VOL 01 | ISSUE 40 | JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
`10 ges 24 Pa
EVICTION DRIVE TO CONTINUE With an intent to clear the water channels of the city, the authorities have been conducting a number of eviction drives to ensure that the water logging and flash flood problems of the city are solved.
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Iggy Azalea Catching Up, Pg 24
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COOLING THE CITY AIR Ward Watch @
KRISHNA NAGAR
108 USING PG 03 EXPIRED AMBULANCES EMPLOYEES THREATEN AGITATION
Ward No 12 Page No 14
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G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Lead Story
EVICTION DRIVE TO CONTINUE Mrinmoyee Hazarika
With an intent to clear the water channels of the city, the authorities have been conducting a number of eviction drives to ensure that the water logging and flash flood problems of the city are solved.
A
lthough it took a long awaited spell of rain, which inundated most of the areas of the city last week, the anti-encroachment drive carried out by the authorities instantly after the flash flood havoc, has brought a sign of relief for the citizens. This time and probably for the first time, the authorities is seen to be taking stern action against the illegal settlers on the natural water bodies and so far, in its anti encroachment drive going on along the river Bharalu, Silsako Beel since 30th June, the administration has been able to free a huge amount of government land from encroachment. The drive will also be launched in the Bahini stream, Mora Bharalu stream, Basistha river. In the meantime, some sections of the population have alleged the government of being biased while conducting the anti encroachment drive in the city. Activists like Akhil Gogoi have levelled allegations against the authority that it has not demolished buildings and other establishments owned by influential people. The authorities though, are in constant denial of the allegations and has imposed a ban on the construction activities at ‘Sristi Nagar’ -- a massive upcoming housing project on 750 acres of land including some hill areas along the course of Brahmaputra in the city.
Anti- encroachment drive
In the massive anti-encroachment drive going on for the last five days in different localities of the city, the authorities which include the officials of the District Administration, GMC, GMDA and Police has demolished 53 pucca houses, 176 kaccha houses and 101 boundary walls hindering the natural flow of the Silsako beel. On the other hand, 39 bighas of land have been freed at the same beel. Similarly, 147 no of pucca and kaccha houses and 17 bighas and 10 kathas of land have been cleared from encroachment that happened along the Bharalu. Altogether, 27 numbers of families have been evicted from the lands of the river Bharalu. “The anti-encroachment drive will continue till the natural flow of the water channels of the city are restored. After cleaning both the sides of the rivers and making other water bodies free of encroachment, the water resource department will take up the work of dredging the Bharalu river,” an official of the District Administration mentioned. The district administration has also taken serious note of the grave problem of water logging and flash floods that has occurred during the
Status of anti encroachment drive in Silsako beel
53 No of kaccha houses cleared 176 No of boundary walls evicted 101 Area of land cleared 39 bighas No of pucca houses cleared
Status of anti encroachment drive in Bharalu No of pucca and kaccha houses cleared
147
27 Area of land cleared 17 bighas and 10 kathas
No of families evicted
monsoon. “From the last couple of years, it has come to the notice that various constructions have been going on illegally on the natural water channels of the city which has obstructed the natural flow of water in the rivers and beels located in and around the city. The administration has been conducting routine anti encroachment drives and this time too it has taken prompt action against those illegal settlers on the water bodies, so that the city can be saved from the problem of flash flood,” a GMC official told.
Flash flood and landslide
The local administration has been also seen taking up steps to
combat the disastrous flash floods, which occurred last week in Guwahati and took as many as 11 lives in the city. In order to address the issue of flash flood and landslides, the disaster management branch of the district administration has taken up different measures and the flood prone areas of the city have been divided into ten zones. “Officials of different departments including District Administration, GMC, GMDA, Water Resources, PHE, Forest Department, PWD, APDCL etc have been assigned in each zone formed to attend flash flood related issues in different flood prone areas of the city,” M Angamuthu, DC, in-charge, Kamrup (M) stated. The zones will include areas
like Anil nagar, Nabin nagar, Lachit nagar, Tarun nagar, Rajgarh road, Pub Sarania, Jonali, Lakhimi path, Sundarpur, Zoo-Narengi- Bhaskar nagar, Hatigaon – MLA hostel, Noonmati, Hengerabari, VIP road, Kalakshetra, Panjabari, Athgaon, Bishnupur, Gopinath nagar, Rupnagar. “The officials assigned to look after the flood prone zones will coordinate with the concerned department for discharging logging water, clearing of blockage in the drains, supply of drinking water, distribution of food and relief materials. They will also take post-flood measures like spraying of bleaching powder, phenyl and fogging in different areas. The officials will conduct awareness activities and any other issues related to flood in the city,” the Deputy Com-
missioner (in charge), Kamrup (M) said. The district administration has opened a helpline telephone no 2733052 for the citizens to lodge any grievances regarding flood and landslide. “Apart from the team to address the issue of flash flood, the disaster management department has identified 366 numbers of landslide prone areas in 19 hillocks of the city and engaged 10 non government organisations to create awareness. The administration has also held a meeting with the GMC councillors to expedite development works in different localities of the city,” office of the district administration said.
mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
G-View
108 USING EXPIRED AMBULANCES EMPLOYEES THREATEN AGITATION
According to the employees of the service, there are several ambulances, which have crossed the expiry dates and most of them do not even have the basic requirements like a BP machine. Mrinmoyee Hazarika
This has left only 150 ambulances operational or ready to serve the patients throughout the state. There are around 1800 employees working in 108. The association has expressed its concern over the poor state of working force in 108. “At the time of launching 108, the state health minister had said that there would be six EMTs (emergency medical technician) in an ambulance and they will be on duty for eight hours a day. However, disregarding the health minister’s announcement, GVK EMRI has employed only four EMTs in an ambulance. As a result, the employees have to work extra hours without getting any dues for their overtime and the ambulances are available for the patients for 12 hour a day instead of the 24 hour a day,” Pranjal Jyoti Saikia stated. The association has made it clear that if the GVK EMRI officials do not take any step before the deadline of 20 th July, as set by the association, they (association) would start taking their own decisions and divide six employees in each of the ambulances as announced by the health minister. Protesting the authority’s choice of sending employees from Assam
T
he much hyped free ambulance service, popularly known as ‘108 mrityunjoy’ that was started in the state in the year 2008, has been reeling under a variety of issues and slowly proceeding towards its deathbed. Alleging misconduct on part of the officials of GVK EMRI, the nonprofit organisation, which is responsible for operating the service in the state, the employees of the organisation have blamed their employer for ignoring the plight of the employees as well as the proper functioning of the emergency ambulance service in the state. They are also threatening to take the path of agitation if no action is taken to improve the current situation going on in 108 before the 20 th July of 2014. “If the officials of GVK EMRI do not take action to improve the ambulance service as well as listen to our demands before 20 th July, 2014, we will go on strike. We will take decisions on our own, if the authority does not pay heed to our demand,” Suren Deka, General Secretary, All Assam 108 Mrityunjoy Employees Association said. He also said, “When the 108 service was first introduced in Assam six years back, it was stated that the
The ambulances do not even have a BP machine or a suction machine. If anyone vomits inside the ambulance, there is no way of cleaning up the vehicle and the employees on duty have to work under such infected environment. The irony is that instead of fixing these prolonged problems, the authorities of 108 have installed GPS based AVLT facilities in the vehicles spending huge amounts of money.
lifespan of an ambulance is only 3.5 years. But, GVK EMRI has still been operating those expired ambulances for the last two and half years even after they have crossed their lifespan of 3.5 years. Though, some new ambulances have been added recently, the old ones are still in operation.” Highlighting the poor level of service being provided by GVK EMRI, Pranjal Jyoti Saikia, President of the association said, “Most of ambulances do not even have the minimum facilities to treat the patients inside the vehicle. The ambulances do not even have a BP machine or a suction machine. If anyone vomits inside the ambulance, there is no way of cleaning up the vehicle and the employees on duty have to work under such infected environment. The irony is that instead of fixing these prolonged problems, the authorities of 108 have installed GPS based AVLT facilities in the vehicles spending huge amounts of money.” At present, according to the association there are 380 ambulances under the 108 Mrityunjoy service across the state, out of which 180 have crossed their expiry dates. Out of the remaining 200 ambulances, around 50 have been put in the garage for repairing purposes.
to Hyderabad, where GVK EMRI’s head office is located, for training, Saikia added, “The state of Assam is full of highly qualified medical practitioners and doctors. Yet, GVK EMRI is sending employees from Assam to Hyderabad for the purpose of training instead of doing it in here. We have come to know that the GVK EMRI has been getting huge amounts of money in the name of travelling expenses and training. We doubt that in order to launder that money they send the employees from Assam to Hyderabad in the name of training and we oppose the practice” Besides, the 108 employees association has also alleged that their pay structure has not been revised by the GVK EMRI. Mentioning the 108 employee’s stand that it has been informing their employers about the problems prevailing in the organisation many times, the president of the association said, “We have been informing our employer about the problems faced by us and have done it many times. Nevertheless, they are not paying any attention to it. We have decided not to run the expired ambulances after 20th July, 2014.”
mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
City
Ghy homeless shun
shubhojit roy
night shelters
As per a report, the number of homeless people in Guwahati has decreased, but the most of the homeless are destitute.
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ith Guwahati fast coming up and infrastructural development being quite evident, the city is taking a new shape that is hopefully positive. But are the developments beneficial in any way to those who are homeless? Is the city sympathetic enough to those who have no shelter above their heads? Will the situation ever improve for the most ignored community of our society? These are some of the unanswered questions that G Plus seeks out.
The Situation
As the city develops, a large number of under privileged population from small towns and villages continue to head out to Guwahati city. Some manage to get better jobs, some settle down in a slum and some stays homeless. According to a head count survey conducted by sSTEP (Society for Social Transformation and Environment Protection) recently, 137 homeless people were found to be residing in the city. However, Sattar Choudhury, Founder Member & Ur-
ban Coordinator, sSTEP says, “These 137 people were found out through direct interaction and headcount. Our assumption is that there are 500 to 600 homeless people residing in the city at the moment. The number has though reduced from around 1000 but still the situation remains a major concern.” Sattar further adds, “The problem in Guwahati is that the homeless in the city are extremely destitute, however in other metropolitan cities, the large number of homeless are also laborers and belong to the working section of the society. It is extremely difficult to place people who are absolute destitutes. Many are in handicapped condition as well.” In another report obtained from State Child protection Society (SCPS), it was found out that there were 382 children in Children’s home registered under Juvenile Justice Act till 31st March 2014. Though all of them might not be homeless, but due to various other vulnerable condition, they are sheltered in Children’s home. The concentration of the homeless is seen majorly in Sukreshwar, Paltan
Bazar, Panbazar, Fancy Bazar and some other areas.
Night Shelters
Kamrup (M) presently has 4 active night shelters out of its initial 8 night shelters that were initiated in the year 2012. Golaghat Nirman Mahila Got, Eastern People’s Community Participation, Indian Council for Child Welfare and North East Voluntay Association for Rural Development are the four active night shelter at present. The shelters are open from 8 pm to 8 am for the homeless. Though these night shelters have very minimum facilities, it was found out that the homeless people of the city prefer living in the open. “Most of the people prefer streets over the night shelters. The reason is that the night shelters are located far away from the commercial locations of the city, which makes it difficult for the destitute ones to travel to and fro the shelter homes. A bus named as Ashraya will soon be launched in the city that will transport the homeless people from the shelter homes to business
centre and vice versa,” informs Sattar.
Livelihood Support
There are a few NGOs in the city who have been trying to provide livelihood support for the homeless people in the city. Livelihood through pan shops and weighing machines are some of the facilities provided to the destitute persons. “Many others work as labours, house maids and some also at cremation grounds to aid the dead bodies,” says Sattar Choudhury.
The syndicate doubt
“There is a high possibility that there might be a syndicate which runs the beggar association in the city, especially for the disabled and homeless. It is evident that those beggars who do not have any limbs and cannot move from one place to another are usually seen outside pandals during festivities. I sometimes doubt that are there amputating doctors too in the city, but I couldn’t get any confirmation yet on such activities. If such a thing exist, then it is huge and is also a major concern,” says a highly placed
source in one of the city NGO. While speaking to one Mr. Rubul, who runs a night shelter in Dibrugarh, it was found out that Dibrugarh town does have such syndicates. “We came across some boys in the past who informed that ‘the dadas see us from distance while we are begging and later on, collect the money.’ We have had discussions with the police on it, we also tried to investigate as an NGO, but we are also scared as the areas are mostly marked as dangerous. There are a no second thoughts that Guwahati too might have such beggar associations being such a big city,” says Rubul. It is very hard to say if the condition of the homeless community will ever improve or not and if it does, to what extent. Even though the authorities say that the head count has decreased in the recent years, but the cloud of cynicism persists as the rich are only getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
5
G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
City
LIFE PHARMACY COMPLETES 30 YEARS Shubhojit roy
B
eing one of the most prominent landmarks in the city of Guwahati, the Life pharmacy is completing 30 years of existence this year. It was started in the year 1984-85 by Arun Pathak, when the city used to be a hub of various activities and issues. The pharmacy was started with an area of 250 sq ft and presently, it covers an area of 800 sq ft at the same location. The New Life is considered to be one of the best pharmacies in the city as it is known for its stock of branded medicines. Since the start, the pharmacy
has been dealing only with branded medicines and do not keep any generic drugs. According to the pharmacy owners, the quality of branded medicines is always better than the generic ones. If someone has to take a medicine for cold, Sumo can be taken and three capsules can complete the doze. Sumo is branded and if for the same reason, Zumo tablets (generic medicine) is taken, five tablets will be required. The pharmacy has more than 50000 brands in the shop and patients from entire northeast throng the shop
for life saving medicines. The pharmacy owner Abhinav Pathak said, “We are the only retail outlet in Guwahati which has more than 50000 products. We are growing as time is passing by. We distribute medicines to entire northeast and recently we have sent medicine to London when there was a requirement from a patient based there from Guwahati.� From Bharalu to 6th mile, patients of almost all the hospitals like Pratiksha, International, Ayursundra, GMCH, GNRC, Dispur etc. have to visit the shop to get the medicines as prescribed by the doc-
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tors. According to the owners, 90% prescriptions are not turned away by the pharmacy. The chemist shop registers more than 10000 footfalls every month and it sells medicines worth `25 to 30 lakhs every month. With change as the mantra, The Life changes its look after every 6 to 7 years. The pharmacy has also opened up a new branch at 6th mile and expects to open a new branch every two years across the city. It is the only pharmacy, which provides free home delivery service across the city. As a fridge is very important for
pharmacies to maintain the temperature for some medicines, the Life pharmacy maintains the temperature of the entire shop. It is centrally air conditioned and the temperature of the pharmacy remains between 20 to 22 degrees. The shop also organises various free health camps in the city to sensitise the city people about various health hazards. It mostly conducts free diabetic camps and also gives free health tips time to time.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
6
G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Politicking
SUSHMA-BANGLA TALKS IRKS STAKEHOLDERS
The recent visit to Bangladesh by the Indian External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, has ruffled feathers all across and the state BJP members visited the capital to quell the storm RAhul chanda
I
llegal migration is a major issue, which the state has been combating since ages and with BJP making tall claims about resolving the issue after coming to power, the party is under the scanner with every decision made by them being viewed with watchful eyes. Describing illegal immigration from Bangladesh as a “sensitive issue”, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has underlined the need for consultations with all stakeholders to carefully handle the problem along India’s nearly 4,000km porous border with its eastern neighbour. The new Indian government wants to take Indo-Bangladesh relations to a new high, Swaraj said in an interview during her first stand-alone visit as foreign minister, “We not only want to maintain the relationship that both countries enjoyed during the previous regime, but also want to take it to a new height.” “The illegal migrants issue is a sensitive subject in any country and needs careful handling,” said Swaraj. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaigns, had threatened to deport all “illegal migrants from Bangladesh”, especially when he campaigned in West Bengal and the states of the northeast. But, during the visit the foreign minister had some discussions with the Bangla authorities, like the easing of the visa norms, land deal etc. which has drawn a lot of criticism from various political parties. But can the illegal migration issue ever be resolved? Will the new government be able to do what the previous government was not able to?
The census
Assam is the most populous state of the northeast. Of the total population of 383 lakhs counted in the seven states of the region in 2001, 267 lakh was in Assam alone. Of these, 173 lakhs were Hindus, 82 lakh Muslims and 10 lakh Christians. What is noteworthy is however that there was a change in the population that occurred between 1991 and 2001. There was an accretion of 42 lakh persons in the population during that decade. This was divided almost equally between the Hindus and others. The population of Hindus increased by 22 lakh persons, that of Muslims by 19 lakh persons and of Christians by more than 2 lakh persons. There was a decline of 1 lakh persons in the followers of tribal regions. Hindus and tribal religions grew by 21 lakh persons and Muslims and Christians together added about the same 21 lakh persons, though their population in 1991 was less than half
of that of Hindus. This was reflected in vast differences in the growth rates; decadal growth of Hindus was about 15 percent, that of Muslims and Christians around 30 percent or more.
India. The figure tallies with the figure quoted by the Group of Ministers on National Security in their report on ‘Border Management’ submitted in 2001.
Assam Total Hindus Muslims Christians Buddhists ORPs Others
2001 267 173 82 9.9 0.5 0.2 0.6
1991 224 150 64 7.4 0.6 1.4 0.5
Accretion 42 22 19 2.4 -0.1 -1.2 0.11
Growth 18.9 14.9 29.3 32.5 -20.3 -83.4 22.5
Numbers are in lakhs and growth in percentage
Bangladeshi count
No exact figure of Bangladeshi nationals illegally entering into India and settling here is available, but the population census figures of both the countries give a fair idea of large scale infiltration of Bangladesh nationals into India. Pranati Dutta of the Indian Statistical Institute of Kolkata who wrote a paper in 2004 (Push-Pull factors of Undocumented Migration from Bangladesh to West Bengal: A Perspective study), on the basis of a qualitative research project undertaken by her and three other scholars funded by the Government of India, gave an estimate of a 15 million Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in
Now, Bangladesh came into existence in December 1972 but infiltration into India started much before that. The flow of Muslim peasants from Eastern Bengal to Assam was encouraged by the British officials from the first decade of the twentieth century as there was abundant waste land waiting to be cultivated and the Government needed revenue from the settlement of waste land. These were some historical facts, but subsequent events show that even after 1952, travel restrictions imposed through a passport system could hardly act as a deterrent against illegal movement of Pakistan/Bangladeshi nationals into India. Since then , till date illegal migration has been happening on a regular basis and in
The problem with India is that people enter the country with visa for a certain period but do not leave the country after the time period is over. In other countries, the foreigners are kept track of, but in India, the government hardly keeps track of foreigners entering the country Shankar Das RSS North Assam Chief Spokesperson spite of the Assam Accord and other acts, all the ruling governments of the state and even the country have failed to eradicate the problem entirely. With BJP coming into power in the Centre recently, people of the state looked up to Modi with hope, acting on the issue as claimed during the poll speeches. It is too early to judge their moves but Sushma’s decision of easing the visa norms has drawn much criticism from the regional political parties and observers.
The criticism
The State President for BJP Assam Pradesh, Sarbananda Sonowal and the members of legislators met the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi on Wednesday over the issues of land transfer to Bangla-
desh and visa free entry. The president said after the meeting that no major decision has been taken yet. It seems like the state BJP team sensed the anger of the people about the decision and to save the party’s image, they discussed the issue with the foreign minister. “We totally oppose the visa-free entry concept and also the land deal with Bangladesh as with the land deal, Assam will lose land and will not gain anything from Bangladesh,” said the former state Chief Minister and AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. He added that when the Indo-Bangla land deal happened in the Rajya Sabha during the last government, the BJP did not oppose the move openly and later they claimed during Lok Sabha poll rallies that they are against the land deal and want to deport all Bangladeshis. “The problem with India is that people enter the country with visa for a certain period but do not leave the country after the time period is over. In other countries, the foreigners are kept track of, but in India, the government hardly keeps track of foreigners entering the country,” said RSS North Assam Chief Spokesperson Shankar Das. He added that there should be a concept of work permit, which is not in place. People here encourage labours from Bangladesh as they are cheap labours and after coming to the country as labours, they do not return. He said that they believe in BJP but do not favour the easy visa norm. The easy visa norm is just a discussion, which happened there with Sushma Swaraj, but it is not yet passed as a bill in the Parliament. “We will not allow people without visa as illegal migration is already a burning issue”, said state Congress Chief Spokesperson Mehdi Alam Bora. Enquiring why Congress had not acted on the issue as they have been ruling the state for a long time, he replied, “We have set up around 100 tribunals but we can act only after getting cases or complaints. We cannot just throw people out saying they are Bangladeshis. People are getting deported as and when, they are detected as Bangladeshis.” The Congress, no matter how hard they brag about having worked on the issue, has failed to eradicate the problem and the BJP have just replaced the latter. But whether they will be able to solve the issue is a question everyone is contemplating. But the initial visit of a BJP minister did not bring any appreciation for the party or the government. Will they be able to deport all illegal settlers or will they too find it challenging?
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
In The News
HUMAN TRAFFICKERS RAHUL CHANDA
CHANGE STRATEGY
A
ccording to reports, around 10 women are abducted in Assam on a daily basis, and most of them become victims of trafficking. Poverty, unemployment and improper implementation of schemes are some of the main reasons behind women falling prey to human trafficking rackets. After Assam was ranked 2nd in entire country in the cases of women trafficking last year, there were various campaigns against human trafficking in the state and traffickers had a tough time going about their business. But recently it has come to the notice that the state based traffickers are changing their strategy.
The case
A 15-year-old girl child from near Mazbat in Udalguri district was trafficked to Delhi allegedly by her schoolteacher on the pretext of taking her along with another 9 girls of the same area on an excursion trip to New Delhi. She went with the teacher along with the other girls but was placed as a domestic help in a house
at Ghaziabad in October 2013. After a couple of months the girl managed to run away and took the help of Uttar Pradesh police. UP police informed the Childline Ghaziabad about the victim and was sent to a shelter home there. The girl was brought to Guwahati Childline on 1st July 2014 and then produced before Child Welfare Commission (CWC), Kamrup (M). She was given
temporary shelter in Snehalaya and the CWC has contacted the Udalguri administration and a local NGO ADWR to look into the matter and investigate the case so that the traffickers can be nabbed. The girl will be escorted to Udalguri very soon as she is in a state of shock. According to the girl, nine other girls were also placed in some job or the other in Delhi.
The strategy
“Traffickers keep changing their strategy to escape from being nabbed. Usually students going on excursions are hardly suspected to be victims of trafficking, so the traffickers are using this excuse to do their business. This is a unique case we came across which might bust many trafficking rackets�, said CWC Chairman Father Lukose Cheruvalel. He further
added that the case will be handled effectively because of the linkage between the CWC Chairperson, Kamrup (M) and CWC members of Udalguri as Lukose is been training the Udalguri CWC members in Juvenile Justice delivery since last two years. The whereabouts of the girl are not known but the Udalgiri administration and the police have already been alerted and will investigate the case with information provided by the girl. It is shocking that the parents of 10 trafficked girls last year did not worry about their kids and did not even complain to the police till date. The rescued victim is from a tea tribe area and assumed to be of a poor financial background. Poverty, illiteracy and various other social problems lead people to go to different places and get harassed and abused, so before thinking about eradicating trafficking, the social problems like poverty should be removed.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
8
G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
In The News
URBANISATION CAUSING GROUNDWATER DEPLETION
The city will keep on facing ground water crisis until the water supply projects are completed and ready to go, which will in return help the groundwater to get replenished. MRINMOYEE HAZARIKA
W
hile the entire city of Guwahati is getting inundated with flood water, as a result of just a small and easy spell of shower, the residents have to work and dig really hard just to get a drop of water to drink. It might be hard for some people to believe that the city dwellers are having a tough time managing clean water for their household use and drinking when the mighty Brahmaputra is flowing across the city; it is an embarrassing truth that there is a huge scarcity of drinking water in the city. Lack of farsightedness shown on part of the authorities as well as a section of the population has just made the problem from bad to worse.
Reality check
The news has been making the rounds for the last couple of years that the ground water level of the city has been depleting and the officials of the central ground water board has confirmed the truth. Most of the residents in different localities of the city including Christianbasti, Bora Service, Gandhi Basti etc are facing severe water crisis. “Earlier we did not have any water crisis. We have a bore well of 190 metres on our own and it was sufficient enough for us. But for the last two months or so we have been facing severe water problems. We doubt that this has happened due to a new deep boring done in the big apartment near our house,” said Monisha, a resident of the Bora service area. The depleted water level has led the residents to go for deeper bore wells which creates water crisis in the surrounding areas. The situation is worse for both the flat dwellers and the individual house owners. “It is very concerning that the ground water level of the city has been getting depleted over the years. It is evident from the fact that the wa-
120 lakh litres
PANBAZAR WATER PLANT
16 lakh litres
KAMAKHYA WATER PLANT
90 lakh litres
SAATPUKHURI WATER PLANT
The ground water is being recharged by rainwater. Since, the size of the open spaces in the city are shrinking, the rainwater do not find any room to go down to refill the level of ground water” ter levels of the wells in most of the old apartments of the city, which had been dug up to the level of 50 metres in depth has dried up. The normal depth of a well is usually 10 to 50 metres and that is the depth where water can be found sufficiently for the household or any other use,” a highly placed official source at the Central Ground Water Board, Guwahati told G Plus. The source further mentioned that the office of the Central Ground Water Board, Guwahati does not have all the facilities to measure the ground water level of the city. However, the board is planning to construct ‘Piezometers’ in various localities of the city in order to measure the ground water level of Guwahati. “We do not have our own well to measure the level of ground water of Guwahati. Since the households do not allow us to use their own wells for measuring the water level, we are planning to construct piezometers’
in various localities of the city which will enable us to measure the ground water level of the city,” the source said. The source also blamed the growing population or the overpopulation for the depletion of ground water in Guwahati. In this regard, the source said, “The ground water is being recharged by rainwater. Since, the size of the open spaces in the city are shrinking, the rainwater do not find any room to go down to refill the level of ground water. At this point, improving the water supply scenario is the only option to combat the problem of water scarcity. This way the stress on the ground water will be lessened and the level will be recouped automatically in another 5 to 10 years.” The source at the Central Ground Water Board, Guwahati also highlighted that the deep boring of water does not affect the shallow level of water.
“Deep boring, which goes down 150-200 meters depth under the earth, will not affect the shallow water level of the ground which ranges between 10-50 meters of depth. The amount of water, which remains lodged between the rocks is sucked up with the help of deep boring facility, which is very limited in size. If water can be found within the depth of 15-200 meters, then the people will get water. If water cannot be found within that depth, there is no chance of finding water,” Central Ground Water Board, Guwahati told G Plus.
Water supply scenario
The GMC and the Urban water supply department, the two authorities which supply water to the households of the city, is capable of providing supply water to only 32000 households of Guwahat, which has an official population of roughly 10 lakhs. Leaving aside some government colonies and establishments, a large chunk of people are being deprived of government supplied water. Sources at the GMC said that it provide water to around 25000 households from three of its plants located at Kamakhya, Panbazar and Saatpukhuri. “A quantity of 16 lakh litres of water is being supplied from the Kamakhya plant every day. The plants at Panbazar and Saatpukhuri supply
120 lakh litres and 90 lakh litres of water every day to the households located in Mackhowa, Latasil, Ulubari, Bhangargh, Kharghuli and other near about areas.” The GMC source further stated that the demand for supply water is always high, but the authorities are not being able to meet the demand. The situation is same with the Urban Water Supply Department, the other body, which supplies water in the city households mentioned that 5000 applications have been pending in the department from the people seeking new connections. Since, the new connections have not been granted, the department has not been able to provide water supply to the households. “Currently, we provide water to 7000 households in the city. Initially, our scheme was to supply water to the entire Zoo road area. But, later it extended towards the peripheral areas of the Zoo road including Down Town, Rukminigaon, Hengerabari, Christian Basti etc,” a source at the urban water supply department said. Considering the scenario, the people of the city will have to wait till the completion of the water supply project by GMDA or wells and deep borings to be carried out by the individual households.
mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Space
WANT TO OWN A HOUSE IN GUWAHATI?
GO EAST
Property prices have gone down in the last few months according to a number of factors and the builders and real estate frontliners hope to have a better future ahead. Syeda Ambia Zahan
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ant to have a dream house in a metropolis? Guwahati is the perfect choice at this moment. Yes, it is the right time as prices of residential properties are almost getting stagnant compared to the last fiscal year, says the business gurus. Reports obtained from the National Housing Bank (NHB), shows that residential property prices in Guwahati in the January-March quarter of this year registered only a marginal growth of 0.65 per cent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the central zone of Guwahati, in localities like Ambari, Baruari, Chenikuthi, Fancy Bazar, Kharghuli, Latasil, Pan Bazar and Uzan Bazar prices dropped by 6.4 per cent, while the east zone comprising Bamunimaidan and Chandmari saw a decline of 16.2 per cent. But why is there a sudden dip in the prices? Let’s take a look at what is driving the real estate market of Guwahati at this moment. Premium real estate companies like Dona Builders Pvt Limited which has been offering Guwahati with high-end residential as well as business property, says that sudden drop in demand for residential property in the city is the main reason of dropping price. Ranganav Borooah, Builder and promoter of Dona believes that price of Residential Buid-
ings were abnormally hiked by the developers some months ago. Later on, due to economic slowdown, the high-end buyers have become protective and thus a gap has been created between demands and supply. “Dona Builders, which only used to be in the business of constructing high priced buildings are now slowly shifting its focus to affordable middle ranged buildings for the prospect buyers in the bracket of `35-45 lakh. “More houses are ready for sale than the demand. The developers will have to wait for good days,” says Mr. Borooah. The West zone of the city comprising of localities like Adabari, Bharalumukh, Bhootnath, Kamakhya and Maligaon saw residential prices dip by 9.9 per cent on an annual basis. Ranganav Borooah, Builder and promoter of Dona also said “Skyrocketing price of construction raw materials is another reason for such slow sale of property in the city. Inflation is one of the major reasons.” Because of the rise in cost of the land, labour and construction material, many real estate builders are going through a depressing period. The cost of raw materials like cement, bricks have gone up by 20% to 30%. Likewise, the finishing materials like door fittings, paints, tiles hike upto 50% to 60%.
There will never be a perfect economy. But if one is going to buy a property at this time for residential purpose, he should go ahead with his decision”
Another builder and developer of the real estate company Rana P. Bordoloi, of Fortune Tower India Pvt. Limited believes slowdown of the economy has compelled the government to tax both the developers and the buyers on different fronts to regain a balanced economy and so the end buyer is at a loss, which has slowed down the sale. Bordoloi, further says, “Besides, an effective price control mechanism of raw materials is the need of the hour and also the, property registration price should be brought down.” One of the major reasons of the slow sale of property in the city can be the improved connectivity between the outskirts and the city. Banks are always cautious in granting people a loan for a car. So why would one prefer to stay in a messy flood-prone city when they have the option of everyday commuting, says another developer. However, in the Lokhra zone consisting of Basistha, Jalukbari and Lalganesh, prices of residential properties went up by 5.5 per cent in January-March this year as against the corresponding period of last year. Prices were also up by 14 per cent in the Dispur zone, which includes localities like Beltola, Dispur, Hatigaon, Hengrabari, Jaya Nagar and Six Mile, while it was up by 14.6 per cent
in south zone comprising areas like Bhangagarh, Lachit Nagar, Rehabari, Silpukhuri and Ulubari. Mithun Das of Envision Construction says, “We need support of the government. Property registration process in Guwahati is too cumbersome and the worst sufferers of this situation are the builders. The Government should emphasise on low interest in housing loans, relaxation in government tax, different payment options to pace up the sale of property. The index covered 26 major cities and has taken into account the price trends for residential properties in different locations and zones in each city. Overall, across the country, 13 cities showed a rising trend in residential property prices on an annual basis in Q4 of 2013-14, while in another 13 cities the trend was of decline. So is it really a good time to buy a property in Guwahati right now? Business expert says it is. “There will never be a perfect economy. But if one is going to buy a property at this time for residential purpose, he should go ahead with his decision.” says Business expert and Developer Mr. Kumar. Many mid income projects in good locations in the city are already launched at lower rates which indicate a good time for the buyers.
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G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
The Week That Was City News
Nature conservation photo exhibition in Ghy
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ith a wide range of photographs from different facets of the NGO’s contribution to biodiversity conservation in the region and elsewhere, Aaranyak’s photo exhibition underway at State Art Gallery in Guwahati drew a huge response from people across the state. The exhibition kicked off on Tuesday and will last till July 5, 2014. Reflecting Aaranyak in its 25th glorious year of biodiversity conservation, the exhibition has showcased the flourishing journey of this NGO from a small beginning as a neighbourhood nature club to a recognised Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
Akhil demands study on Brahmaputra drainage project
of the country, which has now spread its roots not only in Northeast India, but also internationally. “A quarter century of work has brought major changes in the nature conservation sector and Aaranyak is still putting its hard work and dedication to secure the rich biodiversity resources. With four unique sub-themes, the photographs will be exhibited depicting the activities from the inception of Aaranyak since 1989 highlighting its diverse programmes and initiatives including the rich floral and faunal biodiversity of Northeast,” said Udayan Borthakur, Convenor, Photo Exhibition, Aaranyak.
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Landslides, floods in Guwahati leave 11 dead
Photo: UB Photos
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n order to combat the artificial flood in the Guwahati city, a demand for proper study on the behaviour of the Brahmaputra and a proper drainage and sewerage project has come from the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samittee (KMSS) president Akhil Gogoi on June 29. The KMSS leader directly blamed the GMDA and the GMC for the rampant issuance of permission for high–rise buildings in the city. Pointing the facts behind the yearly problem, Akhil Gogoi said, the reason behind the devastating deluge in Guwahati is that there has been no drainage and sewerage system worth the name in Guwahati since the shifting of the state capital from Shillong to Guwahati. “In the absence of a proper drainage and sewerage system, such artificial floods are inevitable,” Akhil Gogoi added. Another reason behind recurring artificial floods in the city is the erection of high–rise buildings in the wetlands in and around the city by big companies. Citing some examples, he said: “Tata Company has erected its Ginger Hotel on the Bahini river in the city. The canal which connects the Bahini river with the Shilsaku beel has been blocked by the building of Maria Public School. There was a beel between Gandhibasti and Silpukhuri near the rail line.
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total of eleven people were killed during the nonstop rain on June 27, which flashed off the city. Four of the victims, including three of a family, died in landslides at two different places and four others were electrocuted. A youth named Vikas Saha drowned in the Bharalu river, which cuts through the city. According to the report of Weather Department, the city recorded 57mm rainfall on that very day. The situation became worst as the drains were over flowing due to artificial clogs. Observing the condition, June 28 was declared as a holiday for all educational institutes in the city by the Kamrup (Metro) district administration. The areas which got submerged includes Anil Nagar, MLA Hostel, Chandmari, Zoo Road Tinali, Hatigaon, Khanapara. The revenue and disaster management departments provided country boats to evacuate people from flood-hit areas.
Prime Bakes launches Fifa inspired confectionery
Brahmaputra Infra wins `18.63 Cr. construction contract
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o mark the Fifa world cup 2014, leading Bakery Retail brand of Guwahati, Prime Bakes announced the launch of a limited edition Fifa inspired confectionery for football lovers in the city. Encouraged by the football frenzy; the bakery chain has launched cupcakes, cakes, premium chocolates and other confectionery items starting from `50 only. Available in novel designs and shapes of team jerseys, national flags, Fifa mascot, Brazuca etc., the special confectionery shall
Gauhati University removes age limit for law aspirants
surely catch the fancy of food lovers in the city. The same can also be customized, if pre-ordered making it a novel gifting option. “This is the first time that we are innovating on the World Cup theme. It is fun to join in the football frenzy and offer something unique to Guwahati’s football fans,” said Nirupam Muklania, CEO, Prime Bakes. The limited edition cakes are available in flavors like Classic Vanilla, Butter Scotch and Rich Chocolate in addition to the regular flavors.
rahmaputra Infrastructure Ltd. has bagged a project worth `18.63 Crore from the Chief Engineer (IP), PB, PWD B&R Branch, Chandigarh for construction of flyover at Siswan T-Junction on Morinda-KuraliSiswan Road up to State Boundary. Recently, the company has been awarded a project worth `34.67 Crore by Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) for turnkey design and construction of central library and archive-cum-auditorium at Amingaon, Guwahati, including all allied works complete on turnkey basis, with a completion period of 30 months from the date of issue of detailed work order. At the BSE, Brahmaputra Infrastructure shares are currently trading at `32.75, up 4.97 percent from the previous close.
he students of law get relieved as the Gauhati University (GU) has removed the age bar for three-year and five-year courses in law. Till last year, the maximum age for applying for the five-year and three-year courses in law was 20 and 30 years respectively. Now the applicants of any age, having the minimum marks required for admission into the two courses in law, can apply for a seat under GU. J Dutta, Academic Registrar of GU informed that students with a bachelor degree were eligible for the three-year course in law, while for the five-year course, Class XII graduates could apply for admission. For both courses, the minimum marks required in the qualifying examinations for general category students is 45 per cent, but in case of scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) aspirants, there will be a relaxation of up to five per cent. Officials in GU said the order will come into force from the 2014-15 academic sessions. The new university norms would be implemented by all law colleges affiliated to GU.
Two kids drown, one missing Two among three boys, who were feared to have drowned in the Brahmaputra in the Sunsali area on the outskirts of the city on July 1, were recovered on July 2 by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). They were identified as Jay Deka and Sahil Rahman. The third boy, Mangol Deka, is still missing. A search operation is on. The three were residents of Jupuribasti in the Noonmati area. Police said the trio went to the river for a swim along with other friends. “When the three boys were washed away by the heavy current, the others fled from the spot. Later, when we came to know about the incident, we launched rescue operations immediately. The search is still on. However, the water level of the river has gone up dangerously and it’s affecting our work,” said a river police official. Last year, there were about 428 drowning cases in Assam, of which at least 443 people were killed. About 40 such cases were reported in and around the city alone. About 347 men and 96 women drowned in the state last year. As per the latest NCRB records, the state recorded 9.6% of its deaths due to drowning last year.
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
The Week That Was
8th Statistics Day celebrated
KMSS says Sristi Nagar construction illegal
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he Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India celebrated 29th June 2014 as 8th Statistics Day. The function was organized with an aim of creating public awareness especially among the younger generation for drawing inspiration from Late Professor PC Mahalanobis about the role of Statistics in socioeconomic development planning and policy formulation. Since 2007, 29th June is been observed as ‘Statistics Day’ in India to mark the birth anniversary of Professor (Late) PC Mahalanobis. In Assam the Direc-
torate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Assam in collaboration with the National Sample Survey Office (Field Operation Division), Guwahati celebrated the occasion by organizing various programme in the Training Hall of the Headquarters of Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Assam, Beltola. The Theme of this year’s Statistics Day was ‘Service Sector Statistics’. The programme was inaugurated by lightening of lamp and garlanding the photograph of Prof (Late) PC Mahalanobis by Sri HN Das, IAS (Retd.) former Chief Secretary to the Govt of Assam.
Journalist bodies plea Don Bosco organises camp for to release ad bill n appeal to release the adverscouts & guides tisement bill payments for the
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on Bosco School, Panbazar has organised the mini Boscoree Scouts and Guides camp – 2014 at its school premises at Panbazar from July 2–5. The four–day camp was formally inaugurated on the evening of July 2 by Dr. Harendra Das, State Chief Commissioner, Bharat Scouts and Guides, Assam in the presence of school Principal Fr. Sebastian Kuricheal and a host of camp officials like camp chief Fr. Lukas Marak, Associate camp chiefs Fr. Joseph Solomon and Fr. Saju Kariyil, coordinators Fr. Marcus Lakra and Fr. Xavier Beck as well as senior Scout Master RA Lazar. A total of around 280 scouts and guides from eleven schools of various districts of Assam would participate in the camp and would be trained in aspects like compass, direction, mapping, knots, exercises, estimation, fire lays, fire place, wood craft, etc. This mini Boscoree would also prepare the scouts and guides for the National Boscoree to be held at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu from December 30, 2014 – January 3, 2015. The participating schools are Don Bosco School Guwahati, Don Bosco School, Boko, Don Bosco School, Sojong, Don Bosco School, Satgaon, Don Bosco School, Amkachi, Don Bosco School, Umswai, Don Bosco School, Halflong, St. Joseph’s School, Barpeta Road, St. Mary’s High School, Barpeta Road, St. Mary’s Guwahati and Holy Child School, Guwahati.
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newspapers regularly with the enhanced rates has come through the All Assam Media Employees Federation (AAMEF) and Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) to the Assam government. But at the same time, the media bodies also urged the newspaper managements to implement the recommendations of Majithia Wage Board, which was recently endorsed by the Supreme Court of India. Non-implementation of the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board in the newspaper houses might invite serious consequences for the state government because it is responsible for the implementation of the statutory Wage Board as well as the owners of newspapers, as it would finally go against the spirit of a verdict pronounced by the apex court of the country.
n order to stop the construction works of Sristi Nagar in the Noonmati area was issued by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on July 1. Kamrup (Metro) in–charge deputy commissioner M Angumutthu said that he would ensure an inquiry to ascertain how various clearances for the construction of Sristi Nagar were obtained. He cleared the main aim of the eviction drive being undertaken by the district administration is to ensure free flow of the canals in the city. Angumutthu said that the administration would also ensure probe into issues like how construction permissions and land pattas were given in the Bharalu and other water bodies in the city.
City News
Summer Hobby Camp organises various activities for kids
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lay modelling and art and craft workshop was conducted at Regional Science Centre, Khanapara, from July 1 to July 5, 2014 during the ongoing Summer Hobby Camp organised by Regional Science Centre. The other workshops
to be held during the camp are Photoshop –July 1to 5, Physics, Chemistry and Biology – July 7 to 12, Robotic and Aeromodelling – July 7 to 11, Graphics and Animation –July 7 to 11 and Carnivalist – The Carnival Rides – July 15 to 19.
Manjary to organise international dance festival
M
anjary Dance Academy is going to organise “Rhythm” India International Classical Dance Festival on 6 th July at District Library Auditorium. ‘Rhythm’ is a dance festival exploring the heritage sites of Assam invit-
ing renowned classical dance exponents all over the country and abroad. They represent the various classical dance forms like Sattriya, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Kuchipudi. The purpose to conduct such a festi-
val is to promote, preserve and popularise the rich Indian classical dance form. The festival will start from 1 pm, where the students from Manjary Dance Academy will perform and from 5pm onwards invited classical dancers will showcase their talent.
City celebrates annual Rath Yatra
Scribe passes away
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enior journalist Rup Kumar Das, who was associated with the vernacular press, breathed his last on June 27th. He was involved in the print media for more than two decades. Das was not in good health for the last few days and was undergoing treatment in a city hospital. His mortal remains were brought to the Guwahati Press Club where all members of the Guwahati Press Club paid their respect to the departed soul. His last rites were performed at Panikhaiti. Das leaves behind his wife, two daughters, a son and a host of relatives.
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he process for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath began in Guwahati and other places across the state and even the country on Sunday morning. The signifi-
Photo: UB Photos
cance of the yatra is the Lord coming to his people. The chariots in which the deities are carried, are pulled by thousands of devotees and taken to a different temple. The deities stay
in this temple for a week and then return. Because of urban floods, the traffic was a bit chaotic but the district administration did take care of the security arrangements.
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G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Society
SACRED HEARTS OF SERVICE
shubhojit roy
The Sacred Heart Palliative Care Centre has been rendering invaluable service to the society with its care and treatment to the less favourable ones
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he world is in a constant state of conflict and is surrounded by a lot of hatred, but still the faith in humanity is not completely lost. Once in a while you come across people, who drive and motivate you to your bones and your faith in humanity gets restored. Sister Lisset along with a handful of other Sisters of the Sacred Heart Congregation is one such example in today’s society. The Sisters along with other staff members take care of the patients at Sacred Heart Palliative Care Centre at Hastinapur, 9th mile on the outskirts of the city. The speciality about this centre is that the patients present in the care centre are not just regular patients but are terminally ill ones – those whose diseases are not responsive to curative treatment. G Plus reports on the centre set in the backdrop of hilly terrain and greenery.
The beginning
The foundation stone of the SH Palliative Centre was laid in the year 2005 and was initiated by Sister Rose Marina and Sister Vineeth Tresa in consultation with then Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil who helped with the donation for the construction of the care centre. The Care Centre has multi-level treatment emulated by many recovery centres and is the only palliative care centre of the region.
The Facilities
The Care Centre is a 30 bedded centre with separate male and female general ward and also includes pri-
vate wards. It has a hygienic canteen cum kitchen for the patients and the staff members and it also houses a chapel which gives spiritual strength to all inmates. The Fathers also visit the Centre from time to time to pray for patients and the departed souls. It is a three-storied building with its top floor being used by the Sacred Heart Sisters as the living quarters, while the ground floor and the 1st floor are for the occupation of the patients. Sister Lisset, Administrator at SH Care Centre says, “Previously, we used to house only the terminally ill patients, but from last year we have started treating all patients. At present, there are 7 patients in the Care Centre, out of which 3 are suffering from dementia, 3 patients from Cancer and there is one child who is suffering from Meningitis.” The Centre
Some people have told me that funding is not available for such patients. I couldn’t do a thorough research on the subject as we have less manpower here and we need to be with the patients at all times”
presently has 1 doctor; Dr. Dinesh Goswami who has been serving since the beginning. Dr. Goswami also treats the patient at Palliative Care in Uzan Bazaar. Sister Lisset also stresses that the Dementia patient are child-like, unaware of anything and requires round the clock care. “If patients are more, we will need more care-takers which is limited at present and therefore is a concern.”
Fee or Free
“Most of the patients who come here belong from a very poor family who can’t afford their treatment. So, some of the patients pay for their stay and some don’t, but the care given is equal for everyone,” informs Sister Lisset. We were also informed that the Care receives no financial sup-
port “and we would be so grateful if someone supports the patients. We also have plans to send the child Lalit Sharma suffering from meningitis to school as he is recovering fast, but we need sponsors for that,” pleads Sister Lisset. Citing an obstacle, Sister Lisset says, “Some people have told me that funding is not available for such patients. I couldn’t do a thorough research on the subject as we have less manpower here and we need to be with the patients at all times. Another problem is that sometimes fund may come, but by the time the fund reaches, the patient might expire.”
Status
It was found out that since its inauguration date of 3rd September 2009, an all total of 99 patients have been admitted to the Care Centre. Out of these 99 patients, 25 patients passed away whereas the rest of the patients went back to their homes after getting treatment. Some of the patients were also healed as informed by the administrator. The holistic four dimensional treatment of Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual nature by the Sacred Heart Palliative Centre has been a story of great feat. The Centre also sets example for many other care centres in the city in terms of neatness and maintenance. The selfless service provided by the Sisters of sacred Heart for the diseased and terminally ill patients is absolutely worthwhile and undoubtedly deserves a great amount of appreciation.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Business
BJP’s DECISION TO REMOVE ‘MUSLIM’ TAG FROM TRIBES DRAWS CRITICISM
BJP minority morcha state president Mominul Aawal
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he BJP’s decision to remove the ‘Muslim’ tag from the followers of Islam in Assam has revoked strong reactions from different walks of life. Earlier in a tricky development, the Minority Morcha of the state BJP had decided that they would strive to get it done by writing to state government and central government. People termed the BJP’s move as impractical and being politically motivated. The decision was taken during an executive meeting of the morcha recently. Now they will appeal to the state government in written to address the issue besides the central government. “Though tribes like Goriya, Moriya, Desi, Jolha and Maimal in the state follow Islam, they have their
own distinctive characteristics. To promote harmony and trust amongst the different communities in Assam, these tribes that follow Islam, they should not be identified as Muslims. The followers of Hinduism are not identified as Hindus. They are identified on the basis of the different tribes they belong to. We want the followers of Islam to be recognised on the basis of the tribes they belong to,” said Minority Morcha president Mominul Aawal. Aawal hinted that some political parties have always been taking advantage of this and creating a situation of distrust and conflict. “It is a matter to be regretted that the indigenous tribes like Goriya and Moriya were deprived of all the benefits that are meant for the welfare of the mi-
Oriflame introduces new facial kit
norities. Only a particular section was enjoying the benefits of the welfare packages aimed at development of minorities. It is very unfortunate that the indigenous minority tribes have been intentionally deprived of all the facilities because of a political conspiracy,” Aawal added. This decision however has backfired as individuals and organisations have reacted in a strong way. “The idea is not practical and there is a hidden political agenda behind it. The BJP wants to create a division among the Muslims of the state. We don’t think they will be successful in this. We do not see any logic in this decision taken by the BJP,” said Hafiz Ahmed, President of Char Chapori Sahitya Parishad, a literary body of the state. All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) too has reacted in this regard and said that this is not possible at any cost. “It is known to everybody that BJP wants to play politics with such issues. Islam is a religion. All the followers of Islam are minorities and they are needed to be developed. But by making all these meaningless demands, they are wasting time. People can be identified by their caste even after being religious. We condemn such kind of act,” said AAMU General Secretary Rejaul Sarkar Karim
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he days of taking hours out of one’s busy schedule to visit the parlor are of the past as Oriflame, the nature-inspired Swedish cosmetics major, presents the first ever, Pure Nature Facial kits – for healthy revitalized skin that shines with a radiant glow. Moisturizing tea tree and rosemary come together to make a delightful skin-soothing ritual for oily to combination skin. The soothing and anti-bacterial properties of tea tree extracts help re-balancing oily skin. The moisturizing kit also contains rosemary extracts that stimulate dull skin and act as an astringent. The toning kit is believed to be the solution to fight blemishes and attain even complexion.
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Jay Tea launches tea bags for India
M
adhu Jayanti International Limited (Jay Tea), with a 70-year legacy of blending and packaging have announced their foray in the B2C category in India with the launch of ‘TE-A-ME’, a premium range of tea bags, comprising of 17 variants of black, green and spiced teas and fruit and flower infusions - the widest range of tea bags in India. The company is amongst the top five exporters of value-added teas from India, shipping across 42 consuming countries. With a turnover of `350 Cr and a five-year CAGR of 25%, Madhu Jayanti operates its business under two models viz. company-owned brands (contributing `200 Cr) and private labelling (contributing `150 Cr). It has brewed success with 7 company owned brands across West Africa, Russia and India. The width of its sourcing spans from plantations across India, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Turkey, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Vietnam, Papua and New Guinea. A portion of its turnover is attributed to its private label supplies to over 80 major international retailers. In 2009, the boom in the private label tea category reevinced Madhu Jayanti’s interest in the Indian market.
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G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Ward Watch
D WARO N 12
Shubhojit Roy
Krishnanagar
to be rid of voltage problems
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he Krishnanagar area of Chandmari is one of the few location in the city where development is quite evident and the people do not have much complaints against the authorities. The place has seen positive changes over time and is a good example for other localities of Guwahati. The roads have been well paved, the drains flow freely without any blockages and new pipelines for drinking water are being set up. However, there are some small issues which G Plus came to know about after direct interaction with the locals in the area.
With and without water
Guwahati has long been suffering from drinking water problem; Krishnanagar however doesn’t have much of a problem with drinking water facility. “Water problem was there some time back but now it’s alright. Fresh pipelines are also being set up to make water supply available in every household. Moreover, many houses at present do have boring wells as well,” says Layanta Lekharu of the locality residing in the housing quarters. On being asked about the drainage system, Lekharu informs, “Our locality is at a little higher altitude, so basically we don’t face water logging problems and the drains are clearer. However, sometimes there is little bit of water logging on the foot of the hill.”
Load Shedding
It is well known that a lot of areas in the city suffer from regular load shedding and constant voltage fluctuation. The Krishnanagar area can however expect some better days as a new transformer is being placed and also posts for street lights have already been installed. “A New transformer was placed in our area a month back along with lamp posts. Though there is regular load shedding in the area, we are expecting that this too will be resolved pretty soon,” says Gopal Chhetri who has been living in the area since his birth.
Theft and Garbage
“There have been few cases of chain snatching in the area by some biker gangs in the past. People have complained about it too and I am not sure though if it was resolved,” says Jyotishman Deka. On asking about how they dispose their garbage, Deka replies, “GMC vans come from time to time to collect the garbage but for past few days, the garbage collecting van has not come to the area. I think it will take time for the new NGO’s to settle down in the field, but we might have to suffer quite longer this time.” The overflowing garbage bins in the city is quite a regular scene now as
Sub-Division 12A/ 12B/ 12C No. of Voters 18,000 (approx.) Concentrated Region Krishnanagar Major Issues Minimal
A New transformer was placed in our area a month back along with lamp posts. Though there is regular load shedding in the area, we are expecting that this too will be resolved pretty soon”
the secondary garbage collection of Ramky Infrastructure has expired and the NGO’s have taken up the job from 1st of July.
Councilor’s Version
While asking the councilor of Ward No- 12 about the NGO Bahnisikha’s status which has replaced Ramky for Ward No-12, it was found out that the GMC still couldn’t provide the required vehicles to the NGOs. “The GMC has not yet been able to get the vehicles transferred from Ramky to the NGOs,” says Bolendra Bharali, the Councilor. The councilor further appealed to the people to be aware and enquire with the GMC themselves for
answers. “There is a GMC outpost at the Chandmari Colony and people should at least take up the initiative to come down to the office and enquire about the issues directly,” states the Councilor. It can’t be ignored that GMC has often failed in tackling major issues of the city, be it garbage disposal problem or street light or flash flood. But the authorities definitely have answers for every situation, sometimes they wouldn’t receive the proper funding and sometimes they will have various other problems. But in all this blame game, it is the people who suffer.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
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Health
Role of Tele-Medicine in Rural Health Care Pallabi Buragohain, Research Scholar
GALL STONES Incidence
Gall bladder stone disease has become very common and those persons afflicted, increases with age and the estimated prevalence in developed countries comes around 10-15% of adult population. At the age of 60 yrs, approximately 25% of women and 17% of men suffer from gall bladder stones.
Natural history
It occurs when bile juice of the liver fails to keep its chemical components such as cholesterol and calcium in the soluble state hence it is deposited in the gall bladder as sediments which are later transformed to stones. Patients can be divided into three clinical conditions: asymptomatic, symptomatic and those which are related to complication of gall bladder stones. Annually, only 1% to 2% of those without symptoms can develop symptoms and it is unusual (<0.5% per year) for a symptom free patient to develop complication without having any symptoms at all.
Risk factors`
I
n today’s world several advancements have been made in the medical field, still the benefits are available to a privileged few, residing mainly in the urban areas. Our country is creating waves internationally but some sad facts are still underestimated. While a certain section of Indians are obviously benefitting from this economic boom, the majority are being left behind. The gap between rich and poor and urban and rural is widening. Regarding health front the rural population is always struggling to get a proper health care. Since medical specialists tend to work in the cities, patients in rural and remote regions are often medically unobserved. Due to increasing dependence of rural population on private health services, which often leads to indebtedness in rural areas. It is clear that this economic growth is not being translated into improved living standards for the poorer sections of rural areas. Infant deaths in India remain high, women still die in child birth and half our children are malnourished. Recognising the importance of health in the process of economic and social development and improving the quality of life of our citizens , telemedicine is an important instrument. It has a tremendous importance in a third world country like India. Tele-medicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine, which can help in remote diagnostic services and extension of super specialty hospital treatment for people in rural areas. Medical information is transferred through interactive audio-visual media for the purpose of consultation. Tele medicine can
also be used to conduct examination and remote medical procedures. Telemedicine may be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone, or as complex as using satellite technology and video conferencing equipment to conduct a real time consultation between medical specialists in two different countries. Tele medicine generally refers to the use of tele communication and information technologies for delivery of clinical care. Tele medicine can be divided into three main categories---- store and forward, remote monitoring and interactive services. Store and forward telemedicine involves acquiring medical data and transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment offline. It does not require the presence of both parties at the same time. Remote monitoring also known as self monitong or testing, enables medical professionals to monitor a patient remotely using various technological devices. This method is primarily used for managing chronic diseases or specific conditions, such as heart disease, asthma etc. These services can provide comparable health outcomes to traditional in person patient encounters, supply greater satisfaction to patients and may be cost effective. Interactive telemedicine services provide real time interactions between patients and providers to include phone conversations, on line communications and home visits. Many activities such as history review, physical examination, psychiatric evaluation can be conducted comparably to those done in traditional face to face
Health Tip
visits. In addition, ‘clinician- interactive’ telemedicine services maybe less costly than in person clinical visit. We often seen that people make a synonymous use of telemedicine and tele health. But it is important to mention that there is a difference between telemedicine and telehealth. The concept telemedicine has traditionally describe the use of technology to provide clinical medical services. Tele health not only includes clinical services but also non clinical medical services such as education, research and administrative functions. Telemedicine is extremely beneficial for our country where 70 % people are living in villages . Patients who lives in remote areas can be seen by a doctor or specialist, who can provide an accurate and complete examination, while the patient may not have to travel or wait the normal distances or times like those from conventional hospitals. It saves time and cost. Tele medicine can be used as a teaching tool by which experienced medical staff can observe, show and instruct medical staff in other location, more effective or faster examination techniques. It improved access to health care for patients in remote locations. Health is the most important of all the social services, the sector which is directly co-related to the welfare of human beings .The main objective of the National Health Policy is ‘to achieve an acceptable standard of good health among the general population of the country’. So, to improve the public health system tele medicine is a very convenient way to facilitate health care in the deficient areas .
Age-Incidence increases significantly after the age of 40 yrs Female-Suffers more than male with a ratio of 2.9:1(Female: Male) Pregnancy-More common in female with multiple pregnancies (12%) compared to unmarried ones and these fertile women have high incidence of cholesterol stones. Following delivery, over 30% of small gall stones (<1cm) found during pregnancy disappear completely. Hormones-Oestrogen replacement therapy and use of oral contraceptives in female increases the chance of gall bladder stones Obesity-Risk increases 3times Diet-Western diet (fatty food) is closely related to more stone formation compared to vegetarian.
Symptoms
Pain-Dull pressure like discomfort or sudden onset mid or right upper abdomen pain which may stay for 15 mins to 24 hrs. Sometimes pain ensues 1 to 2 hrs after ingestion of fatty meal. Vomiting-Usually accompanies pain Atypical symptoms-Vague and non specific abdomen pain, fatty food intolerance, nausea and diminished appetite. Asymptomatic gall stones-It is detected unexpectedly on ultrasound abdomen examination done for gynecological or urinary symptoms.
Investigation
Ultrasound abdomen-Highly recommended and reliable MRCP scan-Done in doubtful conditions with upper abdomen pain when no objective gall stones found.
Treatment
General approach-Even after finding gall stones in ultrasound does not confirm stone related pain unless it is matching with definite clinical scenario. Asymptomatic gallstones - Can be safely managed with medicines but surgery is considered when there is risk of stone related complications. The risk includes with small stones less than 1 cm in size,very young patients and in diabetics with repeated pain abdomen. Symptomatic gall stones: Surgery is the only option and laparoscopic cholecystectomy(Removal of gall bladder) is the most effective and optimal treatment for majority of the patients.However ,conventional or open surgery is needed in difficult laparoscopic procedures and in some patients who develops gall bladder perforation or abscess formation,besides in high risk cardiac and chronic respiratory diseased patients.Telerobotic laparoscopic cholecystectomy and computer assisted(CAS) techniques are practiced in some centres but there is no evidence that such developments offer real advantages over conventional methods
Dr. NIPANKA GOSWAMI, Sr. Consultant Surgeon, GNRC
Ladies, lifting weights won’t make you big and bulky.You won’t look like a man.You don’t produce enough testosterone. It will actually enhance your feminine curves. Stop believing the false rumors .
16
G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Bazaar
COOLING THE CITY AIR Shubhojit Roy
The Air Conditioner market in the city has seen lesser sales this year even though the temperature hit the forties recently
W
ith summer at its peak in the city, more and more are opting to live indoors. But currently, the weather is such that even staying indoors is not helping. Well, in the past five years, the air conditioner market has grabbed the attention of the mass in the subcontinent, not only for the corporates but also for personal use at homes. G Plus tries to find out the nature of the market in Guwahati.
The Types
There has not been much advancement in the air conditioning technology recently, except for allweather conditioning, which can also act as a heater during the winters. However, the AC’s can be categorised into three types - window or through wall, split system and centralised AC. • Window or through wall AC works as per the concept where the system sits on the window or wall opening with interior controls. Interior air gets cooled as the exterior hot air blows through the condenser. • Split-system air conditioners come in two forms: central and minisplit. In both types, the inside-environment i.e. the fan is separated by some distance from the outsideenvironment i.e. heat exchanger and fan. • Central air conditioning offers whole-house or large-commercialspace cooling, and often offers moderate multi-zone temperature control capability by the addition of air-louver-control boxes.
Energy star
Devices carrying the Energy Star service mark, such as the air conditioner and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, generally use 20–30% less energy than any other normal electronic home appliance. “The air conditioner uses approximately 50 Watt of less power with upgradation of 1 star in
the appliance,” says Abhijeet Bhakat of Classic, Home appliance store at Chandmari.
The Future
Interestingly, it was found out that 98% of ACs in Japan are Inverter ACs whereas China and Europe uses 60% and 45% respectively. In India, only 2-3% of the users use Inverter AC. “Inverter ACs are the future of air conditioning. They save 30% more energy than a 5 star energy saving AC. It is very much energy efficient and initiates more cooling in less time. Most of the green buildings use Inverter ACs,” said our source at Bluestar. It was found out that Bluestar had a great market in Guwahati last year and it has increased this year further as the temperature hit to 40 degrees in April this year.
Brand and Price Samsung
The AC market was more profitable last year than compared to this year. Even though the summer is at its peak, but last year’s heat was far more intense as we all know, so the sales were more”
Model No.
Price (in `)
Energy star
AR18HC5TXNCNNA
42,100
5 star
AR18HC5ESLZN
43,600
5 star
AR18HC3USNB
36,300
3 star
AR18HC2USNBNNA
32,900
2 star
Model No.
Price (in `)
Energy star
5HW18ZCR
43,500
5 star
5HW18ZBW
42,800
5 star
3HW18FA
35,700
3 star
Model No.
Price (in `)
Energy star
1.50T VOLTAS
39,990
3 star
Model No.
Price (in `)
Energy star
GSC18FR3WNT
40,490
3 star
Model No.
Price (in `)
Energy star
LSA5TM3M
41,990
3 star
Blue Star
Voltas
Godrej
LG
The market and the warranty
According to Abhijeet Bhakat of Classic, which is one of the oldest home appliance stores, “The AC market was more profitable last year than compared to this year. Even though the summer is at its peak, but last year’s heat was far more intense as we all know, so the sales were more,” informs Bhakat. It was found out that most of the AC brand provide a warranty of 1 year whereas there are some companies which extend its warranty up to 3 years depending upon the condenser.
AC vs Air Cooler Parameters
Air Cooler
Air Conditioner
Capital Cost
Low
High
Recurring Cost
90% lower than AC
Very High
Indoor Air Quality
100% Fresh Filtered Cool Air
Stale Dry Air Re-circulated
Refrigerants
Water
Polluting Refrigerants
Maintenance
Simple & Cost Effective
Complex & Expensive
Portability
Yes
No
Usage
Outdoor& Indoor
Indoor Only
Emission
Eco-friendly
Environmentally Harmful CFC
Carbon Emissions
Nil
Very High
Even though the air coolers have more advantage over air conditioners, the AC market has comparatively been rising higher than before the last 5 years, but the usage of the electronic appliances has been limited due to certain aspects like constant power cuts in different areas, unavailability of three-phase connections and others. However, with rapid urbanisation and temperature increase every year, the sale of air conditioners is expected to reach its peak.
shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in
17
G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Events
Date: 29 June, Venue: Crest th
SPLASH POOL PARTY
DATE
7days
Next VENUE
EVENT
5 July
Chandmari
Rising Star
5th July
OZONE, Silver Square Mall, G.S Road
Saturday Clubbers Night
th
5th July
Cafe Handrix, Six Mile
The Hobos Live
6th July
Crest, 8th Floor Shopper’s Point
Sunday Sundowner With Arpan # Splash 2.6
6th July
ITA Centre, Machkhowa
Style Up North East
6 July
Hotel Prag Continental, Panbazar
6th July
OZONE, G.S Road
“Mars vs Venus”- Space Party
6th July
Rudra Singh Sports Complex, Super Market
Jeevan Music Video Festival
th
Let’s Startup
Want your event to be featured on this page? Just mail us at info@g-plus.in
MUSIC FESTIVAL 28 June, Venue: Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti th
18
G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Reviews
Lekar Hum Deewana Dil Director: Arif Ali Cast: Armaan Jain, Rahul Dev Shetty, Nikita Dutta
L
ekar Hum Deewana Dill is the story of Dinoo (Armaan) and Karishma (Deeksha), two youngsters who elope fearing that Karishma’s family will get her married to a guy of their choice. Following this, they get married in Goa. As they move forward, life gets tougher and they realise that it wasn’t something that they wanted. Acting wise, Armaan is a little loud but justifies in parts. Deeksha is good. She will instantly remind you of Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone during their initial days. The story of the film is descent since the makers of the film haven’t shown a typical love story.”
Director: Samar Shaikh Cast: Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal, Kiran Kumar and Rajendra Gupta
B
obby is the oldest of three sisters, way past her ‘marriageable age’, her sister Noor, the textbook good daughter is in the prime of it, and the youngest one Zeenat is 11 nowhere near it. Her father Haroon Ahmed, a repairman in the Deccan railways, is responsible for five women. His wife, Zebonisa who protects Bobby fiercely and will do anything to have peace and harmony at home, she has a warm effervescent personality and can see the lighter side of almost any situation. Ammi’s widowed sister Kausar also lives with them, she is Moghulpura’s known matchmaker, Bobby discovered her jasoosi abilities first when she was sent for background checks by Kausar Khala for matches she was making in the area. The desperate need to break free from background checks on cheating grooms, tracing family history keeps pushing Bobby to look out for lucrative and adventurous jasoosi opportunities. In a community where a woman’s identity is lost in a burkha and marriage is a duty, Bobby keeps breaking the rules. At thirty she dares to dream of a successful Private Detective Business and especially hates the whole preoccupation with marriage. Pista house se lekar urdu galli tak, Mehendi gali se hotel naaz tak Bobby knows all the nooks and crannies of Charminar and its nearby Moghulpura area. She has skill, she has ambition, she has courage, all she needs is a big break. This oportunity comes with Aneez Khan in all his steely, mysterious and yet regal glory, only someone as local as Bobby
can help end this man’s search. Bobby’s Pvt. Ltd. Business finally kickstarts with unbridled enthusiam, but in the process fails to understand the motive behind Khan’s quest. Will Bobby succeed in solving Khan’s case? Will she truly understand the reason why Khan has come to her? Will it all be too late when she does? Bobby Jasoos is set in the core of the still unadulterated milieu of Hyderabad. The part of the city that is considered the oldest but is slowly yet steadily accepting change. Bobby is the voice of Indian youth and celebrates the aspiration that defines them. Bobby Jasoos is about the triumph of the human spirit as it survives the chases and thrills through the bylanes of Charminar. Bobby perseveres, fights the odds, learns from her losses and strives to solve a case that seems way too much for her. “Bobby Jasoos” works so well because it creates a unique yet relatable world for its female hero without making her seem supervulnerable (like Kangana Ranaut in ‘Queen’) or super-confident (like Shabana Azmi in her best roles). Bilkis/Bobby in her salwarkameez, sneakers and various super disguises, is a fearless, unabashed bundle of bumbling energy. Her infectious gusto and irresistible joie de vivre envelope this biryani-flavoured Hyderbadi delight of a film. Like Vidya’s multiple disguises, the film’s ability to surprise never flags. If Bobby/Bilkis revels in a sense of adventure the narration doesn’t lag behind. You can find flaws here. But you won’t hold them against the film. That’s a guarantee.
But when they run short on budgets, land in Naxalite territory (a strange detour with a raunchy item song - Mawaali Qawaali - thrown in), the screenplay takes an interesting twist. AR Rahman lifts spirits with the club number Khalifa Khalifa and draws sighs with the poignant Alaahada. Armaan is endearing and energetic, getting you to warm up to him. Deeksha is confident and likeable. Bangalore boy Mahesh (Akhil) excels. And if you’re looking to cuddle up this monsoon just like the slightly mismatched young couple in the movie, attempt doing it the LHDD way.
T E G EW OnePlus One D Smartphone Value Redefined By GA EVI R A Newcomer
O
nePlus is a rare beast: A startup building smartphones. Their first device is the Android-based OnePlus One, which, despite its unnecessarily repetitive name, is impressive hardware in a market where legacy device makers rule the roost and charge top dollar for smartphones packing the same kind of internals as the One. The OnePlus One is actually a remarkable deal at $299 for an unlocked device, and proof that Google isn’t the only company in town that can offer Nexus style price economics.
Basics
MSRP: $299 5.5-inch, 1920×1080 display 16GB storage Quad-core 2.5GHz processor with 3GB RAM LTE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi Product info page
Pros
Cheap without compromises Highly customizable out of the box
Cons
Hulking huge design Customization isn’t for everyone The OnePlus One’s performance is unparalleled for a device in this price range, and that’s almost all that needs to be said about that. It packs as much RAM and the same kind of processor as smartphones that lead the category in terms of specs, like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8) – yet it manages to do so at a fraction (more than 1/2) the price of those devices. And the specs aren’t hollow; their effect
NOW SHOWINg Apsara Cinema
is felt in the animations of the OS and the performance of Android games and apps loaded onto the device. There were some issues early in testing with weird visual glitches when accessing the settings and notification panel from the top bar of the home screen, but OnePlus quickly acknowledged and then zapped these issues with a software update – another of its virtues is
Bobby Jasoos
Lekar Hum Deewana Dill
that it can push these out without leaning on either Google or carrier partners thanks to the use of Cyanogen as its primary OS. This Android fork offers a near-stock experience in many ways, but with extensive customization options. It’s a very capable performer, too, and in many ways much better than the customized interfaces that most other Android OEMs throw down on top of Google’s mobile platform.
Ek Villain
TransformersAge of extinction
Holiday
Daily at 2, 5 & 8 PM
Daily at 11 AM
Anuradha Cineplex
Daily at 2.15 & 8.15 PM
Daily at 11 AM (E), 5 PM (H) Daily at 2.45 PM
Fun Cinemas
Daily at 8.40 PM
Daily at 9.40 AM
Daily at 12.20 & 5.50 PM
Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)
Daily at 11.30 AM , 5.30 & 8.30 PM
Daily at 2.30 PM
Daily at 11 AM, 2, 5 & 8 PM
Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazar)
Daily at 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM
Daily at 2.30 PM
Daily at 11 AM, 2, 5 & 8 PM
Gold Cinema (Narengi)
Daily at 11 AM
Daily at 8 PM
Daily at 11 AM, 2, 5 PM
Daily at 8.30 PM
19
G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Facebook introduces ‘missed call’ ads in India
F
acebook aims to target customers in emerging markets like India with its new ‘missed call’ ads. The service allows mobile phone users to click a button that calls a brand advertiser, immediately hang up and then receive a return call. The advertisement would cater to the 100 million Facebook users in India who will be able to request cricket scores and more by placing a “missed call” and receiving a recorded call or text message back. Facebook said that it has been researching cell phone usage in India and has found that people used missed calls to avoid the high cost of voice calls. The practice has become so common that some businesses have started sending recordings or SMS messages to people who place a missed call to them.
YouTube will soon have new features including video playback at 60fps Google has announced that Youtube will soon get support for playing clips at 48 and 60 framesper-second. This announcement has created a lot of excitement among gamers who upload their video game footage onto the site. In order to have your videos playback at 60fps, you will need to make sure that the 1080p resolution is selected. Other than the upgrade in frame-rate support, YouTube will also receive a host of new features: Fan Funding: YouTube is soon going to integrate services like KickStarter, IndieGogo, Patreon etc. which will help users contribute money to support a channel of a YouTube user at any time. This feature is still being tested and will soon land on desktop and Android. Subtitles from fans: YouTube will also support a new feature through which fans of your videos will be able to submit translations in any language on the subtitles or captions that you have created. This will help users who are unfamiliar with the language of a particular video understand it which can further help get more viewers. New audio library and sound effects: Users will now have access to thousands of royalty-free sound effects to use in their videos. Many new tracks have also been added to the existing Audio Library. YouTube Creator Studio: The new Creator Studio will help users manage and view analytics of their videos. A new app is also available for Android to bring all the easy access to mobile phones. The app will also launch on iOS soon. A redesigned Creator Studio will also debut on the desktop soon. All these new features were announced by YouTube at the ongoing VidCon 2014.
Facebook is currently testing the service in parts of India and is expected to roll out more widely over the next few months. This is Facebook’s first foray into new ad formats tailored to a particular country. The social networking giant is planning to expand this approach to other emerging countries, like South Africa, Indonesia and Brazil. “There’s an opportunity for us to get much more localized with what we’re building and developing,” Kelly MacLean, Facebook’s business lead for emerging markets, said in an interview. “That’s an area we’re really going to invest in.” “We’ve seen positive results in early tests with advertisers like Garnier Men and plan to scale this product in the coming months,” Facebook said.’ The model will help Facebook’s in-
crease its advertising revenue in emerging markets. The company has a 39 percent increase in its mobile user base over the year-ago quarter with nearly 945 million monthly active
mobile users. Facebook’s advertising revenue grew nearly 76 percent y-o-y to $2.34 billion with mobile ad revenue making up 53 percent of the total amount.
I
PM Narendra Modi gives Twitter direct access to government
came to the most real-time tweets when almost 390,000 TPM (tweets per minute) were sent out when
Chilean player Gonzalo Jara missed his penalty kick, beating the previous record by a handy 8,000 TPMs.
Indian Air Force Launches 3D Mobile Game to Attract Youth
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi has permitted Twitter unprecedented access to his administration in a drive to put social media at the heart of government, the US internet company said. Modi deployed an army of supporters over Twitter and Facebook during his successful election campaign. He has put both the microblogging site and Facebook at the centre of his government’s media and research strategies since taking office a month ago and has asked ministers and lawmakers to follow suit. The 63-year-old’s focus on social media presents opportunities for the companies, which see India as one of their top growth markets and are sending senior executives to forge relationships with the government. Twitter has been given direct access to ministers and their staff, advising them on social media usage, as well as organizing workshops to train ambassadors and other diplomats, said Raheel Khursheed, head of news, politics and government at Twitter India.
Transfer Files Between Computers Over Wi-Fi with Any Send Indrajeet Bhuyan
Brazil-Chile World Cup match spawned record 390K tweets per minute t’s official, every living person on Earth gives a damn about the ongoing FIFA World Cup. This was underscored when Twitter revealed that 16.4 million tweets were generated by Saturday night’s football match between Brazil and Chile, that made it the most tweeted about a match of the World Cup. The record for the most overall tweets about a sporting event is still held by Super Bowl 48 with 24.9 million tweets but the Brazil-Chile match did beat that event when it
Web Watch
E
mbarking on its first sortie in virtual world, the Indian Air Force today launched nation’s first 3D mobile game in a bid to attract generation-next youth to pursue a career in the air force. Launching the 3D mobile game ‘Guardians of the Skies’ (GOTS), Air Marshal S Sukumar hailed the event as a significant milestone in encouraging youth to join IAF and also expressed concerns over tapping the best of the human resources from the upcoming generations. “We are getting the numbers, but we want to attract the best of the boys and the girls to join the Air Force,” said Sukumar, who is also the Air Officer-in-charge Personnel. GOTS, which is freely available on android, windows and iOS platforms for mobile, has been conceptualised to showcase the might of the air force in a virtual format with users being of-
fered gripping air combat scenarios and realistic graphics, he said. “Indian Air Force is on a trajectory of modernisation and is transforming itself so as to meet the security challenges which are multi-dimensional in nature that the country faces in the future years,” Sukumar told reporters. “As we induct modern equipment and enhance our capabilities we are very conscious of the fact that any success in any future conflict will be determined most by the quality of the human resource that we have,” he said. GOTS features a storyline where the IAF is engaged in defence missions against a fictitious nation named ‘Zaruzia’, which coincidentally like India’s neighbour Pakistan, is politically and economically unstable and has also witnessed a military coup. “The storyline is fictitious, the enemy is fictitious but the gaming experience will be real,” he said.
T
ransfer Files Between Computers Over Wi-Fi with Any Send Transferring files from one computer to other can be a difficult if you do not have external storage media (Ex. External hard disk, Pen drive). People usually prefer LAN sharing. But there is a nice tool Any Send that can solve your problem. With this software utility, you can easily transfer files between two computers over Wi-Fi network. This is a cross-platform tool and supports Windows, Mac and Android. Notable thing about the tool is that there is no file size limit and transfer speed is good enough. For transferring files from one system to other, you need to install this tool in both computer. After installation, it will add an icon to the Windows task bar (Menu bar in MAC). Now select files which you want to transfer and copy (CTRL + C) to clipboard. Now click on the task bar icon and select the computer to which you want to transfer files. On other system, it will ask the permission to accept the file. Accept the file and the file will be saved to the other system. If you want to transfer folder, you do not need to zip it. Select folder, copy it and then select the other computer where you want to transfer file. Only thing you need to care is that all computers need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The file transfer will happen instantly. 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
20
G PLUS JUN 05 - JUL 11, 2014
G-Talk
Will GMC’s new garbage management plan work? Debajyoti Kalita
Prasanta Protim Dutta
Chief Project Coordinator, Pragati Sangha,
POINT
A
t last, GMC has taken a good step by introducing the new Garbage Management Plan which should have been done much earlier. In the year 2008, the Hyderabad based company Ramky Enviro Engineers Pvt. Ltd. had entered into an agreement with GMC for Municipal Solid Waste Management. They agreed to collect garbage from about one lakh Households within the GMC ward area. But Guwahati has approximately two Lakh households within it. Another reason for failure of Ramky’s work was that they didn’t have a proper monitoring system on secondary Collection as well as primary Collection of Municipal Solid Waste by their workers and appointed agencies respectively. Because of that, GMC was in a mess and they could not get rid of the problem that Ramky had created. Gradually, Ramky had stopped working as per the terms and conditions of the agreement and they had started threatening GMC by submitting termination letters from time to time. When the situations deteriorated, the GMC officers had started to find out solutions to get rid of it. They have decided to send GMC officials for study tours to different Municipal Corporations of India. As a part of it, a team of seven people, including the Additional Commissioner, Chief Engineer, Divisional Engineer (Div – IV) of GMC, OSD of JNNURM Cell of GMC, one Executive of JNNURM Cell, Myself, our NGO’s (Pragati Sangha) President Mrs. Bobita Borah Deka and the President of another NGO (Suraj NGO) Mr. Tagar
Road traffic rules
Ch. Sarma went to the Pune Municipal Corporation. Based on the process of Solid Waste Management in Pune, GMC had also made an action plan for Guwahati city and decided to appoint different NGOs to carry out the Door-to-Door garbage collection process with certain strict terms & conditions. Now, what GMC is going to do is keep a strict vigil on its appointed NGO’s work as well as making provisions for proper coordination between Public & GMC (through setting up of Toll Free No. for grievance redressal & creating awareness by publishing advertisements through news papers and other media). GMC has set up a vigilance system by which they are going to monitor the work of NGOs which are appointed for garbage collection. The appointed NGOs will have to record the actual number of households within their ward area and they have to report it to GMC. This will help to clean the whole area within Guwahati city. All NGOs have to submit Monthly Progress Reports as well as Audit Reports as per the GMC’s guidelines to make the process more transparent. Apart from it, the Ward Committees consisting of the Ward Councilor (who will be the Chairman)along with all the Ward Area Members, few other nominated members form the locality and the Zonal Engineers & Divisional Engineers (as Member Secretary) will also keep vigil on those NGOs. This time no NGO will be spared for their misdeeds. If GMC continue this system, then definitely the new Garbage Management Plan will work.
Journalist
COUNTERPOINT
A
s a resident of Guwahati, we have already witnessed the kind of work carried out by Ramky which was responsible for operating the garbage management system of the city. Though, Ramky will no longer be a part of the city garbage management, it is a fact that the organisation failed to keep the city clean. After the failure of Ramky, the GMC has now initiated a new mode of operation for cleaning the dumps of the city. But, there is doubt that the new system will be able to solve the garbage management of the city. Even, earlier, when Ramky was operating in Guwahati, it had been stated that the officials of the organisation would come to every household and collect the garbage every day. But, in reality, they do not visit the household as long as a week for garbage collection. The Ramky had blamed the households for not making any payment to them in return of the service
Even after suffering from problems of flash floods, years after year, the city people are still throwing away the garbage of their houses into the flowing waters of the drain or the river and rivulets.
they provide. But, who would pay for an unsatisfactory irregular service provided by some organisation? In the meantime, it is high time for the citizens to become responsible and keep their eyes and ears wide open regarding what is going on in their own localities. It is definitely a good move on part of the GMC to engage local people in keeping their own localities clean. But, it is a sad truth that most of the public of Guwahati do not have any regular civic sense. Even after suffering from problems of flash floods, years after year, the city people are still throwing away the garbage of their houses into the flowing waters of the drain or the river and rivulets. They neither throw the garbage at the dustbins being kept on the roadside nor dispose it inside their own respective campuses. The garbage thrown in the drains and other water channels of the city have clogged the water flowing through the drains and other water channels and contributing towards increasing problem of flash flood. There is doubt that the people who give least importance towards resolving the problem of flash flood will be able to help manage the garbage system of the city. Therefore, if we want to make the city clean, we, the citizens will have to understand the importance of maintaining cleanliness and cooperate the authority in whatever steps they are taking to keep the city clean. At the same time, they will have the capability to criticise the authority and even themselves if anything goes wrong. Otherwise, no initiatives will be able to keep the city clean.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir, I follow G Plus pretty often and keep coming across stories on city traffic arrangements. The recent urban floods were already a burden to the commuters but the city chaotic traffic is not a new issue Guwahatians are facing. I just want to bring to your notice that no matter how much we try but some rule breakers are somehow entirely responsible for the chaotic traffic. People overtake in places where they not expected to. For just saving some petrol people do not mind risking their and even others’ lives by entering into one-way roots just to avoid a long U-turn. I even see some two-wheelers crossing dividers to go to the other side of the road. At night the people do not like waiting at the traffic signals to wait for the green signal. I just want to say that the authorities do keep an eye on the rule breakers but aren’t the rules made pretty easy for people to break. And with the police-graft record, it is easy to get away with anything in the city. There are also some roads which seriously require dividers like the road from Sharabbhati to Lokhara. New drivers can never be able to drive confidently in such roads. Even the driving licence giving departments should scan the applications and take proper tests before providing licenses as I know someone who got a licence without sitting for any test. The person just paid a bit more to an agent and got the license sitting at home. Such negligence increases the risk of accidents and a lot of people suffer in roads. There are also some points where there are hardly any traffic police and people cross the crossings roughly which scares the commuters. It is not that everyone breaks rules, there are some who seriously require stricter guidelines.
Pranjit Deka Beltola
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TIME MANAGEMENT ritu gupta gritu21@yahoo.com
T
ime management is all about how you have used your time in a more productive way. These days, half of the people are more stressed regarding time management. By prioritising and organising your work, you save a lot of time. Managing time is getting a grip on how you should spend your time precisely. Monitoring yourself each day as to where you have wasted your time and accordingly plan out, helps us to manage time in a better way. Many a times we hear people saying that they have no time to breathe. This only proves that they have not been able to manage time correctly. Everyone in the timemanagement consulting business will tell you the same thing - “learn to say no.” It is very difficult to say no until you have established your own sense of agency and purpose.
How to manage time? • The best way to start with is to make a daily, weekly or monthly time table.
• Keeping in mind to do the most strenuous work early in the morning as our energy level is highest during the early hours. • Take frequent intervals in between your working hours and try to add a lot of humour and laughter. 45 minutes of work followed by 10 minutes of break rejuvenates your mind.
Life
• Learn to say a NO. Many a times we are not able to say no and as a result we are over burdened with our work producing a lot of stress in our lives. • Starting your day a little early helps you stay calm. • Keeping a balance in your effort and not over exerting yourself will help you remain balanced. • Getting proper sleep at night for about 7-9 hours will keep you energetic. • It’s very important to have a little fun time as well. After a strenuous day it’s always a good idea to pamper yourself. Going out with your friends and loved ones or enjoy watching a movie. • Rewrite and prioritise your work each day. Optimise your time and don’t just manage it. Time waits for no one but doing the right thing at the right time is very important. To speak precisely, much of our time is wasted when we look at it from the point of urgency and not importance. But the day we realise the importance of time we will also learn to manage it. To end it with, here’s a beautiful quote which says, “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”
Spirit against E=mc2 “T
he spirit world has no industry and no money changing hands, so there are no thoughts of greed or competition. The spirit body doesn’t require food, so thoughts about eating aren’t created. The spirit body remains in perfect health, so there’s no need to think about diet or exercise. The materialist may think this sounds rather dull, as he can’t conceive of life without the pursuit of physical pleasure. Yet the spirit world is alive with thoughts of love directed towards the quest for knowledge. We are served by keeping our thoughts ones of beauty. We can be harmed by holding thoughts aimed at fulfilling physical pleasure.” An excerpt from the book, “Life after Death” by Mary T. Browne has compelled me to contemplate on a subject which I have heard being discussed time and again but have refused to accept it as the truth. The Books say that a spiritual life will be bestowed on us after death and that is the ultimate truth. Everyone seemed to have hammered this thought into the deep recesses of my brain. It had stayed there undisturbed; till I read this book and memories were re-stirred. Mary T. Browne explicitly chronicles her brush with departed spirits of the other world. Most of the time, they tell her that they are either happy in the astral life or worried about the family back on Earth. It’s hard to believe that after we die and crumble to dust, it is possible for the soul, which is said to stay alive even after the physical form is no longer there, can even think and connect with its life in the world? Can it think? Does it have a mind? Can it remember anything from its life on Earth? How is it possible for a spirit to exist after a human body changes into a different form of energy? Questions which are so very difficult to understand and answer.
But if I were to take explanations from science, then it says that E=mc 2; meaning that all mass is equal to energy. So, if mass in its disintegration is converted to energy, then where and how does the soul exist? And that too, a miracle ‘visitation’ from the ‘other side’ to its family and friends through Mary, who claims that she can feel the presence of these spirits when their family meets her for a counselling session? Too far-fetched a story, don’t you think? Physics says that mass converts to different forms of energy depending on how it disintegrates. The fundamental energy particles discovered so far are quartz, gluon, neutrino and their counter particles. So who are we to believe now? Metaphysics or physics? Mary T. Browne, who speaks almost like the Holy books or Albert Einstein who had meticulously put together the greatest scientific formula of E=mc 2? On a softer plane, another excerpt from Mary’s book says, “We are not free if we are obsessed by anything, be it a substance or a person or a desire for material gain. All these imbalances are created by our thinking. Imagine that! We can change our lives by changing the way we think.” I do agree with her on this! “.....we would be well served if we started our positive thinking patterns right now. There’s nothing gained by delaying.” This I feel is one of the best parts of the book. What more can we people want than happiness? However, if you were to ask anyone what is it that they desire most, which will make them happy, 90% would say money. “So why do you want money?” “To buy new clothes.” “Why do you need new clothes?” “I don’t look good in the old ones.” “Why don’t you look in the old clothes.” “I don’t fit into them.” So if we look keenly enough, the ultimate answer is Me. So, the best thing to do would be to work on ME,
instead of any other factor and the rest will follow. Money shouldn’t be the means of happiness but can be used as a tool. The best part of the book “Life after Death” was the chapter, “Prescription for Grief”. One of Mary’s clients, Diana was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and the doctors gave her only 6 months to live. She took the news with great dignity and decided to spend what time she had left, enjoying herself. Diana was a workaholic who’d always found it difficult to take a vacation. She worked and her life went by in a whirl. Only on hearing the news of her impending death did she start to enjoy her life, travelling to Europe with her sister and doing other things she’d never given herself the time to do: In retrospect she would’ve lived her life differently. “I never took time to have fun or to contemplate my spiritual beliefs. Now I deeply regret it. Please tell people that money and success are fine, but there’s more to life. Don’t wait until you’re dying to start living.” I think the last line itself is self-explanatory. We all want to live and live it to the fullest. So why not start now, this very second instead of postponing it for a future date. I am sure Einstein too had his hiatus from formulating E=mc 2 and came back feeling fresh and ready to start where he stopped! We neither need Physics or Metaphysics to teach us this really easy formula of happiness and fulfilment! And when you know your life is well spent, then try and keep aside precious moments for the people who need you most; the deprived and the impoverished.
tinat ATIFA MASOOD
A Say Over Your Mind Question - Answer
Q: How to control emotions in times of crisis? Breathing, breathing, and breathing. Breath is the biggest secret that nature has put in you. It is linked to your emotions. Through breathing exercise technique, you can control your emotions. I think many of you have experienced this, isn’t it? (Many raise their hands) Those who have not experienced this, you must do a little bit of breathing exercises regularly, then you will have more say over your mind. Q: When was the last time you got angry at someone? I don’t even remember! Suppose you are angry at somebody, don’t start regretting it. Regret makes you become angry once again. For me, I can count on my fingers the number of times I have gotten angry. It is not in my nature. I have not done anything special not to get angry. Somehow I have been made this way. I can’t take any credit for it. I have never said a single bad word to anybody all these years. It never has happened. I have never blamed, cursed or said any bad word to anybody. Q: How can we stop thinking the same recurring thought? There is no way, because you recognize the thoughts only after they have already come. Isn’t it? They come and then you recognize it. So when you recognize it, get busy. If you simply sit, you will keep thinking a lot. If you keep acting, you will feel that you are more with the flow. Q: Aggression is considered as a sign of power these days, how to change this? If aggression is the power that brings positive change, the world would have changed a lot through all the aggression that has happened and is now happening in many parts of the world. But that is not what we see. Where there is aggression, there is distress. There are more issues, more problems, and more poverty. With aggression, we move backward. Wherever there is aggression, you see that the people have gone backward; at least fifteen to twenty
years backward, if not more. Cooperation is key. The world has seen many aggressions which have not given great result. Sometimes, people think war is very good because war can change laws. They think that war can destroy what was there and bring a change of law. But you know, for that to happen, several generations suffers. In this age of information and technology, I think people are intelligent. We don’t need to go through that suffering. I think we are much more intelligent, and much more informed, so we don’t need war. All that we need is awareness. Q: How should one balance life between social service, business and responsibilities at home? Do you all drive cars ? Yes! When you drive a car what do you do? You look at the side mirrors, rear view mirror and you look in the windshield as well. How do you balance all three? You can’t say, ‘I will only look at the rear mirror’, or, ‘I only look in the front’, or, ‘I only look at the sides’. You have to simultaneously do all the three and you do that? Exactly same way! Rear view mirror is like knowing the past. You should have little memory of the past. If you have done some mistake, it should not be repeated. Front mirror is like the vision of life ahead. That is why, the front windshield is very big and the rear view mirror is very small. Then there are side mirrors, these are for you to be aware of what is happening around you all the time. So how you use all three? Exactly same way! Q: How do I always be happy and not get entangled by the boundaries set by body mind and thought? If you drop this always, you will be happy. Never mind if you are unhappy for a little while, so what? If you think I should never be unhappy, then that becomes a cause of unhappiness.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji
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Fun
Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE
TAURUS Your emotions — and those of others — will be all over the map right now. Anything that happens Monday or Tuesday can be safely written off — moodiness and sensitivity levels are off the charts. Wednesday and Thursday are more even-keeled days, but money issues figure prominently. (If someone presents you with a grand moneymaking scheme, don’t opt in.) You won’t really feel like yourself until Friday or Saturday. The weekend holds good things for you, although Sunday feels a little off kilter.
GEMINI You are thinking like a scientist at the start of the week, and your interest in your own emotions is almost clinical. You’re in a logical, observational mode; but, as you know, some things simply can’t be calculated. This is loud and clear on Wednesday and Thursday especially, when you find yourself getting along remarkably well with people you hardly know. Chalk it up to chemistry. On Friday, your relations with others are less smooth — for reasons not entirely clear — but a great conversation on Sunday sets you on a good course for next week.
CANCER
SUDOKU
LIBRA
If someone asks you what your favorite kind of pie is on Monday or Tuesday, you won’t be able to answer. You like the texture of apple but the flavor of pumpkin. Or whatever. Every decision — even a minor one — this week expands into a complex set of irreconcilable variables. Midweek has you feeling torn about bigger issues than pie preference. Come Friday, you may feel more like hanging out around the house with a remote control (or a book) in your hand than anything else. You are in a thoughtful mood this weekend. Stay home: You’re happy with a minimum of fanfare.
LEO The easy answer isn’t interesting to you right now. You’d like to know what’s really going on. On Monday and Tuesday you’re in detective mode — asking penetrating questions, considering every angle. And on Wednesday, buoyed by all your research, you charge into the world with fresh insights and confidence; no mincing words for you. Thursday is a big day romancewise, and on Friday your ego is front and center. Try as you might to deflect attention on Saturday, all eyes are on you. Don’t let a personality clash with someone else ruin a rejuvenating Sunday. Be optimistic and forgiving.
VIRGO Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s also the heart of discovery. You are nothing if not curious at the start of the week, and your analytical powers have never been stronger. Your restlessness right now is incredibly useful. Communicate what you’re thinking. On Wednesday and Thursday you’d like to be climbing mountains or testing theorems, but your family has other things in mind. Don’t distress, because you’ll have plenty of personal time on Friday and Saturday. (Although your love life might pull you in other directions.) Sunday is a day of resolutions and new beginnings.
All you can think about is money this week. Obviously you’re thinking about more than money, per se — when you get right down to it, you’re thinking about the future — but the value of material possessions and striking a balance between generosity and stinginess are very much on your mind. The middle of the week relieves you from this line of thinking by way of a purely fun excursion with a couple of your friends. In the days leading up to Sunday, chances are good that your mind will go to thoughts of the past. But Sunday, once again, your mind’s on the future.
SCORPIO Your energy is bright and powerful these days and on Monday you’re feeling like a new you. You go into the week stronger (and more respected) than you’ve felt in a while. The confidence suits you. Your mind is open to anything, but it might be too open on Wednesday and Thursday when you may find yourself caught up in a crowd mentality, being persuaded to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Friday returns you to a high sense of order and selfcontrol. That’s all well and good, but don’t forget to party Saturday night.
SAGITTARIUS Your life is a movie at the outset of the week, but you can’t quite follow the dialogue and the car chases make no sense. And who’s the hero in this flick anyway? If you feel like canceling dinner plans and kicking back in front of the TV, hey, by all means. By Wednesday and Thursday your social calendar’s too packed for TV time, and on Friday and Saturday music and art figure strongly. If someone asks you about your goals, don’t roll your eyes; planning for the future never hurt anyone. In fact, on Sunday, someone might share a goal of their own that is so brilliant you’ll consider adding it to your list.
JUST FOR LAUGHs
A big, burly man visited the pastor’s home and asked to see the minister’s wife, a woman well known for her charitable impulses. “Madam,” he said in a broken voice, “I wish to draw your attention to the terrible plight of a poor family in this district. The father is dead, the mother is too ill to work, and the nine children
CAPRICORN Monday and Tuesday are great days for decision-making, but don’t go on your gut alone. You have a wealth of information to work with. Look at the details. Organize yourself. Wednesday and Thursday, when your plans go into effect, you may feel hesitant or awkward or pessimistic or crazy — you’ll be bouncing all over the place emotionally, but stay the course. By Friday you’ll already be reaping the rewards of a path well chosen. People will be complimenting you right and left this weekend. The more modest you are, the more impressive you will be.
AQUARIUS Monday and Tuesday are great days for decision-making, but don’t go on your gut alone. You have a wealth of information to work with. Look at the details. Organize yourself. Wednesday and Thursday, when your plans go into effect, you may feel hesitant or awkward or pessimistic or crazy — you’ll be bouncing all over the place emotionally, but stay the course. By Friday you’ll already be reaping the rewards of a path well chosen. People will be complimenting you right and left this weekend. The more modest you are, the more impressive you will be.
PISCES There are things you’re willing to live with and things you just aren’t. On Monday, you may have to draw a line in the sand. Others may react in funny ways, but your good friends will stand by your side. Tuesday will be an emotionally rocky day — after putting your foot down, you may feel pangs of regret (they’ll pass) — but Wednesday is a lucky day for you, as is Thursday. Friday and Saturday you’re happiest sharing your good luck with others. This leads to a realization this weekend: You want to do something with your life that helps lots of people. You have big dreams.
are starving. They are about to be turned into the cold, empty streets unless someone pays their rent, which amounts to $400.” “How terrible!” exclaimed the preacher’s wife. “May I ask who you are?” The sympathetic visitor applied his handkerchief to his eyes. “I’m the landlord,” he sobbed.
Solutions (Last Issue)
ARIES
At the beginning of the week you’re like a plant just barely breaking the surface of the ground. The world is heavy. The sun is distant. What with everything on your mind, expect to be unusually introverted. By Wednesday, you’ll be sprouting huge leaves and growing in unforeseen directions. A new friend comes into your life on Thursday — a cute flower, perhaps? On Friday, when a ray of light lands directly on you, make sure you’re looking your best. It’s an exciting weekend for you, but try to stay grounded on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, go wild.
TIMEPASS
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G PLUS JUL 05 - JUL 11, 2014
BIKE REPAIRING CENTRE G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues.
Compiled by Mautapa Dhar
A To Z Bike Repairing
jatia, Kahilipara Road, Bharalumukh, Ghy – 9, Ph-9954468042
A To Z Bike Repairing Centre Beltola, Baisista Road, Ghy – 28 Ph-9085549680
All Bike Repairing Centre
Ambari, Fatashil, A K Deb Raod, Ghy – 25 Ph- 9864977944
Bike Junction
Chinmoyee Complex, Commercial Block, Tokobari Kalimandir, A T.Road, Ghy– 1 Ph- 9864112132, 9435118087
Bike Repaiing Point
Notboma, Miyazan Nagar, Hatigaon Road, Ghy – 38 Ph-8752943472
Bike Point
Ambari Fatashil, A K Deb Raod, Ghy -25 Ph-9508983243
Brindaban Bike & Scooter
Karnee Bike Point
MS. Hussain Bike Point
Hatigaon Chariali, Sijubari Road, Ghy -38 Ph- 9864607856
Mina Bike Service
Sijubari, Hatigaon Road, Ghy- 38 Ph- 8876776325
M A Bike Works
Dakhingaon Bus Stop, Kahilipara, Ghy –19 Ph- 9085302118
Motumoni Bike Point
Paltan Bazar, Idgah Road, Ghy –8 Ph- 9954010751
New Bike Point
Rabiul Bike Repairing
Barman Bike Works
R K Bike Repairing World
Satgaon, Railway Line, Ghy – 27 Ph- 9613011690
Sanjay Bike Repairing
Satgaon, Bhaskar Path, Udayan Vihar, Ghy- 781171 Ph-9707632084
Dream Bikes
Block A, Chinmoyee Complex, Tokobari Kalimandir, A T Road, Ghy -1 Ph- 9435178087 , 9864014633
Dulu Bike Garage
Narangi Road, Noonmati, Ghy – 20 Ph- 9954186510
G D Scoo Bike Centre
16, Chinmoyee Complex, Near Kalimandir, Tokobari, Ghy– 1 Ph- 03612603642
Hi Speed Bikes
Near L C B College, A T Road, Maligaon Chariali, Ghy -11 Ph-8811003658, 8811003665 Janapriya Bike Point Sijubari, Chariali, Hatigaon Road, Ghy – 38 Ph- 9678366075
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)
Satgaon Road, Ghy- 27 Ph- 9577879144
Chowhan Bike Workshop
12 MS Road, Hotel Opposte, Rly Gate, Fancy Bazar, Ghy-1 Ph- 9864014333
BLOOD BANK
Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594
MAA Arati Bike Works
Boro Bike Repairing Centre
Hengrabari Road, Ghy - 36 Ph- 9859039093
Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251
Ambari Fatashil, M B Raod, Ghy– 25 Ph- 8811839917
Gangeshguri, G S Road, Japorigog, Ghy – 5 Ph- 9864097375
Beltola, Baisista Road, Ghy- 28 Ph- 9707051915
AMBULANCE
Kumudini Commercial Complex, Ground Floor, Shankar Nagar, A T Road, Ghy - 1 Ph- 9864059312
Jayanagar, Khanapara, Ghy – 22 Ph- 9854257373
Nitiali, Jyoti Nagar Road, Bamunimaidan, Ghy – 21 Ph- 9854378707
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Citypedia
Sarawgi Bike Point
Shiba Bike Point
Near Rly Gate No 6, F A Road, Machkhuwa, Ghy - 9 Ph- 9706092495
Saha Bike Works
Bharalumukh, K R B Road, Ghy- 9 Ph- 9435079800
Used Bikes and Cars
G S Road, Sixmail, Khanapara, GUWAHATI – 781022 tel:+919954090958
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 05 - JUL 11, 2014
Catching Up
Headlining acts! Targeting overweight workers with wellness programs can backfire
Iggy Azalea WHO’S SHE Amethyst Amelia Kelly better known by her stage name Iggy Azalea, is an Australian recording artist and model from Mullumbimby, New South Wales. She left for the United States at the age of 16, to pursue a career in hip hop music. SO WHAT ‘Fancy’, the single no. from her 1st debut studio album ‘The New Classic’ reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 after its release on 21st April 2014, with Azalea becoming only the fourth solo female rapper ever to top the Hot 100. Now what Iggy Azalea is Billboard’s longestleading No.1 female rapper since her single Fancy has spent six weeks at the top of the US charts. She surpassed Lil’ Kim’s previous record of five weeks for 2001’s Lady Marmalade collaboration. She also broke a record held by the Beatles since 1964 by scoring the top two spots with her first two chart entries and is expecting her feat to run longer.
Controversial American scientist slammed for irresponsible flu research Senior scientists have criticised an American university for allowing controversial research on enhancing a pandemic strain of flu virus to be undertaken in a laboratory with a relatively low level of biosecurity. The University of Wisconsin-Madison was labelled irresponsible and negligent for allowing one of its scientists, Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, to genetically manipulate pandemic H1N1 flu virus in a laboratory categorised as biosafety level-2 (BSL-2).
Employers say obesity is a top health concern for their workers. For several years, Ryan Tax Services in Dallas has offered a wellness program to its 2,000-person staff. The program includes health fairs, free screenings, cooking demos and health club memberships. Nearly 70 percent of employees participate, and that’s helped curb health care costs, according to the company. Obesity can lead to medical complications like diabetes and heart disease, and can increase absenteeism and the risk of injury on the job. Helping overweight employees nudge the scale in the other direction might be good for their health and for the company’s bottom line.
Shia Labeouf WHO’S HE Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor and director who became known among younger audiences as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens. LaBeouf received a Young Artist Award nomination in 2001 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2003 for his role. SO WHAT In 2007, LaBeouf starred in the lead role of the commercially successful films Disturbia and Surf ’s Up. The same year he was cast in Michael Bay’s science fiction film Transformers as Sam Witwicky, the main protagonist of the series. Despite mixed reviews, Transformers was a box office success and one of the highest grossing films of 2007. Now what LaBeouf, 28, was arrested last week for causing a disturbance at the Broadway show “Cabaret,” when he stood up in the middle of the show and started yelling at the actors onstage. Contrary to previous erroneous reports, Shia LaBeouf has not checked into a rehabilitation facility but he is voluntarily receiving treatment for alcohol addiction.
pick of the week
What did I just hear?
India’s Mars Orbiter spacecraft has completed 75% of its journey for its rendezvous with the red planet scheduled for 24 September. The spacecraft has covered a distance of approximately 510 million kilometres on its heliocentric arc towards Mars capture, Bangalore headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Friday. With this, three-fourth of the 300-day voyage in deep space to Mars has been completed.
Mamata Banerjee, reportedly “anguished” at the shocking comments on rape made by her party’s MP Tapas Pal, and said he would have to “apologize in public”, but also said, “What do you want me to do about him, kill him? We have taken whatever steps that are needed to be taken. It is an individual utterance. What do you want? Should I kill him? What can I do? Whatever I can do we can do it through our policy”.
Kamur of the week Achhe Din Aane Waale Hai: Be it price rise, urban floods or any other problem, which affects the general public, the authorities always draw criticism. But this time almost everyone is being sarcastic by using Modi’s line acche din aane waale hai after NaMo became the Prime Minister. But is it not too early to criticise someone who has may be just started work in office?
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