G Plus Vol 4 Issue 08 by G Plus

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VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 08 DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

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STD triumvirate cartelizing local cement market PG 02 Why was Ashutosh Agnihotri transferred out of GMDA in just 6 months? PG

Does recovering Rs 1.5 crores make Hardeep Singh Bedi a criminal?

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G PLUS APR 23 - APR 29, 2016

New Chic on the Block Utparna Boruah

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G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Lead Story

STD triumvirate cartelizing local cement market rahul chanda

According to sources, since 2013, Star, Topcem and Dalmia have a nexus and they together control the local cement market; after demonetisation cement prices across India fell whereas these three companies are increasing it gradually • According to sources three local cement companies viz. Star, Topcem and Dalmia have had a nexus since November 2013 • The nexus kept raising cement prices till November 2015 by dominating and manipulating the market • The association was broken in November 2015 and consequently the prices started decreasing till August 2016 • The top bosses of the three companies met in August 2016 and associated with each other again • In September 2016 they raised their prices again but many sections reacted • ARIEDA dragged the three companies to the Competition Commission of India who took cognizance of the offence and registered a case

n September the Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers’ Association (AREIDA) filed a case with the Competition Commission of India against three local cement manufacturing companies – Star, Topcem and Dalmia (STD) – which are operating in the northeast, for allegedly leading a syndicate and indulging in rampant cartelisation and manipulation of the market price to fleece the consumers of the region. According to some city-based cement dealers, after demonetisation, the cement rates in entire India have fallen but the STD triumvirate has increased the rates of cement here. G Plus also received some information that the three companies have a nexus and control the entire local cement market according to their whims. Has the price increased? What is the nexus all about? Who all are involved and how do they control the market? G Plus tries to explore. The history of the nexus

The cement prices in Guwahati market as of 16th November

National brands

Ambuja – Rs 370 (customer selling), Rs 358 (retailer buying price) Lafarge – Rs 370 (customer selling), Rs 358 (retailer buying price)

Rs 360 (customer selling), Rs 350 (retailer buying price)

Super Shakti Rhino

Delta

Raksha

Surya Gold

Best

Taj

SBM

Other local players Star Cement Topcem

Rs 290 (customer selling), Rs 290 (retailer buying price)

Dalmia

the std nexus

According to a source who used to work in the cement industry and has worked with one of the three STD companies said that there is a history behind the nexus between Star, Topcem and Dalmia. The source narrated the story and according to him Star Cement started its production in 2005 and Topcem in 2007. According to him, Star Cement gradually became quite a prominent brand and eventually started dominating the local

• The prices were reduced but after demonetisation, while the cement rates across India is falling, the trio is again raising it

According to a source who used to work in the cement industry and has worked with one of the three STD companies said that there is a history behind the nexus between Star, Topcem and Dalmia.

• • On 8th November, the price was increased by Rs 5, and on 18th November it was increased by Rs 10 • Dealers are receiving calls that from 17th December there will be a hike of Rs 15 again per bag of cement of these three companies • Sources said that the association of these three companies have some kind of setting with officials in Dispur a cement bag of star cement | G plus photo

cement market. Topcem’s business was just behind Star and it was also doing quite well. Things went fine for both till 2013; their price was more than the other local producers. On 12th January 2013, Dalmia was launched and toppling the cushiness. Dalmia, in two-three months, captured some of the Star-Topcem market space by reducing prices and with other marketing strategies. When Dalmia launched its product, Star was planning to start one more production unit in Sonapur but it

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Lead Story section ¾ of CA). The trio then decreased the rates but after demonetisation, according to the source, while cement rates in entire India is falling the trio has again increased the rates. After demonetisation

dalmia cement bags | G plus photo

got delayed to May. In the month of May, Star having opened the second production unit, realised that Dalmia was eating into its pie. Star then decided to reduce its price and Dalmia followed suit. Accordingly, till November 2013 the cement prices in the local cement market witnessed a downward trend. From Rs 400/ Rs 420, the prices came down to Rs 330 and this included dealers’ incentives and other cuts; Star and Dalmia got around Rs 297 per bag. Naturally, the competition was good for customers. The source said, “The top management of Dalmia and Star then started brainstorming and in November 2013, they had a meeting.” The source said both the companies decided to collaborate and meanwhile they asked Topcem to join the “cartel” as it was the second biggest cement producer after Star in the region. The source said that the three companies collaborated and agreed on many issues like hiking prices together, non-poaching of employees, sharing of daily sales report and many more. The three companies collaborated and held 45% of the northeast market share. Lafarge and Ambuja (national brands) had around 8% and the rest of the local companies like Max, Amrit, Best, Surya Gold, Taj, RKB, Jumbo, Virgo etc. (all local brands) had the rest of the market share. With the collaboration, Star, Topcem and Dalmia started dominating the market. In January 2015, Rs 30 was increased per bag by all three companies. So did the nexus or the collaboration continue? The nexus continuity After a few days again Rs 20 per bag was increased. The nexus together again increased the price in April 2014 by another Rs 10 and the highest price then for these three cements was Rs 395 per bag according to the source. The price remained the same

till May 2015 and the collaborative understanding between the three too remained the same. The source said that the yearly incentives provided to the dealers were outside the understanding though. In May, when the yearly dealer incentives were doled out, the dealers were happy with Dalmia’s incentives and not with Star’s schemes. Then Star began to provide other schemes to the “Today I again received a call from the Dalmia official that from tomorrow Rs 15 will be increased per cement bag.” - City cement retailer dealers, but in the process of price hike, the trio lost some market share and the percentage came down to approximately 35%. Topcem was the worst affected and in November 2015, the association or the nexus came to an end; the trio decided to work independently without any collaborative understanding. The source said that everyone in the industry knew about the nexus and popularly it was known as STD. From November 2015, the prices of cement of these three companies again started to decrease. When Dalmia decreased, Star had to beat the competition and Topcem also followed suit. The price war remained till August 2016 and according to the source, sometime near Independence Day, the top management of the three companies again met in Hotel Taj - this time at the request of other local players like Max, Best, Taj etc. The three companies again came into association and decided to increase the price by Rs 20 per bag. As soon as the price was increased this time many sections reacted to the move as nationally the prices were falling. ARIEDA dragged the three companies to the Competition Commission of India who took cognizance of the offence and registered a case (case number – 77/2016, under

A cement retail shop owner located in Sarabhatti, talking to G Plus, said that on 8th November the cement prices of these three companies was increased by Rs 5 and on 18th November it was again increased by Rs 10. He said on Friday, “Today I again received a call from the Dalmia official that from tomorrow Rs 15 will be increased per cement bag.” He then said that whenever one company among the three increases the rate, the other two also increase it. A prominent citybased cement dealer, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that the three companies Star, Topcem and Dalmia had some arrange-

ment in Dispur and they decided to increase the price in spite of cement prices coming down by 20% nationally. So according to the retail shop owner, it is clear that the prices have gone up whereas other local players have not increased the price. ARIEDA president PK Sharma, talking to G Plus said, “I ask people to boycott these three companies as their cement is over-priced whereas the other local cement players are providing cement at much cheaper prices.” He said that he has already sued them and is waiting for the next hearing where many things will be clear. G Plus also received the information that government agencies like PWD are using cement from these three companies. We questioned the PWD minister Parimal Suklabaidya who said, “PWD work is carried out by contractors and the choice of cement depends entirely on them.” rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

City

GS Road bogged down by regular traffic snarls, inadequate parking

kalyan deb

Police to take strict measures against unlawful levy at commercial establishments

ontrolling traffic congestion in Guwahati is of prime concern and the lack of parking spaces adds to the problem. The busiest roads are regularly narrowed down by parked vehicles making it difficult for vehicles to ply. One of the main causes of this congestion is the increasing volume of traffic. In addition, city buses halt at unauthorized places to pick up passengers creating hindrances to the free flow of traffic. Focussing on GS Road, the sharp increase of malls and residential/commercial buildings on this arterial street has added to the congestion. Lack of adequate parking lots is also a primary reason for the congestion that leads people to park their vehicles at any available space. It can be said that close to 80% of the commercial establishments on the entire GS Road do not have adequate parking spaces. The need of the hour is to have an organized parking system along with the allocation of specific land areas for the purpose. While things often look hopeless, several measures are being adopted in order to mitigate such problems.

Scenario in GS Road The ground situation on GS Road is that most of the business establishments here do not have parking facilities in accordance with the current parking norms. The civic body, although being aware of the fact, stops short of taking action as in such an eventuality against the erring business establishments around 80% of the shops will have to down their shutters. Lack of parking lots on the street leads to traffic con-

No parking levy at commercial complexes The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), in a recently issued notification, mentioned that commercial complexes have to provide parking space for customers free-of-cost. High rises, especially malls that are charging exorbitant rates for parking, will have to follow the GMC norm

view of gs road by day | File photo

• There are a total of 15 road-side parking allocations on GS Road that stretches up to 2805 metres • There are 73 road-side parking spots throughout the city • Four-wheelers are charged Rs. 10 and two-wheelers Rs. 5 with an additional Rs. 10 and Rs. 5 respectively for every subsequent hour. This burns a hole in the pockets of those who have to park multiple times gestion from as early as 8 in the morning to 9 in the evening. The main reason behind the lack of adequate parking spaces on GS Road is that most business establishments here were on the ground floor in those days when parking was not a problem. However, with the increase in population and the volume of business in the city, these business establishments started to raise their buildings by constructing the

upper floors. However, while doing so, they gave scant regard to parking facilities. Road side parking was the only option and it only worsened the scenario. As the vehicles were parked haphazardly it not only caused traffic congestion but also ate up space for plying of vehicles. There are a total of 15 road-side parking allocations (2805 metres) on the GS Road stretch where four-wheelers are charged Rs. 10 and two-wheelers Rs. 5 and an additional Rs. 10 and Rs. 5 respectively for each consecutive hour. The procedure burns a hole in the pockets of those who have to park their vehicle multiple times at different allocations on a single day.

Parallel parking A concept of parallel parking (bumper-to-bumper) has been recently put into place on several major roads of the city. The motive of the move is to allow more space for vehicles to ply than be consumed by parked vehicles

on the road-side. Such a system is basically employed whenever parking facilities are not available - usually in large metropolitan areas where there is a high density of vehicles and few parking spaces. Parallel parking frees up an extra traffic lane. Beyond taking up a lane of traffic, on-street parking further reduces road capacity as remaining traffic slows to interact with cars moving in and out of parallel parking spaces, car doors opening and pedestrians. On the same, Amanjeet Kaur, DCP Traffic had stated that the main purpose of roads is for travelling and not parking and with parallel parking in place it will help in reducing the space consumed by the vehicles and provide more space for commuting. There could be two approaches to solve these problems. The first, most common solution is to come up with infrastructure involving wider roads, flyovers, bypasses, expressways etc. The second approach is to manage the traffic with existing safe infrastructure and with the use of technology.

There are several major shopping malls on GS Road that used to charge hefty amounts from customers as parking fees - up to Rs 20 from each customer. GMC officials mentioned that the newly carved out building bylaws clearly states that a building should have adequate parking area for customers and a building will not be allotted a licence if there is no adequate parking space. Provisions such as parking space and lifts are integral parts of the building by-laws. Thus, in order to relieve the customers of the parking fees, GMC has issued a notification that if a customer can produce a document issued by the commercial complex of the shopping mall, the customer will be relieved of the parking fee. However, the notification also states that customers who did not make any purchase from the shopping malls are still liable to parking or maintenance fee charged by the management of the building. On the same, the DCP Traffic said that if a commercial establishment is found violating the norm it is liable to a penalty of Rs 20,000. Incidents of violation of the norm can directly be reported to DCP Traffic. “If any commercial establishment is found violating the parking norm then customers can file a complaint on the city traffic’s Facebook page wherein I personally reply to each message,” Kaur said adding, “I have circulated my phone number and anyone can either send me a picture of proof of such violations or directly contact me.” The DCP also said that customers can also lodge a complaint by dialling 100 or with any traffic official present at the location and necessary action will be taken. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Found any violators of parking norm? File your complaint to Guwahati City Traffic https://www.facebook.com/GuwahatiCityTraffic/?ref=br_rs or leave a message to DCP, Traffic on 9854010590

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Why was Agnihotri transferred out of GMDA in just 6 months? rahul chanda

GMDA witnessed another reshuffle at the top with IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri being relived from the posts of CEO, GMDA and MD, Smart City; former GMC commissioner and present Silchar DC, S Viswanathan to take over • It was a personal choice of Ashutosh Agnihotri • The government was agreeable to the transfer • As CEO of GMDA, Agnihotri revived all the pending projects like ropeway, river front renovation, multi-level car parking, etc. • As MD of Smart City, Agnihotri undertook the vital tendering process to select the PMC • Agnihotri has assumed charge as Commissioner and Secretary, Industry & Commerce and Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship in addition to continuing to head the Transport Department as its Commissioner and Secretary.

e once worked as the Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup Metro) over a 3-year long tenure. IAS officer, Ashutosh Agnihotri joined as the CEO of GMDA just six months ago and was also appointed as the Managing Director of Smart City. Recently, the government decided to transfer him and he has now assumed charge as Commissioner and Secretary, Industry & Commerce and Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship in addition to heading the Transport Department. He has been relieved from GMDA and Smart City. According to sources in the GMDA, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, S Viswanathan, has been transferred and will be joining as CEO of GMDA soon. He had worked as Commissioner, GMC before his posting in Silchar. The question that now arises is why has Agnihotri been transferred within just six months? Was the government not satisfied with his performance or was it his personal choice to opt for the new assignments? What has he done in his six months’

tenure in GMDA? When he was first posted as DC Kamrup, he had to be transferred out quickly because of a chaos erupting within his office. What was that all about? G Plus tries to find out. The DC office chaos Soon after joining as CEO of GMDA, Agnihotri had narrated the story of the DC office chaos to G Plus. Talking to G Plus, he had said, “After I had joined we had initiated strong steps against corruption and also against unauthorised occupation of land. There was a strong nexus of corrupt officials and land mafia who, with the help of some unscrupulous elements, occupy some plots of land - especially of persons who are not in a position to protect their property or someone who is, say, not in Guwahati and has been working outside the city for long and so has not been able to take care of his plot of land. With there being so many technicalities in land matters it is not possible to keep track of the same. So we tried to break that and some vested interests were affected. The whole chaos seemed to be orchestrated. It was not the employees (at DC Court); the same employees co-operated fully during my second tenure and so they were misguided and instigated by some vested interests. But after a brief stint in the finance department as Secretary, I was brought back as DC in July 2011 and I received full co-operation from all employees there. I had a 3-year long tenure in Guwahati as DC (Kamrup Metro).” So has something similar happened in GMDA too? G Plus tried to check the initiatives taken by him in the last six months. Six months’ wor According to a highly placed source in the GMDA, as soon as Agnihotri joined as the CEO, the functioning of the department was streamlined and all the pending projects were revived. The long pend-

ashutosh agnihotri (ias)

ing projects like multi-level parking lots, renovation of the river front DC bungalow, ropeway project, etc. and work on many more such projects which were long pending started in full swing. The source said that talking about Smart City project, the most vital part of the project was to select the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) which will make the detailed project report (DPR) and according to the report the work flow for the project will be decided. Agnihotri, with proper tendering process following the norms of the Ministry of Urban development, selected Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd as the PMC which, by itself, is the major task for smart city projects. So the source said that Agnihotri was efficient and selected all efficient officers in the department to work with him and accordingly, the department has started working. GMDA is often blamed for not completing its projects. So Agnihotri made sure that no new projects are taken up before the pending projects are completed. Now, that is efficiency and if he was efficient why has he been transferred?

Why the transfer? Another source in the de-

Governance partment said that it is the government’s decision. Even Agnihotri, talking to G Plus, said that it was the government’s decision to transfer him. Another source in the secretariat, talking to G Plus, said that it might just be Agnihotri’s personal decision to opt for the new assignments as being the commissioner and secretary for industry and commerce will give him opportunities to develop not only a city but the entire state. The source said that the transport, industry and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patwari is also happy with Agnihotri’s performance and wanted him to even take care of the industry sector of the state as unless more and more industries are started, the state cannot develop for the future. But one question that still lingers is whenever an officer is posted as the head of a department like GMDA, he/she comes with many ideas and starts work for certain projects as per a particular concept or policy. When the officer changes and another individual takes over there is a fair chance of the concept or policy altering altogether. For example, the previous government had a different plan for the old jail plot at Fancy Bazar and the new government plans to make a botanical garden there. In the process of strategy planning and research a lot of public money gets wasted. So the government should think of an idea by which one individual is responsible for one particular project so that at the end if anything goes wrong, that person can be held accountable. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Snippet

Ad Club Guwahati launches social awareness campaign First Integrated Public Service Announcement on Don’t Drink and Drive The Advertising Club, Guwahati launched the first ever integrated public service announcement campaign in northeast India on raising awareness for “Don’t Drink and Drive.” The one month campaign shall see communication on the evils and issues of drunken driving and raise awareness against the issue. This would be the first integrated marketing communication campaign in northeast India on any social awareness subject by any private organisation or industry body. The campaign would see advertisements on television, newspapers, radio, outdoor advertising and social

Janasanyog/606/16

media. “The campaign has been designed and ideated by The Advertising Club, Guwahati and executed as part of the industry’s social responsibility,” said G Kibriya, President of The Advertising Club, Guwahati, during the launch. The campaign has been supported by the Guwahati Police Commissionerate. Commissioner of Police, Shri Hiren Nath (IPS) lauded the initiative by the advertising industry and committed the support of the city police to this campaign. DCP (Traffic), Amanjeet Kaur, was also in attendance. The Advertising Club, Guwahati is the apex body of advertising, media and communication organisations and professionals based out of this region.

G plus news

commissioner hiren nath addresing the media with (l-r) pj choudhury of pernod ricard, amanjeet kaur (dcp traffic) & g kibriya president ad club

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Governance

GMC fails to provide vending zones in Ghy even as nexus expands rahul chanda

Since the last two years GMC has been claiming that there are 7,182 street vendors in the city but the number is increasing gradually as the vending nexus allows new vendors to start business by taking money from them in the name of protection there has to pay a huge amount initially before he can get his business going. This way the nexus keeps growing. On occasions when the GMC evicts them, these associations approach the court hiring competent lawyers who keep getting stay orders favouring the vendors. So it is understood that there is an operative nexus of street vendors. The question that now arises is what are the authorities doing when a street vending act already exists and which mandates formation of street vending zones?

street vending at fancy bazar | G plus photo

ecently, the vegetable vendors from the Paltan Bazar market were evicted and when G Plus contacted them, the vendors said that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) evicted them. Similarly, many city streets and roads have vendors and on close observation it becomes apparent that the number of vendors is increasing by the day. During a recent session of Ward Talks organised by G Plus at Ward No. 9, the local MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya said that in Fancy Bazar the street vendors have to pay an amount on a daily basis to a well-organized nexus to operate their business on the streets and the residents of Fancy Bazar were in conformity with this. G Plus tries to explore the scenario and the reason behind the daily increase in vendors. Why have the vending zones not materialized as yet? If at all there is a nexus who are involved in it? And what can be the solution? The nexus There are many roads in the Fancy Bazar area like Danish Road, MS Road, SS Road, HB Road, MM Road etc. where vendors exist. The city traffic police have made the Danish Road a No Parking Zone recently and according to a Fancy Bazar resident, new vendors have sprouted up the taking advantage of the situation. Similarly, new vendors are occupying new spots and places in the entire Fancy Bazar and Pan Bazar area. A street vendor, Rabyul Ali, who sells fruits on Danish Road, talking to G Plus, said that he keeps selling fruits in Guwahati and

keeps changing his location. He said that one of his friends who lives on Danish Road and sells vegetables at Gate No. 2 at Lakhtokia, asked him to start selling fruits on Danish Road a month ago and he gives Rs 20 everyday to the GMC people. He said that it is the same GMC persons who come every day to collect the money in the evening but added that before he put his stall there he had to pay Rs 5,000 to a local person who, according to him, is the president of Danish Road Street Vendors’ Association. The vendor no longer had the contacts of that person and did not even remember his name and was introduced to him by his friend. The G Plus team met another vendor at Gate No. 2, Lakhtokia who, talking in anonymity, said that he has to part with Rs 60 daily to one Shehjad Hussian who handles the GMC and the police so that the vendors there have no worries of being evicted. He said that when he started selling vegetables there three years back, he had to give Rs 10,000 to the same person. Similarly, there are many roads in the area which have someone or the other who “protects” the vendors from GMC and the police on daily exchange of money. A prominent resident of Fancy Bazar, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that there is a huge nexus between police, some GMC officials and the so-called various street vendors’ association. He said that on every street there is a self formed vendors’ association and the president or secretary of the association has around two-three stalls run by his own people. On top of that any vendor who starts business

The authorities According to Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 there should be a town vending committee for each town or city. The Town Vending Committee (TVC) is the centre-piece of this act and they will adopt the regulatory as well as welfare measures for the street vendors within the city. The act mandates survey of the street vendors to identify the exact number of the vendors in the city. Registration of the street vendors is vital to provide the services. Vending zones are to be identified for the vendors to settle down with a semblance of permanence and for provision of a fixed place. Co-operation with other sectors like banks etc. is required for the welfare of the vendors. After the street vendors act was passed in March 2014, a town vending committee was formed which was headed by the Commissioner of GMC and the members were from various sectors like NGOs, 40% members from vendors, bank, police etc. The vending committee identified various zones like south zone, west zone, east zone, Lokhra zone, Dispur zone etc. The survey, after March 2014, was officially announced by GMC in the month of January 2015 but according to highly placed sources in the GMC, the process started long before that. Whatever is the reason, the survey was completed in April 2015 and according to the results there are 7,182 street vendors in the city. There are 497 food vendors, 727 cloth vendors, 661 fruit vendors, 2,044 vegetable vendors, 194

fish vendors, 82 meat vendors, 1,163 paan/tamul vendors, 183 chana/puchka/bhel puri vendors and 1,631 others. All these vendors were expected to get vending zones with legal papers which would have given them a permanent place to conduct their business. Did it happen? A highly placed source in the GMC, talking to G Plus, said that there is shortage of land within Guwahati and so a formal street vending zone has not been announced till date. The source also said that since GMC does not have enough man power each and every vendor cannot be checked for their registration with GMC. Hence the vendors are increasing in numbers. The source added that because of the SC order the vendors cannot be evicted unless zones are provided. Sometimes evictions are done because of various reasons but these are not permanent clearances and the vendors return to settle on the streets again. The source said suspicions remain of a nexus between the vendors, police and some GMC officials but there is no clinching evidence for which no action can be taken. He confirmed that the GMC currently collects Rs 20 daily as a scavenging tax from the registered vendors and provides a receipt against the same. He said that police evicts the vendors during important occasions like Prime Minister or VIP visits or when there are events like South Asian Games. But normally they don’t take action because of probable cuts accruing from the nexus. The solution

The GMC source said that the government should somehow make some land available for establishing vending zones as the land currently available under the city’s flyovers and other places is insufficient to accommodate all the vendors. A businessman from Fancy Bazar said that the river front could be used for making vending zones and the GMC should be strict in checking the inclusion of new vendors so that the number does not increase further. Similarly, there are many ideas from many city people, but it depends on the receptiveness

• Since the last two years GMC has been claiming that there are 7,182 street vendors in the city but the fact is that the number is increasing gradually • There are nexuses between the vending associations, police and some GMC employees • Many streets in the city are witnessing new vendors setting up business everyday • GMC says there is no land within the city to establish vending zones • GMC also blames poor manpower to continuously check the inclusion of new vendors • Police evicts the vendors only during events and VIP visits but normally do nothing as people allege they get cuts from the vendors • In every street there are some vending associations who take money from new vendors who want to start business • They collect the money and “manage” the protection from police and GMC • City people have a lot of suggestions on formation of vending zones but the government is simply not receptive to such ideas • The bottom line remains that the government has failed to establish even a single vending zone in the last two years of government towards such suggestions. Or will it just let things continue the way they are currently where, even after two years of the SC order, not a single vending zone has been formally announced in the city? rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

City

Christian Basti residents paying through their noses for water

uwahati is one of the fastest growing cities of northeast India. The haphazard growth of the city has resulted in a chaotic situation giving rise to circumstances not favorable to its residents in many aspects. Amongst these, drinking water is the most crucial problem confronting the residents. Being situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, Guwahati still has an abundant source of water. However, the increase in population and associated matters increased the pressure on resources leading to over exploitation of existing underground water sources. Now water scarcity has become a nightmare for a large chunk of the population. One of the worst affected areas is Christian Basti (Ward 19). Until the 1980s, the area had immense supply of ground water with shallow bores of 100-250 feet depth installed. However, the unplanned development of the area resulted in the creation of a concrete jungle. The construction of apartments and showrooms left no open space for water to seep in and the groundwa-

Nehal Jain

ter to recharge. This led to the exhaustion of the groundwater reserves. Mr. Sikaria, a resident of the area since decades, said, “We were one of the few families that resided in this area in the 1980s. At that time there was no water scarcity and we

depended only on groundwater for our water supply. But now the area has developed immensely and there is hardly any water left underground.” Now, the apartments have deep bores installed that sink to around 1,500 ft below ground level. Even then there’s access to negligible or no groundwater. Government pipeline supply is also unavailable in the area. Thus, the households

depend on private tankers for water. Every day the tankers reach the apartments and refill the tanks. Meters are installed that record the consumption by each individual household and they are accordingly required to pay for the amount of water used. This burdens the residents with enormous amount of water bills. The amount per litre differs from apartment to apartment, ranging from Rs. 0.15 per litre to Rs. 2.5 per litre. On an average, a four member household pays water bill amounting to Rs 2,000 per month. Larger families use much more water and their bills amount to as much as Rs 10,000 per month. A resident of MG Path, Mr. Jain said, “Our monthly water bill sums up to Rs. 2,000-2500 per month with only 3 members in the family.” Mr. Gupta has a family of 6 members and said, “Our per unit water charge is very high compared to other apartments in the area and we pay a hefty bill of Rs. 7,000-8,000 per month.” Mr. Ghosh, one of the area members of Christian Basti said, “Currently the govern-

water tankers in ghy, a regular sight | g plus photo

ment is not doing anything regarding the water problem in the locality. We know that there are a lot of problems in the area, but it’s in the hands of Jal Board, which is not looking into the matter.” Talking to the area members of Ward 19 we also found that GMDA has not been looking into the matter saying that there isn’t much they can do. And the old urban water supply system of GMC has gone into the hands of Jal board, which again, is neglect-

ing the problems being faced by the residents of the area. The old pipelines are also not in proper working conditions. Although the World Bank has promised to initiate urban water supply project to facilitate the people in the area, it still has a long way to go before the implementation of the project. While the director had said that they would implement the project by 2016, the year has come to an end and work hasn’t yet resumed.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Feature

Africa: clearing the haze

Disha Thakuriya

High school going Disha Thakuriya returned to her hometown, Guwahati, after spending a fair part of her growing stage in two African countries. On her return, Disha attempts to throw some light about the least known continent

t’s been two years since I have been back in India. The other day as I was sitting at my desk, my fingers went on to spin the globe on my table and, to my amusement, it stopped where I had previously lived. Believe you me it was Africa in front of my eyes! I had spent five years in that continent. It’s amusing to see the reactions of people when I say that. I am not an African. I was born in Guwahati, Assam, India. And my parents are Assamese. Hence, I am an Assamese holding an Indian passport. I was in Class II when I got the news that we would be going abroad. I jumped around happily thinking I would be going to the land inhabited by “white” people. I had no clue what Africa was all about. When my family lived in western India (Gujarat and Maharashtra), they often used to discuss how little people knew about Assam. My friends used to share with me

the bizarre stories people used to cook up about Assam. But now that I have come back to my homeland, I realize stereotypical thinking can’t be gone forever. Earlier, I used to flinch when people said anything wrong about Assam - that too with such conviction that anyone could have believed them. Now, when the same happens with Africa, all I can do is laugh and then try to clear the haze. People do know that Asia and Africa are continents. They also know that India is one of the countries in Asia. But the same perception is not always the case when it comes to Africa. They either think that the only country in Africa is South Africa or that there are no countries at all in Africa. Moreover, there will be some still thinking that South Africa is not a country doubling the doubt that Africa is both a country and a continent. Another common misconception is that people here often think

there are no modern cities in Africa. The first picture that pops up in their heads is that of animals and the savanna, not of cars, tall buildings and airports. These are direct doubts I faced whenever I have said, “I once lived in Africa.” And inevitably I would have to clarify, “No, not South Africa! I lived first in Nigeria and then in Tanzania.” The first thought that would then come to my mind is, “Have they ever heard of Tanzania forget spelling it out for me for that matter …?” The confusion regarding places and countries is amusing. Some people either don’t have time or don’t know how the difference between Slovenia and Slovakia will help them in anyway while there are some who will be glad to know that Tanzania and Tasmania are not the same. Some get lost in a map, while some manage to go around a new place without a GPS. I have found that many don’t find a globe enticing or find an atlas interesting. No wonder, there are some (in this case, a politician) asking, “What is Aleppo?” Anyway, moving on, I have also realized the reason behind the popularity of South Africa here. The connection that our history textbooks have created with South Africa through Gandhiji is unbreakable. Then there are cricket fans that are bound to know the Proteas. Another African country responsible for clearing the haze for some is Zimbabwe - again mostly the cricket fans. The main point is

that we learn from what we encounter in our day-to-day lives. Soccer loving people may know a few more countries than others. And those loving Lawn Tennis may be more attached to the United States, Spain, Russia or Switzerland among others. While those truly into the Olympic Games would know a lot more countries than the rest.Then again, there are those into news - news from any source, be it a traditional newspaper or a modern app. We often come across bloody news (literally) involving the following phrases: Boko Haram, airplanes gone missing, macabre massacre, earthquake, controversial elections. And through them, people learn that there is a place called Kano in Nigeria and a place called Sinjar in Iraq. They learn that people in Paris, Nice, Brussels, and Orlando were not the only ones to die. It isn’t only Malaysia, Italy, Washington DC, New Zealand that are stuck in people’s minds. Rather Oromia, Amhara pave a new path in the foggy mind as well. But then there is a subtle difference between “knowing countries” and “knowing about countries.” Those who love travelling and reading are bound to start learning more about different countries. My focus being on Africa, this is how the scenario is about knowledge of the continent. Firstly, Africa might not be as advanced as the West but it surely isn’t as backward as one might reckon. It has bustling cities like Lagos, Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi, Cape Town, Cairo, Accra to name a few. Africa has rivers, lakes, rainforests, deserts, valleys, beaches and a snow-capped mountain. It has casinos, amusement parks, shopping malls, five to seven star hotels (gaining popularity in our country of late) and restaurants. Quite a few places

in Africa are way better off than those in our dear Assam. And the diversity among countries is huge. Somalia is ravaged by famine and stands destroyed by pirates, but the great Egyptian pyramids still stand tall. Congo has had a stormy past but that does not mean Botswana is unsafe. Sierra Leone was devastated after the Ebola outbreak but does it stop people from touring South Africa? Libyans are now building an entire country after the demise of tyranny, but that isn’t stopping Morocco’s culture from flourishing. Ethiopia’s tribes and the Masais continue practicing their traditions. This is the diversity of Africa; this is the beauty of Africa. I believe, foreigners are very much responsible for ruining the golden era of Africa. That is one thread tying that continent to us. We all were once slaves. Today we are our own rulers. The main intent of writing this piece is to categorically state that Africa and Africans are equally beautiful, inside and out. Disparaging remarks like “It isn’t safe there. Is it?” or “It must be a scorched land” only shows lack of knowledge. As Assamese, it is ridiculous to look down upon an African because then, there will be no difference between us and the whites who practiced apartheid. Without any malice towards anyone, I hope I have conveyed what I wanted to convey for the last two years. Let’s just say learning broadens one’s perspective and helps one see a clear picture. And travelling essentially means learning. If travelling is fun, then there’s no harm in exploring the countries in this world and the world each country offers. That is the beauty of our planet - one world with so many worlds within.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Snippet

Govt issues guidelines for Chief Minister’s functions

he Govt. of Assam has issued guidelines in respect of official programmes attended by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam at the invitation of various departments and agencies subject to strict compliance of all instructions regarding security arrangement. • During the visit, the DC and SP should personally administer all arrangements of accommodation and convenience of the Chief Minister. • After obtaining prior consent, date and time from the CM, a tentative minute-to-minute programme shall be prepared by the concerned department/ agency with co-ordination to the CM’s Office well ahead and submitted to the office of the CM for approval. • When such functions are held in open areas, the dais should be constructed under the supervision of an Executive Engineer of the PWD and the dais should be 8-12 feet high, 16 feet in length and 12 feet in breadth. • There should not be more than 7 seats in the front row of the

dais. There should not be more than two rows on the dais and the space between the first and second rows shall not be less than 4 feet. • There shall be detailed security checks at the stairs to the dais. Security threat is a serious concern and as such thorough inspection of the adjoining areas and situation analysis needs to be ensured in order to avoid any untoward incident. • Due to enormous demand on the time of the Chief Minister, no programme should exceed one hour unless approved by the Chief Minister. • Apart from the general microphone/audio equipment, alternative fail-safe microphone/ audio arrangement with battery/ inverters shall be arranged and placed by the concerned department in consultation with the DIPR/DIPRO/SDIPRO etc. and technical staff to be made available in all programmes to attend to any problem that may arise in the system. • Not more than two persons

shall speak or deliver addresses before the Chief Minister. • Only safe drinking water, tea/ coffee and biscuits or dry fruits and nothing else shall be served in the meetings. Food Safety Officer of Health and Family Welfare Department to be deployed by the concerned department. • The route map should be ascertained properly so that the shortest and minimal time can be utilized for traversing/navigation. • Non-spicy food and purely Assamese/ethnic cuisines is preferred in order to avoid health hazards. • Hygiene and sanitation should be given top priority and ensure good upkeep of guest houses for stay of VVIPs. • Uninterrupted supply of electricity to be ensured by the PWD (Electrical) Department. • Information about the availability of helipads along with latitude and longitude coordinates, fire fighting equipments and medical facilities should be

made available at helipads. • Medical team, fire fighting team and installation of telephones/WiFi facility in the meeting places and halting places should be ensured. • For hosting lunch/dinner, the venue, time and menu, prior approval should be taken from the CM’s Office.

• For better dissemination of information, the media personnel need to be informed well ahead for better coverage of the programme. • Concerned local MLA/MP of the district to be informed of the Chief Minister’s programme in the districts.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Campus

Microsoft, Oracle offer highest packages to IIT-G students Juthika Baruah

65% of undergraduate students and overall 50% students from IIT-G have been placed in top companies across the globe

he first phase of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) placement has ended on a robust note with the highest package offered to two students by Oracle and Microsoft with USD 136,000 and USD 135,000 respectively. The IIT-G always attracts the best packages but now that the value of dollar has risen, the salaries seem to be rather remarkable. “The demand of IIT has increased in the undergraduate programmes of B.Tech. and B.Des. and the companies mostly prefer younger people who they can recruit according to their requirements. In the first round, 65% of the undergraduate students have been placed.

And overall, 50% students have already been placed from masters and undergraduate. Almost 1,100 students have registered their names in the Centre for Career Development and 190 companies have registered this year,” said Public Relation Officer of IIT-G, Labanu Konwar, while speaking to G Plus. Konwar informed that the primary reason why the package offered is highest this time is because of the increasing value of the dollar. Otherwise, IIT offered good placements earlier also. The highest package offered by Oracle is approximately equal to INR 93 lakhs per annum and Microsoft’s offer is Rs. 92 lakhs. These are international place-

ments. In India, the highest package of Rs. 36 lakhs has been offered by Tower Reach. This is the highest domestic package. “The major recruiter who has given the highest domestic offer is VMware. There are companies who have recruited 5-6 students and the major companies are Samsung, EXL services, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Oracle, VMware etc. with regard to the number of people that have been recruited,” said Konwar. The placements will be better than the previous years as public sector units have been emphasized on. Last year there was a job scarcity when the private companies recruited the students and now that the PSUs will arrive at the IIT campus the recruitment will be better. “It is due to the world recession that the placements were less compared to last year. The students of IIT and IIM were offered jobs and were asked to join on later dates. Some of the candidates were even given a few months’ salaries and were later told that they will not be hired due to which the placement was less. The IITs and IIMs have de-

cided that the companies who had offered jobs to students and cancelled their offers have not been allowed to come for campus recruitment this year,” Konwar informed. Last year, Flipkart had also postponed the joining dates of the hired students for which, this year, the company has not been allowed to participate in many of the campuses. “The students are now emphasizing more on the government sector and they feel they should do something for their own nation. Being placed in private foreign companies does not allow them that chance and therefore they want to join the government sectors and be of service to the nation. The Supreme Court had banned the PSUs from undertaking campus interviews earlier. This has now been withdrawn. The recruitment in PSUs will start and students will get the opportunity to be placed in the PSUs,” Konwar added. The placements start from 1st December and continue till March-April and the candidates who have not been placed will be placed in the second phase of the

recruitment. On the first day of the placement season, IIT-G students received 138 job offers. • Oracle and Microsoft offer highest packages of USD 136,000 and USD 135,000 respectively • 65% of undergraduate students placed from IIT-G • The placement record as improved by 10% this year • Tower Reach has offered the highest domestic package of Rs 36 lakhs • IIT-G students received 138 offers on the first day of the recruitment process • Almost 1,100 students registered their names in the Centre for Career Development juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Defunct street-lights raise security concern

Ward Watch

Kalyan Deb

Women’s safety a major concern as the stretch of Mother Teresa Road plunges into darkness

WARD NO

21 24

Concentrated Area: Mother Teresa Road Ward Number: 21 and 24 Councillor , ward n0. 21: Shashanka Jyoti Deka Phone no: 9864217101 Councillor , Ward number 24: Paresh Kalita Phone no: 9435116854

overed with lush greenery on the one hand and modern commercial establishments on the other, the Mother Teresa Road is a major connecting road to several areas of the city. The road offshoots from Zoo Road and connects to a number of prime localities that not only house several residential complexes but also several commercial establishments. The road goes on to connect areas such as Noonmati and Narengi which are densely populated localities of the city. Further ahead it connects to VIP Road and Chandrapur. A hillock on the road also has the Geeta Mandir with its own unique charm. Built during the 1970s by then chief minister Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, the temple is spread over an area of 25 bighas while the hillock covers an area of 51 bighas of land. However, not all is good with the area that has a large concentration of the city’s population as safety of those residing in the area has become a major concern. The area plunges into darkens with sundown and remains that way as most of the street-

lights installed throughout the stretch of the road are basically defunct. In 2014, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) had initiated a major exercise for repair and renovation of streetlights across the city. As per reports, it was mentioned that among the roads being covered under the scheme were GNB Road/MRD Road from Noonmati flyover to the District Library (including Chandmari flyover high mast), MG Road (from Planetarium to Bharalu bridge), TR Phookun Road and Athgaon flyover, AT Road (from Bharalu bridge to Dunlop overpass), GS Road, GMCH Road, Panjabari Road, Tripura Road, Supermarket to Last Gate, RP Road, the road from MLA Hostel backside to Hatigaon Chariali, RG Baruah Road, SC Goswami Path, Danish Road, HB Road, Jaswant Road, Gopal Road, Station Road, Kamakhya Temple high mast and parking area. Similarly, Mother Teresa Road was also included in the project. Although, installation process was carried out from the diversion of Zoo Road only a few metres up to BG Point was covered. The area beyond was left deprived. Resultantly, apart

from a few of those installed in the initial stretch diverting from Zoo Road, most part of the road remains in darkness till date. “It goes without saying that most of the unlawful activities are carried out in dark. There is a fear factor that always lurks in people’s minds in the absence of proper lighting. It has been almost a year that the lights are in defunct condition despite the locality having the residences of several reputed personalities of the city. It is only the shops and other commercial establishments that illuminate the area. It can be said that only one out of ten street-lights up to Geeta Mandir is in working condition. However, the lanes are better lit in comparison to the main road,” asserted Mahendra Sinha, a local resident. The lack of street also raises concern among motorists as they have to be extra careful when it comes to taking the turns. Since there is a sharp left turn ahead of Geeta Mandir it is difficult to gauge or notice an approaching vehicle. “Throughout the entire stretch there are few street-lights that are in working condition.

The condition worsens between the Geeta Mandir and BG Point stretch. As several trucks remain parked by the road it is difficult for any vehicle to ply on the road in the absence of street-lights. Several accidents also take place due to the same,” said Joydeep Haloi, a trekker driver in the area. Residents of Mathghoria also echoed concern over the lack of street-lights on the road that remains busy with heavily loaded trucks and several other vehicles for most part of the day. Though no major untoward incident has taken place as yet, women find it troubling to commute through the road in the afterhours. “There are trucks that remain parked by the road for most part of the day and at night several people take to alcohol consumption on the roadside under the cover of darkness. So, for a woman it becomes difficult to pass by such areas. However, no such mishap has taken place yet but the installation of street lights would prevent any kind of wrong doings or accidents since the road remains busy all day,” said Saurav Deb, a resident of the area. Another local of the Mathghoria area stated that as a working professional she often comes home late from work. “The roads seem to be deserted by 10 pm, even the streets of the main locations of the city. There is not a single street light in working condition in the area and the entire stretch from Chandmari to Mathghoria via Zoo Road remains dark. It certainly becomes very risky, perilous in fact, as I often commute by cabs. The government should take these basic

steps for the public. Waking up after some mishap is of no help. Things should be taken care of when there is time,” the local stated.

Councillor’s say While inquiring about the matter it has come to light that the responsibility of installing and maintenance of street-lights in the area was given to two contractors viz. Nihar Dhar of D.D. Constructions and Niren Deka of Shakti Constructions however after repetitive persuasions there have been no response on behalf of the contractors. Many also mentioned that the duo are trying to shed off their responsibilities till the expiration of their contract. Meanwhile, councillor of ward number 24, Paresh Kalita expressed his concern over the matter and mentioned that several unlawful activities are being carried out in aid of darkness. “I have been pursuing the matter with the department but with the growing concern over security and inconvenience of the people the matter will be taken to the superiors of the department. I will surely try to resolve the matter however, I will require due support of the department and follow up of the negligence that has taken place in the past,” Kalita mentioned to G Plus. It was also mentioned that the different lanes of the area have been illuminated with several street-lights but the main road requires immediate attention. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

In The News

Does recovering Rs 1.5 crores make Hardeep Singh Bedi a criminal?

rahul chanda

With a huge amount of new currency notes recovered from a city businessman’s residence, suspicions are raised on banks; family sources said that a son-in-law of Hardeep Singh Bedi was on the Board of Directors with Central Bank of India earlier • Acting on a tip-off CID raids Mezbaan bar owner’s residence in Beltola • CID recovers Rs 1,54,81,000 from the residence of Hardeep Singh Bedi • CID informs the Income Tax department • IT officials search the residence and seize the recovered money • IT has noted the serial numbers of all the notes recovered in the new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denominations • Police sources said that no criminal case has been registered so far; IT is the concerned investigating department • Police sources also said that the Bedis are giving different versions about the source of the money • IT source said that the Bedis have claimed the money is from their earnings and they will furnish documents to prove the same • Family insider said that Bedi’s son-in-law is on the board of Central Bank of India and is an influential former Congressman • IT officials to check if any bank employee helped the Bedis • People irked and feel demonetisation is just a drama while people continue turning huge amounts of black money into white

n an incident that has raised many eyebrows in Guwahati, the crime investigation department (CID) raided a house of businessman Hardeep Singh Bedi in the Bhetapara area and recovered around Rs 1.54 crores in new currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2000. Meanwhile, according to media reports, union finance minister Arun Jaitley recently called a meeting of the inter-ministerial group and blamed the states for not doing enough to crack down on hoarders and black marketers. The new currency notes seizure in Guwahati has raised many questions on how a businessman could get such a huge amount of money in new notes under the prevailing scrutiny on money withdrawal. What is his business or profession that he was capable of earning such huge

guwahati by night | File photo

money? Is he involved in some criminal activity? And now that the money has been recovered why haven’t the police filed any case and no one has been arrested? G Plus looks into the depth of the matter.

The incident CID, Assam Police, on Monday last, recovered Rs 1,54,81,000 comprising currency notes of Rs 2000 and the new Rs 500 denominations from the residence of a city-based businessman Hardeep Singh Bedi, who is the owner of a restaurant, bar (Mezbaan) and a market complex located in the Ganeshguri area. The sources in CID, talking to G Plus, said that they had received some special inputs about hoarded old currency notes being hidden in Bedi’s residence located on Bishnu Rabha Path, Beltola/Bhetapara, opposite an apartment complex called Ridhi Sidhi Heights. CID raided the residence on 12th December and recovered the new notes; no old notes were there. The doubt cropped about the volume of recovery especially when the current withdrawal limit is just Rs 24,000 per week. The CID then informed the Income Tax (IT) department even as Bedi tried giving various explanations regarding the stash. The house was raided in the evening and early the next morning the income tax department officials counted the recovered money, noted the series numbers and took the cash along with them successfully evading the media and keeping mum on the issue. But does the incident prove that Bedi is a criminal and will there be any charges registered against him?

hs bedi (l) and his residence (r) at bhetapara. the recovered money (inset)

criminal or not? ?The police sources said that no

criminal case has been registered against Bedi and his family so far as they have various explanations regarding the source of the money. The source said that the IT department will further investigate the matter and if there are any anomalies regarding the source of the money the police will be informed and subsequent action will be taken accordingly. The source said that while the Bedis had many explanations for the money that fateful evening, they also kept changing their versions. Various explanations included some portion of the money coming from winning the Meghalaya Teer (archery) games. Other versions offered that it is from the rentals of their properties, sale at their restaurant, etc. The police said that as the matter fell under the IT Act which is the sole authority that can enquire about disclosed and undisclosed assets, the police had to hand over the case to the IT department. The sources in the IT department said that the Bedis have declared to having all the documents regarding the source of the money and they can furnish the same if required. While during the raid they were not able to declare the source they have now sought some time. The IT officials have noted down the serial numbers of all the notes and their investigation will follow accordingly. The IT source said that the investigation will be conducted under the IT Act; all the documents regarding the recovered money will be sought and the source of the same investigated accordingly. If any anomalies like money laundering or other criminal source is found the police will be asked

to step in and further investigate under the IPC Act. The source also said that after the investigation is over it will come to light if any bank employee has been in collusion in the matter but that it will take some time to find out all the facts. So basically, Hardeep Singh Bedi, for the time being, is not a criminal but what exactly is his profession that allows him such fabulous earnings?

The money source A highly placed source who is related to Hardeep Singh Bedi, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that Hardeep has a number of businesses. He has three sons and two daughters some of whom live on Hardeep’s earnings and lead a lavish lifestyle. Hardeep has reportedly bought cars and properties for them to divest the money. Hardeep has a market in Ganeshguri (Bedi Market) and the Mezbaan bar is located there. There are many shops in the market and he gets rental earnings accordingly. Hardeep Singh Bedi had two other brothers, one of whom is dead. The source also said that one of Hardeep Singh Bedi’s sons-in-law (Ramesh Sabbarwal) is based in Delhi and was on the board of directors in Central Bank of India several years ago. The source said that this factor might have been a help for the Bedis to convert old currency notes into new ones. However, the source is not certain about this factor, but conveyed that Sabbarwal in Delhi is a very influential person who also was associated with the Congress party for many years. The source added that Hardeep Singh Bedi has huge landed properties in and outside Guwahati. According to IT sources, the Bedis said that they will furnish the documents

regarding the source of the recovered money but the family source remains sceptical about the manipulations that might be done in obtaining such documents. The people of the Bedi Market said that Mezbaan bar is notorious for anti-social activities and many a time the area has witnessed ugly squabbles and fisticuffs. A source near the Bedi Market, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that the bar is a flesh trade point where customers make deals with sex workers. These sex workers are present every evening soliciting customers. All said and done, the police maintained that they cannot register any criminal case unless they receive complaints. The fact remains that the police had information about hoarded money and the new notes were recovered. It is up to the IT department to investigate any possible anomalies. Meanwhile, according to media reports, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently said that Rs 12.44 lakh crores of demonetised 500 and 1,000 rupees notes have been deposited by the public since the demonetisation was announced on 8th November last. Notes worth Rs 12.44 lakh crores have been deposited till 10th December; RBI has been issuing more and more new notes on a daily basis, the media reported. The RBI also said that it has instructed the banks to undertake central data checking and take action against officials found involved in unlawful activities. This incident has raised suspicions on banks and bank officials. People are cynical now that the demonetisation drama has only harassed the general populace while the black money hoarders remain unperturbed and virtually capable of getting away with blue murder. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

special

Will people vote in next election for Modi/BJP Government after the 500,1000 currency ban? Gplus News

PayPal Accuses Paytm Of Ripping Off It’s Logo

Trotter

Gplus News

It alleges that Paytm “slavishly adopted the twotone blue colour scheme” of their logo, adding that it was “deceptively and confusingly similar” I know this ban is very good for eradicating existing black money and fake currency, discourage corruption. But it will also cause lot of problems, confusion to its own.

to common man for short term. How will the people take this move? 183k Views Upvote4.2k

Following were the results:

fter completing 2 years PM Narendra Modi had sought feedback from people by inviting them to rate his government’s initiatives on www.mygov.in the government portal. The survey gave us an idea of what people thought about the Government at that time.

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In more than half the questions, the rating was 4 or more out of 5 (Foreign policy 4.4, Make in India 4.2, Ease of doing business 4.1)

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On Railways and Highways, it scored 90% or above (4.5 average)

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But look at the lowest rating which received was for tackling Black Money which got 3.4 out of 5.

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That was an area where people thought not much had been done. Now imagine if this survey is done once again at the end of the third year, what do you think the rating will be? It has caused inconvenience but people also know it is a step taken for long term benefits and to actually tackle the issue.

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The decision has been such a high impact one that no one in this country is going to forget this decision. It might end up as the most talked about or defining highlight of this Government at the end of 5 years when the next elections take place in 2019.

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Gplus News

WhatsApp will soon allow users to revoke and edit messages which they have sent, according to leaks.

iOS 2.17.1.869 is where this ability has been spotted; apparently users can revoke a message even after it has been read by the recipient. This revoke feature also extends to group chat messages. However, it is not clear if this feature will make its way to the regular user build soon, or if it will take some time. Usually WhatsApp’s takes a while before it rolls out new features to all users. Additionally WhatsApp is also working on the ability to edit messages. WABetaInfo says that “WhatsApp had added in

beta the possibility to edit messages that you already sent, and it is actually disabled by default and it’s under development.” WhatsApp is also working on a new way to show ‘Status’, which could soon be made private. Users will also be able to view just how many of their friends saw their Status update, and will also be able to delete these status updates. It was reported earlier that WhatsApp is working on making these Status Updates feel a lot more like how Snapchat’s Stories work. On Snapchat, the Stories disappear in 24 hours, and you can also see which of your friends viewed your story. With leaks indicating a revoke and an edit feature in the works, it could mean that should you send a WhatsApp message to the wrong person, you will at least be able to fix that mistake. We’ll have to wait and see how soon WhatsApp launches this feature for all.

actions a day, more than the debit and credit cards in the country combined. The complaint filed by PayPal further says: “These similarities cause a likelihood of confusion… There is no reason for the Applicant (Paytm) to adopt the identical colours and colour scheme other than to take advantage of the reputation the Opponent (PayPal) has built up into this combination in connection with its popular services.” While Paytm’s logo is in the final stages of getting registered, PayPal has been using its own for the past 17 years, since 1999. The report adds that as part of a registering mechanism for logos, a company needs to put out their logo for a period of four months which gives others time to raise objections over it, if they have any.

(Source: Outlook)

Bewafa’ Sonam Gupta breaks into Google 2016 top 10 personalities list Gplus News

PM Modi has taken the weakest point of his Government (as per the survey) and turned it into possibly the strongest!

WhatsApp could soon allow users to revoke, edit sent messages

hatsApp has been adding a slew of new features to the service for all of 2016, and it looks like more changes are coming. According to leaks put out by Twitter account WABetaInfo, which is known for its accuracy on WhatsApp’s upcoming features, the service will soon let users revoke and edit messages which they have sent. The Twitter account put out a video which shows how the messages can be revoked in the iOS version of instant-messaging app. According to the leak, WhatsApp beta for

fter experiencing a temporary outage last night, Indian startup and mobile wallet applicationPaytm may have more to worry about as PayPal, one of the world’s largest payment firms, has accused the former of stealing its logo, says a report by Quartz. In the complaint filed by the US-based giant, it alleges that Paytm “slavishly adopted the two-tone blue colour scheme” of their logo, adding that it was “deceptively and confusingly similar” to its own. The Indian startup, which has become a kind of a poster-boy in the Prime Minister’s drive for a cashless economy has refused to comment on the allegations. Paytm has been a big beneficiary of the demonetization move and registered 5 million new users in the two weeks post the note-ban and was clocking 7 million trans-

onam Gupta -- the name synonymous with betrayal that ruled social media through the year, especially post-demonetisation -- made a surprise entry at No. 3 in the Google India list of top 10 trending personalities, the search engine giant said on Wednesday. The fictitious name first appeared on a torn Rs 10 note in August this year and was back on a new Rs 2,000 note after demonetisation and went viral on various social media platforms with the tagline “Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai (Sonam Gupta is unfaithful)”. The list of top trending personalities was led by US president-elect Donald Trump, followed by Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu at second spot. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar took the fourth spot, followed by actor Disha Patani who recently made her Bollywood debut in a biopic on Indian cricketing star M.S. Dhoni, at fifth place. Indian female wrestler and Olympic champion Sakshi Malik also featured among the Top 10 trending per-

sonalities on Google. Rio Olympic Games 2016 emerged as the top trending search query among Google users, followed by the augmented-reality (AR) game Pokemon Go. Among top trending news events, Rio Olympics 2016 again topped the charts, followed by the US elections and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) at the second and third spot, respectively. The 7th Pay commission, demonetisation and the strategic surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control also generated a great deal of search curiosity among Indian users. Actor Salman Khan’s blockbuster film “Sultan” emerged as top trending movie, followed by Rajinikanth’s blockbuster film “Kabali”. Shahid Kapoor starrer “Udta Punjab”, Akshay Kumar’s “Airlift” and Ranbir, Aishwarya Rai and Anushka Sharma-starrer “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” also made it to the Top five list, Google said. After making her first appearance in August on the RS 10 note, Sonam Gupta appeared to have been forgotten. But after the scrapping of high-value notes, Sonam Gupta suddenly returned to pubic eye again. As people struggled to get their Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes exchanged, an image circulated on social media where a new Rs 2,000 note had the same words, “Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai”, written on it.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

G Talk E D

Daft sensibilities

eing daft seems to come easily to certain greedy Guwahatians who ironically believe they are very sensible. While it is understandable that human greed, or the desire to have more, forms the very basis of the subject called Economics, foolishness in the current demonetized times, may well be a vice best avoided. Take the instance of Hardeep Singh Bedi. Pushing 80 and still fit, teetotaller according to informed sources and super wealthy, he has left me wondering which mad dog had bit him on the behind that he displayed his remarkable nuttiness in stashing those 2000 rupee notes in his house in an open invitation to robbery or raid. And raid it was! Even as I write this, two more instances have surfaced of people being caught with amounts far lesser than the Bedi stash but voluminous in their own right. The first was a Rs 5.8 lakh hoard recovered from Athgaon and the second was Rs. 20 lakhs picked up from another idiot at a city hotel. All notes in all the three instances were of 2000 rupee denominations or the new 500 rupees. It is understandable that for a society seeped in the traditions of bribery where even Gods are not spared when beseeched for divine favours, it will take time for Indians to understand what the cashless system is all about. The love for cash needs to be shed earlier the better. People need to understand that loopholes of all sizes, shapes and depth are being meticulously plugged by the government even though the

manner in which it is being done appears to be haphazard, confusing and unplanned. For the entire stacks of 2000s in India being in your home, they might well be beautiful toilet paper five years down the line should the government of the day feel that it would solve certain ills plaguing the bribe-laden Indian mindset. The matter of prudence here is to realize the sheer futility of keeping or hoarding cash any more in the future. I mean, what’s the point of spending sleepless nights on mattresses filled with money if the same has every chance of being converted into worthless paper overnight? Bedi and his ilk might well get away with it for now because so far, it doesn’t look like the money has any blood on them. If Bedi can justify the source of the stash to the satisfaction of the taxman, the money is his and all we can do is marvel at the old man’s capacity to earn so fabulously in these times of struggle. If not, tracking the money trail will be one hell of a financial adventure to explore and the bankers’ collusion in the matter will make for news that we will drool over. The deed has been done by whoever has been willing to take chances at being daft; regrets that will serve no purpose can come thick and fast later. The best an Indian can do, under the current circumstances, is to stop being daft and toe the ‘plastic’ line. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Ending the year on a sour note Okay, let’s be real – what is the status of demonetization in the country right now? Some say it’s the key to kicking black money out the window, some say it’s a failure, some haven’t bothered to respond because they were busy queuing up outside ATMs hoping that a 500 will come out instead of a 2000. In case you want to defend the Government’s contingency plan post-demonetization and say that it was well implemented, don’t; because I will be extremely abusive. I mean what is this? You’ve made the country a laughing stock. You made a National crisis into a joke. The shoddy implementation is being met with the arrangement of some lucky draw system and Mr. Modi is the talk show host who starts his show with his catchphrase “Mitrooooooooon....” So turning on the morning news has become an overdose of, “Bigg Boss chahte hai ki aap aaj bas 4000 rupees nikale” or ”Bigg Boss chahte hai ki wild card entry se aaj ek random lucky draw scheme introduce karyava jai.” I mean what the hell? We understand that Modi wants to have a towering personality, but Bigg Boss is the most terrible and degenerate show on TV and when I compare him to that show, he has to understand that this is not a compliment! (Yes, I said it, go on, hate me). In other news, the country is ready to welcome ‘the “Republic” of Arnab Goswami’ with open arms. Would he continue to tackle the non-existent infant-led Congress? Would he go after the big boys that include the Planning Commission, the RBI and the other government vertices that went ahead with the implementation of this plan with a superficial understanding of digitizing the economy? Forget tackling black money with this billion dollar idea (Billion Dollar because, that’s what is going to cost the GDP in the coming year), the government is working with an infrastructure that provides 1 bank for 28 villages (according to report published by The Wire). It’s sad, but I will never be able to empathise with people living in villages because I live and work in a pseudo-metro city that has the luxury for cashless transactions, for the most part. As for the government, could you please take a trip to the villages, and not say that the Northeast has 4000+ ATMs therefore Demonetization has been handled because there are over 100000+ villages and that proportion is not the solution?

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

Heralding the New Year differently Swapnil Bharali

he date: 17th of January; the year: immaterial. My good friend Thakur stood in a ponderous mood, his face wistful, holding a burning cigarette between his fingers. I observed that he sported a somewhat triumphant look despite that ponderous wistfulness. My nickels of curiosity dropped loud and clear even as I flicked him a penny for his thoughts – without the minutest of provocation, mind you. In a momentous release of pent-up elation that I had barely seen from someone apparently gloating over a superb achievement, he animatedly barked at me, “See this? My second cigarette in 17 days!” And then with a self-gratifying smirk befitting someone who had just conquered his demons, he declared: “I have given up!” Hallelujah! Chutzpah! Praise the Lord! Dear Thakur was in a very obviously pleasurable “smokie” trance even while actually claiming to have given up that inexcusable habit! Hark back 17 days to the New Year’s Eve night: the usual setting for the grand welcome to the New Year in the elite environs of our club. The décor was magnificent, the bonfire blazing, all male throats adequately parched, the women finding the wintry conditions “attirically” warm, the dance floor creaking under the massive jiving, the band crooning hard and Thakur, oblivious to all of these, happily chain-smoking; he was giving it up at the stroke of midnight, remember? Yes, it was the “very usual” music and dance celebrations coupled with the resolute people desperately gearing up to break their “very usual” resolutions as late in January as possible. New Year was ushered in as normally as it always is; for me it was a pleasure to share a smoke from Thakur’s packet just two minutes back “yesterday.” Over the years, my experience of New Year celebrations hasn’t been much different. In our part of the world it is all about one grand party, dancing up a sweat to live bands or DJs and thereafter, breaking resolutions as late in the next year as possible. As a conscientious partylover, I began to ponder how the world away from us celebrates the New Year and how unique their resolutions might be. And by jove! I came across three celebration themes that not only

‘Black Money’, the new password

seemed unique and innovative but also, eminently possible to replicate in Guwahati. I hereby share these with my dear readers and hope some party organizers might be suitably impressed to shamelessly copy these ideas given the time still available. As for resolutions, take a look below and you might just be interested in picking one of these achievable options or come up with a more customized resolution that would be feasible enough not to break soon enough. Thakur’s variety – I will give up smoking – invariably comes a-cropper! From The Netherlands: Left with a huge cache of explosive materials from World War II, the Dutch have developed carbideshooting once a year. They fill up old milk buckets with carbide and water, seal them with caps and let them heat over fire. It is basically a row of metal canons that are fired off at the stroke of midnight. The kick in the whole exercise is in their attempts at preventing the explosive from blowing in their faces! The joy continues on to the next morning when thousands of surviving revelers strip down to their briefs and dive into the freezing ocean. In Guwahati: for the carbidesubstitution, a push for novelty in Barpetia “atosh-baazi” might just be the answer. For the oceandiving part, the Brahmaputra or even Dighalipukhuri at 4 am on 1st January surely holds immense promise!

From Thailand: Seen Thaiboxing? Well, it gives you that Thai feeling that if a job is worth doing then it’s worth overdoing! And so, in that spirit of overdoing your New Year celebrations, three days of revelry has thousands of Thais boarding trucks and elephants armed with hoses, soakers and water balloons – all out to assault friends, neighbors and complete strangers in a nation-wide water fight that makes every individual a fair target! In Guwahati: if the grain-throwing during Puja-bhashan and colorpelting during Holi are anything to go by, Guwahati will learn to survive and enjoy this variant of New Year celebration without so much as a murmur of complaint. From Ecuador: The main

Opinion

theme for this weird activity: forget the bad luck and grievances of the past year. And how do you go about doing that? Firstly, burn effigies stuffed with fireworks of anyone you abhor - from real politicians to fictional superheroes – right in the middle of the street! And then, move on to pure lunacy with the men assuming the role of widows donning appropriate costumes and dancing in the streets begging for money from all and sundry as a token of appreciation for their berserk cross-dressing! All this apparently to bring good luck in the coming year! For Guwahati: the effigy-burning is already part of our culture; the dressing-up part will be fun to imitate and we can add the female variant in the process! And now coming to resolutions, I am making 5 reasonable, achievable ones for myself: • I will keep my fuel tank full so that I find myself in the “Oh Shoot! Just half a tank left” league rather than at the other end of the spectrum that goes, “Eeks! Needle at ‘E’!” It is basically a one-time investment of just about three thousand rupees and daily top-ups thereafter. • I will plant a tree and see it grow in my backyard – my humble return gift to all that Nature has given me. All I need to do is water it. Guwahati’s fertile soil will do the rest. • I will not upload selfies and invite friends to “crush candies” on Facebook. I hereby understand that it bores people to death and all comments and likes might just not be from the heart! Pretty much achievable, this one. • I will not drunk-dial, text or try to chat with my ex-girlfriend at 2.30 am because, in my otherwise sober state, I understand she is now a happily-married-motherof-two and not overtly keen and awake to reciprocate with equal drunken vigor. • I will not “Jabong” ever again because, for the umpteenth time, I hate an online shopping portal shipping to me stuff that is far different from what I had ordered. To sign off, I feel great quoting Rainer Maria, “And now we welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been.” Let’s herald the new year differently!

Letter to the Editor

The new password or the buzzword ‘black money’ of late is sweeping the whole nation. This term has kept the affluent and non-affluent strata of the Indian society interested. Though the term ‘black money’ is absolutely not a new term in English literature but thanks to previous regimes at the centre the said term was laid to rest for reasons known to all genuine Indians. On 8th November 2016, the term ‘black money’ again got a new lease of life after the NDA government under Narendra Modi introduced the demonetization policy taking one and all by surprise. Though fighting against the black money and corruption was BJP’s pre-poll promise no one ever imagine or dreamt that NDA government would take steps to fight against black money and corruption. Most of the opposition parties namely Congress, Trinamul Congress, Samajwadi Party, AAP, BSP, etc. vehemently opposed the government’s decision due to their own certain compulsions which are known to one and all. It is still too early to predict how much success the government can achieve with this move but one has to appreciate that the NDA regime is at least trying something which no other government ever tried or intended to try. So, it is time to be patient and wait for the results which are bound to come out in a few months’ time. If the move brings out the desired results then NDA would gain else they are bound to get the stick. As for now people like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, etc. can continue using the term ‘black money’ as password or buzzword for their political gains. Dr. Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

In Focus

Meet

Bonti Bordoloi Has demonetization actually affected black money?

Exterior Designer/Floral Artist

With several raids and busts where large amounts of cash and money in new currency has been seized has demonetization actually served its purpose of curbing black money in the economy? Bishal Roy Total cash recovered is below 300 crores, peanuts for a country as huge as India. After such a huge step it’s kinda flop show.

Shamim Ahmed When people are getting caught with crores in new currency, it is clear that for big fishes it’s nothing to manage with banks. Demonetization is a big fail.

Pankaj Saini See it’s just a beginning and we cannot a new born baby to walk, run and sing all together. Demonetisation was a bold step but the poor execution is now putting a big question mark on this step. I have no doubt about the intension of the present government. But somewhere for the fear of leaking the news of the impending demonetisation, the government did some pretty amateur stuff. The black money today is distributed in small amounts and in the form of gold. So with time the recovery may increase when the real owners will start to gather those and government will track the gold merchant. So far, demonetisation is a bold step executed foolishly. Manish Verma Obviously, it is a huge success. People will try to evade tax. They will hide their corruption money. This is the habit we have inculcated in the last 60 years.

Pallabi Kashyap Let’s see what the government is up to. After all we are citizens of our country and we have to follow what’s going on. Hope as days pass by something new comes up because we need change. Hope all road maintenance is done as promised, rural areas get digital mode of transaction in order to live for their sole earning of everyday life.

Sharita Sarmah It seems the two thousand rupee note is much easier to stack up!

Sashank Chakraborty It will not have much significance on the Indian economy and help the general public. If the notes are being seized by the police from any person in the field of committing any crime, it is being kept by the police till the case is being given a final verdict by the court after which it is deposited in bank by the police whereas when it is being recovered on the grounds of black money or illegal money laundering cases, it is being handed over to the IT department whereby the IT issues a seizure memo to the person and deposits it in the bank. So, these raids and busts largely depend on the nature of case and in contrast it also depends on the slow process of judgment of the Indian courts. The immediate effect of tackling the cash crisis through these seizures is not expected from the side of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Sunny Borah Not at all. It in fact has helped the owners of black money. 80% of the black money has been converted to white money. The poor and the down trodden section of the society is the hardest hit. The government is sleeping and doing nothing to alleviate the problem of liquidity. Salma Nasrin Not really. This will take time though. This could have been done with more ease and a little more time for execution. It was a wise decision taken foolishly which led to numerous other issues. And as such results will take time and the black money holders have already done their part of placing their money wherever necessary and to turn it white. So far it is just proved that demonetisation could have been executed better and in a much more planned manner to make it a successful attempt! Arunabh Hazarika It was a great idea the NDA Govt had taken but the run of too much publicity and taking media credit led to poor execution. Almost 90+ deaths related to demonetisation. Economy is slowing down. 10 lakhs unemployed within a month. People are running out of cash. Still shortage of availability of cash in various remote areas. Farmers are not getting the adequate price for their goods. Total failure but it could have been better if the government had stocked enough cash before announcing. Fake notes of new currency notes are already coming and now we are not able to distinguish between the fake and the real. So it’s not that simple as being shown by some of the news channels. In reality, the situation is heading towards economic crisis if not handled seriously within the next 30 days.

n exterior designer, Bonti Bordoloi has groomed herself over the years and made her presence felt with her passion for flowers that gradually became the means of progress in her career. Bonti’s work has made a prominent mark in the field of floral art and exterior designing. Born in 1945 in Nagaon, Bonti lost her mother at the tender age of 6 and being the youngest in the family, she was given all the love by her father and siblings. In the farm and amongst her pets in her home Bonti always gravitated towards flowers and developed the art of gardening and decorating the front compound of her home. She continued with the passion until an incident occurred that left her shattered with a deep emotional scar. It was during the celebration of the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in her locality when some of the neighbours plucked most of the flowers from her garden without her consent. Although she was rather upset with this occurrence it was the later incident that hurt her the most. “I still remember the day. I was around 16 and had made a beautiful garden putting my heart and soul into the work. And then the neighbours plucked most of the flowers without bothering to ask us. When my father confronted them they simply dumped all the flowers in front of our house. Years have passed but that incident has left a scar in my mind,” Bonti said during a conversation with G Plus. Since she was raised by a single parent she was married off at the age of 18 to Harmohan Bordoloi who was popularly known as Lukun Bordoloi and settled down in Jorhat. In 1973 she made her way to Guwahati along with her family. She

was taken aback with the comparatively faster lifestyle and the fact that everyone was busy with one thing or the other. It only motivated her and she soon went on to find her own career path discovering the same in her passion for flowers. “After realizing the fact that that everyone was busy with something or the other, I felt that I should also get involved in some activity and thus joined Eastern India Women’s Association in 1974. There I met Bonti Baruah who taught me all the technical aspects of floral designs and gave me the overall training,” the artist said. Soon she joined the flower arrangement competition organised by the association and went on to win the top prize for three consecutive years. That sowed the seed in her mind to take floral art as a career option. However, the path she chose was not easy at all. With the responsibilities of a family and two children Bonti faced several hurdles. Bonti kept on practicing her art and with the support of her family started a nursery within the premises of her residence. In 1983, she organised her own exhibition where she showcased her floral art, handloom and several other handicrafts. Gradually, her hard work brought several business proposals her way. “The first offer I got was from Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok wherein I had to design and decorate their garden and the reception area of the institution. It was not easy though. I had to travel all the way after finishing all the household work and then come back again to feed my family and fulfil my responsibilities,” Bonti mentioned. With merely one helper Bonti used to spend most part of the day amidst the flowers but after the Brahmaputra Ashok account materialized, she never had to look back. Bonti was approached by several reputed institutions thereafter, some of which are NEDFI House in Ganeshguri, Administrative Staff College, Balaji Temple, Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, Hotel Landmark, etc. She has been associated with the Assam Valley Literary Award instituted by Williamson Magor Education Trust since its inception. She was also given the responsibility of landscaping the Numaligarh Refinery from 1997 to 2003. However, Bonti believes that Guwahati is still lagging behind in the floral market as people are lacking in the scientific knowledge of growing healthy and variety of flowers. Thus, most of the decorators have to be dependent on traders from Kolkata or Thailand for flowers in bulk quantity. At times most of the flowers are brought in from neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, Bonti aspires to write a book based on her struggles and experiences in the near future but is pessimistic about when she can complete it. As the world is turning into a concrete jungle, every bit of greenery is bliss. Over the years, Bonti has created some exquisite designs for both interiors and landscaping and has built a formidable reputation among her clients with her work and ethics.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

VAASTU SHASTRA

Super Mario Run launched for iOS

he eagerly-awaited Super Mario Run game has been launched for iOS by Nintendo, bringing the beloved Italian plumber to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch screens across the world. For those who grew up playing Mario games, which have been around since 1981, the new Super Mario Run will kick in the nostalgia. If you have downloaded the new Nintendo game, or looking forward to downloading it, here’s everything you need to know about Super Mario Run. Super Mario Run was released on December 15 globally. It is expected to take up around 370MB of storage space. This for iOS devices is a lot! The game’s price is Rs. 620 in India and $9.99 in the US. This makes Super Mario Run

one of the more expensive games on the App Store but you can try it for free where you can only play a few levels of Super Mario Run. Nintendo is keeping Super Mario Run as a timed exclusive on iOS devices for now. The Android release is planned for next year. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, has revealed that you will need an Internet connection to play Super Mario Run. Speaking with Mashable, Miyamoto said that the decision had been taken to combat the game’s piracy. “For us, we view our software as being a very important asset for us,” he added. According to AppleInsider, Super Mario Run iOS would need 75MB of data per hour of “constant involved” play after the initial download.

APPLYING VAASTU IN SCHOOLS

aastu has a great impact on education. Proper orientation of positive energy can enhance the grasping power of the brain and improve memory. The east and the northeast are the main directions for this purpose. It has been advised to study facing east as the energy coming from the east is mellow and spiritual in nature. Students of commerce and business can gain by studying facing north because this direction is ruled by the God of prosperity and the Goddess Lakshmi. 1. For any educational institution, the main entrance is best from the northeast. If the main road is at west or south, then western northwest and southern southeast can be considered. 2. The prayer hall must be at northeast for maximum benefit. 3. There must be vacant area at east and north in the form of playgrounds etc. which will also empower children to develop their skills better. 4. Classrooms should face north or east and the students should also face accordingly. 5. There should be more windows and ventilators at north and east. 6. The toilet block for the entire school should be constructed at northwest. 7. The school canteen should be at southeast. 8. Generators, inverters and electrical meters etc. should be placed at southeast. 9. The administrative block should be at north or east. The principal should sit facing the east. 10. A water body like a pond or lake at northeast is very good for educational institutes. If the school or institute has residential facilities like hostels, they should be constructed at south or west. The warden, monitor or administrative staff should be

made to occupy the south-western portion of the hostel. The hostel canteen should be kept at southeast. The dining hall can be adjacent at east. The staircase of the hostel should be at south or west. The toilets should be at northwest. The hostel rooms should be made in such a way that the student can face east while studying and sleep with their heads to south or east. Cupboard or almirah etc. should be placed at south and west. The eastern side of the hostel should get maximum early morning sunlight. The veranda/corridor or balcony at east will provide this. No exposed beams should run through the rooms of students.

EID SPECIAL

Legacy at Hotel Palacio

otel Palacio is located on GS Road opposite Vivanta by Taj. In its restaurant “Legacy,” I found myself delighted to get a table by the window that offered an undisturbed view of the busy road below and the stunning vista of the Grand Dame Taj. The interior of the restaurant is chic and shiny. It has a grand piano on the left as you enter the restaurant and that that indeed gives it a grand touch! It also has a private seating area to allow guests a little privacy while dining at the restaurant. The striking part of the décor was the rows of blue pottery plates on the wall; it gave the space character, stamping it with an identity of its own.

The menu had items that looked common to other restaurants in the city. It was a mix of Indian, Oriental and European cuisine. I was informed that the Indian dishes were more popular. The waiters seemed attentive and genial, ready to help. The food arrived at the table. Murg Angara - boneless chucks of chicken marinated with spices with distinct flavor of carom, done well but a tad fiery, went down well with the mint chutney; the onion rings complemented the dish well. The Makh Mali Paneer arrived – soft, creamy and delicate. It lived up to its name which means smooth and creamy. I

liked the balance of flavors, a sure winner and a must try. For the mains, we had Vegetable Pulao - long grains of rice and vegetables cooked together, a rich dish complete by itself. The only accompaniment that required would be some curd to tone the richness. Then came the Vegetable Magolian from their Oriental sec-

tion. Skip this dish; I have had better vegetable in soy sauce. However, the Chicken Zafrani was a beautiful and perfect balance of saffron, ginger, fenugreek and coriander coming together to form a sublime dish. Soft fluffy Naans or plain steamed rice would be the best accompaniment to this dish. The Paneer Lababdar was a

happy dish, rich, creamy and delicious. Silky cubes of paneer in a tomato gravy with spices and dollops of cream. The Tandoori Roti that we had with the Paneer was soft and wonderfully done. The aromas of the clay tandoor clung onto the roti and were very appetizing. It was perfect to mop up the rich gravy off the plate. The dishes at Legacy are quite rich and traditional. If you are looking for light new age dishes, this is not the place. But if you want to indulge in old world north Indian cuisine of rich curries and gravies with perfectly done Naans and Tandoori Rotis, this is indeed the place to be. The unfettered view from the window and some great Indian food is a happy collision that few restaurants in the city can serve up. Buffet lunch on weekdays is priced at just Rs 399 and at Rs 599 on Sunday. Go enjoy the food and the view. Kashmiri Nath Foodie, owner at XOXO cupcakes, food blogger, recipe developer and expert on Assamese cuisine

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Lifestyle

Cool Couture

Wrap it up!

Pain Is Inevitabl But Suffering Is Optional

Winter Fashion Trend:

Scarves & stoles

o winter wardrobe is complete without a scarf, but it takes a little effort to make it stylish. Seriously? Besides the fact that they make you feel as if you’re still in the comfort of your warm puffy cosy bed, when in fact you’re out in the blizzard cold. And they can always make and never break an outfit - hence their instant ‘I-can-turn-anyoutfit-into-a-stylish-one-ASAP.’ Scarves are the one thing everyone is wearing and resorting to, if not for sartorial reasons hidden behind these fluffy massive winter accessories, then for the need to stay warm. From fashion ignorants to fashion lovers, the SCARF is around each and everyone’s neck. This winter, more than ever, I feel there’s such a back to accessories phase in fashion, that we just gotta make the best of it. And with this particular time in fashion,

when all is IN, it’d be a waste to not splurge on so many scarf styles out there. How to wear scarves? More like is there a secret to wrapping and tying up a great scarf around your neck? I’ve always been a tad jealous of those women who so nonchalantly seem to just wrap a massive scarf around their neck, without ever having to think about it or check themselves in the mirror, but pulling it off big time. I always feel like this simple fashion task is the hardest of them all, hence my love and choice for fur scarves and tube ones. Yes they do look fabulous, but truth is it’s easier to pull a tube scarf over your head and look sophisticated or throw on a fur one, without having to worry about how to wrap these cosy accessories around your neck and have the

same effect. Dear fashion girls, we hope that you will get inspiration how to dress for tomorrow and

Making life interesting

ain is inevitable; suffering is optional; you have heard that before, right? Pain is nothing but an intense sensation. Yet, do not justify or encourage pain. Some people start justifying and encouraging pain, and that is where masochism starts. You need to stay clear of masochism, and that is why I would say if pain comes, it has come due to some karma, that’s it, move on.

The principle of karma is such a healthy thing to save the mind. It’s such a good vaccination for the mind. When you say karma, then you are able to let go and move on, otherwise you brood over whatever has happened in the past,and you try

THE LIFE BAKERY - by Madhur Jain

e all find our lives becoming a little dull sometimes. The days become mundane and we seek

choose the best way to wear scarf. Enjoy!

something more interesting. Nobody wants to look back on their lives and realize how boring it was.

Sonika Ajmera Fashion Blogger

Variety is more than just the spice of life; it expands our experience and makes our lives more fulfilling. Unfortunately, many of us are bound to tight, overwhelming schedules that leave little room for novelty or adventure. The good news is that making your life more interesting is easy if you are willing to make small changes in your life. Here are a few things you could consider to spice up your life: Greet the dawn. Even if you’re not a morning person, plan to watch the sun rise. The city is at its best early in the morning, especially during winters. Unplug. Switch off your phone and other devices for a

to link things with some cause. If you look back, whatever you thought as cause is also an effect, it is not the cause. Every time you fix something as the cause of an effect, you have erred. You have seen that it is not true; it has not stood the test of time. No cause has stood the test of time because every cause is an effect. This is the spiritual way. When you think

day. Give time elsewhere. Or simply enjoy silence. Scribble something. Be a kid again. Let your creativity flow. Take a different route to work. Avoid taking the same route or means of transport for a day. Leave your car behind, cycle to work. Make a conscious effort to change your routine travels once in a while and discover new places and new people. Plan mini road trips during weekends instead of visiting the same restaurant or watching movie every time. We live in a beautiful state, explore what’s around you. Listen to something you haven’t listened to ever. Try hip hop or rap even if you’re a hardcore rock head.

in this direction and go deeper to the ultimate cause, you find

that there is only one thing that is the cause of the entire existence. With this one realization,

your peace can never be taken away by anybody or any incident on the planet; nothing can move you if you know the cause! That is why there is a beautiful verse in Sanskrit,”Tasmai nama parama karana karanaya”, Shiva, you are the cause of all causes, the grand time that is beyond time, otherwise we keep going round in this cycle of karma. Yes, it can be little confusing if you don’t pay very keen attention to what I am saying. One is karma, i.e., cause and effect. Another is going beyond karma; how do you get out of the cycle of karma? Are you getting this? You have to ponder on this once more. This principle of karma is a big blessing for you to let go and move further.

Remember all those pictures you took since you could? What about that old slam book you had in school tucked away? Find those memories and spend some time with them. Be kind. Perform random acts of kindness. Buy a meal for a homeless or maybe pay an extra ten to the rickshaw guy. Light up your home as if it’s Diwali. Invite dear ones and have a fun evening together. Switch hands with your partner for a day. For males, try cooking for a day and ask your wife to rest. For females, try paying off those utility bills. Life is what you make of it. We have just one life so don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy and make it as interesting as possible.

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Reviews Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk Director: Gareth Edwards vie Mo view Re

here has never been a film franchise like Star Wars so it stands to reason there’s never been a film like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It is not, if we’re being honest, a real movie. It is a fan exercise. Its whole purpose is to tread water in a larger, more familiar pool. Most of the moments that crackle are direct touchpoints with something we recognize. The sequences that are Rogue One qua Rogue One are occasionally intriguing, but, predominantly, merely adequate. And unlike in last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there is a clear and recognizable section for dashing out if that extra large Diet Pepsi has gone rogue in your bladder. This is a movie made for fans. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story review – a sleek addition to the fleet Felicity Jones’s fugitive, hunting for the plans to the Death Star, is a tousled-but-game

female lead – just one of many classic Star Wars motifs in Gareth Edwards’ exhilarating spin-off Luckily, I am a fan! As such, there comes a point at which I shrug and stop caring if others are bored. (It’s like bringing a friend who only knows the hits to see a band you love, and they decide this is the show where they’ll bust out their early, complex album cuts. At some point you stop being a tour guide and cheer for yourself.) There are a few stylistic tics to mark this as a “different” entry, like no opening yellow exposition crawl and, for the first time, white text on the screen detailing the name of each new visited planet, but that’s a strange head fake for a movie that greatly succeeds in reproducing the aesthetic of the original 1977 Star Wars. By the final shots of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story I was ready to do cartwheels in the aisle if I

had the physical fitness to accomplish such a task. If you are the type of person who knows who Yak Face is, here are the moments in this newest entry that will bring you joy. There are other familiar faces, some uglier than others. When adult Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and her sidekick Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) start their adventures on the vaguely Middle Eastern-looking planet Jedha (not Jeddah) they bump into Dr Cornelius Evazan (the “you’ll be dead!” guy with the squished-up nose from 1977’s Star Wars) and his Aqualish chum Ponda Baba who will eventually lose an arm to Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Mos Eisley Cantina. They are jerks in this movie, too. Jyn and Cassian are there at the behest of the Rebel Alliance, led in part by Mon Mothma, a character introduced in Episode VI (1983) but also seen in deleted scenes from Episode III (2005).

Kabir (Sharman) picks up the most obvious clues, and thinks he is Sherlock, while delivering neatly written witty dialogues. Sia (Sana) leaves no opportunity to tell that she is good at her job. But it’s hard to believe that she is an intelligent lawyer when her best comeback to work place harassment is “In your dreams” or when she asks the channel’s head if he is watching the live murder streaming across his channels. Ruining two songs, and two live streaming of murders later, Wajah Tum Ho has successfully managed to keep me engaged through its first half. I have a feeling who is the murderer behind the mask. Let’s see if I am right when the second half unfolds.” Wajah Tum Ho has total 4 tracks of songs and all the songs are composed by Mithoon, Abhijit

Vaghani, Meet Bros. Vishal Pandey is the director of this movie. After Hate Story 2 and Hate Story 3 this is the 3rd movie Vishal Pandey is directed. Waja Tum Ho has got some new story which audience can attract. This has got some much intresting story when compared to Hate Story 2 and Hate Story 3. Story was interesting but the screenplay has gone. Some scenes in Waja Tum Ho has got lag on the screen. Chemistry between Sana Khan and Gurmeet Choudhary projected well on the screen by the director Vishal Pandya. ajah Tum Ho is a Crime-Thriller directed by Vishal Pandya. In Bollywood Wajah Tum Ho is the 3rd film directed by Vishal Pandya. Wajah Tum Ho movie is based upon live murder telecast on all the televisions by a hacker.

ALBUM: The Rest is

he Rest Is Scenery is “...high concept, low technique.” Each of its 13 songs are composed of a single minor-guitar chord, from E-minor (the first one he learned to play) on the second fret, on up the neck one at a time -- F-minor, F-sharp minor, G-minor, etc. -- all the way up to Eminor again on the 12th. First impressions suggest that such a record would be a chore to listen to. It’s not by a long shot. For anyone who has spent time listening to Youngs, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most of his wildly creative albums emerge from sparse beginnings: 1999’s Sapphie of-

fered three long songs with his voice and a lone classical guitar; 2001’s Making Paper delivered three more using only a piano, and 2004’s brilliant River Through Howling Sky employed only guitars and pianos. He plays not only acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, but piano and drum machines. He also gets help from family and friends. Son Sorely Youngs sings lead on opener “Where Are You Going to Get Your Luck From?” amid layers of distorted electric guitar (from Madeleine Hynes), comping piano, a one-note bassline, strummed and fingerpicked acoustic guitars, and loops. Longtime mate

PVR Cinemas

Galleria Cinemas

HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 12:30 PM 08:45 PM Wajah Tum Ho 03:00 PM Befikre 05:40 PM

vie Mo view Re

GOLD Cinema ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

u Yo ULD O SH PLAY

Platform: Playstation 4 u Yo ULD O SH play Pete Aves (Jarvis Cocker, High Llamas), with whom he played in his first punk band, adds high lonesome steel to the forlorn, haunted, and skeletal “Obfuscation,” the all-too-brief “Grounded Stars in the Afternoon” (that also features the Vaselines’ Frances McKee on backing vocals), and the shimmering, droning, avant pop of “Fairweather Thoughts.” “For Too Long” has a rigid, pulsing bassline and locked kick drum delivering a rigid minimalist vamp that approaches funk -- but doesn’t quite get there.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 09:15 AM 02:15 PM Gold Mine 10:00 AM haunted house 7d 01.00 PM 04.00 PM Wajah Tum Ho 11:45 AM 05:15 PM Forest Adventure & Aero Bike (7D) 03.00 PM 07.00 PM Zero - The Value Of Life 08:15 PM

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 11:05 AM 06:25 PM Moana 01:50 PM Collateral Beauty 04:10 PM 09:10 PM

Game:The Last Guardian

scenery By: Richard Youngs

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009

Cast: Sharman Joshi, Sana Khan, Gurmeet Choudhary and Rajniesh Duggal Director: Vishal Pandya

uspense thriller, Wajah Tum Ho has released today and our inhouse movie critic Rajat Tripathi is in theatre watching the film. He has watched first half of the film and this is what he has to say about it: “A masked killer live streams murder of a police officer across all channels of a media group. Sharman Joshi plays the cop investigating the matter. Rajniesh Duggal, the media mogul is brought in for questioning and is a suspect. Sana Khan is his company’s legal head. And Gurmeet Chaudhary is the public defender and also Sana’s boyfriend. Some technical gibberish later it is established that the media group’s network was hacked into. Also established is a mysteriousl connection between the murdered officer and Karan (Goa’s casino king).

Anuradha Cineplex

Befikre 11:00 AM 08:30 PM Kahaani 2 11:30 AM Zero - The Value Of Life 02:00 PM Wajah Tum Ho 02:30 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Bahniman 05:30 PM

GOLD Cinema

he game itself is quite simple. A series of platforming puzzles that play out like something from a film festival. So simplistic, so beautiful, so compelling. You play as a boy, with realistic strength and mobility, except the ability to quickly recover from injury. This is a video game after all. But the star of the show is Trico: A giant, feathered, chihuahua-like beast. Your only companion in the game, you start off together in some ancient ruins. Only by cooperating with Trico can the two of you navigate your way onwards towards The Last Guardian’s conclusion.

His behaviors may remind you of your own pet. So many things he does are simply cute! You cannot help but find Trico endearing, and soon feel responsible for his welfare - just as he seemingly does for you. I can’t recall the last time a video game caused such emotions. Thanks to the SHARE function of the PS4, I have several pictures taken during our adventure. Unfortunately, the game’s play-centric camera seldom cooperates for this particular purpose. Perhaps a patch can implement a stop-time / movecamera photo feature, such as on RESOGUN for the PS4.

Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

Befikre 11:00 AM 08:30 PM Kahaani 2 11:30 AM Zero - The Value Of Life 02:00 PM Wajah Tum Ho 02:30 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Bahniman 05:30 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Bahniman 11:00 AM Wajah Tum Ho 02:00 PM 08:00 PM Zero - The Value Of Life 05:00 PM

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Entertainment

New mega-serial ‘Enekoiye Bhagene Xopun’

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

Asha Bordoloi will play the lead in Enekoiye Bhagene Xopun

sha Bordoloi is not only popular for her performances on celluloid but has also earned lot of name and fame in mobile theatre. Each and every character played by her can easily strike a chord with the viewers. This time she has added another chapter to

her cultural journey. A new Assamese mega-serial titled ‘Enekoiye Bhagene Xopun,’ made under her own banner, is being presently telecast on popular Assamese entertainment channel ‘Jonakk.’ The serial, which aired on television on 28th November, has col-

Zubin-Munin’s

satirical laugh-riot

he duo which has always created ripples when came together and had given many superhits to Assamese film industry is back after a hiatus. Six years after the hugely popular film “Ramdhenu”, the prodigal singer and director has joined hands for a new venture named “PRIYAR PRIYO”. The film is produced by Abdul Mannan Faruk under the banner of Azan Films which aims at producing a rom com with some contemporary issues like election being turned into a festival. The story, screenplay and dialogue are written by the director himself. The music to be directed by heartthrob Zubin Garg and lyrics by Diganta Bharati and Zubin

Garg is in the stage of recording. The starcast of the film boasts of actors like Zubin Garg, Pranjal Saikia, Gunjan Bharadwaj, Biki, Aradhana, Sunita koushik, Saurabh Hazarika, Tridip Lahan, Nikumoni Baruah, Manjula Baruah. The film which has Pradip Daimari as cinematographer and Samujjal Kashyap as editor will go on f loor after this Magh Bihu and will be shot at various locations of the state. “Priyar Priyo” is expected to hit the screen by the end of the next year. After completion of this film, another film will be made by director Munin Barua which will have the great combo of “Munin-Zubin-Jatin”. The film is yet to be titled though.

have been penned by Bhaskar Ranjan. The story of ‘Enekoiye Bhagene Xopun’ revolves around the journey of a woman who has faced lots of problems in her life and tries to overcome each and every problem. The lead character has been played by Asha Bordoloi. Other roles have been essayed by Atul Pachani, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Bina Patangia, Maytrayee Goswami, Nabadeep Bora, Papori Saikia, Prasanta Goswami, Rishabh Sharma, Dhruv, Tina Hazarika, Madhusmita Dihingia, Sanku Bormudoi, Kamal

lected good viewership within a short span of time. The serial is directed by Nanan Pachani; the story-script and dialogues

Paran, Atlanta Sharma, Diganta Bora, Gitali Barhoi, Ranjit Bezbarua, Ratul Goswami etc. The title track of the serial has been penned by popular journalist-story-teller-lyricist Rajdweep, musically arranged by popular Assamese music director Dikshu and rendered by Deeplina Deka. Chief assistant director is Alforid. The cinematography has been done by Pradip Daimary, edited by Shyamal Das with support of Bitopan Udit Baruah. Assistant directors are Dipak Bora, Rinku Uday Das and Siddharth. Make-up

is by Majani, background score is by Jitu Das. Production designer is Anima Pachani. The shooting of the serial has been done around some beautiful locations of Guwahati and Palashbari. The producer and lead actress of ‘Enekoiye Bhagene Xopun’, Asha Bordoloi has shared her feelings by saying that, the serial has been made using some new concepts and ideas that will definitely attract the Assamese television audiences. She is also hoping that the viewers will accept her new work and encourage her.

9 7 2 1 4 5 2 8 7

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Citypedia Horoscope of the week

Taurus

Aries You don’t have to be obstinate, rather keep the avenues of communication open to get through your strategy. Stars indicate that there are rewarding times ahead for you. Just exercise patience to get all that you deserve. Students will do exceptionally well in their examinations. Small problems will sop up lots of your time and resources. Instead of wasting your resources find some creative solution to come out of jinxed solutionDo not speculation in the stock market as chances of losses are foreseen.

Cancer

Don’t feel disheartened by the testing and troubles concerning your professional area. Manage your new task with great deal of accuracy to maintain the trust at your workplace. You might also exaggerate your concerns. Students may get disappointed with their grades. Work hard and do not allow lady luck to go far away from you. Do not remain ignorant of the importance events happening around you. You all might splurge both travel and outings to spend the weekend blissfully. This is a lucky time to earn extra money.

Libra Be strong when facing difficulties and do not depend too much on others. If you want to take risks at your work place then you must stay aware of the risks. Your spouse may demand your attention. Family gatherings and celebrations will also take up lots of your time. Money will come in from recently accomplished deals. There could be several mental dilemmas that keep you troubled. Those engaged in service should be extra careful as there are chances of the stress taking a toll on their married life too.

Capricorn

People in job will have a certain sense of dissatisfaction and look for new opportunities elsewhere. Just remain patient as things will improve soon. Curb your desire to spend recklessly or your budget may go haywire. A friend of yours may come forward to seek your help. Friends will be supportive and helpful this week. Your health might require your attention during the first half of the week. Better take care of your diet as well as routine. Talking idealistically, blend your good deeds with personal pleasure that you wish and want.

GUWAHATI

Keep your work focused on precise definite aims and seek your friends support. Act with discretion but without risking or losing the opportunity. Give careful thought before signing any document. You’ll have plenty of good opportunity this week to resolve your personal agenda. Spending will be on higher side. This week will open up some lucrative opportunities with attractive financial possibilities. The loan that was being tried to obtain will get disbursed this week. You need to take care of your health this week as minor ailments will sop up your vital energy and agility.

Demonstrate confidence in your great ideas and let themSudoku exude Puzzle positive impacts on others. This week is good time for making4new contacts as your future will greatly depend on these. Those looking for new opportunities can expect a good chance concerning their career. Your familial demands will keep you occupied throughout the week. Job opportunities, salary increment, promotions are in store this week. Celebrations with your family and friends will bring great enjoyment.

Don’t waste your time over inconsequential matters somewhat look up towards major ones. Little things might distract you like an unexpected expenditure, or forgetfulness in some important matter so be careful with your things and arrangements. Self-employed people could get appreciation for their recent efforts, obtaining significant monetary booty. You are suggested not to give opinions on the subjects that you do not fully recognize. An enjoyable weekend will be spent by you with your loved ones. As far as health is concerned, there might be little physical discomfort.

Leo

Scorpio You’ll be able to get a new position without any major problem or effort. Those in entrepreneurship will find lucrative possibilities to set up short term projects that will move forward their career. Health care issues concerning elders will need attention. You are definitely going to have a good time irrespective of your spending capacity. Just avoid being impulsive; otherwise your professional life might suffer. Co-ventures with your friends can lead to profit. Health may pose some problems during this week.

Easy Sudoku Puzz

Sudoku

Gemini

Virgo

Sagittarius

Sudoku Puzzle 1 Solution

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9 8 2 8 9 3 6 7 5 4 22 56 15 8 9 6 1 7 38 24 4 9 69 42 81 55 3 5 8 1 2 68 7 3 7 23 94 46 1 1 2 3 6 72 9 8 5 7 5 9 4 1 6 8 1 1 4 8 5 3 2 5

Sudoku Puzzle 3 Solution

last week solution

2 1 6 2 4 3 4 9 8 6 6 8 2 8www.printablesudoku99.com 2 3 6 1

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5 9 3 4 8 2 1 6 7

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Sudoku Pu

Every

Week

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You might have an unrewarding professional experience. But a slight push and backing of your colleagues and superiors will help you overcome such situation. This would be very busy and demanding week consuming lot of your energy and resources. Take up only that much work that you would be capable of doing. Repairs or renovation of your house for making it more comfortable is on the anvil…you can start making preparations for it. Friends will re- Complete it Sudoku Puzzle 5 Solution main very helpful and supportive. Take a photo 8 1 4 3 7 2 6 9 5 Aquarius WhatsApp to 8486002320 or Inbox to G Plus on Facebook with Issue date 5 9 2 1 6 4 3 7 8 Pisces answers get selected Your decisions will comprise of logical components. Expect a great Relax and enjoy activities happening around you. Initial days of Entries with correct 6 3 7 8 9 5 4 1 2 deal of personal satisfaction, success and reward. Your enthusiasm week will keep you happy and contented with everything happening One lucky winner wins a Wrist Watch from IO Plus and G Plus 1 6 to5be 9 3 8 at 7 the 2 end 4 of every announced and determination will be the answer to all this. Students will get around you. Good news is on the anvil that will pep up your week. Winner’s name admissions desired colleges or universities abroad. Colleagues and Your family will render cooperation letting you focus on opportunity month. 4 7 8 6 2 1 9 5 3 associates will be helpful. Be prepared for the best and expect the elsewhere. Your financial position will remain satisfactory but will 9 2 3 4 5 7 1 8 6 worst. Do not let too many distractions cloud your mind. Your spouse not match up luxuries that you are eyeing. Review and revise your 3 4 1 2 8 9 5 6 7 or partner may need special attention this week. Do not compete or investment plans to make most of the economic situation. Look after compare with your partner to avoid ego hassles. 2 5 9 7 4 6 8 3 1 your health, taking great care of cleanliness around you. 7 8 6 5 1 3 2 4 9 Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Comissioner of Police: 0361-2540278 Sudoku Puzzle 7 Solution Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 DCP, Traffic: 0361-2731847 6Hatigaon: 9 4 3 Ph-2562383 5 7 1 2 8 DCP, (Central): 94350-49599 2Jalukbari 1 8 6 PS: 4 Ph-2570587 9 7 3 5 DCP, (East): - 94350-83103 RADIO TAXI SERVICES 5Jalukbari 3 7 1 Out 8 2Post: 6 Ph-2570522 9 4 DCP, (West): - 94350-27744 Prime Cabs Jorabat: Ph-2896853 police 4 6 9 8 2 3 5 7 1 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 0361- 2222233 station Azara PS: Ph2840287 8Khanapara: 7 3 5 9 Ph1 2281501 2 4 6 Green Cabs Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 1 2 5 4 7 6 3 8 9 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 0361-7151515 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 My Taxi Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 9 5 1 2 3 8 4 6 7 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 0361-2228888 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 7North 4 2 Guwahati 9 6 5 8PS:1Ph-2690255 3 Cherry Cabs Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 3 8 6 7 1 4 9 5 2 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 8876222288 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627

EMERGENCY NUMBERS 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 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

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

BLOOD BANK

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

AMBULANCE

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) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 92070-44374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444) International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998)

Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344 Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

8811007000

Hospital

TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 IHR-Institute of Human Reproduction 0361-2482619, 098641-03333 Dispur Hospital Reception 97070 20370 82539 99124 361-2235759 (Landline No. / Fax) Hayat Hospital 8011003110 GNRC Hospital 1800-345-0022 (Toll Free) GNRC Ambulance 1800-345-0011 (Toll Free)

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

1800-345-3767

1 5 6 2 3 7 4 8 9

2 7 4 8 9 5 6 3 1

8 3 9 1 4 6 5 2 7

Sudoku Pu

5 9 2 3 1 8 6 4 7

6 4 3 7 2 9 8 5 1

7 8 1 4 6 5 3 2 9

Sudoku Pu

3 4 7 5 1 2 6 8 9

2 6 8 3 9 4 7 1 5

5 1 9 6 8 7 2 4 3

Sudoku Pu

9 6 8 3 1 7 2 5 4

5 4 2 8 9 6 3 1 7

7 3 1 2 5 4 9 8 6

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Events

Days

Dec 17th to Dec 23th

Hip Hop Friday Felix 16 Dec | Friday | 7:00 PM UnderDoggs Sanjay Dutta 17 Dec | Saturday | 7:00 PM Hotel Palacio Contact: 9707666661

(L-R) DJ Sagar Seal, Subhashish Bhattacharjee, Debjit Kar, Neha Dey, Priya Agarwal, Nayan Barman

DJ Shanaya at Club XS!

Ctrl Alt Dance Official Pre party 17 Dec | Saturday | 7:00 PM Terra Mayaa Winter Rock Carnival 16 Dec-20th Dec | 7:00 PM Cafe Hendrix The Northeast India Designer’s Weekend -2016 1 7 - 1 8 D e c | 5 PM o n wa r d s Silpagram GNER - Guwahati City - Half Marathon 1 8 Dec |Sunday | 05:00 AM Khanapara Ground

(L-R) Tenya, Chumchum Momin, Miami Momin and Ashmi Momin spotted

DJ Shanaya from Mumbai strikes a pose!

Ladies Night at NYX

DJ Varun Vohra - the entertainer for the evening

College

Zohan (2nd R) and Max Pradip (extreme right) with their friends

Acoustic Nights with Swadhyay at NYX Palacio

Swadhyay’s accoustic gig with (L-R) Angshuman Hazarika, Manas Adhikari and Gaurav Saikia

Sport for the Elite Kalyan Sahu posing with his trophy after winning the ASC Golf Tournament held at REPTA Guwahati Golf Course, Narengi

G PLUS DEC 17 - DEC 23, 2016

Catching Up

Utparna Boruah