animals belonging to various species were raised in captivity to save that particular species from extinction. The Assam State Botanical Garden is welcoming new programs this year that includes new enclosures for pygmy hogs, jackals, hyenas and hippos. A new nine hundred meter boundary wall has been added to the Garden’s premises. Also, the nocturnal houses alongside the houses for the Royal Bengal Tiger and White tiger are under construction. In the year 2013-14, a total of 512 animals were rescued by the Assam Botanical Garden, and in the past year 2015 a total of 333 animals were rescued.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Campus

bipasa saikia kashyap

Cotton University goes for its first student polls amidst questions about its very existence Cotton State University goes through its first elections following the split from Cotton College NSUI sweeps majority of the seats Cotton University’s functioning comes under scrutiny throwing up uncomfortable questions about its existence The University is also embroiled in land and property dispute issues

otton College has forever been the flag-bearer of Guwahati’s higher education. The institution is a scholastic hub and the main learning ground of Guwahati’s intellectual youth. Ever since the institution was sliced for the formation of the Cotton College State University on the same premises, simmering tensions on various issues between the College and the University have surfaced. During the Gauhati University election assembly around a month back, there was an agreement between the heads of both institutions. The Cotton University was asked to return all the property that was earlier given to it by Cotton College. A large chunk of the student population also opined that the functioning of the institution as a separate entity might be a problem. The General Secretary and the President of the Cotton College Students’ Union have commented on the tensions between the College and the University saying that the solution lies in open talks and discussions between the leaders of both institutions.

The controversy Amlanjyoti Dewry, (of SMSS), the new General Secretary of Cotton College (the College and not the University) dismisses all chances of survival of the University. Dewry became the general secretary this year when the Gauhati University and its affiliated colleges had its elections.

He says that the existence of the Cotton College State University is a farce in the first place and stressed that the University is not capable of carrying its own weight. In the 2015 election assembly, the University was asked to return all the property rights to Cotton College. Confirming this, Dewry also added that the only physical piece of land that the University was left with is a piece of land in Azara with a building on it which initially used to be a hospital. “A lot of funds

are released to the Cotton University but most of the funds are misused. Because it is new and is on the premises of Cotton College, there is an automatic assumption that it is the College’s responsibility to share the burden of the University. It is not. The College has its own fair share of problems.”

The Elections Given this backdrop, on 24th

November last, Cotton University went in for its own internal polls for the first time after its bifurcation. This election is set to offer a window to whether the Cotton College State University can make a mark and function as a separate entity. The kind of political picture that the results threw up might just be prophetic of the forthcoming state elections. A total of 777 votes were polled and the National Students’Union of India (NSUI) bagged eight out of a total of nine seats. NSUI won by a margin of 150 votes. Three hostels participated and there was an alliance between the Krishna Kanta Handique Girls’ Hostel (Post Graduate) and Dr. Kamala Roy Girls’ Hostel leading to the victory of Rajashri Bora (NSUI) for the post of the Vice-President. Bora is a KKH hostel resident. The post of the General Secretary and President were bagged by Dadul Das and Rajiv Goswami respectively, both residents of the Mahendra Nath Deka Phukan Boys’ Hostel.Both the candidates were backed by NSUI which has now ensured its firm hold over the University. Interestingly, both of them are quite optimistic about the survival of Cotton College State University.

The students’ opinion According to sources within the student population, the Cotton College State University is not functioning properly and the students are fed

up at not being able to cope up. Talks are also being held to discuss if the move was at all a good one. “The students do not want this divide. For years, we were working properly under Gauhati University and without any complications. Now we are running short of lecturers and classrooms. The syllabus is not given its due attention; it is like a country’s border dispute,” a student of Cotton College stated. However, not all have the same complaint. Dhrubojyoti Saikia, a student of Geography at the University feels that this bifurcation was necessary. “If an institution cannot function properly, separation is an option and it is a viable one.” According to him, under Gauhati University, the course structure of various disciplines became redundant and the teaching methods were obsolete. “This election is the first chance for the leaders of the NSUI to take a stance, make a mark and prove that the bifurcation is not a wasted effort. We want the change,” Ankit Saharia, another senior student claimed. What does the future hold for the Cotton University? Does it have or can it manage to have its own infrastructure as a full-fledged University should? The reputed educational hub is clearly going through a crisis and the separate functioning of Cotton as a University is becoming a cause of tension in the relevant circles. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Snippets

Suicide cases increase among city college students

rahul chanda

56%

18-year-old Pandu College student commits suicide in her hostel room Police and family members fail to find any clue about the reason 56% city college students feel suicide cases among students are increasing because of failed love affairs Experts feel it is an alarming issue and should be dealt with efficiently

college students feel it is because of failed love affairs which prove traumatic and fatal

n a tragic incident an 18-year-old student, Bhanita Devi of Pandu College, allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room on 22nd November leaving no clue behind as to what might be the exact reason for her taking the drastic step. The father of the student, who is an employee of the same college and works in the Botany department as a bearer, is shocked after the demise of his daughter who, according to her family members, was a very sober girl. G Plus reviews the incident and checks the suicide scenario in the city.

The incident Dipjyoti Barman, warden of Pandu College Girls Hostel, said that on 22nd November, Bhanita went out at around morning 10.30 am according to the check-out register. It was a Sunday. Talking to G Plus, he said, “Every evening we a have a prayer meeting where we also take the attendance of the students staying in the hostel. But on 22nd November, Bhanita did not

come for the prayer meeting scheduled at 5 pm after which I was concerned and asked the aaya to check where she was.” He further said that in the room which Bhanita occupied, the kitchen store keys are also kept and when the aaya went to check the keys and also to look for Bhanita, she found the room locked from inside. After calling her and banging on the door for a long time, the warden became apprehensive and informed the police. The local police came and broke the door to find Bhanita hanging from the fan in the room. She had used her chunni. She was dead and a thorough investigation of the room revealed no suicide note. Police said that they are still investigating the reason of the suicide. Her friends in the hostel said that she was very reserved and used to hardly share any personal details with her friends. The hostel aaya, Makoni Das, said that Bhanita used to hardly talk and is not sure why she took such a drastic step. A close family member of the deceased said that Bhanita tried to call her father who lives in Barama

64000 families to get land patta in Guwahati, says state government

he Assam government has agreed to give land patta to 64000 families of farmers and small tea growers in Guwahati. The Congress-led Assam government which has been at loggerheads with Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, a peasant organisation led by antidam crusader Akhil Gogoi, has finally accepted its demand to give land patta to landless people in Guwahati. ight before the assembly polls, the Assam government on Friday held a crucial meeting with Akhil Gogoi and other leaders of KMSS, wherein it accepted the demand of the organisation to give land patta to 64000 peasant families. The government has also stated that land patta would be considered for small tea growers also provided they fulfil some criteria. The peasant organisation has been fighting for providing land patta to the indigenous people of Guwahati living in the hills, forest land ceiling surplus land and wetlands since long and has led a series of protests in support of their demands. It is worth mentioning that KMSS had been demanding that the government provide land to people who had been living on government land in the city till June 22, 2011.The KMSS demanded that each family should be given 1.5 to 3 kathas of land and if

and travels to Guwahati every day. The father’s mobile was in silent mode so he did not receive the call but when he called back later, Bhanita did not take his call. Perhaps it was already too late. According to her friends she was an average student and was in higher secondary first year. It’s been around fivesix days of the incident and the police and her family have not been able to find the reason. The incident has once again raised concerns about students and suicides in the city.

Public view G Plus talked to 100 city college students randomly to find out why cases of suicides by college students are increasing in the city. 56% of the students said that failed love affairs is a reason why many students commit suicide while 30% believe that academic pressure compels students to take the drastic step. 11% blamed the parents for putting a lot of pressure on the students which scares them about the future and they commit suicide. The rest

did not want to comment. ADGP (CID) Mukesh Sahay, who is also set to become the next state DGP, feels that the threshold of patience is decreasing among the students which lead to suicide cases and he felt that there should be a toll free number where people can call and get counselling whenever they are depressed. He said that students these days are exposed to many things from an early age and the competition, peer pressure and family pressure adds to the agony which takes them to a state of mind where they take such steps. He also said there is an increase in the number of suicide cases reported in the city and the issue has become a cause for concern and which needs to be dealt with efficiently. Looking at the records, in 2010 the city witnessed 87 suicide cases, 139 cases in 2011, 52 cases in 2012, 213 cases in 2013 and 480 cases in 2014. So, the number of cases reported indicates that there is an increase in suicide cases in Guwahati and this is alarming. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Anjan Dutta claims BJP MLAs keen to join Congress

somebody possesses more land than this, the excess land should be distributed among the landless. The Assam government has also agreed to formulate a new land policy to meet the demands. “The existing land policy of 9th Dec 2013 would be discarded and KMSS has been given the responsibility of preparing a draft of the new land policy by the government”, said Minister Rokybul Hussain. The government has also stated that the process of distributing land patta would be started from 28th November and would be completed within three

months. Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, had asked his cabinet ministers to initiate the talks with members of KMSS who were on a protest march to the capital reiterating their demands apart from opposing the Narendra Modi government’s communal activities. Notably, a few years back, Pranab Boro, a KMSS supporter, had immolated himself in front of the Assam Secretariat in a protest organised by the KMSS in support of the land demand. His death had sparked protests across the state.

ith Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah in the state, the party has been shaken by reports of 5 of its MLAs being keen on joining the Congress. Confirming the reports, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President, said that “not one or two but at least five BJP MLAs and their workers” are in touch and keen to join the Assam Congress. However, senior party leader and newly appointed conveyor of BJP, Assam Pradesh, Himanta Biswa Sarma has denied the rumour and has called it a po-

litical gambit. The veteran Congress leader and legislator from Amguri, Anjan Dutta, said that the 5 BJP legislators and their workers were disenchanted with their party’s leadership, its false promises and the anti-people policies of Modi government. Anjan Dutta however did not share more details citing that the Congress had not taken a final decision on the 5 BJP MLAs’ desire to join it. He stated that his party would take a cautious and appropriate decision on this in the larger interest of the people of Assam and the party.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Blueprint

In Association with

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Art

Malini

A Divine Human Tree

Subhrajit Roy

he dramatic creations of Girish Karnad which are inspired by the folk tales of Karnataka are appreciated worldwide - be it on stage or on the silver screen - for their entertainment value as well as the morals and message contained within the story line. Adaptations of creations like ‘Naagmandala’ and ‘The Fire and the Rain’ have already been successfully staged in Guwahati several times. The most recent in the list is “Malini,” the Assamese adaptation of Karnad’s National Award winning film ‘Cheluvi. Adapted, scripted and directed by Manik Roy and produced by Pinky J. Borah, the play was presented by A Cube Dream Production on November 24, 2015 at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati. The story line of the play revolved around a poor mother (Juri Sharma) and her two daughters, Leela (Pallabi Medhi) and Malini (Roopchanda Sarma). All three were struggling hard to earn their livelihood. Meanwhile, the younger daughter, Malini, was blessed with a magical power of transforming herself into a divine tree of exotic flowers with intoxicating fragrance and which nobody had ever seen or smelt before and this allowed the sisters to earn their bread by selling the flowers of the tree. Subsequently, the flowers attracted the attention of Rituraj (Ziun Ahmed), the only son of the village mahajan, who fell in love with the magical essence of the

flowers and became curious to know about the secret of its fragrance and the location of the tree. Though both the sisters kept quiet about the existence of the tree, Rituraj made up his mind to marry Malini. His elder sister (Runumi Devi) took initiative and facilitated the possibility of the marriage between the son of the rich and the daughter of the poorest of the poor. But during the initial days of their married life, the question about the secrecy of the tree loomed large. Eventually, Malini revealed the truth and transformed herself into the magical tree which thrilled Rituraj. The miraculous occurrence was witnessed by Rituraj’s younger sister Rukmini (Supriya

Borah) who was hiding behind the walls and watching. Taking advantage of her brother’s absence she forced Malini to reenact the miracle gathering all her kid companions to enjoy the spectacle. Although Malini had warned that if the tree was hurt then she would be unable to regain her human identity the children did not pay heed and broke the branches of the divine tree. Thus, Malini became an injured human tree and her life and soul were captured within its frame. Two woodcutters brought the tree from the jungle and placed it in front of her husband’s house. Finding her in such a pitiable situation, Rituraj took her back to the jungle and tried

his best to bring back her human form. Guided by Malini, he started to collect the missing branches of the tree which could help in bringing back her originality. Meanwhile, as per his father’s orders, a number of trees had already been cut in the forest for the construction of a new house for the newlyweds. This play, carrying the message of environmental conservation by saving trees, brought the essence of the folk tale with a touch of modernity. The scene of Malini’s transformation into a tree was really eye-catching and was done with the use of chromatic illumination supported with lovely music by Diganta Sarma. The set design was realistic

with elements like house made of bamboo as well as other live trees. The other properties used in the sets gave it a multidimensional look for which Jyoti Bhattacharya and her team mates deserve a huge applause. Coming to the performances, except Juri Sarma in the role of mother and the title role enacted by Roopchanda, all other actors seemed out of place and unduly loud on several occasions. As for the script and direction, to fuse some local flavor the director introduced punch lines like “Politics of thread and blanket,” etc. which are quite relevant in the socio-political environment of Assam. But the mention of names of some diseases in English in a dialogue by the woodcutters sounded absurd so far as the pattern and plot of the play was concerned. Though the play is entirely based on fantasy, the director indeed did his best to give it a realistic touch as demanded by the original creation. Above all, the play carried the message that the natural rules of environment should not be tampered with as it may bring weird and sorrowful consequences. Deforestation is one such rule and it is a crime on nature. It is an irony that nature always pays a big debt for supporting the livelihood of human beings. Folk tales have always carried messages of conservation and morality. “Cheluvi” or “Malini” is just a fine example of a folk tale that carried such a message which the urban society so desperately needs to understand.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Ward Watch

WARD NO

Concentrated area Panbazar Ward number 10 Sub-division 10(B) Councillor Mrigen Sarania Phone number 9864043462 Area sabha member Dipti Nath Phone number 9401383056 Problems: Sluggish progress of construction of drainage system and footpath

On-going development creates chaos due to poor management

KALYAN DEB

ard number 10 is a densely populated and commercially vibrant part of the city. The ward includes localities such Paltan Bazar, Pan Bazar and Fancy Bazar and as a commercial hub, these areas have a large number of shops, business organisations, offices and hotels. Thus the areas witness a huge crowd. As acknowledged by people who have business establishments in the area, these days the roads are being cleaned on a regular basis as compared to the recent past but the areas continue to witness traffic congestion for most part of the day as the roads are narrow and there is an immense shortage of parking spaces. “Although the area does not have such problems as are usually faced in residential localities but being a commercial hub, such areas require special handling. Among several others, the traffic management requires to be

given a serious look by the authorities. Though there are traffic officials present on the main roads, the interiors are left to fend for themselves”, said D. Choudhury, a shop owner at Panbazar.

Traffic congestion Adding to the people’s distress is the on-going construction of the drainage system and footpath on the Moti Lal Nehru Road which is facing the worst imaginable traffic congestion for most part of the day. Although the development process is a welcome initiative by the Public Works Department, the sluggish progress is creating chaos rather than facilitating the people with amenities. The lack of proper traffic supervision is also one of prime reasons that are leading to the chaos. Since MLN Road connects several surrounding areas such as Hari Sabha

Road, H N Baruah Path among several others, a large number of vehicles ply through these roads for most part of the day. Although the MLN Road is a one way route via Pan Bazar, the vehicles coming from the connecting lanes create traffic congestion in the area. The ripples of the congestion can be felt up to Paltan Bazar during peak hours and vehicles getting lined and proceeding at a snail’s pace through the area is a common daily sight. While the construction is in progress a major part of MLN Road remains covered with construction materials, excavators and concrete mixers whereas the other half of the road is overlaid by vehicles that are parked on the roadside. The parked vehicles not only block a major part of the road but some of the vehicles do not even leave a decent amount of space for pedestrians to walk on the footpath.

Councillor Says Talking to G Plus the councillor said that the developmental work was initiated some time ago and began with the construction of a culvert near the Lakhtokia flyover. “If the work is carried out at night it is favourable for both the executing agency and the public but it also creates suspicions that the labourers might not work properly as there will be no proper supervision. Thus, the construction is carried out during day. There is no second opinion that the public is suffering due to the traffic congestion at MLN Road and Panbazar being a heavily commercial area it has more traffic than other parts of the city. I have been among the sufferers as well. MLN Road in particular sees flow of traffic from all sides such as GNB Road, AT Road, Lakhtokia and at times, heavy traffic merges through the adjacent lanes as well which results in traffic congestion,” said Mrigen Sarania, councillor, ward number 10. “In order to resolve the issue, GMC officials along with Pranab Jyoti Goswami, DCP, Traffic, had visited the area but either way a proper plan could not be executed to address the issue of traffic. Meanwhile we are trying to complete the work as soon as possible as the construction of drainage system and footpath will resolve the issue of water logging in the area,” Sarania said. “On behalf of the people for their sufferings, I will urge the PWD engineers and will personally look after the matter for the construction to be concluded as soon as possible,” the councillor informed. Ramen Chakrabarty, a local shop-owner in MLN Road said, “Such work should be rather carried out at night rather than at day time blocking the road for the entire day. Moreover, the man power that has been used by the department is no way adequate for a busy area like Pan Bazar. The construction has been in progress for over a month now and has not been executed as speedily as is required. Due to the construction vehicle movement has been hampered the most as vehicles struggle to pass through the area. The authorities should have converted connecting lanes into temporary oneways as the vehicles coming through

these lanes create most traffic congestion. The scenario gets worse at 9 am and around 1:30 pm every day during the school hours as the area houses two schools as well,” Chakrabarty added. Several other shop-owners also agreed with Chakrabarty’s assertion that such work should be carried out at night rather than in broad day-light when the area remains the busiest. Many also objected that due to the sluggish speed and less man-power utilized the business of the outlets are suffering badly. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

In Conversation

How an entrepreneur will manage his project matters more than the collateral security G Plus Feature

eneral Manager of State Bank of India (North East Circle), Gautam Bhattacharya, finds many opportunities for bankers in Guwahati and exclusively talks to G Plus regarding how new entrepreneurs can avail loans.

Please tell us how you entered the banking sector and the profiles you have had before becoming the General Manager of SBI. I was born in Dhanbad and got my education from Dhanbad and West Bengal. I graduated from Presidency College with major in chemistry and did my post-graduation also in chemistry. Then I thought of joining research and academics but after exploring a bit, got the opportunity in SBI and joined as provisional officer in 1984. In the year 1994-95 I did a 3-year evening programme in MBA. My career in banking developed through various assignments and I became an officer. I worked as Branch Manager at various branches and also worked at SBI Life as a Regional Manager. I got promoted to General Manger and was posted here.

Have you worked in Guwahati before? Yes, I worked in Guwahati in 2008 as a GM of royal business unit and then in Tripura as Regional Manager.

What is the concept of GM 1 and 2? There are two GMS. GM 1 deals with two places which is Assam and Arunachal Pradesh basically. GM 2

Gautam Bhattacharya, General Manager, SBI

looks after the other areas of the north east.

projects all over the northeast related to social and health issues.

How many customers, accounts, branches, and ATMs do you have in Guwahati and Assam?

As you said SBI has the largest number of customers, but customers of SBI face problems like service, quality. They do not get 24/7 services. How are you improving it?

I can’t tell you the exact figures but definitely we have a huge banking presence here. There are more than 300 ATMs in Guwahati. We are trying to improve our services and we are banking religiously. We are going very well with housing loans, car loans with major shareholders and then semi advances also. We have put up ATMs, cash deposit machines. We are also bringing in mobile banking. There is also future banking and also traders finance business loan accounts, we have commercial branches also.

That’s why we are making 24/7 services more popular like ATMs, ADMs (cash deposit machines). You don’t have to go to the bank every time. Gradually people are aligning to e-commerce which is more convenient to them. But customer education is also very important. Nowadays you don’t have to go to the bank to update a pass book. You can update your passbook through an automated machine in the counter itself with a barcode. Banking facilities like mobile banking and internet banking is very convenient and useful but what customers need is education on these matters which we are working on. 24/7 you can transact. SBI has the best internet site. Our site is also protected from frauds. It is very secured banking.

Do you think is anything that SBI is not providing which other banks are? Don’t think so! We are the leaders. We are giving everything that a customer requires. But of course the quality of service matters. Our customer base is very large. So sometimes, because of the rush, the crowd goes to the alternative channels. So those customers entering the bank get the quality time. We also have personalised banking branch and another branch called Brahmaputra Premium which is for the high value customers where high-profile customers can do their banking very confidentially and leisurely. It is situated at NEDFI House.

What is the USP of SBI?

As a GM, what are the changes you are looking to bring in?

Trust and reach! We can reach any corner of the northeast. And trust, because it is the most trusted brand.

Does SBI encourage entrepreneurs, amateurs, starters who are seeking loans? We always encourage them. We have lot of schemes for this sector. Recently we have launched the Mudra Loan also to encourage the entrepreneurs. The scheme is doing very well here.

Why is it that it is easier for an entrepreneur to get loans at places like Delhi and Mumbai but not in the north eastern region, especially in Guwahati and Assam? Why is collateral a must for a loan? In other places people get loans by just floating the idea of the new business. Why is it not the same here? It’s not true. We are giving a

large number of loans. In the Mudra scheme itself, up to 10 lakh Mudra loans have been given. Also under credit guaranties, that is upto 1 crore, there is no requirement of collateral. Of course the project must be successful as it has to pay back through its profit. Ultimately it’s a loan and not a subsidy. Things like how the entrepreneur will manage the project, the marketing of the project, etc. matter more than the collateral security.

How much is SBI’s NPA here in Assam? We have recovery strategies. We have recovery agents and in some cases we have take legal actions also. We are managing.

What all corporate social responsibility does SBI take? We have been doing CSR from a long time. We have done a lot of projects in the northeast. Recently in Silchar, one cancer hospital has been sponsored by us. We do small

SBI is expanding. We are giving a lot of importance on the ATMs as availability of an ATM is very important. For that we are facing problems like connectivity and vendor services. In the northeast you know the difficulties. Then the product should reach the customers. I am focussing on home loan, car loan which is very important and useful products and the delivery time also we are reducing. We are trying to improve on our delivery time.

As Guwahati is the centre of northeast, what are the problems you are facing as a banker and what are the opportunities of banking here? Of course Guwahati is the centre of the northeast. So definitely there are a lot of opportunities for bankers. Bankers will get benefits here as economy is developing here.

Is SBI eying anything special for Guwahati? Yes. We have plans for strengthening our branches and ATMs, CDMs and also delivery.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Nutrition and Daily Lifestyle

Lifestyle

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e always complain about how, despite dieting and working out, our body seems to stop making progress. This is often referred to as a “plateau.” This is mainly because of wrong workout routines that do not engage your muscles in the way it should.

Tips to make your workout routine more effective: • Eating food or beverage with high protein content about 20 minutes before and immediately after your strength-training workout can do wonders for your body. • You could do the same after a vigorous cardiovascular workout, such as cycling, running or even just a long walk. • When you work out, you break down muscles. Consuming food with high protein content combined with a little bit of carbohydrate and other nutrients helps build your muscle mass and your strength more effectively. • Don’t forget to drink water because you also need to make sure you hydrate yourself properly.

Trainers Tip

Daily lifestyle tips

My personal regimen includes drinking some skimmed milk before workout (all you need is about 1/2 a cup). In addition to highquality protein, it contains important probiotics which keep your gastrointestinal tract healthy. It also offers high-quality carbohydrates, calcium, potassium and magnesium — important nutrients that replenish your muscles.

1. Work less

How much protein is optimum?

Caffeine can be a double whammy on cortisol levels, especially if consumed at night. It will definitely negatively affect the quality of your sleep. Getting quality, uninterrupted sleep each night is critical to reducing cortisol. So avoid caffeine in the evening hours.

My personal protein goal of 120 grams per day (or 1.2 grams to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight) is adequate. If you need about 100/120 grams of protein per day, make sure you divide your consumption adequately across 4 sections: 25/30 grams into 4 meals. Over consumption does not benefit the body.

New research shows that if you work for more than 56 hours per week, the likelihood of consuming excess alcohol goes up drastically. Alcohol consumption increases cortisol which, in turn, increases belly fat. If you’re looking to shrink your belly, trimming back your working hours while choosing calorie-burning exercises for stress relief (in lieu of alcohol) will do wonders for your waistline.

2. Don’t consume caffeine after 6 PM

3. Take time to “unplug” A recent study showed that those who were constantly “plugged in” to technology throughout the day (TV, smart phones and computers) were significantly more stressed than those who took time to “unplug.” More stress adds to more belly fat. So if you want to trim that belly, start planning for some device-free time each day. Kamal Sinha Head TraineR, Gold’s Gym Ganeshguri Internationally certified Lesmills Trainer

ith a 5.5” in full 1080p display, the Taiwanese tech-giant Xiaomi has gone big by announcing their newest phone, the ‘Redmi Note3’. Bigger and more powerful than its predecessor, the Note 3 has a full metal body finish, a finger print sensor and a beastly 4000mAh battery. Internally, the Note 3 has a MediaTek Helio X10 processor which is a deca-core processor and comes with a 2 GB and a 3 GB variant with 16 GB and 32 GB storage capacity respectively. Some other specs of the device include dual 4G sims, the latest MIUI 7 which is reportedly

30% faster than its predecessor. The fingerprint sensor boasts of unlocking the device in 0.3 seconds. The colour variants available for the Redmi Note 3 are sandblasted Silver, Gold and Grey. The device is currently priced at RMB 899 (16 GB) and RMB 1099 (32 GB) which is approximately under Rs. 12000 in India. Although release dates have not been set for India, Xiaomi has slaughtered the competition from Samsung and HTC around the Asia-Pacific region and the official handles of Xiaomi and Mi will probably be soon handing out some good news for the Indian markets.

What are transfats and why are they bad for you?

n every packet of chips, bhujiya or other packed food, there is a nutritional value chart that lists the Nutrition Value for Protein, Energy, Carbohydrate, Sugars, Fats and Trans-fats stating an approximate value. We know most of these from the random articles we come across while flipping through magazine pages. Trans-fats, however, have always been an enigma. Transfats have garnered a lot of interest due to its negative impact on health. This makes it important to understand the negative effects of trans-fats and to know its source so that you are aware of what to pick up and what to avoid next time at the supermarket. NOT JUST PACKED FOOD Trans-fatty acids do not come from chips and packed items and tin cans only. They are naturally found in animal products too. These are formed through a process called ‘hydrogenation’ and as the name suggests, the process occurs when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils, making them more solid. Companies use Trans-fats because it is cheap and easy to make and also drastically increases the shelf life of packed items. Trans-fats increase harmful low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and decrease good high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol. This in turn can increase your risk of

cardiovascular diseases. Further, it has also been associated with the onset of type-2 diabetes. FOOD WITH TRANS-FAT A variety of food items contain trans-fats, the most common being fried food like doughnuts, margarine and baked goods such as cookies, pies, crackers and pizza. Although the ‘nutrition facts’ label tells you about the presence of trans-fats, you should also look for the “partially hyrdogenated oil” written on the packet which is an indicator of trans-fats content. HEALTHIER RECOMMENDATIONS Our diet should include moderate amounts of hearthealthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like fats from nuts, avocados, peanut butter and olive oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in canola oil, walnuts, flax seed and fatty fish, such as tuna or salmon. Sidharth Bedi Varma sbvgplus@gmail.com

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Laughable Utterances E

e at G Plus are an apolitical lot. As a media house, we have no political affiliations. As such, it allows us the scope to observe, commend, criticize, be cynical of and actually laugh at political situations and comments of politicians. In this respect, a Facebook update caught my attention wherein the user commented on an insensitive remark by our chief minister that Assam is getting invaded by Hindi-speaking netas. The reference is obviously to the BJP here. In the same vein, the user wondered if it ever occurred to the chief minister that Assam is also getting invaded by “Bengali-speaking Muslims” and expressed concern that the changing demographic scenario of the state is not bothering him or his “bloody masters” at all. Now how do we analyse the mindset of our leader? That there is a whole lot of truth in the above is beyond doubt. From Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sanjay Singh’s election as Rajya Sabha members from the state (Hindi-speaking netas from the Congress Party) to whatever might be the current insinuation of the chief minister’s remark, the truth is undeniable. But is it as worrisome for the indigenous people as much as the invasion of Bengali-speaking Muslims is? I construe “Bengali-speaking Muslims” here as Bangladeshi aliens. There were days when rickshaw pullers were solely from Bihar and taxi drivers were named

Rampravesh or Bahadur or even Chetri. Today, the “name-calling” is noticeably different. The rickshawpullers are also noticeably different starting with their checked-green lungis. Our observation is that the invasion of Assam by other ethnic groups today is more than complete and the blessings of the political system are there for all to see. Having observed, what do we commend, criticize or be cynical of now? No amount of these reactions seems to work in changing the political system that is so hell-bent on pushing Assam to the brink of ethnic disaster. If Sanjay Singh’s elevation to the Rajya Sabha was not an invasion by a Hindi-speaking neta, then the BJP leaders’ advent might just be it. So we choose to laugh at our chief minister’s comment while we keep wondering which of the two the lesser devil is. The good has been interred with the bones of those leaders whom we truly respected. The choice now is between the devil and his apprentice and our respective perceptions of whom we consider to be what. Our leader, the chief minister’s perception is clear. The Bangladeshi aliens are better than the Hindi-speaking netas it seems. That is his stance today. Sanjay Singh was indeed lucky that the chief minister thought differently then.

Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor

The Incapablity of the State or us?

Are Aamir Khan’s “bedroom whispers” a matter of genuine concern or is it a classic case of sensationalism?

he recent stir in the TV media and social media platforms about Aamir Khan wanting to ‘leave India’ has certainly raised many eyebrows. But why did it raise so much curiosity and controversy? Here’s why: someone paraphrased a celebrity’s statement incorrectly. Let me rephrase that, ‘a celebrity who writes Khan’ had his statement paraphrased by TV channels and they twisted the statement of genuine concern and fear in a way where there would be something to scoop from all that gravel and their TRP’s would skyrocket. The Indian media has learnt not to state facts, but to mould people’s word and keep it on air until the time it acquires mold. Their work has been made pretty easy after the penetration of the Internet across Smartphones. Without the proper information, people started posting comments and making memes about Aamir Khan wanting to leave India. Aamir Khan said his wife fears for their safety in this country because everyone is a target here and his response to which was “This was a disastrous statement that Kiran told me. I was depressed.” The irony is that he was speaking at the ‘Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards’. There are more relevant things that need to be scrutinized under the microscope and Aamir Khan’s bedroom whisper is not one of them. Sensationalism at its best!

Sidharth Bedi Varma

am unabashed fan of Aamir Khan’s cinematic works, his movies. With each successive movie over the years I began to be strongly convinced that Aamir could do no wrong. Not on the movie screen at least when he was in character. Every character portrayed by him has been so believable and enacted with such finesse that there is no bigger Bollywood star than him according to me. But Aamir Khan, the person, is a different story altogether. He is the proverbial jackass who loves to put his foot in his mouth. There have been instance galore and he has unnecessarily needled his peers and co-actors. I recall having read somewhere that Brad Pitt was asked to make a public comment on a subject that he was not familiar with and his retort was, “I am just a freaking actor!” Pitt does not talk on subjects he is not familiar with. Aamir Khan may well take this as a lesson and shut up on certain issues. In our country, where our heroes are put on high pedestals, their voices are easily heard loud and clear. So a casual, apparently harmless mention of their “bedroom whispers” at a public forum needlessly raises the hackles of the TRP-starved media and the controversy-crazy public. Aamir Khan could have done better than stoking the dying embers once again. I am genuinely concerned about stars misusing their brains.

rahul chanda

Sidharth bedi varma

any would argue that it is the state, its agents and its red tape bureaucracy that is responsible for the rut that our great Nation is in. India is plagued by a plethora of problems and time and again, the Government has failed to deliver on issues of environmental clearances, stalled government exams, radical opinions, failed policing mechanisms, misconduct in the parliament. This list goes on endlessly. India is squirming in its own puddle of filth. To be precise, the nation is not in a fit state to conduct its business. India is a medieval state with a postmodern economy trying to cater to its pseudo-intellectual Twitterati. Here we are in this “great nation” looking for avenues of growth and development so much so that political wars were won in this country with “Development” as an agenda. You can often find bureaucrats blaming the lack of “political will” on the country’s questionable state of affairs and how politicians are too busy lining their own pockets. At the same time they do not even consider that the lack of “bureaucratic will” is a genuine cause of concern. This vicious cycle

of finger pointing carries on to the great suffering of the public. Where is the genuine voice when you need it? India is not lacking in unsolicited and unwarranted opinions from every Tom, Dick and Harry. There are days when Babas and Sadhus are lauded for their concern about the economy and then we scream about hanging them for adultery. India has an extremist mind-set changing its opinions like a monkey on a pogo stick. To be honest, I don’t think anyone finds their personal opinion credible and stands to be swayed by the media. Everyone is trying to dupe each other and the Nation is just writhing in pain. There have been instances that showed us that we do not lack the resources to instigate change, but lack the consistency. There is no “perfection” in shaping a country with a varied populace like India’s but we must develop the ability to endure; the endurance to hold our ground against the “politics of garbage” and “red tapes of arrogance and abused power.” Stand your ground India, just until the next big thing. Don’t scream at the neighbour; scream at yourself for resolute action.

G Talk

Hello sir,

Interactive

It’s hard to dump waste on street sides, but it’s also hard to find a bin or a proper dumping site in a city like Guwahati. So what do we do? Carry the waste to our homes and dump it there or take it to the office where all of us have dustbins? Now coming to the point! Modiji should preach a way of living first or sponsor some bins from his treasury instead of levying meaningless Swachh Bharat Tax: A frustrated citizen who does all for cleanliness but still pays a price.

name withheld

Letter to the Editor This week, while taking the conditions of the entire world in perspective, we should all take a moment to retrospect. The incidents in France, Beirut, Syria and so many others places have left the world shattered and shaken. There is no security of life. We as human beings are being snatched off of our very basic right - the right to live. The bloodshed and mayhem, if brought down to the national perspective, continues with people beating senior citizens to death for storing beef. We have a mother drive her own daughter to her death for money. We have a Prime Minister who is yet to answer questions about the lives of so many lost during the riots in Godhra, but he is busy uploading selfies on every possible social forum. I have given my hopes up with the politicians. In our hearts, we all know that they are people working for their own personal agenda, but on the surface and we choose to be blissfully ignorant about it. But what about my fellow brothers and sisters? Remember the pledge you took when you were growing up? “India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country, and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage…” The need of the hour for all our countrymen is to take up leftover responsibilities, to finish something that was probably started by someone else. It is time we set everything aside and work together for a united whole. We will feel better that way.

Bipasha Deka Guwahati

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

In Focus

Is the Governor’s stance “Hindustan for Hindus” justified in our ‘secular’ country? Assam Governor PB Acharya was found entangled recently in the raging intolerance row for allegedly saying “Hindustan is for Hindus” and “Muslims in India are free to go anywhere”. Is the Governor’s stance “Hindustan is for Hindus” justified in our secular country?

industan is the place where Hindus have originated so there is no harm in saying Hindus are welcome to Hindustan and it has nothing to do with hampering the secular fabric of the country. Those pseudo seculars who create a situation at every instance are the most communal and hypocritical people. I say they are hypocritical because they only have problem with Hindus. And he rightly said that Muslims are free to go anywhere if they feel persecuted in India because they have so many places to go to including f***istan and bandordesh. But Hindus have only one place.

ou know what is the actual problem with this country? Every single person hates the other! You know what’s wrong with this country? The media simply take an issue and they show it as a saas-bahu serial! You know what’s wrong with this country? Where I live people say it is secular but no one truly believes in secularism! I don’t want my country to fall into a civil war, because all I can say about war is “Only the dead have actually seen the war!”

Nayan Nath Deka

Ashkai Bora

Kabrang Khungur G. Wary

Pavitra Nath

Sahil Subba

Muktikam Dass

JP stop with the slogan culture and start acting. If BJP, by which I mean the Assam Governor, is concerned about the wellbeing of Hindus, then why does this Government not take steps to counter the frequent harassment of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan? BJP is conducting politics in the name of Hinduism and by accommodating Hindu Bangladeshis in Assam, our interests are being ignored. No illegal Bangladeshis should get registered in NRC and although there is no nation called Hindustan in the world, India is home to every religion.

think we should not colour the comment made by our honourable Governor. After all he is responsible for what he said but not what we understand. Just because he is from RSS does not mean that we should always judge his utterances on religious lines. His statement might have emanated from the fact that Hindus have been ill-treated outside India on many occasions. No wonder his statement was Hindusthan is for Hindus.

o there is nothing wrong in the statement. No other citizens can reside in Assam illegally except Hindus. There are a very few places where Hindus can reside. Where was this sort of a crusader or someone to make this bold statement when lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were slaughtered? Does anyone have a count of the Hindu lives that were lost in Pakistan at the time of partition and how many still face brutality? It’s the same with Bangladesh. I wonder why other states are not taking refugees, but I am very proud that my land is taking the initiative. We must not be the enemy of our own religion.

e has been misquoted time and again. He recently clarified by saying that India is for the persecuted people of any religion who are of “Indian origin.” When a reporter asked what about Muslims who feel persecuted in India, it is only then that he replied that they are free to go anywhere they please. The media does its best to misquote high-profile people just to create a sensation.

Meet Meet Meet

Shanti Doley

Entrepreneur

e all are aware of the saying, “Behind every successful man there is a woman” but Shanti Doley is one who turns the tables. Rather than being a bystander and savouring her husband’s success, she chose to join forces and equally shed blood, tears and sweat and be a part of the success. Being born on 28th May, 1972 to a family with a military background, Shanti got ample opportunities to travel. Although she was born in Jorhat, she started her primary education at Delhi, moved to Bikaner, Jorhat and later on to Devlali (near Nasik). However, she finally ended up in Johat and pursued her HSLC and Higher Secondary from the Central School there. Shanti then went on to study Agriculture and obtained a masters’ degree from Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat. Many who personally know Shanti are also aware that she had a different name before her marriage. Born to father Nizamuddin Khan, who was in the Indian Air Force, and mother, Late Karimon Khan, Shanti’s given name was Sajida Khan. She changed her name after tying the knot with Hemanta Doley in the year 1996. Although Shanti had pursued her studies in agriculture, she had a keen interest in commerce right from her school days and it was this same interest that drew her to her husband’s business. Thus, the Alfresco Grand ship that we see sailing of the Brahmaputra River today is the fruit of equal hard work put in by the husbandwife duo. Like all successful ventures, Sajida’s journey was not easy. Initially their business of providing boats on lease to Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) blossomed into a deep affection for the mighty river. That is when the idea of introducing a floating restaurant to the people of Guwahati formed. In 1998, they converted one of the boats named S.B. Serene to a cruise and floating restaurant under the brand name “Alfresco.” It was a pioneering concept and provided a boost to the tourism scenario of the city. “Back when we started, we did not have any idea about running a restaurant. I was raising a six-month old child and at the same time had to take responsibility of the restaurant. Since a floating restaurant was a fresh concept to the city, we received enormous response from the people and in order to manage the rush and entertain the customers, I had to do the shopping, make bills and even do the dishes at times,” Shanti said. “The initial stage was not easy at all and there were several issues that had to be addressed but since I had chosen to be an entrepreneur, I was determined to face the issues head-on. We gradually moved on. There have been several other issues that I struggled with but in the mean time I also learned to deal with them. Learning agriculture also helped me a lot. Since it is a grounded subject, it teaches us a lot of things on spices and vegetables among several others. So, for me, while I wanted to do commerce but

studied agriculture, I ended up doing both,” Shanti added. Starting a floating restaurant was not Shanti’s final aim. Post-marriage, Shanti chose to pursue a degree in law. As on date, she holds an LLB degree from Dispur Law College that she obtained in 2007. It was in the same year that they launched a houseboat named S.B. Agam under the brand name Alfresco. Shanti along with her husband Hemanta Doley and business partner, Debajit Kumar Borah started a company named Brahmaputra Cruise Pvt. Ltd. in 2005 which facilitated the arrival of the Alfresco Grand in 2009. It is a cruise boat that has an open-air restaurant which provides a panoramic view of the Brahmaputra to a passenger capacity of over a hundred people at the same time, a roof top restaurant, a conference hall and fourteen cabins for those who desire to take long-distance cruises. Every day Alfresco Grand sails on the mighty Brahmaputra River for a Sunset Cruise and a Dinner Cruise. “It was the love of the river that sowed the idea in our minds so that the people could go and enjoy good food while sailing on the Brahmaputra and at the same time, go on long distance cruises. The Alfresco Grand is designed that way. There is hardly any day that goes by without either me or my husband not visiting the boat,” Shanti asserted. Besides cruise-tourism, Shanti has also been involved in several activities that provide a boost to river tourism. For three consecutive years, from 2002 to 2004, she was involved in organizing the Ethnic Beach Festival where people could explore the rich ethnicity of Assam on the banks of the river. Among feathers in her cap, Shanti was awarded by the Christ University, Bangalore in the year 2012 under the innovative restaurant category and has received several awards from Assam Tourism.

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Reviews

NOW SHOWING

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone Director: Imtiaz Ali

vie w o M vie Re

The storytelling in Tamasha is nonlinear. We start off with a young Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) who is addicted to listening stories sitting under a tree from an old man in the quiet evenings of Simla. He has an overbearing father, who expects him to focus in school and has carved out a conventional life for him but Ved seems to enjoy his fantasy world. After a few years, we are straight taken to the picturesque location of Corsica, France where Tara (Deepika Padukone) meets Ved. Noticing her in a problem, Ved volunteers to help her and in turn asks

her to maintain their meeting as a fictitious event and not let reality ruin it. Thus Ved and Tara meet as Don and Mona Darling and have a crazy trip together. As expected, cupid strikes at the wrong moment and Tara falls in love with Ved. Before leaving Corsica and considering it their last meet, Tara kisses Ved goodbye. Four years later, Tara is still obsessing over him and moves to Delhi for work. In a hope to find him, she awaits his presence at a cafe, she expects him to see at since she learns about his frequent visits there in Corsica. Once Ved arrives, the duo meet

each other for real and start dating. On spending ,more time together, Tara realizes Ved is a different person altogether and turns down his engagement proposal. Will this be the end of Tara and Ved’s love story or is there something more to them is what lies ahead! Tamasha is certainly a one time watch! It is a typical Imtiaz Ali film and hence you cannot go with an expectation of watching a frothy romance. Dealing with the concept of love in a cryptic form, this film will not appeal to everyone. It is not the kind of film you want to enjoy snacking on popcorn.

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tamasha 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.15 PM

PVR Cinemas

Album: Purpose

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009

Artist: Justin Bieber

cross only three days of December 2013, Journals was released, Justin Bieber announced his retirement -- surprise! -- and Justin Bieber’s Believe opened in theaters. Journals, an unpromoted collection heavy on R&B-oriented ballads, arrived in a dead zone for new releases -- not that last-minute holiday shoppers could have stuffed stockings with it anyway, as no physical edition was available. Many of its songs appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, but only two of them remained for a second week. In another odd twist, perhaps an act of sabotage or one

of confused mercy, the album was not submitted for sales tracking, so it did not appear on the Billboard 200, where it would have presumably landed in a low slot. As for the film, that grossed barely two-million on its opening weekend. The entertainer’s career was in a bizarre state. Roughly a year later, Skrillex and Diplo resuscitated a vulnerable piano ballad Bieber handed them and applied it a wobbly dance-pop production. “Where Are Ü Now,” that song reached the Top Ten in the singer’s native Canada, the U.S., and several other territories. By the end of 2015, Bieber’s career and per-

sonal life, which had been marked by a series of public blunders, appeared to be back in order. “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry” had skillfully latched onto the spritely tropical house sound; the former became his first number one hit in the States, and the latter narrowly missed the top. These singles also showed him making a deeper connection with his material and that, yes, he was progressing from performer to artist. Highlighted by those three hits that preceded it, Purpose is characterized as much by its inward-looking ballads, like the voice-and-piano-only

tamasha 9.05 AM, 2.55, 5.50 & 8.45 PM Spectre (eng) 12.00 PM

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tamasha 9.30 AM, 12.10, 5.40 & 8.45 PM Spectre (eng) 2.50 PM

u Yo LD N HOU S ISTE L

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tamasha 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Book:

ME GA VIEW RE

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles)

GOLD Cinema

Author:

ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

Marissa Meyer

ising Star Games has revealed that Zombie Vikings will be receiving a physical boxed release later this year. The newly christened Ragnarök Edition is scheduled to launch sometime in October. Developed by Zoink, the twisted minds behind Stick it to the Man!, Zombie Vikings is a bloody brawler with a gonzo premise. After having his eye stolen by the mischievous Loki, Odin has to call upon four of the most deranged zombie vikings to have ever pillaged. Gunborg, Seagurd, Hedgy and Caw-kaa must venture through a de-

ranged Norse realm in order to both retrieve the magic eye and maybe make peace with their past. As mentioned before, the title is already available for purchase through the PlayStation Store. However, for those that decided to wait for the Ragnarök Edition, there are some extra goodies to be had. The physical disc will come packed with 5 additional versus levels, 2 brand new characters (Frostbjörn and Raybjörn) and a digital artbook for the title. Rising Star Games has yet to clarify if early adopters will also be entitled to the bonus content, but both ad-

ditional characters are already up for purchase on PSN. It will be interesting to see how Rising Star Games chooses to address the fact that the physical release contains extra content for potentially the same price. We have seen digital titles see a physical release later down the line, but this is one of the few times that I can remember there being additional content to be had. Honestly, I don’t really have a problem with it though. Those that chose to purchase Zombie Vikings early not only got it for a discount, thanks to the PSN promotion for it, but also got it over a month earlier.

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u Yo LD HOU S read

rincess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s

been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long. Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

GOLD Cinema Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854066166

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo 11.00 AM & 5.30 PM tamasha 11.30 AM, 2.15, 5.30, 8.30 & 8.15 PM

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G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Entertainment

‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’

A chat with

opular Music Band ‘Bhoomi’ along with Lakshman Das Baul rocked the stage in Guwahati on November 12, 2015, in a cultural extravaganza organised by Vivekananda Sporting Club, Kahilipara Colony, in connection with its 51st year of Kali Puja Celebration. Soumitra Ray, the lead vocalist of the band has a chat with Subhrajit Roy.

‘Bhoomi’

shines at its premiere

Q. How do you feel about the 1665 shows and concerts that Bhoomi has performed so far?

A. It feels very great. We are waiting for the moment when it will touch the 1700 mark and there after 2000. I don’t know whether I will be able remain active till then but I am hopeful.

Q. There was a dialogue in the film “Bhooter Bhabishyat,”that went “Bangla Band means Band Party.” The dialogue was set in the era of early seventies. How do find the relevance of such remarks in today’s era? A. It has been a good journey throughout. Lots of learning, lots of pain and sorrows, lots of hurdles, lots of love and blessings, altogether it’s been all about happiness. The crowds in our shows signify whether our “band party” is good or bad. The reaction of the audience proves the development in the mind-sets of what it was perceived in the seventies.

Q. What were the difficulties Bhoomi faced in the beginning?

Q. How was Bhoomi born?

Q. What was the main motto of Bhoomi? Was it only entertainment or something else?

A. Accidentally! I and Surojit (one of the former members Surojit Chatterjee) had initiated this which worked well ultimately. There was no such plan of forming a band to get name and fame. The only thing in our minds was that we would write, compose and sing our own songs. Personally, I have been greatly influenced by Sumon da (National Award winning composer Kabir Sumon). We felt that we also could write and compose our own songs, although I didn’t consider myself to be singer or lyricist. So we tried our best without thinking about results and it worked well finally. Lakshman Das Baul (Vocal), Robin Lai (Keyboard), Abhijit Ghosh (Bass Guitar), Hemanto Goswami (Electric Guiar) and my son Arjyesh (Drums) performed with me last night.

A. There was no such big difficulty at all. Rather it all happened well. Everything fell into place with the grace of the Almighty. I feel if we try something from our heart, God also loves us and shows us the right direction automatically.

A. Only happiness, all-round happiness. Our motto was to be happy by making others happy. Bhoomi was inspired by us wanting to sing open heartedly.

Q. Bhoomi and folk: how does one complement the other?

A. Both go hand in hand as two hands are required to give a clap.

Q. It is often said that the lyrics of the band songs are quite absurd. How do you react to that?

A. I don’t know, with reference to which band such comments are made. Our songs are popular among the kids and old alike, which signify that our lyrics are not absurd at all.

Q. Bhoomi is well known for urban folk. Along with this Bhatiyali is fused. How does the mixture work?

A. The mixture works very well. Everything which suits the ears of the audience perfectly is always acceptable.

Q. Do you think commercialization of folk is so necessary? A. Of course.

Q. Most of the folk saints are still striving in the rural areas. Is there any initiative by Bhoomi to bring them into limelight?

A. Lakshman Das Baul has already performed with us. What more initiative should Bhoomi take?

Q. It is said that due to fusion originality is lost. How true is it?

A. I believe from beginning to end, everything is fusion. Be it a sitar with a pair of tabla or a guitar with a set of drums. Because an instrument is just a solo instrument, which is played in combination other instruments. Anything which is added is fusion. So far as genres are concerned, like rock with folk, classical with kawali, such fusions are experimental.

Subhrajit Roy

new full-length feature Assamese film titled ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’ recently organized its premiere at Dhekiajuli, Sonitpur district. The film has been written, edited and directed by Dhruva J. Bordoloi and produced by Dhruva J. Bordoloi and Hemanta Kumar Bordoloi under the banner of Pixelray Films. At its premiere, the film received positive reviews from the audiences extensively. People as well as film critics appreciated the effort that has been put in by the whole team for the movie. The acting and concept of the film will undoubtedly attract the Assamese film audience. Though the story seems simple, it is intended to send out a strong message to the society. The film’s story revolves around Hiranya Barua, a private insurance employee who shifts to his hometown with his family. His son excels in academics, his daughter wins accolades in dance and his wife deftly manages the household as always. His long cherished dream of giving his family a simple, honest and fulfilling life seems to be coming to fruition. However, Aditya his son, is ambitious, practical and a little skeptical about his father’s dream. He knows that life in this small town may not be that simple and the future not very rosy. However, even he isn’t prepared for

Short film tribute to Cultural Activist

new Hindi short film titled ‘Yatra’ is currently in the post-production stage. The movie is a tribute to Assamese cultural activist and film producer Daisy Gogoi. The film has been produced by Bikramaditya Gogoi, under the banner of Daisy Cine Production and Rajashree Entertainment. The movie is currently in its post-production phase after it wrapped up filming at Jyoti Chitraban Studio and locations around Sonapur. A popular and well-known

figure, Daisy Gogoi’s film ‘Jhilmil Junak’, starring artists like Jatin Bora, Nishita Goswami, Nipon Goswami and Dinesh Das, was shot around the beautiful locations of Bangkok and Pattaya. During the making of ‘Jhilmil Junak’, Gogoi never for once fretted or complained about her movie going way over-budget. What mattered most to her were the movie and its outcome. Yatra’s story and direction has been handled by Rohon Patar, who has been hailed for the Assamese

what his family is to face. With elements of myth, facts and facets from the serene land of Assam, ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’ is a reminder of the struggles of the small towns of India. The key roles in the film have been essayed by Mintu Baruah, Jayshree Goswami, Partha Hazarika, Raghavi Dutta, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Sonia Sarma and supported by Arup Jyoti Rabha, Amitabh Kalita, Dipak Baruah, etc. The film’s music has been scored by Tony Deori Basumatary and Utkarsh Dhotekar, lyrics have been penned by popular lyricist and journalist Rajdweep. Amrit Pritam is the sound designer for the film. The film’s song ‘Khuje Khuje Jibon’, sung by Papon has been featured on various music channels across Assam and has been well received by the ‘Paponists’. The film has been shot by Suruj Deka around the scenic locations of Tezpur and Dhekiajuli. The executive producer of the movie is Narayan Seal. The Associate director, Anupam Baishya has been assisted by Priyanku Baruah and Jyoti Bhargav Baishya. ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’s’ achievement also includes the fact that it has been officially listed in the Film Library of the International Film Festival of India, Goa where people can watch the film. ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’ is all set to hit the theatres next year.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

movie ‘Saya’. A major part of the film’s attraction is the artistes involved. A well-known actor from Zee TV’s popular show ‘Qubool Hai’, Ankit Raj stars as the leading man in ‘Yatra’. He shares the space along with Kartika Awasthi and Akangsha Sarin, who have made a name for themselves on national television. Various other roles have been played by artistes from the north-east. The film’s script has been written by noted writer Prabhat Goswami and the dialogues have been penned by Riaz Ahmed. ‘Yatra’ is slated to release around December 2015.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Events

FEMALE BULLET RIDERS RALLY

On The Occasion of Lachit Divas a ‘Female Riders Rally’ was organized to pay tribute to the great army General, Bir Lachit Borphukan & also to support the strength and power of Feminism. The rally started at KALAKHETRA VIA JAYANAGAR to BELTOLA and TURNED UP AT GANESHGURI BACK TO KALAKHETRA.

Days

Events

November 28th to December 4th

NOV 28 TERRA MAYAA AT 07:00 PM DJ NIGHT FEATURING DJ TARUN; OPENING ACT DJ SASHA DRIVE INN, AT 07:00 PM SERAPHIC NIGHT, DJ NIGHT; FEATURING ANANDA INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS PANBAZAAR AT 02:00 - 6.00 AM LEVERAGING THE AGRI SECTOR POTENTIAL IN NORTHEAST INCLUDING WORKSHOP ON BUSINESS PLAN PREPARATION

Rock to heal Lampgenie’s project, ‘Rock 2 Heal’ got underway with its first gig on the November 21. The project is an earnest effort by musicians to help the less fortunate living on the streets through gigs and various other activities throughout the year. The first phase kicked off with a gig at Cheers Crossroads on November 21. The crowds’ response was overwhelming in terms of the energy and they turned up with old and unused warm clothes that were to be donated to pavement dwellers. With performances by Yashira, Nibir Bhuyan, Cocky Magpie and Mihir Phukon the concept of ‘Rock 2 Heal’ was highly appreciated and people from the city came together for a common cause which is the power of Music.

Don Bosco Annual Day Don Bosco Annual Day cultural evening was celebrated on 27th November at Don Bosco School, Panbazar. Dignitaries like Commissioner of Police Mukesh Agrawal, Cotton University Vice Chancellor Dr. Dhruba Jyoti Saikia graced the ocassion.

Shraddhanjali Kanan AT 04:00 PM Keteki Open Air MusicStartup-Hackathon Meetup EVENT FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND MUSICAL EVENINGS

NOV 29 BRAHMAPUTRA JUNGLE RESORT, SONAPUR CLIFTON MUSIC FESTIVAL SUNRISE EVENT FEATURING: DJ PARK (SHILLONG)AND DJ NISHAL (KOL) WITH POOL PARTY AND BONFIRE PARTY

DEC 02 Asian Institute of Management & Technology #12 Bhaskar Nagar AT 11:00 PM

Convester: Media Fest organized by Dept. Of Mass Communication, AIMT

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Horoscope Aries You could feel a degree of uncertainty concerning a plan in which you’ve invested a lot of time and energy. Perhaps you feel a sense of dissatisfaction rather than celebration and happiness. This is likely because your focus has changed. You’ve been through a lot over the past couple of years and you certainly aren’t the same person you were.

Watch out for copyright issues or for someone claiming that a business idea of yours is actually theirs. The best way to handle this is to protect what’s yours in whatever way seems appropriate. There’s a Full Moon in your sign midweek, which will heighten emotions and might encourage you to throw a hissy fit. Avoid doing or saying anything that you might come to regret later.

Leo Monday could coincide with a desire to do your own thing for a while. An instant attraction could make you eager to know more. With your leisure, pleasure, and romance sector in focus, this week may not be the best for finding and keeping love. A tricky blend of influences suggests that feelings of mistrust and suspicion could blight a budding romance or even a long-term tryst.

Take a very cautious approach toward investments, business matters, shared resources, and stock market activities. In fact, this week’s blend of energies hints at instability in the above areas, which could be due to forces beyond your control. For now it’s best not to gamble your resources or take any kind of risk, as there’s a good chance it won’t pay off or you might even lose money.

Cancer Go easy, as too much red tape and administrative confusion could cause delays with work or everyday matters. Unfortunately, this situation could be repeated more than once, so you’ll need to exercise patience while you wait for things to resolve. In certain cases it may come down to sheer incompetence, which could be even more infuriating. The Full Moon midweek takes place in your spiritual sector, heightening dreams and intuitive feelings.

Virgo

Getting finances under control could be a major factor in saving for the future. But as this is Thanksgiving week, you might need to temporarily ignore any extra expenses in favor of having a good time. Even so, the impact one person has on family matters and celebrations could be quite marked. They could add a delightfully spiritual flavor to the days ahead or prove to be a problem.

Scorpio

Libra

Other people’s lackadaisical attitude or incompetence could disrupt your plans and schedules. If your best-laid plans seem to founder this week, a patient approach and the willingness to compromise may be the best you can do. A Gemini Full Moon might make up for any disappointment, however, as it can be perfect for a delightful get-together or Thanksgiving celebration.

Avoid speculation or get-rich-quick schemes that could deplete rather than increase your resources. And with Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, be sure that any gifts you may buy are genuine and not counterfeit. Aside from such warnings, there are opportunities for good times ahead, although you might want to alternate them with periods of quiet reflection and a chance to recharge.

Capricorn

Sagittarius As the lineup of planets in your sign faces off with Neptune, be prepared for things not to go as planned, particularly when it comes to get-togethers or even your Thanksgiving celebration. Going with the flow may be your best bet in the days ahead, especially if the alternative is frustration and irritation. Although you might try to keep everything under control, there’s a good chance it won’t work.

You could be motivated to sacrifice your time and resources to help others, particularly this week when many people may feel lonely or be in need of assistance. Doing so could be extremely rewarding and may encourage you to continue with your charitable activities long into the future. As this is Thanksgiving week, get ready for some unexpected guests over the holiday period.

Pisces

Aquarius

Sudoku

Don’t let doubts or fears undermine your goals or keep you from aiming high. This week’s starry backdrop could see you faltering and wondering if you’re doing the right thing. Have confidence in yourself. If you need reassurance or motivation, talk to a friend or a life coach. A fresh perspective might work wonders on your mood. The midweek Gemini Moon hints that you’ll be doing a lot of Thanksgiving entertaining and that it could be a riot. A Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 cells which are divided into nine columns, rows and regions. The task is now to place the numbers from 1 to 9 into the empty cells in such a way that in every row, column and 3×3 region each number appears only once.

last week solution

Keep your money under lock and key and avoid nebulous dealings over the days ahead. Powerful Neptune influences could coincide with confusion or even deception, so take care with financial transactions, particularly the bigger ones. The midweek Full Moon in your romance sector could heighten feelings, encouraging you to be more flirtatious than usual. It could be a boisterous evening, but avoid doing anything you might regret later.

Citypedia

AMBULANCE

Taurus

Gemini

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 Free Ambulance to GNRC Hospitals Toll Free: 1800-345-0011 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594

BLOOD BANK

HOSPITALS Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 9207044374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444) International Hospital 0361-7135005

Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921 TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 IHR-Institute of Human Reproduction 0361-2482619,09864103333

Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998) Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 03612541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344 Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351)

GNRC Hospital 1800-345-0022 (Toll Free) GNRC Ambulance 1800-345-0011 (Toll Free)

24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) D Modern Medicos, Maligaon (9864366763) Candid 24x7, Panbazar (2604422) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118, LPG Booking (ivr System) 7670024365 Child line Guwahati 1098

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

8811007000

1800-345-3767 police station

SP, Kamrup District: Ph- 2540278 DGP Control Room: Ph- 2540242 SB Control Room: Ph-2261511 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285

Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627

G PLUS NOV 28 - DEC 04, 2015

Catching Up Most shared story of the week This week, GPlus’ exclusive interview with Gaurav Gogoi was a major social media buzz. Retweeted and Liked over 100 times on our Twitter handle, the interview was widely appreciated owing to the fact that it was very personal in nature. Although, the fact that Gaurav Gogoi will not contest in the upcoming polls was applauded by Guwahatians.

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New

Chic

on the block

Ankita Barman

twitter.com/guwahatiplus

Guwahati

About Me

GYAN

Did you know?

India Club

Hello, I’m Ankita Barman and I’m from Guwahati. Currently pursuing my graduation, I’m a fun loving girl, and so I sing and love to act. My friends think I’m very fashionable and I don’t deny it! I’m very comfortable in my own skin.

Mojo

ne of the oldest tennis clubs of the north-eastern region of the country, India Club is a “one-of-its-kind” institution to have more than 300 tennis players of the city as members. Initially established as a tennis club with merely one tennis court, the club now has three flood-lit clay courts, a swimming pool, a cozy bar, billiard room, a gym, a well-equipped multi-cuisine restaurant and a convention hall. Founded in the year 1933, the establishment of the club was a result of

revolt that took place when the British barred Indians from playing tennis in the Gauhati Club and Town Club. During the war the army marched into the club along with their guns and vehicles and used the club as their base camp. During the same time the entire club’s documents and papers were lost. It was only after 1947 that the then Deputy Commissioner reworked the legal documentation of the club but no papers or documents related to the history of the club could be retrieved.

I have the potential to work really hard and my confidence is one of my biggest assets. I am blessed with a wonderful family and an amazing group of friends.

Route in the Woods

In the future I want to be an actress. I would like to network with people and live to the fullest.

PIC OF THE

Ka m u r of the week

WEEK

h come on! Not you two again, Peter and Indrani! Just come clean fast and we can bury the update spree on social media once and for all. You fellows are getting to be the kamur of the century now - “killer” bores, in fact!

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

ulfilling his poll promise, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced a liquor ban in Bihar with effect from April 1 next year. “My government is committed to fulfilling promises made to women during the election campaign,” said the chief minister. The thirst for knowledge Photo: Adib Zamali

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641