VOL 01 | ISSUE 37 | JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
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KAMAKHYA DEBUTTER BOARD SNUBS SC ORDER PG 04
The Kamakhya Debutter Board situation is sub judice, but each side has a different story to tell about the feud regarding the management of the holy temple.
WAGS PG 17
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Lead Story
WILL CCTNS WORK IN ASSAM? The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) has been set up, but will it work towards an efficient law and order system, which will help in delivering swift justice?
rahul chanda
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he city of Guwahati and entire Assam might witness a landmark change in the working process of the police if the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) start working efficiently as planned by Assam Police. CCTNS evolved as a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Programme (NeGP) which was approved by the Planning Commission at an outlay of `2000 Crores being sanctioned for the scheme in the 11th Five-year plan. But when will people benefit from the scheme? How will it help the general public? Who will gain the most and will it really work in Assam?
The scheme
The CCTNS scheme is expected to cover all 35 states and union territories. Within the states, more than 14000 police stations and more than 6000 higher offices (including district head quarters, range offices, commissionerates and state head quarters) will be covered. The best part is that all the 20,000 plus locations will be interconnected, which means a person based in a police station in Goa can access the status of a case filed in the Chandmari police station in Guwahati. Additional DGP (MPC) AK Jha said, “CCTNS will provide enhanced tools for investigation, crime prevention, law and order maintenance and other functions like traffic management, emergency response etc. The scheme will utilise IT for efficiency and effectiveness of core policing operations, provide information for easier and faster analysis, make the police functioning citizen friendly and transparent.” Jha further added that the scheme will increase efficiency and effectiveness of police force in tracking crime and criminals by providing investigating officers with tools, technology and information to facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals.
Assam and Guwahati
According to AK Jha, who is the nodal officer for CCTNS in the state, the scheme will start working in the state very soon. The Assam Police is testing the scheme at present and even the general public can visit the website online but cannot file complaints now as it is not open for the public to start using the scheme. CCTNS will cover all the police stations in the state and also the higher offices. All these locations will be networked by providing appropriate high-speed connectivity for data transfer and sharing of information amongst various police offices. Across Assam there are 466 planned locations to be covered under the scheme.
ASSAM Total planned sites– 466 Total planned police stations – 312 Total planned higher offices – 154 Till date total operational police stations – 175 Total operational higher offices – 114 Sites requiring VSAT connectivity – 54 Sites not easily feasible – 36 Kamrup (Rural and Metro) Total planned sites – 48 Total planned police stations – 36 Total planned higher offices – 12 Total operational police stations – 35 Total operational higher offices – 12 A police station at Khetri is not yet operational as it falls under the sites, which require VSAT connectivity. The sites are not easily feasible because there are certain police stations which do not have proper buildings and connectivity to these sites will take time as firstly the infrastructure of the sites has to be improvised on. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has entrusted the connectivity part to the BSNL, and according to the police, the speed of connectivity provided by BSNL is a concern as they are working very slowly. The VSAT connectivity is yet to be started and therefore there is a delay in the process of making all the sites operational. The CCTNS software provided by WIPRO (Software Development Agency) is not final. It can be used for testing the scheme but cannot be used permanently, so, the Assam Police is awaiting the final copy of the software which will allow them to open
station to sign, as unless and until people start using digital signatures, the only authentic verification proof is the physical signature, which has to be on hard paper. For the time being it has been decided by the police that after lodging a complaint, the complainant has to go to the police station to sign using the ‘unique id’ provided while filing the complaint online. the service to the general public. But according to the present status, Kamrup looks pretty comfortable with the operational status and can start working as soon they get the final software. How exactly will be the general public gaining by the scheme?
Public gain
If the CCTNS scheme is implemented efficiently, the general public will not have to visit the police station for everything. The citizens will enjoy some services, can get some information and can check some status online. The services which will be helpful to the citizens are:-
CITIZEN SERVICES Complaint register Tenant/PG verification request Character certificate request Event/Performance request Protest/Strike request Procession request Employee verification Domestic help verification C – Form (Foreigner registration)
STATUS SEARCH Search of any service can be searched through unique ID Feedback submission and query for status update CITIZEN INFORMATION (VIEWING REPORTS) Missing person Proclaimed offender Stolen vehicle Recovered vehicle Unidentified dead body Abandoned/Unclaimed/Recovered property Safety tips (senior citizen, women, antitheft, children etc.) Wanted criminals Lost/recovered property Unidentified/found person The citizens will be able to enjoy various services without going to the police stations but there is one problem in the filing of complaints part. After the filing of a complaint or FIR, the applicant has to visit the police
Will the scheme work in Assam
It is to be noted that once the scheme starts, the police stations have to be busy solving the cases and replying to the queries in a speedy manner, as anyone across the country can view the status of any case. Now, the maximum police personnel in the state are in their 40s and are not adequately computer-literate, which will make them delay the process. The younger lot are pretty comfortable with the computer, but they will take time to reach a point where they can take decisions. It is also a fact that if people stop going to the police stations, the corruption will also come down. According to highly placed sources in the police departments, many police personnel in the state want the scheme to fail. It is only possible for the system to be successful if all the SP level officers of all the districts make sure that the police stations efficiently work on the scheme and help it become a game changer for the police. There will not only be less bribery, but the crime rate will come down as well.
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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In The News
2.40 QUINTALS OF TOBACCO SEIZED BY AUTHORITIES Mrinmoyee Hazarika
The Food Safety and Standard of Kamrup Metro have recently carried out raids in various parts of the city to flush out the illegal traders and sellers who have been selling the banned tobacco products.
I
n special drives carried out by the department of Food Safety and Standard, Kamrup Metropolitan district, so far, the officials have seized 2.40 quintals of tobacco leaves (dhopaat) under the Assam Health Act, 2013 from different retail outlets located at different localities of the city. During the drive, the officials managed to seize Tulsi, a product, which contains zarda, worth `10,000.
Drive ongoing After the introduction of the Assam Health Act of 2013, which prohibits manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of Zarda, Guthka, Panmasala etc, containing tobacco and/ or nicotine, the state government has taken initiatives to implement the same across the state. The district administration of Kamrup (M) too has started a special drive at the local outlets of the city and recovered huge amounts of smokeless tobacco products under the Assam Health Act of 2013 which came into force from February 20, 2014 across the state. “We have started a special drive at the retail outlets of the city from this month onwards and taken action against those who have been violating the norms. So far, we have seized 2.40 quintals of tobacco leaves and Tulsi worth `10,000 and we are still continuing with the drive in the city,” Samiran Baruah, Food Safety Officer cum Nodal Officer, Tobacco Control Cell, Kamrup (Metro) told G Plus. The enforcement team, which includes food safety officials and police personnel have been conducting raids at different shops located at Ganeshguri, Fancy bazaar, Noonmati, Narengi, Birubari and Kalapahar. “The shop owners, at whose shops we have found smokeless tobacco stated that they are getting access to the banned tobacco products from the neighbouring states including West Bengal, Kochbehar, Meghalaya and Siliguri. Since the implementation of the Assam Health Act in the state, the production of smokeless tobacco in the state has been stopped, but in the absence of such acts in the neighbouring states, these products are still flowing into Assam,” Baruah said. Baruah also mentioned that a total number of three cases have been registered in Guwahati under the Assam Health Act and one case has been registered in Jorhat and Nalbari each. “One of the practical problems,
which has been faced by the enforcement officials while implementing the Assam Health Act is that the act is active only in Assam, but not in the other neighbouring states of Assam. The entire North eastern region has the highest number of people in terms of consuming tobacco across the country and Mizoram is the highest tobacco consuming state. We cannot ask the neighbouring states to implement the Assam Health Act, but there is a national act called COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act) already put in place across the country,” State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme, Arundhati Deka told G Plus.
Implementing COTPA The authority has already been taking initiatives implementing COTPA and booking people collecting fines under the act. “The COTPA is already in place and during the last fiscal (2013-14) we collected a fine of `42,000 in the Kamrup (M) alone for the offence of smoking in public places which falls under section 4 of COTPA. We have also issued legal notices to those who have violated the norms of COTPA,” Samiran Baruah, Food Safety Officer cum Nodal Officer, Tobacco Control Cell, Kamrup (Metro) told G Plus. He further mentioned that the district administration has selected 11 schools within the city under the school health programme, which will be declared as tobacco free zones. “In 2009, we had started the project of making a few educational institutes tobacco free and have managed to declare 90 educational institutes in Jorhat as tobacco free. Now, we have taken up 11 schools in Guwahati, which will be soon declared as tobacco free zones,” Baruah said.
The Other side
So far, we have seized 2.40 quintals of tobacco leaves and Tulsi worth `10,000 and we are still continuing with the drive in the city “We had a meeting with the state health minister in the month of May this year and he had strictly instructed us to implement Assam Health Act in the state along with COTPA. We have also talked to the police department and asked them to realise fines from anyone violating the norms of the Assam health act,” Arundhati Deka mentioned. She further stated that so far, since the latter half of the year 2012, an amount of `1 lakh 18 thousand in fines had been collected across the state under COTPA. Both Baruah and Deka also mentioned about the near perfect success of eliminating the hoardings, signage and other forms of advertisements in the city under sections 5 of COTPA.
Although the authority’s drive to make the state tobacco free, it has proved to be a hard blow to the poorer sections of the people. Any violation of the provisions of the Assam Health Act would lead to punishment with imprisonment up to seven years and fine between `1 to `5 lakh. A considerable size of small sellers in the city have been selling the banned tobacco products illegally. They have been selling the products secretly in the hope of earn-
ing more money from their small scale businesses, since the act cannot catch up to the big companies which produce tobacco products situated outside the state. “We know the consequences if we get caught selling smokeless tobacco products. But, what can we do? Because, these were the products, which people buy in our shops and in return we get a good amount of money. Therefore, now, we do not sale it to the unknown people for the fear of getting caught by the authorities,” a local trader told G Plus, on the condition of anonymity.
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City
Special The Kamakhya Debutter Board situation is sub judice, but each side has a different story to tell about the feud regarding the management of the holy temple.
KAMAKHYA DEBUTTER BOARD SNUBS SC ORDER
RAHUL CHANDA
G
uwahatians glow with pride about the fact that the city houses one of the famous Shakti Peeths located in the region - a holy place for people across the world. But all is not well within the walls of the temple. The Ambubachi festival sees lakhs of people every year thronging the Kamakhya Temple from across the globe but the long-standing tussle between the Kamakhya Debutter Board and the Kamakhya Bordeuri Samaj for management of the Kamakhya Temple has been long pending, ever since the case went to the Supreme Court in 2011. At present, the board members claim to run the temple quite efficiently, but who exactly should be taking care of the temple, which is not an individual property?
The history At present, there are two parts of the Kamakhya Temple management process – the religious and the administrative. Previously, there was no division between the administrative and religious managements of the temple, but after the formation of the Debutter Board, the administration part at present is taken care by the board members, whereas the religious parts including the puja and other rituals are taken care by the Dolois, who belong to the Bordeuri Samaj. Prior to 1998, when the Debutter Board was formed, since ages, the Kamakhya Temple was taken care of by the Doloi elected every five years by the voters from the Bordeuri Samaj (a cluster of families, which had run the temple for over a hundred years). Comprising of the Buras, the Dekas, the Hotas and the Bidhipathaks, the Bordeuri Samaj had been the traditional caretakers of the temple till the Kamakhya Debutter Board came into power in 1998. This is when the controversy about running the temple started. To know the controversy better, G Plus discussed the matter with the board members, the present Doloi and the district administration.
The court’s ruling was also that the powers of running the temple both religiously and administratively should remain with the Doloi as it used to be there in the past.
The Bordeuris According to the Bordeuris, some sevaites (those involved with seva) formed a committee (Debutter Board) in 1998 illegally and forcefully took over the powers of running the temple and the age-old tradition of electing the Doloi was stopped after 1992. After the formation of the Debutter Board, the Bordeuris approached the local courts and both the District Court and the Gauhati High Court, after hearing the petition, gave the order in favour of the Bordeuris, and in 2011, after the High Court’s verdict, the temple witnessed the election of the dolois after around 19 years.
Kabindra Prasad Sarma emerged as the winner overtaking his closest contestant, Jadunath Sarma, by five votes. Kabindra Prasad became the Bordoloi (head priest) and Jadunath Sarma became the Xorudoloi (assistant priest). Both of them are still running the office but are only taking care of the religious parts of the temple management. The head priest Kabindra Prasad Sarma said, “The Gauhati High Court’s ruling was in our favour and the elections for electing the Doloi took place on November 16th 2011. The court’s ruling was also that the powers of running the temple both religiously and administratively should remain with
the Doloi as it used to be there in the past. But, soon after the elections, the Debutter Board members moved to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s ruling. The Supreme Court then for the time being, till the case is not over allowed the Debutter Board to run the administration part of the temple, and we are expected to take care of the religious part till the case is not over.” He further explained that the Doloi had always been taking care of the temple entirely in the past but after the formation of the Debutter Board, the administration part, including the finance is being looked after by the board. It is not that the
Bordeuris are not competent enough to run the temple efficiently and the running of the temple by the Dolois has been a customary tradition of the temple. Kabindra Prasad lamented, “Being the head priest of the temple, I don’t even have my own room inside the temple and have rented a room outside the temple premises where I, along with some other priests, relax for a while when required.” He further assured that he is fully confident that the Supreme Court’s verdict will be in the favour of the Bordeuris and there is no court, which will give the judgement in their favour, declaring the existence of the Debutter Board
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City as illegal. The board, according to the Bordeuris, was forcefully formed by some sevaites and took over the powers of the Dolois.
The Debutter Board The Debutter Board secretary Naba Kanta Sarma initially did not want to say anything regarding the controversy as the case is still sub judice in the Supreme Court. On further persuasion, Sarma opened up and said that, “There is no case regarding the formation of the Debutter Board or the election of the Doloi and whoever has told you regarding the case should also tell you what the case is all about. Before the formation of the Debutter Board, there was Land Acquisition Act in 1951, based on which, we are seeking for the land demarcation of the temple. On 30th October of 2011, the Gauhati High Court kept aside the main case and ruled that since the Doloi election had not happened in the temple, the Doloi election should take place.” Sarma also alleged that The Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup Metro overpowered the HC ruling and organised the Doloi elections among around 500 voters with the help of 400 policemen. He said that, “The Gauhati High Court had only ordered to organise the election, but the Bordeuris, with the help of the district administration captured the office of the Debutter Board within a night and organised the election. This shows that there is a bonding between the District Administration and the people who wanted the election to happen.” The secretary further added that according to the court’s order, if the peaceful environment of the temple is disrupted, the DC should look into
the matter, but the DC remained silent. Sarma added that after the High Court’s ruling, the board appealed to the Supreme Court and on 11th November 2011, the Supreme Court said that since the election had happened, the Doloi would take care of the religious parts and the Debutter Board would look after the administrative management of the temple. Sarma then accused the district administration of not getting the facts straight and so, are still after them. On 9th February 2012, the District Administration handed over the administration charge to the Debutter Board. “Why did it happen?” questions Sarma. “They took charge with the help of the policemen. Why did they have to relinquish the office to us?” He said, “For around two to three months they ruled the office of the Debutter Board. Before the Board came into existence, there used to be the Kamakhya Temple Trust Board, which was managed by the Dolois. There were two Dolois - Late Ganada
Prasad Sarma and Late Paran Chandra Sarma who had organised a meeting and formed the Debutter Board. We wanted the elections to happen but the opposition moved court and the election process was barred because of the case. We even prepared the voters list, but the chaos happened in 2011. Now it’s been around four years and even the Supreme Court has not been able to come to a conclusion.” Sarma further added that the board just wants to take care of the administration part and as the election of the Dolois take place only within a particular Samaj, they want it to happen in a more democratic manner and all the sevaites of the temple should be involved in the voting process. It is to be noted that since the ancient days, the election of the Dolois happens only among the male members of the Bordeuri Samaj.
The administration The Deputy Commissioner Ka-
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mrup (M) Ashutosh Agnihotri said, “The last elections to elect the Doloi which happened in the year 2011 as per the court’s directives and was accordingly organised.” He said that the Gauhati High Court’s ruling was that a new committee should be formed under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner but later the Debutter Board appealed to the Supreme Court against the ruling. The Supreme Court then ruled that the board should take care of the administration management part, but should submit the details of monthly earnings to the deputy commissioner. Agnihotri said, “The Debbuter Board shows a monthly earning of `72 to `82 lakhs to us and we are maintaining a record. But the SC also ruled that the board, before making any expenditure above the amount of `50000, should take my permission. But till now, the board has never taken any permission from me. They show the expenses, splitting the amounts below `50000, and even if the expenditure is more than `50000,
they do not bother to take my permission. I have already issued 10 to 12 notices to the board members and I am simultaneously informing the court about this. The Debutter Board is not following the Supreme Court’s orders.” On being asked about his personal view on who should get the charge of managing the temple, he said, “The government should. All the major temples in the country like the Tirupati and Vaishnodevi are run by trusts and boards formed by the government.” He further added that the expenses of the temple should at least be made available to the public if not the government by the board and transparency should be maintained in the matter of finance by the Debutter Board. There are different versions and it cannot be ascertained yet as to who is right. But according to the Bordeuris, the Supreme Court trial is being delayed by the board members. The next hearing is expected to happen in the month of June according to sources, but whatever the date may be, the verdict should come out at the earliest for the better functioning of the temple. The finance factor looks fishy since the DC receives a report of `82 lakhs per month but according to temple sources, there is an approximate earning of `1 crore every month. The truth is a mystery, which can only be solved by transparency, but the fact remains that money brings politics even into devotion. The existence of the board also should be justified by the court as it is confusing that how can a committee get the major powers without the will of the temple priests.
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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City
THE PANDU PORT
Shubhojit Roy
Tucked away in a corner of the city, the quaint little port has still not realized its potential due to the lack of industrialisation in the state.
T
he stretch of 891 kilometres between the Bangladesh border to Sadiya in Assam over the mighty Brahmaputra is known as the National Waterway No. 2 (NW-2). The Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC), in the year 2000 handed over the major terminal location of NW-2 at Pandu to the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). G Plus tried to find out the inside story on how the river networking system works and what was the reason for which the Pandu Port was inactive prior to arrival of IWAI.
The route
The river route from Silghat in Tezpur to Pandu port to Kolkata through Bangladesh and Silghat to Pandu to Karimganj through Bangladesh, has been declared as the IndoBangladesh Protocol Route. The trade agreement between the two countries was initiated in the year 2009 where a ratio of 50:50 of cargo sharing by Indian and Bangladeshi vessels is permitted both for transit and inter-country trade. For inter-country trade, four ports of call have been designated in each country namely: Haldia, Kolkata, Pandu and Karimganj in India and Narayanganj, Khulna, Mongla and Sirajganj in Bangladesh.
Port Status
The Pandu port has seen some phenomenal development in the recent years with most part of the port being developed now and the port at present has security personnel round the clock. Speaking of inclusions, the port is equipped with solar street lights and the construction of a broad gauge railway line from the Kamakhya station to the Pandu Port has already been completed. As the Director at IWAI office, Arun Roy says “It is very important to have railway connectivity in the port as India has a very big railway networking system and also cargo transportation becomes easier.”
Assam has very poor industrialisation. Less industries result in less products and poor flow of inward and outward cargo transportation”
Roy further states that there are two fixed jetties available at the port at present. “The low level jetty is for the dry season whereas the high level jetty is for during the flood season,” explains Arun Roy. The port also houses a huge warehouse for stocking of containers from the inland vessels besides a customs office for inspection of the cargos. However, there is no slipway available in the port at present but very next to the port; a slipway construction was undertaken by the State government which was never completed. So, the state government has handed over the land to IWAI on lease for developing the slipway through joint operation between IWAI and the Government of Assam. “Some more infrastructural development will take place in the future but that will depend on need basis,” concludes Mr. Roy.
Prior to IWAI
A Few years back, the Pandu port was open for public and anybody could have entered the port and enjoyed an evening stroll. However, the gates are closed at all times now with no outsiders allowed and the director is very strict about it. He says, “For many years, this port under the CIWTC was defunct and it was in an abandoned state. This allowed the outsiders to come and go, but a port, be it an airport, sea port or a river port, you cannot just simply enter. This port was built for a specific purpose and is now the property of IWAI, and so the outsiders are not allowed inside without proper permission.”
Business is poor!
Even though the Pandu port has been developed a lot , the port still suffers from idleness and lack of activity. The Director’s reply to the situation sheds light on the industrialisation in the state. “Assam has very poor industrialisation. Less industries result in less products and poor flow of inward and outward cargo transportation,” says Arun Roy. He further states, “Though many new industries are coming up, so we can hope that this port may turn into a busy one in the future. Moreover, we are expecting transportation of coal and food grains in the near future. We are trying to initiate discussions with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and hopefully will be having business pretty soon.” On being asked about the cruise service on national waterways and the status of the MV Mahabahu, Mr. Roy replied, “The MV Mahabahu is a private property partially owned by the Tourism department, Gov-
ernment of Assam and a gentleman from New Delhi. The cruiser is in an inactive state at present because the season is over.” Interestingly, MV Mahabahu is the biggest river cruise ship in the country with its sail route along Brahmaputra river being from Guwahati to Nimati Ghaat in Jorhat district. However, MV Mahabahu hasn’t sailed much on NW-2.
Funding
The Pandu port or IWAI for that matter is funded entirely by the government and it is the government that is solely responsible for any infrastructural development of the port. However, shipping is done by the private limited companies. Arun Roy explains, “We are like the NHAI. The NHAI provides fund for developing the roads but the operation is carried out by the private parties. We will never go into operation and we will only provide the transport route to the people of India.” The Government has realised the potential of Costal & Inland Water transportation as a catalyst in the development of the nation and has taken several steps to promote the same but the modal share of inland waterways cargo transportation system still stands at 1% with roads and railways generating 54% and 34% share respectively out of the total. The pipeline holds 4% of the modal share whereas coastal shipping holds 7%. With three national waterways already in place covering 2716 kms and three more national waterways been proposed that shall cover 1858 kms more, the scope for inland transportation is vast.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
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THE LONE WOLF
RAHUL CHANDA
State Drugs Controller
T
here are approximately 20000 medicinal drug dealers across the state and the dealers have to renew their licenses after every five years. Along with that, all chemist shops and dealers also have pharmacists who have licenses and even those licences get renewed after a period of time set by the drug controller. But these dealers across Assam are facing some problems at present that has been plaguing them for some time now. G Plus tries to check out the scenario.
The problem
In The News
There are four main zones across Assam where all the major drug business dealing happens with the government. These are Dibrugarh, Silchar, BTAD and Guwahati. In all the four zones there exists a post of a Deputy Drug Controller created by the Assam government to take care of the drug dealers’ requirements and any other dealings involving drugs. According to records, the Dibrugarh post of the Deputy Drug Ccontroller has been lying vacant since August 2012 and the Silchar post has been
vacant since February 2013. Along with that, the BTAD post was created in 2011 but till date, no one has been appointed and the same post in Guwahati was converted to the Joint Drug Controller in January 2012. Munin Chandra Deka was the Deputy Drug Controller before, but when the post was converted, he became the Joint Drug Controller in 2012. At present Deka is the Drug Controller of Assam and the post of Joint Drug Controller in Guwahati is lying vacant. Similarly, all other posts of Deputy Drug Controller across Assam are also lying vacant. Hence, any drug dealer or pharmacist across the
state, has to come to Guwahati to get any kind of work done. Recently, the Southern Assam Drug Dealers Association had written to the government that the last Deputy Drugs Controller working at Silchar was Late CN Bhattaacharjee who retired from his services on 31st December 2012 and since then the post has been lying vacant. The association informed the government about the communication problems and obstacles which the drug dealers are facing in that zone and requested the government to fill the post as soon as possible so that people do not have to travel to Guwahati for any small work.
Assam Drug Dealers Association General Secretary Bikram Choudhury said, “Our members are facing a lot of problem dealing with the drugs controller office as there is only one Drug Controller based in Guwahati and people from across the state have to visit the city for any small issue.”
The twist
According to highly placed sources in the health department, there are some other people who are senior to Munin Chandra Deka and working as Senior Drug inspectors (AK Nath, Deba Das, Gajanand Talukdar and Harish Deori). However, a Drug In-
spector cannot be promoted to the post of Drug Controller unless he/she becomes Deputy Drugs Controller. The present Drug Controller Munin Chandra Deka’s retirement date is 31st October 2014, and according to a few opinions, he is attempting to extend the tenure. If until his retirement, there is no Deputy Drugs Controller in the state, no one becomes eligible for the post of Drugs Controller, then Deka will easily get an extension to his service. When Deka was asked by G Plus about the scenario, he said, “I am surely retiring on 31st October 2014. We have also started the process of hiring the Deputy Drugs Controller in all the zones.” We will have to wait until the month of October to find out if Deka is serious about retiring on the date fixed for retirement or if he gets an extension. But if we have to believe Deka, the concern remains that all the zones in the state are facing problems which should be solved soon, and the question that arises is how the state Drugs Controller is handling everything single-handedly?
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The Week That Was
City News
Signature campaign to oust illegal Bangladeshis
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n a bid to resolve the national problem of illegal immigrants from the state, the Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) began a signature campaign all over the state from June 9th. The body wants to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister and also wants it to be included in his 100 days programme. The AJYCP targets to collect about 10 lakh signatures of people from different walks of life. The signatures would be part of a memorandum that would be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the demand of taking strong steps for ousting the illegal Bangladeshi im-
migrants in the state. Modi, who had been quite vocal about ousting the illegal Bangladeshis from Indian soil during his election campaigns, ignited a new fervor among various groups who have been voicing their stand over this issue. The AJYCP has for long been demanding for updating the NRC and the sealing of the Indo–Bangla border along Assam’s side while taking steps to remove illegal Bangladeshis from the state. The outfit has often strongly noted that there is no formal agreement on deportation of identified Bangladeshis back to their original country between India and Bangladesh.
Royal Global Driving school School’s abducted only for women student released
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ith the increasing number of cars in the city, the number of women drivers is also increasing. Acknowledging the trend, city entrepreneurs have come up with driving schools exclusively for women. Driving is no longer restricted to the upper classes. The team at Meghna driving school aims to train women from the lower strata of society so that they can become professional cab drivers if they want to. The district transport office has seen a rise in driving license applications from women. “Recently, we have seen a rise in the number of women, both young and elderly, applying for driving licenses. Women are more disciplined in their work, including driving,” said Gautam Das, District Transport Officer (registration and licensing). “It is essential that women know driving. Whether you are a housewife, a single mother or a working woman, being able to drive safely and efficiently can save time,” said Swapnali Patgiri of ‘Swapnali School of Driving’. Patgiri is the first woman in Guwahati to ride a Royal Enfield and also the first to start a driving institute exclusively for women. Providing stiff competition is ‘Meghna Driving Training Institute’, another driving school in the city dedicated to women.
class 9th student of Royal Global School who was abducted from Borbari on 1st June was released by the abductors on 11th June. According to the victim’s parents a ransom had to be paid to the abductors before the release. Police however commented that since they were not aware of the complete situation as they were kept in dark from the victim’s family side. Also, according to the police, NDFB could be responsible behind the abduction of the child.
ISBT witnesses brutal attacks on drivers
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ll Manipuri Night Super Bus Drivers Welfare Association alleges that five of its drivers and a handyman were brutally attacked on 7th June around 8pm by the locals of Datchuchi, Assam inside the Guwahati Inter State Bus Terminus. According to the Secretary L Irabot, the drivers were getting ready to have their meal inside the ISBT campus when all the commotion started. Three locals allegedly urinated a few feet away from them, on asking them to move a little farther away as the drivers were having their meal, the argument broke out. After a gap of 20 minutes the three locals returned with ten others holding iron rods and violently attacked the drivers and the handyman. Surprisingly, the ISBT security personnel remained there as silent viewers. The assault ceased after a time period of 30 minutes after the intervention of personnel from nearby police outpost. Later the injured drivers and handyman were admitted to the nearby primary health centre. The drivers are identified as Chingtham Biren, 50, Leichangbam Balbir, 42, Ningombam Ratan, 25, Thokchom Inao, 42 and handymen Md Yaima, 32. As of now a complaint has been lodged with the concerned police station to prevent any further such incidents with Manipuri drivers in future in the ISBT area.
City police nabs DTO carries out raid against motorists 10 dacoits
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gang of dacoits were caught up while trying to break into the house of one Pranab Sarma in the Ganakpara area at 2am on June 6th. Police arrested 10 members of the gang from the city outskirt which falls under Azara police station. Five of them were in camouflage and three dacoits managed to flee. According to police, a mason contractor, Samejuddin, was behind the dacoity. He is absconding. “Samejuddin helped Sarma build the house and he knew his way around the building. The burglars work under him as masons and construction labourers. The plan to rob Sarma was made five days ago,” said a police official at Azara police station. Police have already detained Samejuddin’s wife for questioning. “She knew about the plan and was a part of the crime,” police added. The arrested burglars hail from the Mankachar area in Dhubri district and all of them have criminal records.
Gauhati University receives global award
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raid was conducted in the city by the team of enforcement officers from the District Transport Office (DTO) on June 10. The raid was headed by District Transport Officer (Enforcement) Munin Das along with the help of the city police. It was targeted against motorists as part of a drive against people who violate the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act. 11 mini city buses and one motorcycle were seized by the authorities during the operation carried out in the city’s GS Road. A total of 80 cases were registered against the offenders and a total amount of `43,600 fine were collected. The Ka-
mrup Metro DTO Enforcement department has been carrying drives occasionally in the city against people who break the rules under the MV Act. People are often found driving without proper licenses or unregistered vehicles. Many people also do not adhere to the rules of wearing a helmet while riding a two wheeler while raising the risks of deadly accidents in the city. Many of the city buses are running in the city which are rather old and are also in a rather bad condition. The bus drivers also often don’t possess licenses and indulge in rash driving which endanger the lives of people on the road.
Less UG seats in city colleges
G
auhati University has been awarded the European Awards for Best Practices 2014 by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) on June 1, 2014 in a gala event at hotel Le Plaza in Brussels, Belgium. It is one of the oldest higher educational institutions in the north eastern region and it is notable that Gauhati University is the only university from India to get this honour. GU Vice Chancellor Dr Mridul Hazarika was present at the convention and award giving ceremony along with 73 participants of 59 countries. He also delivered a speech about the activities and new initiatives taken by the university both in administration and academic in the award ceremony. The European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) is an organization, with head office at Lausanne in Switzerland, dedicated to quality improvement techniques recognition and research. The European Award for Best Practices recognizes the outstanding commitment, support and results in quality management strategies both in large companies, organizations, public administrations, medium and small sized enterprises and organizations.
I
n an independent survey carried out by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), has claimed that there are not enough undergraduate seats in Guwahati. According to the survey, 23,084 students have passed the class 12 state board examination in the city; number of undergraduate seats in colleges are 22,713. The group seeks government to take the necessary steps to meet the serious problem. In a press conference held on June 10th, Ritu Ranjan Das, secretary of SFI’s Assam unit said that nearly 400 students will not get a chance in colleges. Moreover, students from other parts of the state are also seeking admission in city colleges. The government has to take immediate steps to increase the num-
ber of undergraduate seats. The survey conducted by the students’ body revealed that, while 15,677 students have passed class 12 state board examination in the arts stream, there are only 14,737 undergraduate seats for them. Though the number of undergraduate seats in science and commerce are more than the number of students who have passed, SFI said the demand for seats will be more as CBSE students and those from other states are also seeking admission in city colleges. While 4,024 students passed the class 12 exam in science, the number of seats available is 4,156. In commerce, the number of students who passed class 12 this year and number of seats available are 3,383 and 3,820, respectively.
9
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
The Week That Was
City News
Demand of free bus service to GU Suspension order against GMCH junior drunk doctors
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n introduction of free bus services was demanded by the Satra Mukti Sangram for the students and staff of the Gauhati University. The outfit President Bhasco De Saikia noted that an institution like Gauhati University is plagued by several problems which are having direct effects on its students. It noted that most private buses do not ply in the area after dark and this causes great inconvenience to the students and staff who have to go to their homes after completing their day’s chores. It was pointed out that it is mostly unsafe for the women to be walking home in the dark given the dismal law and order situation in the state. It was stated that the state government and the authorities are
in complete oblivion to the risks that women are facing daily due to this. On June 9, SMSS leaders Debabrat Saikia and Subrat Talukdar submitted a memorandum to the University’s Vice Chancellor putting forth their demands. They are as follows – there should be a free bus services within the university premises to cater to the needs of the students and staff, all the various departments of the university should be brought under an economic upliftment policy under a five year plan, the names selected for the new session of post graduate courses should be released, the hostels of the university should be provided with libraries, internet and the other facilities should be standardized as per world class needs.
FIR lodged Youth attempt suicide to against SSB protest jawans
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n FIR was filed by the local residents of the Sonapur’s Jalukbari Village against the SSB jawans, residing in the SSB Transit Camp. According to the locals, the jawans were involved in obscene activities with the local women. There has been an outrage among the locals against the SSB jawans for quite a long time, they mentioned that the jawans were seen many time eve teasing the local women and peeping at them by riverside while taking bath. The Gaonburah, Biren Doloi has signed the FIR in the Sonapur Police Station but surprisingly the case was not registered. The locals have become more aggravated by this attitude of the police. As of now, the people have not given any intimation if they would approach anybody else in authority regarding the matter.
against govt
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contractual multi-purpose worker associated with the state health department tried to commit suicide in front of the directorate of health service on June 12th. He and several other workers were protesting against the government’s recent order of discontinuing their services across the state. Ashraful Alam (38) drank a bottle of chemical. He was then taken to Gauhati Medical College Hospital. His condition is stated to be stable now. He was working in Goalpara district. “More than 380 people were recruited as multi-purpose workers on a contractual basis in Assam under the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme in 2008. But our services were suddenly discontinued in March. Though Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma initially promised to look into the matter, nothing happened. If the government doesn’t do anything within this month, all of us will have to end our lives,” said an agitator.
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hree allegedly drunken junior doctors from the GMC Hospital went berserk on June 9 at the city’ Zoo Road Tiniali locality after they were denied food at a restaurant, as the shop had closed down. Junior doctors Jagadish Singh, Bijoy Kirikar and Aniruddha Duhan were allegedly drunk and arrived at the Jui Hotel at Zoo Road Tiniali at about 11:30 pm on Monday night asking for food, which was denied to them as the restaurant had
closed down. The three men started abusing the staff and began to vandalize the place in response and the workers had no other option but to call in the owner Siddhartha Kalita to calm them down. When Kalita tried to subdue them, the three men beat him badly and tried to escape the spot. The local people however apprehended them and handed them over to the police. Later in the night, the three men were brought to the Mohendra Mohan Choudhury
Hospital for medical tests, where they again got violent and assaulted two photojournalists when they tried to take their photos. They also threw around some bottles of medicines in a state of frenzy before they could be subdued. After that, the police formally arrested them and lodged cases against them. State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has directed the GMC Hospital’s Superintendent to suspend the three junior doctors.
John names Ghy team North East United FC
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ctor John Abraham, co-owner of Guwahati franchise for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL), announced the name of his team as North East United FC. On player selection, Abraham said North East United Football Club will have four foreign players from another coowners club, Shillong Lajong FC, while the rest will be Indian footballers. The team will feature 8 North-East players of the Indian U-19 team including
Assam’s Alan Deuri. Co-owner Larsing Ming said that he is quite satisfied with the infrastructure at the Sarujasai stadium. The actor said ISL has laid down guidelines prohibiting anyone unrelated to the event coming closer to the teams during their practice sessions as well as to dressing rooms. Talking about the FIFA World Cup, Abraham said his favourite team is Brazil, which plays the game in “motion” and termed it as “poetry as motion”.
E-book authored by Lt. Ruleswar Das launched
(L-R) Dr.Rita Choudhury, Chandana Goswami and ADGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, at the launch of The King of Jungle
Road rally against child labour
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n order to create mass awareness against child labour, a road rally was organised by the Office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner Guwahati on June 12th. The rally was held to mark World Child Labour Day and it was flagged off by Ashutosh Agnihotri, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M) from the Nehru Stadium, who called upon the gathering to work towards bringing all children below the age of 14 years to the educational mainstream. He also stressed the need for public support towards education in a concerted manner to get rid of the
menace of child labour from Guwahati city within 2016. Nibedita Hazarika, secretary of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Assam, also spoke on the occasion and emphasised the need for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders and citizens to fight against child exploitation. A pledge against engagement of child labour was administered to all the participants by Dhiren Goswami, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Assam. The rally was a joint venture along Child Line Guwahati, World Vision India and National Child Labour Project Society Kamrup (M).
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he long awaited e-book entitled ‘The King of Jungle’, authored by Late Ruleswar Das, was launched on 10th June 2014, in a ceremony at Hotel Landmark. The event was marked by the presence of personalities like ADGP (Administration), Assam Police, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, noted writer, poet, novelist and Sahitya Akademi recipient Dr. Rita Choudhury, writer and the recipient of 2012 Sahitya Akademi Award Chandana Goswami and Assamese film actor Zerifa Wahid among others. The entire responsibility and commitment for the release of the e-book was shouldered by Mr. Biraj Das, who is the son of Late. Ruleswar Das. The book is a rendered version of the original Assamese
The book cover
printed novel Bon Roja written by author Late Ruleswar Das and first published on 17th October 1999 by Golaghat District Late Ruleswar Das Sahitya Sabha. The original Assamese book is rendered by Plabon Bijoy Bora and the copyright is owned by Assamkart.com. The e-book is available for sale on the website www.assamkart.com at the cost of ₹50 and in $5. Biraj Das, who is an Additional Superintendent of Police, announced that the entire revenue generated from the sale of the e-book would be equally donated to two of the NGO, People’s Friend Foundation and Parash.
10
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
In The News
Food trade licensing & registration process to go online soon Mrinmoyee Hazarika
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btaining a food trade license before opening up a restaurant or any other eating joints\ will now be much easier for the people who are pondering about starting a new venture on their own. The decision by the office of the commissioner of food safety branch, which falls under the department of health and family welfare, to launch a website dedicated to the applicants who want to initiate their own refectory start-up will be a big help for them. “We are going to launch a website through which people can apply for the food trade license and registration online. Currently, the website is under construction and within a timeframe of ten to fifteen days, it will become operational,” Samiran Baruah, Food Safety Officer, Kamrup (Metro) told G Plus. At the initial stage, seven districts – Kamrup (M), Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Silchar and Barpeta have been included in the online food licensing and registra-
tion process. Later on, other districts will be included under the online food trade licensing and registration process. “The website has been constructed with the help of National Institute of Smart Governance, Hyderabad along with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Though, the website will include seven districts of the state initially, the registration and licensing authority has been declared in all the twenty seven districts,” Baruah told. Till the 21st of May this year, the food safety department branch had issued 1100 food trade licenses altogether to the food business operators of the city. A revenue of `51,17,000 has been collected by the department during the same period and another amount of `16 lakhs will be collected from 388 number of pending licenses which will be issued to the operators soon. On the other hand, the food safety department had registered a total number of 187 food business opera-
“We are going to launch a website through which people can apply for the food trade license and registration online” tors till May 21, 2014. An amount of `41,000 has been collected from the registration of food business operators. Altogether 200 such new applications have been registered and an amount of more than 1 lakh would be added to the state exchequer for the same. The department has received an amount of `3 lakh from the renewal of 53 licenses.
The department provides food trade licenses to the food business operators who have an annual turnover of up to `12 lakhs and the operators who have an annual turnover of above `12 lakhs are entitled to get their business registered. Mentioning about the categories of the quality of food as inspected by the food safety brnach, Baruah stated, “We divide the quality of the food under the categories of safe and unsafe food. Safe foods are those, which are consumable for the human body but the quality is standard and
the unsafe foods are those which are consumable for the human body, but harmful to them. So far, more than 35 complaints have been registered in the Kamrup (M) district under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” Baruah added. Lamenting the current workforce at the office of the food safety branch, he also stated that though there are reasonable numbers of filed staff, there is a lack in terms of infrastructure and supporting staff like clerks, which is very important for the smooth functioning of an office.
Government homeopathy colleges yet to start PG courses Mrinmoyee Hazarika
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t a time when the interest of the people are gradually shifting to alternative sources of medicine from the allopathic route of treating diseases, scarcity of teaching staff in the age old ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges of the state has been stalling the process of starting the post graduate (PG) courses in those institutions. Currently, the state has one ayurvedic college in Guwahati and three homeopathy colleges in Nagaon, Jorhat and Guwahati. Apart from the state’s lone government Ayurvedic College located in Guwahati, established in the year 1948, which offers PG courses in three departments, other homeopathy colleges of the state have not started any PG courses yet. “There are various criteria required to start PG courses in the ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges of the state. One of the major reasons for not being able to start these in the government run ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges is shortage of manpower. Frequently changing guidelines of the Central Council of Indian Medicine has made it more difficult to find suitable applicants for the appointment of teachers even at the entry level,” highly placed official sources at the directorate of AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy)
which looks after the ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges of the state, told G Plus. The source also mentioned that the vacancies that arose out of the retirement of the officials had not been filled up, which made it difficult for the smooth functioning of the colleges that fall under the directorate of AYUSH. The directorate, which came into existence in the month of June, 2012 has proposed the government of India through NRHM under the school health programme, to sanction 290 new posts. “We have submitted a proposal to sanction 20 posts of lecturers along with the proposal of NRHM under the school health programme to the Government of India. If those posts are sanctioned, then we will be able to start PG courses in the ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges of the state,” the source at directorate of AYUSH said. Currently, there are 36 number of faculties for teaching in the government ayurvedic college which has a seat capacity of 60 degree and 12 PG students. Other three homeopathy colleges of the state has seat capacities of 25 seats each, whereas, 23 faculties are there in the Swahid Jadav Nath Government Homeopathic Medical College, Guwahati, 14 faculties in Assam Government Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital and 22
faculties are working in Dr. J K Saikia Government Homoeopathic Medical College. “At present, there are separate units of AYUSH in all the government medical college and hospitals of the state and all are functioning well. Besides, the NRHM, under a central government sponsored scheme has taken up the job of constructing 24 AYUSH wings in the 24 civil hospitals of the state and the construction of 18 such wings has been completed. Also, 125 number of OPD clinics of AYUSH will be set up in the primary health centres and other such centres of the state under the same scheme,” the source at directorate of AYUSH
said. The source also mentioned that all the AYUSH medicines have been provided to the patients free of cost at all the AYUSH units situated along with the government medical colleges and hospitals and health centres. The directorate has received a budgetary provision of approximately `1 Crore 30 lac during the last fiscal of 2013-14. “Though, the directorate is understaffed, there are altogether 433 regular posts being sanctioned for AYUSH doctors in different government medical colleges and hospitals. Out of those posts, 358 posts are for ayurvedic and 75 are for homeopathy
doctors,” the source said. Expressing about the benefit of the alternate medicine and treatment for treating diseases, the source further added, “The number of students seeking admission in the ayurvedic and homeopathy colleges of the state is experiencing an ever increasing trend. Similarly, the modern day people are showing interest towards the alternate source of medicine and treatment and here is where the importance of AYUSH comes in. Because, the chances of reaction that can be caused by the alternate medicine are much less than the allopathic medicines.”
11
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Society
AMBUBACHI PREPARATIONS Special
With the mega festival just around the corner, the authorities need to be on their toes to make sure that the mega event goes on well without any hitches.
shubhojit roy
E
very year during the month of June, hundreds of Sadhus from all over the country arrive in Guwahati to celebrate the three-day annual festival of Ambubachi atop the Nilachal Hills. The Ambubachi Mela over time has become a phenomenal festival in this part of the country. The pilgrimage count is seeing an increasing trend every year. But with more and more pilgrims flocking in, the authorities concerned with the smooth running of the festival seem to have an uphill task. G Plus finds out the aspects and prospects of Ambubachi preparations.
Helping hands
Like every year in the past, many governmental and non-government organisations are taking part in the commencement of the festival. The Gauhati Municipal Corporation (GMC) along with the PWD (Public Works Department), Assam Tourism Department, Gauhati Medical College Hospital unit, Public Health Department, Assam Police Department, District Transport Office is involved in the Ambubachi Mela. Besides these, many NGO’s will also be participating in the religious festival.
The fund
According to Naba Kanta Sarma, Secretary at the Kamakhya Debutter Board, it was found out that in the year 2013, a scheme of religious fund was initiated by CM TarunGogoi for Ambubachi Mela, but the amount was not known by the Debutter board. “However, we have kept track of the fund this year and are aware that an amount of `2.40 Crore has been released by the government. The fund has been sanctioned by the tourism department and has been divided to various departments under the district administration,” stated Sarma. He further added, “We have also made it aware that the government department which will be involved in the festival will not be provided the food facilities as the government has already taken care of the expenses of its officials.” Sarma also lambasted the authorities stating that a high percentage of the fund is being laundered in the name of some unnecessary works. “As per my knowledge, the Kamakhya motor road was given a sum of `10 lakh in the name of repairing and tenting, but we have no idea where exactly the
money was utilised?” says Sarma. Meanwhile, the sources at the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) have confirmed the release of the funds to be used for the mela.
Facilities
The tourism department has assured of providing more tent facilities at Maligaon, Kamakhya Railway station and the Old Pandu station. “We are making sure of providing proper water supply, both general and drinking water, sanitation and health care facilities. A cleanliness drive that has been initiated by GMC will make sure of the hygiene aspect,” said the source at ATDC. On asking about the lack of sanitation facilities and not enough
lavatories that was seen last year, the source added, “We had provided 180 latrines last year, but if the devotees don’t use them, then we can’t help it. Our objective is to provide a comfortable stay for the devotees during the festival.” On the other hand, the food will be served from Nahorbari near Tirnath temple which has a capacity of more than 15000 people. However, there was a water shortage for the festival in 2013. “Only 40% of water was supplied last year and there was 60% shortage. We have been promised that the water shortage won’t happen this year. Also we have directed the ASEB to supply unlimited access to electricity during this religious festival,” said Nava Kanta Sarma, Secre-
tary, Kamakhya Debutter Board. Sarma also said that `96 lakh has been spent by the authorities for putting up tents in Old Pandu and Kamakhya railway station and in Sonaram field.
Security
Not less than 100 police personnel, battalion unit staff, NCC cadets and home guards will be available at Kamakhya during Ambubachi. Naba Kanta Sarma stated that the present security guards that are available at Kamakhya are not really security guards, “But they are more like assistants for the devotees. However, we have a very advanced CCTV surveillance with control room at an undisclosed location. We have surveillance cameras from the bottom of the Nilachal hill gate at Kamakhya bus stop to the temple premise,” stated Naba Kanta Sarma.
With approximately 4 lakh devotees visiting the Kamakhya in the year 2013, the head count may go up to 5 lakh this year as told by the Secretary of Debutter Board. There is no doubt that the festival which is going to commence from 22nd of June is going to be absolutely phenomenal. However, the authorities will have to be very active and productive with such a mammoth task up ahead. Though the fire trucks were used for two days in the Kamakhya top to flush out the garbage in the area last year during Ambubachi, it resulted in garbage and mud piles at the bottom of Nilachal hills and nearby areas. So how productive are the authorities going to be in clearing out the garbage from one area and not dumping it in another?
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
12
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Business
CM MEETS WARD COUNCILLORS SHAMBHAVI
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ith Congress facing rout in Guwahati Lok Sabha seat in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has now asked the ward councillors of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to submit ward-specific development projects and look at self generating revenue sources. At a meeting with the Mayor, GMC, Abir Patra and the ward councillors, Gogoi asked the councillors to draw up result-oriented action plans based on the specific problems of their respective wards and to submit the plans to him for necessary steps. “Make a thorough survey of your wards and submit proposals outlining the steps required for tackling the problems.” The Chief Minister emphasised on the need for the corporation to mobilise revenue from its own resources to carry out developmental works. “Do not bank heavily on the Government for funds. The civic body has to generate revenue through various ways to fill up its coffers to undertake developmental activities,” he added. Gogoi asked the ward councillors to make a study of the different schemes of Government of India where funds could be availed for the development of the city’s civic infrastructure. “Our Government will provide matching share to the
DoT TO STRENGTHEN NETWORK IN HILL AREAS
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“Our Government will provide matching share to the centrally sponsored schemes for the city’s overall development.”
centrally sponsored schemes for the city’s overall development.” The Chief Minister said that the staffing pattern as proposed by the GMC was under active consideration of the Government. Gogoi said that he would look into the demand of providing special funds to the ward councillors. The meeting also discussed at length a gamut of issues such as water logging, street lighting, solid waste management, drinking water and garbage disposal.
o combat communication bottleneck, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) Government of India will install close to 7000 mobile towers. The Union minister of state in the ministry of Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju reviewed the law and order situation in Assam in the wake of gruesome killing of Superintendent of police and another police man in Karbi Anglong district of central Assam by militants. The Assam Chief secretary Jitesh Khosla requested the MHA to take up the matter with the DoT for strengthening of the mobile network service in the State, particularly in hill district of Karbi Anglong, in the backdrop of the recent incident. “Mobile network is very weak in areas like Karbi Anglong.” Khosla explained that this hampers operations against extremists in inaccessible and difficult terrains. “Our humble request to the MHA is that it should pursue the matter with the DoT so that mobile towers are installed soon in places like Karbi Anglong. It will be of great help to us”. The Joint Secretary, MHA (in charge of North East), Shambhu Singh assured that MHA would take up the matter with DoT for early installation of mobile towers
Fancy Pistol Pendrive
in far flung places like Karbi Anglong. “DoT is planning to install 7,000 mobile towers in the North East region alone, mostly along the borders. We will soon take up the matter with DoT to strengthen the mobile network services in Karbi Anglong as well as the Dima Hasao districts.” Singh added.
DoNER and NEC under scanner
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he FICCI has sought performance audit of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region or DONER and North Eastern council (NEC). DoNER, which was formed in 2004 by the BJP government to accelerate economic development in the eight states of Northeast India has been criticised by many for being just a fund disbursal ministry. The FICCI’s North East Advisory Council (NEAC) Chairman Ranjit Barthakur said, “DONER’s mandate is to turbo-charge Northeast India and integrate the region with the mainstream India in terms of development. Now the time has come to assess whether DONER and NEC have done enough for the growth of the region and take forward the Look East Policy”.
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Ward Watch
NARENGI TINALI DOWN IN DUMPS Shubhojit Roy
Ward No 24 Sub Division 24A/ 24B/ 24C/ 24D Concentrated Region Narangi, Chandrapur Road Major Issue Roads
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he Narangi Point, one of the busiest locations in the city and transit point for commuters from Chandrapur and beyond has been in an extremely deplorable state for quite some time now. The road has been creating problems for the vehicles, commuters and the businessmen in the area. It was found out that a hole on the road near the Maria’s Public School had become a major obstruction for the vehicles to move, which was temporarily fixed only recently after quite a number of vehicles got stuck. G Plus finds out the issues that is bothering the area and has been neglected.
Road Obstruction
“From the last couple of years, this road has been suffering. However, the vehicles never faced much difficulty except on a few occasions. But recently, the condition of the road near the Maria’s school has only worsened. Many vehicles used to get stuck in the area previously as well but the occurrences have increased,” stated Manoranjan Deka who has been living in the area for the past 10 to 12 years. Deka also mentioned that the road has no drainage system at all, “and as a result of this, the road suffers from water logging.
Street Light
Nandesh Rohang, a young businessman in the locality spoke about the problems of streetlights. He says, “I have heard that the street lights are to be installed soon, but till now no work has been initiated yet.” Rohang further stated that the Narangi
to Chandrapur road was supposed to be extended some years back, “But you know, too many things were supposed to have happened and too many promises have been made. I am hoping that the new government in the Centre can bring about some changes,” added Nandesh.
The man hole
A major excavation project was going on at the Narengi Tinali when G Plus reached the spot. The water pipeline that supplies water to the Army camp at Narengi is being fixed as it has developed some leakages. However, the work which started before election is supposed to be finished by the end of this week. Dilip Chakraborty, a local businessman in the area stated that the work has created lot of problems for the businessman and the vehicles. He states, “The business is down, but forget that part. We have been helping the pedestrians who fall and hurt themselves on the slippery roads. The frequent rains worsen the condition. If you come in the evening, you will see how difficult it is to even cross the road.” Chakraborty added, “They had started the work before elections, but were not consistent throughout. The work was on halt for many days during the elections.” He also mentioned the state of the drains which stays blocked most of the year.
Worker’s testimony
In order to find out the actual report on the work going on at Narengi Tinali, we talked to a worker present
We have been helping the pedestrians who fall and hurt themselves on the slippery roads. The frequent rains worsen the condition. If you come in the evening, you will see how difficult it is to even cross the road”
there. It was confirmed that the pipeline was connected to the army camp but it was not being supervised by any contractor or head in-charge. “The contractor does not have any work here, so he is not available,” said Bishu Barman. He assured that the work will be done by the evening of that very day, i.e. Tuesday. Another project was also going on in the same locality which was undertaken by the GMC. The workers were busy in connecting the flood light pole which was to be installed in the area on Tuesday itself. It is strange that most of the problems of the city are not fixed at one go. New schemes are being implemented, but the schemes that exist are either not properly utilised or are not improvised. The complications of the city have been endured by the people long enough. How long will the people do that!
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Eulogy
KING OF FOLK Khagen Mahanta (1942-2014) Chandan Sarmah
photo: Chandan Sarmah
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ailing from a very humble background and having spent his childhood and prime youth in a suburban backdrop of Assam during the late 50s, the young man opted to choose singing as his profession. Unlike a few of his senior and superior compatriots, he was neither a lyricist and nor did he possess any high academic credentials. The only asset was his immaculate voice complemented by an ardent zeal for music, sensitivity and utmost concern for socio-economic causes. It was in 1960 that the young singer began his sojourn into music and soon, he gained statewide popularity with his immense skill and exceptional approach to music. Besides his increasing popularity as a stage performer, he was selected to represent India in a cultural exchange programme in Nepal in 1965. And thus, the people of Assam became familiar with his name: Khagan Mahanta. From a very early stage of his career as a singer, Khagen Mahanta earned a distinctive stature among the other singers of modern Assamese music for his enviable command over folk music in general and Bihu in particular. His overall approach to the various genres of folk music was altogether different. His prime concern was to spot the roots of the folk music and then to spread it among the masses in his own style and elegance. Moreover, his voice used to carry a new and quite unfamiliar fragrance: a resonance of the essence of native rusticity in a rare melodious form. There is no denying the fact that Khagen Mahanta had mastered the art of rendition of Bihu and other folk songs. But at the same time, he was unquestionably a frontliner in popularising many immortal numbers penned by Sangeetacharyya Lakshmiram Barua, Bishnu Rabha, Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua, Rudra Barua and, of course, Keshav Mahanta. Khagen Mahanta’s voice was observed to be so suitable for the lyrics of these songs that such numbers became musically enriched by his immaculate rendition. The name of eminent lyricist Keshav Mahanta unfurls another dimension of the genius in Khagen Mahanta. This combination has created a rich granary of modern Assamese numbers comprising of songs of class struggle and the elegy of the oppressed class of the society. Moreover, this combination has also presented to the music world of Assam, many evergreen romantic numbers. A self-trained singer with a superior command over melody, rhythm (he himself was a talented khol player and had won first prize in a national competition way back in 1959) and orchestration, Khagen Mahanta has rendered his voice in more than 20 Assamese feature films. He has also
His last public appearance: Khagen Mahanta inaugurating the musical soiree MOR EKETI SURAT BAANHITI BONDHAA’ — a musical tribute to Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua — organised by Asam Sahitya Sabha in association with ‘ASOM KALATIRTHA’ at Rabindra Bhavan on May 26, 2014. The programme was a part of year-long celebration of 150 years of birth anniversary of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua.
Khagen Mahanta had earned an ‘A’ Grade distinction as a singer of All India Radio in 1972 and soon he joined Guwahati station as music director. Finally, he retired in 2001 as the DDG, N-E of All India Radio. The Government of India honoured him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992.
Born - August 17, 1942 Father- Harendranath Mahanta Mother- Lakshmipriya Devi Place- Nagaon Passed HSLC from Nagaon in 1957 Joined in AIR, Guwahati in 1976 Served in Guwahati AIR station and retired as Assistant Director in 2001. Mahanta married Archana Das, noted folk singer and also an actress, in 1973. Conferred with prestigious Sangeet natak academy in 1992 Died on 12th June, 2014 in his own residence at Nigazipam, Guwahati directed music for a number of Assamese films, television serials, teleplays and stage plays. Khagen Mahanta had earned an ‘A’ Grade distinction as a singer of All India Radio in 1972 and soon he joined Guwahati station as music director. Finally, he retired in 2001 as the DDG, N-E of All India Radio. The Government of India honoured him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992. Such a long and illustrious career, spread over five decades, in the world of music ended last Thursday, on June 12th Thursday. Death is an eternal truth. Yet another eternal truth is that with Khagen Mahanta’s death, a deep void has been created. After Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta’s death too has orphaned the music world of Assam.
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Health
Neuro-Psychology in Epilepsy Ms Lovely Choudhury Neuro-Psychologist, GNRC Hospitals Ltd
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europsychological evaluation is an essential part of the comprehensive investigation of patients who are candidates for medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy. The contribution of neuropsychology is unique in providing data about function through evaluation of a patient’s strengths and weaknesses on cognitive tests. Like many other investigations at the neurologists disposal, neuropsychological test results rarely stand alone but are interpreted in relation to both the clinical question being asked, ( be it a diagnostic issue, the lateralization or localization of dysfunction or the planning of an intervention) and the results from other investigations. In patients with epilepsy, neuropsychological assessments are most frequently used to aid diagnosis, evaluate the cognitive side effects of antiepileptic medications and monitor the cognitive decline associated with some epileptic disorders. In conjunction with MRI and other presurgical investigations, neuropsychological scores are also used to assess the suitability of patients for epilepsy and can be used to predict postoperative outcome both in terms of cognitive change and seizure control. In an ideal world, all newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy would undergo a brief neuropsychological screen including a detailed IQ assessment of the patient prior to the onset
Health Tip
Neuropsychological tests traditionally assess function in the cognitive domains of Intelligence, Memory: Verbal and Non-Verbal/ Visual, Language, Attention, Executive function and Visuospatial abilities. A large number of skills comprise each domain.
of treatment. Whilst this may not provide significant additional diagnostic information at the time, it creates a valuable baseline against which future assessments can be measured. Neuropsychological tests traditionally assess function in the cognitive domains of Intelligence, Memory: Verbal and Non-Verbal/ Visual, Language, Attention, Executive function and Visuospatial abilities. A large number of skills comprise each domain. A thorough evaluation of memory is particularly important in the assessment of epileptic patients because the majority of surgical candidates have a temporal lobe focus, and memory is the most salient of temporal lobe functions. Memory tests are most frequently divided into three groups: verbal, visual and behavioral memory tasks. As with other neuropsychological tests, we expect memory test results to provide two kinds of information, one about the site of dysfunction – in this case deficient performance would suggest that one or both temporal lobes are not functioning adequately – and the other about the aspects of memory that are affected. It is well known that bilateral lesions in the medial temporal lobe can result in severe global memory deficits. Therefore, a thorough memory assessment should address each hemisphere with tasks appropriate to its specialization. The fundamental difference between the
two temporal lobes is well known. The left (dominant) temporal lobe mediates memory for verbal material, such as names, word lists, stories or number sequences, and the right temporal lobe mediates memory for material that cannot be verbalized readily, such as faces, places, music or abstract’ designs. The traditional memory tests include the Wechsler Memory Scale. The verbal learning subtests are the logical prose and verbal paired associates, the verbal fluency tests and also the Rey auditory verbal learning tests (RAVLT). The visual reproduction subtests are the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure, Facial emotion recognition tests and also the RMT-Shortened Version (Faces). Behavioral memory tests are generally thought to be more ecologically valid in that they test ‘everyday memory’ skills such as putting a name to a face and remembering appointments or to post a letter. Tests are also available to examine retrieval from long term memory store including autobiographical recall and memory for public events. Most neuropsychological assessments will include a basic screen of expressive and receptive language skills, perceptual abilities and will include some tests designed to be sensitive to frontal lobe disturbance. There are also other tests to assess the language, attention, executive function and visuospatial abilities of the epileptic patients.
The majority of the tests used in the standard neuropsychological assessment remain pencil and paper test battery (all cognitive domains), blocks and assembling of objects, geometric designs to be copied on white sheet of paper and also quality of life, personality and psychosocial issue related questionnaires, scales and semi-structured interviews. Because neuropsychological results show the functional effect of a lesion or of abnormally discharging tissue, they allow evaluation of the impact of an individual’s epilepsy on his/her life and provide a basis for offering guidance. Preoperative neuropsychological measurements also form a solid basis for evaluating the outcome of surgery with respect to cognitive function by comparing pre-to-postoperative performance on the neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological evaluation contributes to the identification of a seizure focus by assessing cognitive function. It often provides the first evidence of dysfunction in cases where a structural lesion cannot be demonstrated. Neuropsychology is an essential part of the pre-and-post operative evaluation in epilepsy surgery. The comprehensive assessment provides data for lateralization and localization and data for predicting cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. The counseling and rehabilitation modules also help to improve the overall satisfaction of the patient.
Lower the quantity of salt consumed. High consumption of salt can lead to health risk including high blood pressure .It is recommended not to intake not more than 5-6 gms of salt every day.
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Food
SANJUKTA DUTTA | FOOD ENTHUSIAST
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
CHICKEN RUN ZERO OIL GRILLED CHICKEN
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mong different varieties of meat, the all-weather and all-occasion chicken has always been a favourite. There is hardly anyone who can resist a well done tandoori leg, a deep fried wing, a baked breast or a roasted whole chicken and the mere mention of chicken settles the mind unless of course, you are a vegetarian. There are all kinds of chicken recipes, but here I have listed two of my favourite ones. Try them out and let me know how you like them.
You will require: 1. Chicken (cut from joints)- 500 gms 2. Curd- 1/2 cup, well beaten 3. Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chilly Powder- 1 teaspoon each 4. Food Colour ( red-orange)- a few drops 5. Salt and Pepper- For seasoning. 6. garlic paste- 1 teaspoon. How to do it?? Very Simple! 1) Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned above.
With a fork, prick the chicken flesh so that the masalas blend well and deep into the meat. Rest it for about 3 hours before it goes to the grill. 2) Prepare the grill rack and pre-heat the oven for about 4 minutes. 3) Now, carefully place the chicken pieces (make sure that each piece is placed in the grill rack and not one over the another) and Grill it for 12 minutes. 4) Now, carefully with the help of a tong, turn the chicken pieces upside down and again grill for another 12 minutes or till done. 5) Plate it, garnish it with onion rings, chillies and serve it with lemon wedges and any sauce/dip of your choice. A brilliant idea for starters in any party or gathering.
BUTTER CHICKEN You will require: 1) 250gms Chicken (preferably the broiler) 2) half cup curd 3) 1 tsp each of coriander,cumin and chilly powder 4) Paste of one large size onion. 5) 2 tsp of Ginger-Garlic paste. 6) Food colour - a few drops 7) Butter- 3 tbsp 8) Salt to taste 9) 3 tomatoes 10) 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 11) 2 tbsp Kasoori methi 12) 3 tbsp Cream How to go about it? 1) Marinate chicken pieces with little salt, coriander, cumin, chilly powder, curd and food colour. Rest it for 2-3 hours at a room temperature.
2) Boil the Tomatoes.. Peel the skin and make a paste using a blender. 3) Roast the marinated chicken pieces in your gas stove using a little oil or you can just grill it in your microwave over. For the gravy: Heat Butter, Add Onion paste , fry till slight pink, add Ginger-Garlic paste. stir.. Add tomato paste and cook . Add salt and half a tsp of Degi Mirch to taste. Add chicken pieces, stir. Add Tomato Puree and cook till done. Add Kasoori Methi (crushed between your palms). Add cream and stir it nicely. Cover it with a lid and let the gravy thicken further. Now, you can transfer it into a serving bowl. Garnish it with some more cream. Your Butter Chicken is ready and you can relish it with naan, paranthas, rotis etc
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Special
TOP 5
World Cup
WAGS With the 2014 World Cup imminent and international squads touching down in Brazil daily for the competition, we take a look as the some of the football stars’ wives and girlfriends (WAGS) who may prove to be a welcome distraction from the on-field action.
Irina Shayk Russian model and regular Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue bikini babe Irena Shayk has been making waves and breaking hearts since her career took flight in 2007. She’s been dating the much-admired Cristiano Ronaldo since 2010.
SHAKIRA Pop star and renowned she-wolf Shakira has been strutting her stuff on the international Englishlanguage stage since 2001. The Colombian songstress whose Latin hips allegedly don’t lie, ensnared the affections of Spanish defender Gerrard Pique during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Pilar Rubio Fernandez Foxy Pilar Rubio is a Spanish TV reporter and presenter and mother of one with her partner Sergio Ramos. Her looks earned her the sexiest woman honour for FHM magazine in 2008 and 2009, while her talents earned her the best television reporter award with Premio Joven in 2007.
Ludivine Sagna Model and all-round beauty Ludivine Sagna is the wife of French right-back Bacary, with whom she has two children. She is considered to be one of Arsenal’s most famous WAGs, mainly because of her looks alone, and is not shy about posing in little more than just a Gunners shirt.
Melissa Satta Italian-American television presenter and personality Melissa Satta is the girlfriend of Kevin-Prince Boateng. She is also regarded as something of a communications expert in addition to her sizzling good-looks.
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Reviews
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
PART 2
Director: Dean DeBlois Cast: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
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Director: Kabir Sadanand Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Mohit Marwah, Kiara Advani, Vijendra Singh
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ntroducing new comers Mohit Marwah (Anil Kapoor’s nephew), Olympic medalist Vijender Singh, Kiara Advani (Sayed Jaffrey’s grand niece) and Slumdog Millionaire actor Arfi Lamba, ‘Fugly’ has been garnering a lot of eyeballs from the audiences ever since its trailer released. Jimmy Shergill comes into the picture. Little do they know what’s in store for them. Their moral values are at test, and their friendship at stake. Whether they manage to rise above all the chaos or give up forms the rest of the plot. We wouldn’t want to reveal much, for you have to watch it to understand it! ‘Fugly’ is some of those rare surprises that look like just another run-of-the-mill story about friends but delivers much more! It may look like another ‘Fukrey’ from the looks of the trailer, but believe us, ‘Fugly’ has a much more meaningful and meaty edge to it. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a stupendous effort towards social stirring. Amidst all the fun, is another layer of thought-provoking substance that strikes real hard. Kudos to KAbir Sadanand to have delivered such a surprisingly good film. It may not be the best film on youth-awakening, but it’s definitely one of the better ones. The depiction of Delhi and Gurgaon is spot on! The film is fast paced, just like a thriller should be and the cinematography compliments it superbly well. Some dialogues are really im-
pactful and thanks to the script writer, a lot of moments stay with you even after you exit the theatre. We can go on about the numerous social issues Sadanand tackles in just 2 hours, but we’d better leave the best part for you to watch for yourself! Talking of performances, it’s great to see four fresh faces on screen. They’re all diverse personalities and yet so much in sync with each other. Mohit Marwah delivers a top-notch performance and Kiara Advani is a revelation. Dear Bollywood, watch out for these two stars! Arfi Lamba lives up to the expectations and Vijender Singh is appropriately cast as a Haryanvi. He provides the much needed comic relief in the film, though there is still a lot of scope for improvement in him. Jimmy Shergill will leave you clutching on to the edge of your seat with his villainous streak. This man only gets better with each film. He deserves an award for this performance, most definitely. Having said all that, it isn’t fair to overlook the flaws. Sana Saeed’s item number looks completely out of place and so do a few scenes in the film. Not that we’re complaining, especially when there are so many things going for this movie! ‘Fugly’ is terrific despite all the flaws. Don’t go by the trailers, there’s a lot more to the film than you can imagine! It has its heart at the right place. The Indian youth just cannot afford to miss this one.
et us laud and lament the once mighty dragon, the king of the sky, and a worthy foe of men. His coat was tougher than steel, his wings wider than hills, and his eyes brighter than all the stars. To slay him was a lifelong laurel, but to be slayed by him was no disgrace. In “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” these fire-breathing majesties devolve into flying puppies. Sure, they’re still covered in bumps and scales, but they’re always ready with a wet tongue and a throaty growl of approval. Like dogs, they’re friendly and, okay, potentially deadly, but most pertinently, they’re profoundly stupid. In the same way a Pomeranian bears the mildest resemblance to a grey wolf, the now-domesticated dragons in this sequel are so far removed from their counterparts in the crowd-pleasing first installment that writer-director Dean DeBlois might as well have made a flying “Lassie” movie. “How to Find Your Dragon 2” frequently finds Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) flying beside his pet dragon Toothless. The nerdy, peg-legged tinkerer, now a few years older, has made himself a winged suit, as well as sundry other thingamajigs hanging off his person. He’s the Tony Stark of the pre-medieval era, complete with a
blond sidekick who’s too good for her gig, in this case the hyper-competent Astrid (America Ferrera). Hiccup’s inventions are interesting, but he remains flighty and slightly dull. His father Stoick’s (Gerard Butler) demands that Hiccup prepare for chiefdom give him a reason to flee his village and attempt to negotiate peace with dragon-hunter Drago (Djimon Hounsou), a mysterious warlord who threatens invasion with his army of flying reptiles. Hiccup and Valka’s early moments comprise the most emotionally rich scenes in the film; even a surprisingly heavy event later on doesn’t touch as deeply as the bond between mother and son. Disappointingly, then, the trudge toward the inevitable showdown between Hiccup and Drago, as well as the confrontation itself, feel merely customary, their only distinction a silly plotline
about brainwashing dragons. Since the sequel shears the wildness off its fire-breathers, it needed to make up for that missing life force with a captivating villain, but Drago is, as Stoick says, just another “man who kills without reason.” Somewhat refreshingly, Hiccup doesn’t just learn the same lesson about being himself that he did in the first film. Rather, the sequel asks him to evolve into a better self, but that message is messily told and ultimately given the short shrift. The true delight is in the details: the sinewy texture of the leather, the worn metal on the armor, the innocent fuzz and slight, shiny scars on battle-tested arms. Since a third chapter is already scheduled for summer 2016, let’s hope DeBlois, who’ll direct once again, shows as much talent with the wide brush as he does with his small one.
MACHLI JAL KI RANI HAI
Director: Debaloy Dey Cast: Bhanu Uday, Swara Bhaskar, Murli Sharma, Reema Debnath
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yesha and Uday Saxena after getting married settle down in Bombay. Uday a mechanical engineer by profession takes up a job in a private company with both of them, living a picture perfect life with their four year old son sunny. One day, while coming back from a party Ayesha rash drives and both of them end up in a major road accident in which another lady who was driving the other car dies, breathing her last breath on Ayeshas’ car’s windsheld.. Uday escapes with minor injury but Ayesha meets with a hair line fracture of her skull. She gets treated for her head injury and slowly recovers, but she is shocked and traumatized thinking that she has killed an innocent person.
NOW SHOWING
When Uday’s boss offers him the job of managing a Jabalpur factory, he accepts the opportunity to give Ayesha a change of atmosphere. On reaching they meet Rajaram their local caretaker cum driver who takes them to the company guest house. Initially ayesha gets busy rearranging their life. One afternoon she feels the presence of someone, even while she is the only person in the house but cannot see it & gradually she hears strange noises in the house. Uday becomes busy with his job and rearranging their life. Ayesha starts to feel the presence of someone in the house that no one else can. Her fears grow and she starts behaving in a bizarre manner.
Machli Jal Ki Rani Hai
Holiday
Fugly
Apsara Cinema
Daily at 2,5 & 8 PM
Daily at 11 AM
Anuradha Cineplex
Daily at 11.15 AM & 5 PM
Daily at 2.15 PM
Fun Cinemas
Daily at 9.15 AM, 2.45, & 8.30 PM
Daily at 12.10 & 8.30 PM
Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)
Daily at 2, 5 & 8 PM
Daily at 11.30 AM, 5.30 & 8.30 PM
Daily at 8.30 PM
Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazar)
Daily at 2, 5 & 8 PM
Daily at 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM
Daily at 8.30 PM
Gold Cinema (Narengi)
Daily at 11 AM, 5 & 8 PM
Daily at 2 PM
Jilmil Jonak (Assamese)
18.11 A Code of secrecy Daily at 9 AM & 8.15 PM
Daily at 11 AM Daily at 2.30 PM
Daily at 11 AM
19
G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Web Watch
SwiftKey, Android’s best-selling Flipkart First offers free next day delivery, priority keyboard app goes free customer care
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wiftKey Keyboard has been the most popular keyboard app on Android since its launch. Now, in a strange, SwiftKey has dropped the price of its app from $3.99 all the way to free. The company says that it will continue making money by selling dozens of premium keyboard themes. Some of these themes will be free as well. Users who have already paid for the app in the past will be offered a special offer of downloading a $4.99 “Premier Pack” of 10 themes for free. SwiftKey Keyboard in an intelligent app that replaces the stock keyboard on your Android device with an intuitive keyboard that learns user’s personal writing style which improves typing. The app also offers innovative typing style like the SwiftKey Flow which lets you type faster by sliding a finger across the keyboard. The app offers contextual predictions and autocorrection in 66 lan-
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lipkart has launched a new subscription service for users. Called the Flipkart First, customers pay up a subscription fee of `500 per year to get free standard delivery, free in a day delivery, same day delivery at discounted price and priority customer service. Flipkart First’s services are available only on purchases from seller WS Retail, as of now. “Certain Flipkart First benefits such as free In-a-Day Guarantee Delivery and discounted Same Day Guarantee Delivery are only available in select pincodes across India. We suggest you
A 370-Inch TV Costs $1.6 Million, and Someone Actually Bought It
guages, including English, Hindi and Hinglish. Most of the latest themes have been created by Scott Weiss, who has already worked on Symbian, Microsoft and Apple softwares. Weiss’s group has created more than 50 themes. SwiftKey is a Londonbased start-up whose mobile keyboard system has been used in Samsung and Blackberry handsets. The app has been installed on over 200 million devices globally. SwiftKey’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Joe Braidwood attributes the price drop as an effort to get into developing markets. He says that the people in such countries are less willing to spend money on an app whose simpler version is already built-in into their phones. Speaking to Fast Company, he goes an extra mile and compares buying an app to buying food. He says, “In the States, someone would say, ‘Do I buy this app or a coffee?’ In India, it’s ‘Do I buy this app or food for a couple days?’” While people who have hard time buying food do not care whether SwiftKey Keyboard is free or not, the app being offered for free is definitely a good news for those who own an Android smartphone whether in India or in the U.S.
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anasonic has lost its crown as the biggest with its 152inch 4K television set. The throne now belongs to UK company Titan Screen which has manufactured a, wait for it, 370inch television set, known as Titan Zeus, Engadget website reported. You could put 16 king single sized beds on the Titan Zeus screen and still have a little space to swing your legs or, as the FIFA
Google partners with Twitter to provide public disaster alerts
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oogle has announced that from now its Public Alerts service will incorporate tweets from disaster-struck locations. If a public disaster alert from sources like the National Weather Service is issued, it will include relevant tweets in Google Now, Search and Maps, as well as on its Public Alerts website. Google says that the aim behind this is to have the public’s tweets help answer questions in emergency situations. The feature is currently being rolled out in English-speaking regions. The internet giant says that it is also working towards adding “new kinds of social content to other products and geographies in the future.”
The announcement came via a Google+ post from the Google Crisis Response team. Google says in the blog post: Starting today [June 3], you can find relevant data from Twitter on a subset of Google Public Alerts. We launched Public Alerts to provide updates from official sources, such as the
National Weather Service, via Google Now, Search, and Google Maps. Now, some of the more extreme Public Alerts will include Tweets to help answer important questions: are schools closing? Are neighbors evacuating? What are people seeing on the front lines of a storm?”
on Flipkart First eligible products only, which are products by seller WS RetaIl as of now,” explains Flipkart on its website.
check with your location’s pincode at www.flipkart.com/faster-delivery. Also, these benefits along with Free Standard Delivery is applicable
World Cup has started in Brazil on Friday, the actual size of a football goal. So far the UK-based Titan Screens has sold only one of these kaiju TVs to a buyer who wants to remain anonymous, according to Engadget. Little wonder: The behemoth costs about $1.6 million, and that doesn’t include the arena-size living room for which you’d need to house the 26 x 16-foot panel.
Faces.im Brings Facebook Chat Heads Notifications to Chrome Facebook messenger for smartphone has a cool chat heads notification system. It puts friends’ heads in bubble over any app when you receive a new Facebook message. And you can start conversation just by tapping on the chat head. This feature is available for Android and iOS both. But you can also get this feature on Google Chrome for Desktop with Faces.im, a Google Chrome extension. Faces.im brings the Chat Heads UI to desktop and allows you to keep track of all Facebook messages while working on other web pages. Faces.im is available in Chrome Web Store. After installation, it adds a blue icon in OMNI bar. When you receive a new Facebook message, you will see cool chat heads at the right side of your screen. You can drag chat heads to other places but it will automatically go to right side of the browser. When you take mouse over the chat heads, you will also see a small red x icon to close the chat head. Hovering the chat heads also lets you read the message. This extension also works with group chats. You will see multiple chat heads of people participating the chat. Download it from here : http://tinyurl. com/qdmnpar Indrajeet Bhuyan is a 16 year old tech blogger and security researcher. He is passionate about computers and believes in sharing knowledge and information . He uses his spare time helping people and companies secure themselves. fb.me/indrajeet.bhuyan
Google search results now tell you when a webpage is not optimised for mobile
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oogle has rolled out a fix for faulty redirects on its mobile search. The internet giant will now warn users when a website displayed in the search results isn’t properly set up to handle requests from smartphones. The search engine will lead you to the mobile site homepage instead of the web page. Users can still click ‘Try anyway’ if you want to reach the homepage. Google says in a blog post that its wants to “spare users the frustration of landing on irrelevant pages and help webmasters fix the faulty redirects.” Google has also provided some tips to help site owners direct audience to the pages they want. The
internet giant says that owners need to check their site from their own phone and see if their site behaves. Google is also sending site owners a message on Webmaster Tools in the ‘Smartphone Crawl Errors’ section, if their web site’s pages are redirecting smartphone users to the homepage.
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Life
Change your attitude and gain some altitude...
Questions & Answers
ritu gupta gritu21@yahoo.com
Question: What to choose between these two things: life in this beautiful world with a Guru like you, or liberation and ultimate union with the Divine? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
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eople treat you the way you secretly ask to be treated. Change your thoughts and you change your destiny. Your unspoken feelings determine how others behave towards you. It is extended to and received by everyone you meet. In other words, your invisible life is your real inner condition. Anyone you feel the need to control so that he or she will treat you as you think you should be treated will always be in control of you and treat you accordingly because anyone from whom you want something, psychologically speaking is always in secret command of you. Whenever we feel negative about a person it’s obvious that deep within, the effects would be negative and that’s how we attract it and the result is that we are treated in the same manner. When we feel good about somebody, then we attract positivity and that’s how we are also treated. Everything that happens has a reason. Meeting people, falling in a tough situation, bereavement, failures - all are a part of our learning process. It is only our approach to how we handle it, that keeps us going. As put beautifully,” When the going gets tough, the tough starts going.” Similarly, our approach
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People And Their Opinions
towards people is all our feeling from within. Everything is in our mind. It’s the mind, which is ruling our body so, if at all we want to see any changes then that should come from our mind. We can control our thoughts by meditation, yoga, deep breathing and exercises. Moreover, a positive approach towards life works as a life saving medicine for the mind. If you think you are happy, your body works happily, but if you feel your world is doomed, then that is how your body will treat you. Everything is in the mind and so, we need alterations there for the body to stay happy. Staying happy is an art which we all can master. Knowing the tricks and working on it will help improve our life. Accepting the fact that we are surrounded by the foes of life and then working on it with positivity will help
us sail across all obstacles. Each time you feel the pressure to give yourself away, silently but solidly refuse to release this pressure. Standing strong like a strong pillar is the key to move against all barriers. Life is a beautiful journey. To enjoy the bliss we even have to accept the many unwanted black clouds. We are often led to act against ourselves by an undetected weakness that goes before us. It sinks us in our personal relationships. Fear has no voice until it tricks you into giving it one. Stay silent. Always remember that in life, you are in command of yourself. “You are essentially who you create yourself to be and all that occurs in your life is the result of your own making.” - Stephen Richards.
My name is Faith
s we talked across a few air kilometres away, he sounded distressed but not defeated, or so I thought. As he narrated and I listened in rapt attention about his fight with life, there was not a grain of doubt that here was a man who has painstakingly gathered bits and pieces of his life together in the hope that it will regain its past normalcy and glory. But he seemed lost and confused. “But trust me. I had been caught in the cross-fire. I was just not aware of the shortcomings of trusting people.” And thus he went on to tell me in details of what had happened when he first started his career as a young ambitious engineer. And I listened without a word of interruption. “You know, I feel everyone is moving away from me. They don’t love me anymore. I am lost without their faith in me.” I didn’t interrupt. After a point of time, when my friend across the distance thought he had said enough and wanted me to speak, I took a pause. I picked up the one word from his monologue; faith. Faith, I told him, is the biggest asset anyone can possess. Faith in the omnipotent and faith in yourself is what can change the entire dimension of your life. It can give a 3600 twist to your life and in the process create magic. A couple of years back, I had randomly picked up ‘The Secret’ from a book-shop at the airport and read it slowly till I was satiated by its contents. I hope to read it again sometime. But the biggest mantra that I learnt after reading the book was to keep the faith. Faith in oneself. Faith that everything will be according to the thoughts and plans. Faith that I will be the happiest person by my deeds and actions. The mind is the most powerful system in the
whole human body and it can create wonders. It can think and make things happen. I read about this person in The Secret who met with the most horrendous mid-air accident as he was flying in his air-plane. He was paralysed from neck down and done up all in plasters. The only thing he could move were his eye-balls while he was bound to survive on a life-support system, which the doctors thought was definitely not going to help in ever getting him on his feet again. Of course, the other thing in his whole body he could exercise was his brain. And he put it to an enormously good use. He just thought. He thought of only the things that he would do after he got back on his feet. His brain sent powerful signals to the rest of the body to improve and recover. When he was able to communicate to a certain extent, the doctor came to understand that the man has this great desire to walk out of the recuperating centre come Christmas, which was exactly in another six months time. The doctor only shook his head. However, as Christmas approached, the man was only too excited as it was time for him to go home. And that is exactly what he did! Even though he limped out of the facility, the doctor and nurses were exuberant and amused to see a strong-willed man walk out into the sunshine with all the faith in his heart on Christmas Day! Faith, belief in oneself and positive thinking can make a man go places that he had only hoped for and dreamt about. So, for example, if you wish to see yourself in a famous and powerful position, just think and make it happen. Ofcourse, you also have to plan towards this goal. If you just day-dream and don’t take actions on your plans, then your dream will remain as
it is; on a vision board inside your head. Work towards them. And to keep in mind that the biggest asset that you have, which you can use as and when you wish to is faith. Faith in yourself! “So, is it possible to just think and make things happen? Will my family love and trust me again?” he asked me, maybe slightly composed and calm after telling me his story and hearing what I had to say about the belief and faith in oneself. But he was also expecting me to give the answers, which I really didn’t have. The answers are always within oneself. However, I signed off with a smile by saying, “Yes, it is possible. And your family is going to love you back sooner than you think. The only thing you got to do is keep believing in yourself that everything’s going to be fine.And you better think good positive thoughts. If perchance the Universe hears you wanting something nasty and negative, be it for yourself or for others, it will actually give it you. So, just be careful what you think.” And don’t forget to listen to the song by Michael Jackson, “Keep the Faith.”
.....So Keep The Faith Don’t Let Nobody Turn You ‘Round You Gotta Know When It’s Good To Go To Get Your Dreams Up Off The Ground Keep The Faith, Baby, Yea Because It’s Just A Matter Of Time Before Your Confidence Will Win Out Believe In Yourself No Matter What It’s Gon’ Take You Can Be A Winner But You Got To Keep The Faith.....
You can have both; this does not have to be a choice. You can have lead a happy life in this beautiful world, and you can get liberation also. Main thing is, don’t be a football of other people’s opinions. Many times, you do things because others want you to do it. No need! Be strong in yourself and see life from a bigger perspective. You don’t know who your real friend is; this is the difficulty. In the world, what has happened, you think someone is your friend and you show off to them, ‘Oh, I got this, and I got that’, and they are jealous. They are not happy about it. If you show that you are good, then they are not happy, and if you show you are not good, then also they don’t care for you. It’s sort of a dilemma that most people face. If you show you are really good in something, they are not happy, they are jealous. And if you don’t prove yourself, they don’t think you are up to the mark, and so they don’t look up to you. So in any situation, it is not worth wasting your time on what those people are thinking about you. Do you get it? Let them think what they want. If they think you are an angel, fine. If they think you are a devil, fine. If they think you are dumb, foolish, or whatever; you should feel, ‘Okay, go ahead and think what you want, I don’t care!’ If you go with this feeling, you will carry some weight. If others think you are a failure, okay, let them think. What big success have they got? People who are successful, look at them, they are not happy at all. They are so miserable. See, not everybody is successful in every field. Some are successful in some aspects. So, never mind, success or failure. You be centered, and be happy. Each one of you should remain as a center of happiness. You should be radiating happiness, and when anyone comes to you, give them love, compassion, and happiness. Then we can bring a big change in the world. I always say, you kids who always doing competitions, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But if you have done art of living, you don’t lose at all. You know why? It is because either you win, or you make others win. When your dad or mom play games with you, what do they do? They could win all the time, but do they win all the time? No, they enjoy making you win, isn’t it? So in the same way, either you win or you make others win. If you are more mature, you make others win also.
A Higher State Of Happiness
Question: In the Bhagavad Gita, it is written that rajoguni people pursue happiness by means of hard work, but the real happiness lies in meditation. Does this mean that I should stop studying, and meditate all the time? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, this is some misinterpretation. Which translation did you read? Not at all. It is not like that. Rajoguni happiness is that which suddenly goes high and suddenly comes down. When someone gets a prize, they jump to the ceiling, and then just fall flat. Satoguni happiness is that of equanimity. If you win, you don’t lose your head and if you lose, you don’t lose your heart. You keep your heart in the right place, your mind in the right place and still be happy. This may be little difficult in the beginning. It is like when you are asked to do some yoga, pranayama and meditation, you think it is so boring. Your mind says, ‘Better go for a party outside somewhere’. So in the beginning it may seem not so good, but once you start doing, your experience changes. It gives you such a high. How many of you have this experience? (Many in the audience raise their hands) Once you do it, you realize, ‘It is so good. I want to do it again and again. It is better than going for a party’. Isn’t it? That happiness which in the beginning appears to be difficult but in the end gives you lot of happiness, is satvik happiness. Rajasik happiness, is one which brings you a lot of joy in the beginning, but later on it brings you disaster. In the beginning it gives you a little high, but later on destroys your body, mind and spirit. Tamasik happiness is one which only promises happiness, but neither in the beginning nor in the end gives any happiness. You are just caught up. Just like smoking. Smoking does not make you blissful, but people who are addicted to it, can’t leave it. And when they leave it, it gives them pain, even though doing it doesn’t give them any great pleasure. This is a habit
tinat ATIFA MASOOD His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
G-Talk
Are the authorities lagging behind in tackling child labour? NIJARA RAJBONGSHI
Nirmalya ghosh
Research Scholar
Program Assistant, NIPCCD
POINT
G
oing by the number of children that are seen distributing tea and the biscuits at the hotels or yelling at people from the running buses, it is for sure that whatever measures are being taken by the government to prevent the problem of child labour, it has still persisted in the society. It is also true that without the help of the people living in the society, the government alone cannot solve any problems. However, being a law enforcement agency, the government should and must take up a proactive role while implementing a law, especially when the issue is related to the child and the welfare of children, because, they are the future of the country and vulnerable to any kind of crime. Every year, the world celebrates a day against child labour. In Assam too, the government celebrates the day. Nevertheless, in reality, we have been encountering child labours every now and then, be it on the streets, at the households, commercial establishments or public places. But, contrary to the government official’s defiance against the presence of child labours in the society or in the city, I have seen in news articles and media reports published that Guwahati has the highest number of child labours. The report was published by a NGO called Centre for Development Initiatives. A few days back, I heard a top official in the child welfare department that they have not seen any child labours on the streets of the city. However, at the same time, the official requested the people to inform Childline, a NGO working for the protection of the child rights whenever they come across any child labours in the city. Now, the point is that if there is no child labour in the city or society according to the government, then how can the public help the government rescue a child from becoming the victim of child labour. Besides, most of the elite households of the city employ children for their household works, which goes unnoticed by the authority. Even if
COUNTERPOINT they come to know about such incidents, most of the time, they just turn their eyes away. Seeing the records of the government, I have a feeling that the nongovernment organisations and other civil society organisations are trying to bring down the problem of child labour in the city more than the government agencies.
It is also true that without the help of the people living in the society, the government alone cannot solve any problems. However, being a law enforcement agency, the government should and must take up a proactive role while implementing a law, especially when the issue is related to the child and the welfare of children
T
he Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 16 occupations and 65 processes that are hazardous to the children’s lives and health. These occupations and processes are listed in the Schedule to the Act. In October 2006, the Government included children work-
If we keep counting, there are enormous numbers of initiatives taken by the government to stop or may be even lower down the cases of child labour in the country, but criticising the government for not doing anything is an age old ritual followed by the general public. Instead of blaming or accusing the authorities, if the people unite and combat against child labour together, the government initiatives may be successful
ing in the domestic sector as well as roadside eateries and motels under the prohibited list of hazardous occupations. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, provides for free and compulsory education to all children aged from 6to 14 years. This legislation also envisages that 25 per cent of the seats in every private school should be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups including differently abled children. If we keep counting, there are enormous numbers of initiatives taken by the government to stop or may be even lower down the cases of child labour in the country, but criticising the government for not doing anything is an age old ritual followed by the general public. Instead of blaming or accusing the authorities, if the people unite and combat against child labour together, the government initiatives may be successful. There are child labours working in shops, houses, factories and many other places till date inspite of the fact that it is totally illegal. There are examples of many educated families exploiting children by making them work in their homes. Last year, there was a case of a politician exploiting a child as a helper in his house in Guwahati. Similarly, everybody visits shops, hotels, dhabas etc. where children are made to work, but hardly anyone raises his/her voice against child labour. I as a social worker sometimes keep asking kids that I meet in various places I visit about their studies. Most of them are working to survive. Once I also asked a Dhaba owner about making a child working in his Dhaba to which he replied that the parents of the child are very poor and the kid earns for food. He said, “If he won’t work here, he will work somewhere else and sometimes even sleep hungry. If the parents are not responsible, no one can help them. I want him to study and even tell him to do so but the parents do not want that.” So, it’s not only government who is lagging behind, it’s the entire society which is not being able to eradicate the problem.
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE ARIES
The clean slate is refreshing, isn’t it? On Monday and Tuesday, the future is indeed bright. You are walking proof that hard work, with or without luck, is the key to success. The hard work that must be done on Wednesday and Thursday is of the ‘getting through frustrating times with a smile on your face’ variety, but you are a pro at this. What’s frustrating may simply be that so much is up in the air; focus instead on relieving someone else’s frustrations and yours will vanish. Friday and Saturday find you in great spirits — and, possibly, hiking boots — and Sunday is relaxing.
TAURUS It’s not like you’ve been rubbing your socks against the carpet, but there’s a lot of static electricity in the air on Monday and Tuesday. Expect your interactions with others to be charged (so, therefore, if someone ends up barking at you, or you at them, chalk it up to the stars). Wednesday and Thursday are best spent arm-in-arm with someone who understands you intuitively, the way a fish understands water; but Friday and Saturday are destined to be fraught with dilemmas no matter what you do, dilemmas of the small but vexing variety. Take all the time you need. Sunday comes as a relief.
GEMINI A caterpillar, given the right resources and a certain amount of time, becomes something unrecognizable. On Monday and Tuesday you’re going to learn a few more things about transformations. The radical change you experience will almost surely be intellectual and/or political, but it will alter everything. Wednesday and Thursday, the change is affecting you in funny, unpredictable ways; but good friends and old standbys dominate Friday and Saturday. Nice that, while some things change, others stay the same. Sunday overwhelms you with new information.
CANCER
TIMEPASS
LIBRA
Money matters are muddled at the week’s start — it’s hard to figure out how much you have, and it’s hard to figure out what you want to spend it on. If you’ve had your heart set on something that you might not be able to afford after all, then it’s time to teach your heart some flexibility. Wednesday and Thursday, money is not much of an issue because it doesn’t cost anything to daydream (which is what you do just about all day long for two days straight). On Friday and Saturday the most pressing challenge involves an authority figure, but Sunday is social and, food-wise, extremely filling.
LEO You have enough self-respect to stand up for yourself in a social situation, and even though some may interpret this as arrogance, the wisest among your friends know better. That said, you’re always better off getting other people to talk rather than listening to your own voice. Patience is a beautiful quality. Wednesday and Thursday, decision-making is not a snap, and decision-making around money is a bad idea period. Your frame of mind is more suited to creative endeavors. Friday through Sunday, be spongelike, ready to receive ideas from everywhere, including from people who rarely speak up.
VIRGO Rubber was invented utterly by accident. Let that be a lesson to you on Monday and Tuesday, when the impulse toward experimentation strikes you. Likewise, on Wednesday and Thursday, you should consider all that you stand to learn from your friends rather than, say, all that you could be teaching them. What do you know for sure? In terms of practical steps toward a goal, not a lot gets done this week until Friday, which is a whirlwind of activity and progress. Saturday is propelled by a sense of purpose in the world, and a philosophical conversation on Sunday is emboldening.
Monday and Tuesday are utopian. Your world is full of people with whom you feel a deep, startling connection. Plus, everything is insanely funny. Some of your friends should be considered national treasures. Wednesday and Thursday, helping other people cope with their stress is a deft way of handling your own. Friday and Saturday are relatively stress free, although they are intense — a one-onone relationship (either business or romantic) dominates. Matters that seem outside of your hands are, in fact, very much in your hands. So no excuses! Sunday is beautiful.
SCORPIO Your domestic life is something of a volcano on Monday and Tuesday, and an eruption seems imminent. But, as you are in no mood to be scalded by projectile lava, you’re willing to negotiate; compromise suddenly seems like a good option. Wednesday and Thursday, if the problem persists, apply your imagination toward solving it. A solution you haven’t thought of, but that would make everyone happy, might be at hand. Friday and Saturday, drop everything to help someone else. If you find yourself lugging a television out of a moving truck, consider it exercise. Sunday is galvanizing.
SAGITTARIUS You receive new ideas on Monday and Tuesday the way the Earth receives light from the sun — fully, warmly, gratefully. New trees of thought are taking root in your brain. No wonder your hair looks funny! Seriously, kick vanity to the curb this week and focus on things that actually matter. Wednesday and Thursday, the second you’ve found your keys you’ve lost your cell phone; your mind is simply elsewhere. Friday and Saturday, games, productivity and men figure strongly. The beach may or may not figure in, depending on your proximity to it. Some details need your attention on Sunday.
CAPRICORN You are aiming for the right goals, but your strategy for accomplishing them needs some work. Think about making a change on Monday and Tuesday — but only a small change. The big picture is right on. Wednesday and Thursday, putting your thoughts in writing not only makes them clear to everyone else; it also makes them clearer to yourself. Friday and Saturday, your family is tugging on your sleeves for attention. To give them the time they deserve, you might have to postpone something else. On Sunday, get away to the woods, the beach, a romantic restaurant — something like that.
AQUARIUS The start of the week is inspiring — as inspiring as the cathedrals were to Monet, or the sunflowers to Van Gogh, or the pigeons in the grass to Gertrude Stein. Everything you see seems to fit your mood, as if the world is a projection of your inner beauty. Others find you attractive and exciting, and may tell you so. Lost in all this on Wednesday and Thursday, you are hardly thinking about, say, money, which might pose a problem. If it does, you still won’t be thinking about it. Friday and Saturday find you in one of your wide-eyed philosophical moods. Sunday is utterly fascinating.
PISCES You have a hard time focusing on Monday and Tuesday, what with all your plans for saving the world on your mind. Why people don’t think harder and better about the things that matter baffles you. On the other hand, you’re easily distracted yourself. Finding a balance is a struggle that won’t go away. Wednesday and Thursday, you’re blessed with more energy than you know what to do with — and lots of time. Self-transformation might ensue. On Friday and Saturday, you believe you’re onto something. But are you, really? Is it just a ruse? Pursue this. Sunday is low-key.
JUST FOR LAUGHs A girl was driving when she saw the flash of a traffic camera. She figured that her picture had been taken for exceeding the limit even though she knew that she was not speeding. Just to be sure, she went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now she began to think that this was quite funny, so she drove even
SUDOKU
slower as she passed the area once more, but the traffic camera again flashed. She tried a fourth and fifth time with the same results and was now laughing as the camera flashed while she rolled past at a snail’s pace. Two weeks later, she got five challans for driving without a seat belt...!!! O Womaniya... Aa ha Womaniya!!!
Solutions (Last Issue)
Fun
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
AYURVEDA CLINIC G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues.
Compiled by Mautapa Dhar Assam Ayurvedic Bhandar Guwahati A T Road, Nr Vishwaratna Hotel Guwahati -781001 Phone No -0361-2545075 Divya YOG Mandir Trust M S Road, Fancy Bazar, Guwahati -781001 Phone No 03612731462 D S Research Centre 1 A, Amrit Enclave, MRD Enclave, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati - 781021 Phone No – 0361-2654144, 2654140 Herbs A T Road, Maligaon Chariali, Guwahati GPO, Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2679013 H N G Clinic Opp Sohum Emporia & Nessa Petrol Pump, Banghagarh, Guwahati - 781005 Phone No -0361-2466699, 99547-47272
Patanjali Arogya Kendras 1st Floor, Sri Ganesh Market, Near Uco Bank, V I P Road, Narangi, Guwahati – 781026 Phone No – 98640-72606, 97074-74932 Patanjali Arogya Kendras Nirog Centre, R G Baruah Road 5th By Lane, R G Baruah Road, Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 94350-45510 Patanjali Arogya Kendras F A Road, Kumarpara, Guwahati – 781008 Phone No – 94350-11021, 94353-45632 Patanjali Arogya Kendras Near Refinery Gate, Noonmati, Guwahati 781020, Phone No – 98643-26551 Patanjali Arogya Kendras Near Refinery Gate, Noonmati, Guwahati 781020, Phone No – 98643-26551
Kerala Ayurveda Clinic Near High Court, East Dighalphukuri, Latashi, Guwahati -781001 Phone No -9954886906
Patanjali Arogya Kendras House No 27, Near Ashomi Path, Mathura Nagar, Dispur, Guwahati – 781006 Phone No – 98640-63886
Kerala Ayurveda 33 Dighalipukhuri East, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati – 781021 Phone No - 9954886986
Patanjali Arogya Kendras House No 2, Bokul Path, Bhagadutta Pur, Beltola, Guwahati – 781028 Phone No – 99575-69061
Nabwab Clinic Nr Meghdoot Cinema, Paltanbazar, Guwahati – 781008, Phone No -0361-2606865
Patanjali Arogya Kendras 1st Floor Shiva Complex, Basisth Chariali, Nutan Bazaar, Basistha, Guwahati - 781029, Phone No – 94351-26900
Nawab Ayurvedic Clinic Adabari, Guwahati, A. T. Road, Guwahati University H O, Ghy-781014 Phone No - 9859931193 Nizami & Sons Lakhtokia, Lakhtokia, Guwahati -781001 Phone No - 03612516279
Patanjali Chikitsalaya House No 192 1st Floor, Cycle Factory Tinali Kalapahar, Gopinathnagar, Guwahati - 781016, Phone No – 94350-12539 Patanjali Arogya Kendras Bharti Stores, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati – 781021 Phone No - +919435549961
Other Herbal Associates D D Shopping Centre, Manipuri Basti, Bharalupar, Guwahati – 781007 Phone No - (0361 ) 2637654
Sashikanta Bezbarua MEM Ayurvedic Inst Mother Teresa Road, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati – 781021, Phone No – 98640-63275
Pareek Ayurvedic Bhawan Bara Bazar Market, Pandu Road, Maligaon, Guwahati -781012 Phone No – 0361-2574433
Shri Bajrang Ayurvedic Bhawan Guwahati M S Rd,Fancybazar, Guwahati GPO, Guwahati -781001 Phone No - 0361-2547789
Patanjali Chikitsalaya191, 1st Floor, Behind MLA Hostel, Hatigaon Road, Ganeshguri, Guwahati – 781006 Phone No - +919864082225 Patanjali Chikitsalaya 2nd Floor G M Tower, M S Rd, Fancy Bazar, Guwahati - 781001 Phone No – 99547-10807, 0361-2731462
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
BLOOD BANK
Patanjali Chikitsalaya Ayush Bhandar, Near Gate No 1, Nag Colony Kamrup Metro, Maligaon, Guwahati - 781011 Phone No – 99575-14769, 0361-2675745
Jeevan Health Clinic S S Road, Lakhtokia, Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2630502
Nabab Ayurvedic Clinic Beltola Road, Guwahati -781028 Phone No -986469335
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Shri Bajarang Ayurved Bhawan M S Road, Fancybazar, Guwahati GPO, Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2608479 Suklas Vesaj Suraksha A K Azad Road, Rehabari, Guwahati - 781008 Phone No - 0361-2229159, 9957821497
Citypedia
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
HOSPITALS Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 9207044374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444)
International Hospital 0361-7135005 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 TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 GNRC Hospital 0361 2227702 GNRC Life First Ambulance 9401194011
24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171
OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118
RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288
Cinema Hall Anuradha Cineplex – 0361-2656968, 99545-44738 Fun Cinema (HUB)- 98648-00100, 98648-00200 Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar) – 98540-66166 Gold Cinema (Salasar) – 0361-2735367, 98540-77177 Gold Cinema (Narengi) – 88110-01898 police station SP, Kamrup District: Ph- 2540278 DGP Control Room: Ph- 2540242 SB Control Room: Ph-2261511 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285
Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627
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G PLUS JUN 14 - JUN 20, 2014
Catching Up
McKayla Maroney WHO’S SHE McKayla Rose Maroney is an American artistic gymnast. She is a vaulting and floor exercise specialist. At the 2011 World Championships, she won gold medals in the team and vault competitions. SO WHAT She was a member of the gold medalwinning U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was the 2012 Olympic vault silver medalist. She defended her World title and won the gold medal on vault at the 2013 World Championships, becoming the first US female gymnast to defend a World Championships vault title. Now what In March, Maroney underwent surgery on her knee. Maroney was featured on the cover of the April issue of Inside Gymnastics. She has expressed her interest to upgrade both of her vaults in the coming year in International Gymnast magazine.
Headlining acts! Indiana doctor allegedly traded drugs for sex
The extinct influenza virus that caused the worst flu pandemic in history has been recreated from fragments of avian flu found in wild ducks in a controversial experiment to show how easy it would be for the deadly flu strain to reemerge today. Scientists said the study involved infecting laboratory ferrets with close copies of the 1918 virus – which was responsible for the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people – to see how easy it can be transmitted in the best animal model of the human disease.
Sepp Blatter WHO’S HE Joseph “Sepp” Blatter is a Swiss football administrator who serves as the eighth and current President of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007 and 2011.
American scientists controversially recreate deadly Spanish Flu virus The extinct influenza virus that caused the worst flu pandemic in history has been recreated from fragments of avian flu found in wild ducks in a controversial experiment to show how easy it would be for the deadly flu strain to reemerge today. Scientists said the study involved infecting laboratory ferrets with close copies of the 1918 virus – which was responsible for the Spanish Flu pandemic that killed an estimated 50 million people – to see how easy it can be transmitted in the best animal model of the human disease.
pick of the week India became a permanent member of the Washington Accord, which would enable global recognition of Indian degrees and increase the mobility of engineers to the USA and other countries for jobs. The accord requires that member nations set up suitable accreditation standards which would ensure a minimum quality of attainment for their engineering graduates. India, which has been a provisional member of Washington Accord since 2007, was working for several years to become a permanent member.
SO WHAT Since 1975, Blatter has been working at FIFA, first as Technical Director (1975–1981), then General Secretary (1981–1998), before his election as FIFA President in 1998. He was re-elected as head of FIFA in 2002, and was re-elected unopposed for another four years on 31 May 2007, even though only 66 of 207 FIFA members nominated him. Now what Sepp Blatter was given an extraordinary mandate to carry on as FIFA president for as long as he wants as he declared he is ready to stand for a fifth term next year. This followed FIFA Congress delegates voting overwhelmingly against age and term limits for existing officials, paving the way for 78-year-old Blatter to lead world football’s ruling body as an octogenarian and beyond.
What did I just hear? In Indonesia, a woman gave birth to a live gecko. The authorities in Indonesia are actually taking this rather seriously even going as far as launching an official investigation into the incident. After some probing, it was suggested that the woman, already a mother of two human children, was suffering from pseudocyesis, or phantom pregnancy, with an empty womb.
Kamur of the week Fake football fans: With the start of the World Cup, the number of fans of the beautiful game has also suddenly increased manifolds. Don’t bother if you suddenly hear your IPL crazy cousin talking about Neymar’s dribble, Suarez’s bite or Pirlo’s midfield mastery. Just ignore and let the wannabes enjoy their moment in the Sun..
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