G Plus Volume 2 Issue 14 by G Plus

INSTANT CHILLI PICKLE PG 16

Controlling uric acid PG 17 levels G Plus tells you some tips to keep your

Kelly Brook Wants Cheshire Home

Uric Acid level in control

Page 24

VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 14 JAN 10 - JAN 17, 2015

PRICE `10

19 NATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL th

`6 Cr Youth Fest livens up Guwahati

Continued on Page 02

GMC employees threaten

indefinite strike PG 08

GMDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAN OF ACTION 2014-15 PG 06

In Conversation with

Mac Haque

PG 15

Renowned Baul musician

WARD WATCH

BHASKAR NAGAR PG 11

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Lead Rahul Chanda

Today Guwahati has turned into a mini India. It has become a beautiful garden even better than the Mughal Garden,” were the words with which Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the 19th National Youth Festival at the Nehru Stadium, Guwahati on 8th January. Interestingly, the chief minister thanked the Union Minister of State, (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs and Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal for bringing such an event to the state. It is for the first time that Guwahati is hosting the festival and it is also being held for the first time in one of the north-eastern state. But who all are coming for the fest and how is the arrangement? What is the budget for the entire event and what will Guwahati gain from it? G Plus tries to explore.

The guests

The event is being thronged by 2,133 delegates from 35 states and union territories of India. 443 participants are from Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), 500 participants are from National Service Scheme (NSS), 173 from Yuva Vikash Kendra (YVK) besides six foreign delegates totalling the numbers to 3,249. The five day long festival starting from January 8, will be holding various competitive and non-competitive events in several venues across Guwahati before culminating with the closing ceremony on January 12. The participating states and union territories includes Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Assam. The inaugural function was attended by Tarun Gogoi, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, State Sports and Youth Welfare Minister, Ajit Singh, MP PA Sangma, MP Sushmita Dev besides bureaucrats including state chief secretary Jitesh Khosla, Secretary of Youth Affairs, Government of India, Rajiv Shukla and Commissioner and Secretary, Sports and Youth welfare, Government of Assam, Ajay Tewari. The closing ceremony which will be held on January 12 will be attended by Union Minister of Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh as the chief guest, Tarun Gogoi, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister of state for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Ajit Singh among others.

State participants 2133 NYK participants 443 NSS participants 500 YVK participants 173

Total 3249

Assam tops the number of participants with 147 state youths participating in various events of the festival.

The venues

The activities to be held during the festival includes competitive and non-competitive cultural events, martial arts, exhibitions, intellectual discourses, young artists camps, seminars and adventure programmes. The Suvichar and Youth Convention is being held at the Don Bosco School from 9th to 11th January. The competitive events will be held at District Library Auditorium, Ravindra Bhawan Auditorium, Cotton College Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha Auditorium, Cotton College Sudmarshan Hall Auditorium and B Barooah College Auditorium. The adventure sports activities are being held at Sonaram Field and other cultural activities are being organised in many city venues like the Young Artist Camp at Nehru Park, Food Festival, Exhibition and Sale of Handloom/Handicrafts of Assam & Northeast at Chandmari Field. There will be around 60 food stalls exhibiting foods from across the country and as it is Bihu time, the Assam stalls will be specially exhibiting all kinds of Bihu pithas. The special attractions for all five days are:

`6 Cr Youth fesT

livens up gUWAHATI

8th January

items said, “I never gained so much even during Durga Puja or any other festival, but the youth festival is really a big business for me.” He further added that in a day he generally sells food items worth Rs 1000, which goes up to Rs 1500 during festivals, but in only one day of the youth festival (January 8) he sold food items worth Rs 8,000. Similarly, many other sectors have also gained from the festival like the transport sector, hotels, tourism and largely the Assam government who earned the goodwill of being prepared for hosting any kind of national event in the state.

Zubeen Garg Concert 9th January

Northeast Rock Concert

• Work in Progess Guwahati • Mami Verte, Mizoram

10th January

Papon and Band 11th January

Alka Yagnik show

The political angle

12 January

Closing ceremony All the cultural events and concerts will be held at Nehru Stadium and the entry is kept free for the general public. But, to avoid chaotic crowd, the authorities have distributed around 20,000 tickets which can be availed from various city spots like Radio Gupshup 94.3 FM, Club DMD, Nayantara Supermarket, Pickme, Ashoka Furnishing, Chhaganmal Sarawgi Petrol Pump, Big 92.7 FM, Pantaloon, KFC and Modern Book Depot.

Budget

The budget of the entire festival is Rs six crore, funded by both Governments of India and Assam in the ratio of 90:10. The publicity budget according to a tender which was floated to hire the event management company is Rs 75 lakhs. However, many participants lemented that although the

organisation of the fest in the initial stage was found to be impressive, the awareness level was not so commendable as many people are still unaware about the fact that such a national level event is being hosted by the city. People are also confused about the locations of the events being held.

Security

“We had a high level meeting and all the security measures are on place which will ensure safety to all visiting the festival,” said state sports minister Ajit Singh. According to some police officials, there is a threat to the festival

in Guwahati but the police is confident of combating any kind of danger. There is apprehension about traffic congestion in the city because of the festival, but, it may mostly happens only when the VIPs travel around in their convoys. There are around 20 battalions of police and army deployed in the city, especially for the festival.

Guwahati gain

The youth festival has come as a windfall for many small businessmen, ready to cash in on the massive crowd coming to view the festival. A street vendor at Ulubari selling fast food

It needs mention here that Guwahati, few days back, also hosted the national DGP meet which happened first time outside Delhi and was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who talked at length with the top cops of the country regarding his vision of a better police system in the country. Just after DGP meet, the national youth festival was also conferred to Assam by the central government. Now, the Centre knows well that 2016 is not that far, and, Assam will witness the legislative assembly elections and the newly formed central government by the BJP will obviously try to put Assam in its kitty. So, by bringing national events to Guwahati, might well be the BJP trying its best to woo the Assam public for 2016 elections. What now remains to be seen is how the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reacts to the situation. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

“Guwahati people are civilised enough” Jyotirmoy ChakraVArty Mrinmoyee Hazarika

ny new system brings with it new responsibilities. The recently transformed system of Guwahati city police too has brought new responsibilities for police officials dealing with crime and criminals in the city. After being in office for just a week now, the first police commissioner of the Guwahati police commissionerate, Jyotirmoy Chakravarty sees that the best way to deal with crime rest with the residents of the city. “One of the positives of dealing with crime here is that people living in the city are civilised enough. Of course, the city has a mixed culture and it is very natural for a city like Guwahati. Different kinds of people visit the city for different reasons. People come from and return to their villages regularly mostly in search of work. Some of them may get involved in criminal activities but at the same time, it cannot be denied that some locals get involved in such activities too. But, with the support of the citizens we will be able to nab the criminals,” Chakravarty told G Plus. While asked about the negative aspect of the city which needs to be addressed soon, Chakravarty said, “The problem of unruly youths, some of which relates to drugs, exists in every society and Guwahati too has witnessed such problem. Besides, the problem of traffic congestion exists in Guwahati which requires awareness and concern of the public. In order to reduce the traffic congestion, the rules has to be followed strictly.” After formation of the commissionerate a little more than a week ago, it has been dealing with the smooth functioning of 19th National Youth Festival, 2015, from January 8 in the city apart from other basic duties and responsibilities of police. “Since taking charge, we have been dealing with the National Youth Festival. Besides, the visit of VIPs and central ministers to the city is keeping us busy. Simultaneously, other basic works of the police stations, traffic drives on drunk driving, dealing with dharnas and insurgency and all other works which fall within our profession are going on,” said Chakravarty. Citing the busy schedule of the office, the city police commissioner mentioned that interaction with the public is must for building a good and healthy relation between the police and the public. But, because of the busy and hectic schedule, so far, the office of the commissionerate has not been able to interact with the public directly. “We will try to build a good public relation, but, because of the busy

The commissioner of police, Guwahati has been conferred with the following powers of the district magistrate under the acts and sections mentioned below 01 The Sarais act, 1867 (sections 3, 4,

6, 7 (2), 7 (3), 7 (6), 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15) The act in general deals with the registration of hotel, lodge, and guest house

02 The dramatic performances act,

1876 (sections 3, 4, 6 and 8)

The Dramatic Performances Act was implemented by the British Raj in India in the year 1876 to police seditious Indian theatre. India, being a colony of the British Empire had begun using the theatre as a tool of protest against the oppressive nature of the colonial rule. In order to check these revolutionary impulses, the British Government proceeded to impose the Dramatic Performances Act. Following India’s independence in 1947, the Act has not been repealed, and most states have introduced their own modified versions with certain amendments which have in fact, often strengthened the control of the administration over the theatre

03 The explosive substances act, 1908

(section 7)

The act advocates for punishment for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances, punishment for causing explosion likely to endanger life or property, punishment for attempt to cause explosion etc

04 The explosive act, 1984 (sections 5

and 9)

The act empowers to make rules as to licensing of the manufacture, possession, use, sale, transport, import and export of explosives and making inquiry into accidents etc.

05 The immoral traffic (prevention)

act, 1956 (sections 13 (2A), 16, 18, 19, 20 (1), 20 (2)) The act deals with the punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel, punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution and other related issues in the business of prostitution etc.

06 The probation of offenders act,

1958 (sections 13(2), 13 (3))

The act empowers to release certain offenders after admonition etc.

07 The Assam prisons act, 2013

(sections 8(1) (a), 13 (3))

The act deals with corrective reforms, rehabilitation and developing social relations of convicts during the period of his/her stay in jail etc.

08 8) The identification of prisoners

act, 1920 (33 of 1920) (section 7) This act authorizes the taking of measurements and photographs of convicts and others etc.

09 The official secrets act, 1923

(sections 11(1), 11 (3))

The act is India’s anti espionage (Spy” and “Secret agent”) act. The disclosure of any information that is likely to affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, or friendly relations with foreign States, is punishable by this act.

10 The unlawful activities (prevention)

act, 1967 (sections 8(2), 8 (3), 8 (4)) The act aimes at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.

11 The arms act, 1959 (sections 21, 22) The law is related to arms and ammunition in order to curb illegal weapons and violence using illegal weapons

12 The prevention of seditious

meeting act, 1911 (sections 4 (2), 5 and 7) The act empowers to prohibit public meetings, penalty for delivery of speeches in public places etc.

13 The foreigners act, 1946 (sections 6

(2) and 7 (3))

The act deals with issues related to the foreigners in the country

14 The national security act, 1980

(sections 3 (3))

The act empowers to make orders detaining certain persons suspected in involvement of safety and security of the nation.

15 The game and betting act, 1970

(sections 3 (7) and 16) The act empowers to deal with illegal activities of gamblers, gambling and betting.

16 The Assam loud

speakers (control) act, 1960 (section 3 (2)), subject to control by the state government and sections 4 (1) The law deals with the usage of loudspeaker etc

In The News • Under the sub-section 5 of section 20 of criminal procedure code, 1973, all the power of an executive magistrate has been conferred on the commissioner of police, Guwahati • The sub-section 1 of section 20 of the code of criminal procedure, 1973, all the police officers subordinate to the commissioner of police but not below the rank of assistant commissioner of police have been appointed as executive magistrate • In exercise of powers conferred under section 7 of the police act, 2007, the administration of police in Kamrup (M district) would be carried out by a commissioner of police and he/she would discharge his/ her functions or exercise all his powers under the general control ans supervision of Director General of Police, Assam schedule, we have not found enough time to work on that. We will be able to concentrate on building good public relation after 26th January,” stated Chakravarty. Regarding the future course of action, he further stated that direction had been given to all the OCs of the police stations to prepare a database on domestic helps working in the rented households of the city. “Such databases are there, but has not been maintained and updated properly. Now, direction has been sent to all the police stations to build new database which will be updated regularly. Moreover, we have plans to carry out a labour census in the city and build good relations with various nagarik committees. CCTV cameras have been installed in some of the places of the city. But, there is a need to install more such cameras covering more areas. Though all these activities require good amount of time, we will be working on it in the future,” mentioned Chakravarty. The police commissioner also opined that good coordination and cooperation among different government departments and officials is required in order to realise speedy and smooth functioning of various departmental works. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

In The News

NIA CHIEF ASSESSES VIOLENCE IN ASSAM G Plus NEWS

ith no major headway in the probe of cases related to recent violence by suspected National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) faction militants upon Adivasi people in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar district so far, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) director general Sharad Kumar reached Guwahati on Tuesday to assess the ground report. The NIA has taken over the probe from Assam police in two cases of Kokrajhar, one of Dhekiajuli and one of Biswanath Chariali. The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered NIA to take over the investigation of the massacre

from Assam police. During his three day long visit, Kumar met the chief minister Tarun Gogoi and discussed the matter. He also visited the violence hit areas of Dhekiajuli, Biswantah Chariali, Phulbari, Balidunga, Sonajuli in Sonitpur district and Ultapani, Serfanguri in Kokrajhar district. “The investigation agency is probing the various angles related to the violence. It will not only investigate who had orchestrated the violence, but also why Adivasis were targeted and even on a possible nexus and involvement of politicians in it,” NIA sources said.

Already a 12 member team of NIA had reached the state last month and began investigating the four cases related to the massacre. The NIA team, divided into separate units, have visited the violence hit areas of both Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts. The mayhem by NDFB(S) faction caused over 70 lives including children and forced another three lakh to flee their homes. During Kumar’s visit, survivors cried for help. “We want justice. Our families were destroyed, crops and houses were torched. So many high officials are coming but the militants are still at large. We want the security forces to wipe out the terrorists,” said a survivor. The NIA chief also inspected the path taken by the militants, sought reports on the distance of the militant’s hideout from the place of occurrence and enquired about police actions after the incident. “He was surprised to see the backwardness of the places where the violence occurred. It’s obvious that when development doesn’t touch such places, militancy grows. The remoteness of the areas in an added advantage for the militants,” the source viewed. Kumar was the third VIP who came to Assam to inspect the violence. Before him union home minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag too travelled to the violence hit areas and took a note on the situation. (eom)

HIGH ALERT IN CITY AND STATE AHEAD OF R-DAY

G Plus NEWS

he Assam police have sounded maximum alert across the state following an intelligence agency feed saying that militants are trying to strike terror ahead of Republic day celebrations. Besides, several districts in upper Assam, the capital city of Guwahati is believed to be under serious security threat before the R-Day. Intelligence input revealed that foreign forces are pressing militant groups of the region to carry out subversive activities in the state. Being the capital city, Guwahati has been the main target for several militant groups. Guwahati police commissioner, Jyotirmoy Chakraborty said, “Assam police are tackling insurgency from both regional and international forces in Guwahati. It’s a challenge besides normal policing. There are international groups involved in backing the rebel groups.”

Assam police director general, Khagen Sarma said that threat from several outfits is looming in the state. “We are keeping a sharp eye on such activities. Red alert has been sounded already,” the police chief said. Intelligence sources said that Paresh Baruah led Ulfa (Independent) faction aided by Islamic militant

groups across international border are trying to sabotage the R-Day celebration. “With interception of several radio and satellite calls, it was clear that the militant group of Ulfa (I) is being pressed by several fundamentalist groups to strike security forces ahead the R-Day,” sources said.

Jute Board promoting JGT technology to solve erosion, landslides problems Aditya Gogoi

he perennial problem of soil erosion, landslides and short life of roads due to incessant rains in Assam might find a natural solution if government agencies take a bold step to accept the new Jute Geo-Textile (JGT) technology. The JGT, being aggressively pushed by the National Jute Board (NJB), is an emerging technology which has been probed as cheaper and much more environment friendly compared to synthetic geotextile. The officials and the experts of NJB met the state government officials in Guwahati on Tuesday. Although 170 trial projects were successfully undertaken in 22 states by two Central government and 19 state government agencies so far, no state, except for West Bengal has shown practical interest in promoting jute in a big way. The government of West Bengal, which contributes 70 per cent of total jute production in the country, has already included JGT in its “rate list” allowing it to be used in relevant construction work and also in the process of making its use mandatory for construction of PMGSY and other rural roads in the state. As a trial project, JGT was used in constructing a seven-km-long road in Tripura among the 170 projects in a very few other states in the country. The Border Roads Organisation has successfully used JGT in slope management work in the landslideprone Sonapur area along NH-44 besides a few other north-eastern states such as Arunachal, Manipur and Nagaland. Besides, NF Railway has procured 80,000 square meters of JGT to be used alongside the erosionprone portions of railway tracks in the region including in Garo Hills, said Subrata Guta, jute commis-

Next to West Bengal, Assam is the biggest producer of jute in the country although there are very few jute mills in the state producing simple bags and other materials and are yet to start JGT production sioner of NJB. Next to West Bengal, Assam is the biggest producer of jute in the country although there are very few jute mills in the state producing simple bags and other materials and are yet to start JGT production. The workshop on JGT was held with the objective of sensitizing the state government departments about the need for using environment friendly and cost effective technology. The Board has been promoting the technology under a project “Development and Applications of Potentially Important Jute Geo-textiles” sponsored by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) of the United Nations since 2000. Use of JGT also allows the need for a thinner layer of concrete materials to build a road compared to that without JGT, which ultimately reduces the cost. The NJB will hold discussions with authorities in Assam so has to explore the possibility of use of JGT in controlling erosion by mighty Brahmaputra and other rivers, a perennial problem, in the state. (eom)

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

RAMPANT VIOLATION

TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENT NORMS IN CITY

G Plus Correspondent

utting a big question mark on government initiatives to combat sale and distribution of tobacco products, display of advertising hoardings promoting such products is on a high in the capital city of Assam, Guwahati, with minimum efforts coming from the concerned authorities to remove these illegal hoardings, which violate section 5 of the national anti-tobacco act- COTPA (Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act, 2003). Section 5 of the COTPA prohibits advertisement which directly or indirectly suggests or promotes use or consumption of cigarettes or any other tobacco products. Violation section of Section 5 of COTPA is rampant in the city despite efforts to create much awareness among law enforcers on its proper enforcement by State Health Department. As per the amendment rule of the

section 5 of the COTPA, tobacco products can be advertised in the package containing tobacco products, on the entrance and inside a warehouse storing tobacco products and at the point of sale (tobacco product selling shop) or distribution only. But presence of hoardings advertising tobacco products, larger than pre-

scribed (60cm x 45 cm) at the point of sale and more than two boards at one point of sale are regarded as violation of the section 5. Illuminated or backlit boards at the point of sale, open display of tobacco products by a shop owner for sale, indirect/surrogate advertisement of tobacco production in any form

such as in apparel, sports gear, accessories and others are also not allowed. Infringement of the section 5 is going on in almost all the localities of Guwahati with the tobacco companies pushing that extra hard to promote their brands. The cigarette companies have also compelled most of the pan shops owners to display the cigarette products openly by signing a deal where they (the companies) will renovate the shops with precondition that their cigarette brands will be properly displayed. In Guwahati city many cigarette companies are renovating the pan shops by fixing hoardings larger than (60 cm x 45 cm) size displaying their brand names without exhibiting the pictorial warnings. Guwahati city is just one example, the cigarette companies are following the same method throughout the State.

GHC ORDERS TO HAND OVER ALL G Plus NEWS

CHIT FUND CASES TO CBI

he Gauhati High Court on Thursday ordered Assam government to hand over all the chit fund scam related cases to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The High Court order came following a Supreme Court direction in which it had asked the CBI to take over the probe of all the chit fund scam related cases registered in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. The SC said that the scams have inter-state ramifications. Counsel of the petitioners, advocate Debasish Sur said, “At least 212 cases will be now handed over to the premier investigating agency. The CBI will now take over the investigation of the cases in which Assam police have even filed final reports and charge sheets.” Out of the total cases, Assam police have so far submitted charge sheet in some 103 cases. State police have registered these cases against 128 deposit-collecting companies including Saradha group, Rose Valley, Unipay 2 U, Jeevan Suraksha, and several other companies. The CBI is already working on four cases including two of Saradha

In The News

City cultural troupe held position at the Bharat Sanakriti Utsav

angalay Kala Kendra a city based cultural troupe participated in the Bharat Sanakriti Utsav, the 7 th National and 5th International Festival of classical, folk and semi classical dances and music and art and recitation at Burdwan, West Bengal. The cultural group performed Sattriya dances under the guidance of Bijita Goswami, a Sattriya exponent and won the third prize in the classical category. A student from the group Archan Devi bagged the first position in the individual semi-classical dance category performing ‘Dasavatar’ in Sattriya style. Organised by Hindustan Arts & Music Society and Antara Sangeet Bidyalaya, Burdwan in association with the Union Ministry of Culture ‘Bharat Sanskrit Utsav’ is an annual national cultural event. Participants from 16 Indian States and also from Poland, Netherlands and the USA participated in the event. The Rangalay Kala Kendra is a Sattriya dance school affiliated to Sangeet Sattra.

Children Theatre fest concluded, Guwahati Quiz Fest on Jan 10 & 11

registered with Dispur and Dhubri police. The state government had informed that around Rs 98 lakh was seized from such companies in cash. Bank accounts containing Rs 27 crore were frozen. However, no immovable

property has been seized so far. “Over 200 dubious non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and chit funds are operating in Assam. They have cheated clients of over Rs 1,200 crore in Assam alone,” added Sur.

Recently, the CBI interrogated former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and current Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Anjan Dutta in Kolkata in connection to the multi-crore Saradha scam.

he Fourth National Children Theatre Festival organized by Guwahati Sishu Natya Bidyaloy in association with National School of Drama at Rabindra Bhawan concluded on January 6. Plays such as Tees Mar Khan by Backstage, a theatre group from Allahabad, Kuhi Kuhi Pat by Guwahati Shishu Natya Bidyaloy were staged at the fest. Like last year, a group of quiz enthusiasts is organizing the Guwahati quiz festival with a two day programme from January 10. The quiz fest is going to be held at Cotton College. There will be seven quizzes on several subjects. This year the quizzes will be conducted by fourteen quiz masters. The first day of the quiz competition will start from 9:30 am and will be based on North East and Assam. The second day of the competition will feature a quiz for the school students and the general public.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

City

GMDA’S PLAN OF ACTION 2014-15

RAHUL CHANDA

GMC team visiting Pune recently was amused to see that the Pune Municipal Corporation building was bigger than Assam Secretariat and all the city’s development work was looked after by the same department, a totally different picture from Guwahati, where various departments look after a range of works so much so that at times it creates rift between the departments. One such body is the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), established in 1992 as per Guwahati Development Authority Act 1958, with a vow to make Guwahati a planned and developed city. Since then, every year the GMDA officials brainstorm and plan various projects to develop the city. The city ropeway project was also taken by GMDA, although the project is far from completion even today. What are the major projects which were initiated in the year 2014-15 and what is the status?

GMDA PROJECTS FOR 2014-15 Affordable city housing plan

Sanctioned Budget

`1 Crore

Received - NIL Status – Still in planning stage (GMDA is searching for land for the project) Expected time of completion (ETC) - 2020

Fire hydrant under South Guwahati West Water Supply project

Sanctioned budget

`50 lakhs

Received – `20,00,000 Status – In planning stage ETC – End of 2016

Construction of five city roads under new GMDA scheme

Sanctioned budget

Received – `1,50,23,000 Status – In tendering process ETC – 2016 end Name of the five roads – Niren Boro Path at Gorchuk, Madhab Ch. Bordoloi Path at Uzan Bazar, SRS Path at Uzan Bazar, Lokhra Bazar Road and Durga Mandap Path at Odalbakra

Status – In tendering process ETC – will be bought by March 2015 Equipments – Amphibian dredger, barge mounted excavator, amphibian excavator and trolley mounted pump

`2.44 CRORES

Development of Brahmaputra River Front from Bharalumukh to Sukleswar Ghat

Sanctioned budget

`2 CRORES

Electrical Crematorium at Ulubari

Received – `1,00,00,000 Status – In planning process ETC – 2017

Sanctioned budget

Development of Fancy Bazaar Jail land

`5.09 CRORES

Received – `40,00,000 Status – It’s in tendering process ETC – 2018 end

Pipe water supply scheme from boring wells (10 numbers)

Sanctioned budget

`1.5 CRORES

Received – `60,00,000 Status – In tendering process ETC – 2016 beginning

Automated multilevel car parking at Shradhanjali Kanan

Sanctioned budget

`14.33 crore

Status – Work just started ETC – June 2016

Procurement of machineries and equipments for flood mitigation

Sanctioned budget

`50 lakhs

Received – ` 50,00,000 Status – Work started ETC – 2016 end

Dredging, excavation of Basistha and Bharalu rivers and Silsako Bill including miscellaneous works undertaken during eviction of banks of rivers and water bodies

Sanctioned budget

`2.37 CRORES

Received – ` 1,32,00,000 Status – work started ETC – Mid 2015

`20 crores

Construction of cross culvert on proposed drain from Lokhra to Pamohi on southern side of NH bypass

Sanctioned budget

`1.5 CRORES

Will receive –` 50,00,000 for the year 2014-15 Status –Planning process ETC – 2 years from now

Installation of flex printing and installation of hand operated siren at Anil Nagar area

Sanctioned budget

`5.24 lakhs

Will receive – `5,24,000 lakhs Status – In planning process ETC – 2015 end

Boundary fencing of primary channels with RCC Post and barbed wire fencing on both banks

Sanctioned budget

`3.74 CRORES

Will receive – Rs 1,13,00,000 for the year 2014-15 Status – planning process ETC – 3 years from now

GMDA has also outsourced many projects to different departments for speedy completion.

GMDA outsourced projects 2014-15 Outsourced to

Water Resource Department, Guwahati East Division and Mechanical Division Clearing, resectioning and re-grading of rivers Basitha, Bondajan, Bahini, Pamohi and Lakhimijan Channel

Sanctioned budget

`3.73 CRORES

Will receive – Rs 3,14,50,000 for the year 2014-15 Status – Planning process ETC – 2 years from now

Clearing and widening of both banks of river Bharalu to increase the carrying capacity of storm water by deploying fleet of machineries

Sanctioned budget

`88.36 lakhs

Will receive – Rs 88,36,000 for the year 2014-15 Status – work started ETC – 2015 end

Earth work for recovering the original river Basistha along left side of NH37 near ISBT and at right side up to Pilot Cut by widening and depth cutting with help of fleet of machineries

Sanctioned budget

`32.42 lakhs

Received – Rs 32,42,000 Status – work started ETC – end of 2015

Clearing and widening of both banks of Mora Bharalu to increase the carrying capacity of storm water by deploying fleet of machineries

Sanctioned budget

`37.2 lakhs

Received – Rs 37,20,000 Status – work started ETC – 2015 end

De-siltation and cleaning of Borsola Beel to protect the feature of water body by erecting RCC protection work with provision of sluice gate at the outfall to river Bharulu

Sanctioned budget `58.3 Received – Rs 58,30,000 Status – work started ETC 2015 end

lakhs

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

City

Leopard trapped inside bedroom

Outsourced to

PWD (Roads) City Division – I and III Modification of drains under the Bhangagarh flyover, dismantling of structures providing cattle trap cover, construction of cross culvert and guard walls etc

Sanctioned budget

`19.5 lakhs

Will receive – Rs 19,50,000 Status – planning process ETC- 2015 end

Sanctioned budget

`55 lakhs

Will Receive – Rs 55,00,000 Status – planning process ETC – 2016 beginning

Construction of drains and cross culvert at Bitupan Path near Miajan Panchali

Sanctioned budget

`5.41 lakhs

Received – Rs 5,41,000 Status – work started ETC – 2015 end

Construction of cross culvert at Vidyamandir Path at Lalmati

Reconstruction of wall along both sides of Serapbhatti

Sanctioned budget

`2.05 lakhs

Will receive – Rs 2,05,000 Status – planning process ETC – 2015 end

Similarly, PWD will work on various projects worth Rs 596.91 lakhs outsourced by GMDA.

However, confusion often arises about the city’s development work handled by GMC and GMDA. GMC has some planned projects for various rivers and water bodies in and around Guwahati city and even GMDA has taken initiative to combat artificial floods. In Guwahati, some roads are under other preview of the Public Works Department while some others under GMC. Now even GMDA is foraying into plans to improve the city roads. So, the question remains that who is expected to do what? The yearly plan gets brainstormed and then approved by the authorities allotting funds for all the projects, but, is it not that the works could have been less chaotic and better planned if the responsibilities were conferred only to one body instead of many? We can just wait and see if the projects get completed on time and the city becomes smart enough to be known as a metro.

nother leopard was captured from the Shantipur area on Wednesday, when the leopard got trapped inside the bedroom of retired Professor Dharmeswar Sarma’s residence. An injured leopard entered the bedroom of the residence in the morning. “My wife spotted the leopard in the maid’s room around 8:30am in the morning. The maid left the room door open and when my wife went to close the door, she spotted the leopard lying on the floor”, Sarma said. Sarma’s house is located at Prgjyotishpur Road on the Shantipur Hillside, from where recently four leopards were captured by the

forest officials. This was the fifth leopard to be captured from the city in the last couple of months. The forest officials and doctors reached the spot around 11:30 am and found the leopard to be seriously injured. The animal was tranquilized and was rushed to the zoo around 1:30pm for treatment. Encroachment by the people on the hills has forced the wild animals to come out to residential areas in the city. There are various reports of leopards being spotted in places like Kamakhya, GMCH, Jalukbari, Gotanagar, Kahilipara.

Google Boy of India in City

autilya, also known as the ‘Walking Encyclopedia’ visited few of the city schools and enthralled the school students and astonished everyone with his talent. The Google Boy of India on Monday interacted with the city’s school kids. The seven year old Kautilya faced a number of questions from the excited schools students. Students of Asom Jatiya Vidyalay and NPS asked a list of personal and general knowledge

questions to the Goggle Boy. The multi talented kid not only astonished the students with his talent but also enthralled everyone dancing on the song ‘Lungi Dance’. Speaking to the students, Kautilya said, “Even from the smallest things I get inspiration to acquire knowledge. One should enjoy the act of learning to gain knowledge and the curiosity to learn new things makes learning a fun rather than a burden”.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

The 26th

Road Safety Week G Plus NEWS

n keeping with its commitment to encourage better road safety awareness anomg the public, the District Transport Officer of Kamrup and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highway, Government of India will be organising the 26th Road Safety Week, 2015 from January 11 to January 17 in the district. The Transport Department, Traffic Police Administration and District Administration along with all the automobile dealers and transport associations of Kamrup (metro) will be jointly observing this year’s ‘Road Safety Week’. The weeklong event will include various activities to be kicked off with the inaugural function to be held at ISBT on January 11. The same day will also witness street plays conducted by the traffic police and traffic department of the district. A health

(Second from left) DTO Gautam Das briefing traffic enforcement officials on Road Safety Week camp for bus drivers and conductors of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) will also be organised followed by the flag hoisting on the opening day. The event will also have bike and car rallies that will continue throughout the week covering all major roads of the city, to be held

in association with various automobile dealers spread throughout the city. On the following days the event will have enforcement checking and awareness programme throughout the city. The closing ceremony of the event will be held at the office premises of the District Transport Of-

ficer, which will be conducted by the Transport Department along with car and bike rallies covering major roads of the city. Briefing the DTO enforcement officials during the preparation of the event, DTO, Gautam Das said that the preparation should be car-

ried out in full swing motivating the enforcement officials. Mentioning the successful result of the drive and breath analyzer tests carried out for road safety on New Years’ Eve, Gautam Das also said that similar enthusiasm should be carried on with, in the times to come.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

City

GMC employees threaten indefinite strike Rahul chanda

uwahatians’ civic woes may soon be compounded with the city’s Municipal Corporation employees threatening indefinite strike pending fulfillment of their several demands. Talking to this reporter, convenor of All Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Employees Union, Chandan Sharma said, “We request the Chief Minister and the state GDD minister to make sure that our demands are fulfilled at the earliest, or else the GMC employees will not be responsible for any kind of stir, it will be the entire responsibility of the state government and the GMC authorities for further chaos in the department.” The entire workflow of the GMC was stalled by the employees on Wednesday from 12 to 2 pm with the employees’ union members called for a two-hour protest at the entrance of the GMC head office at Panbazar. The employees shouted slogans and slammed the GMC authorities for not fulfilling their long pending demands. But what are the demands?

Demands

According to Chandan Sharma, the GMC employees do not get pension after retirement and although the state cabinet had passed the pension scheme in 2009, due to the negligence of the GMC authorities, the pension scheme has not yet been implemented in the GMC. Sharma said that the union has some other demands as well but asserted that implementation of the pension scheme is the foremost demand which needs to be fulfilled immidiately. A retired GMC employee said, “I retired in 2010, and whatever gratuity and provident fund I

received then was spent on my wife’s sickness. I have two daughters but they are unemployed and I don’t get any pension money now. So, it is becoming very difficult for me to survive. I hope the government does something for us.” Many other retired GMC employees also participated in the protest organised by the union. Some other demands by the union which require urgent attention include compassionate appointments for the kin of deceased employees of GMC and also former employees of GMC. The employees’ union convenor lamented there have been no compassionate appointments made in the department since 2003. There are around 1,940 regular employees working with GMC, besides 939 daily wage workers. The union is

Health service to be at people door step

ith an aim to bring health care service to people’s door step equipped with modern technology, some health professionals have started a new initiative, ‘Ayushman’. The initiative, which was formally inaugurated on 5th January 2015 at the Guwahati Press Club, will comprise of doctors as well as technicians. It will provide health care service in every nook and corner of Guwahati. Ratul Das, MD of Ayushman said, “People have to wait at nursing homes, hospitals and other laboratories for health services for which they have to spend a lot of time. Through this initiative, we would extend our service at people’s doorstep, saving time getting quality service”. Ayushman health care service would provide services such as ECG, Holter Monitoring, Physiotherapy, Nebulization Treatment, Urine catheterization, Spot Blood Sugar Test, doctor’s consultation, first aid services etc. This new initiative in the health sector would surely benefit the elderly people and pregnant women.

On 7th and 8th January, the employees union closed all GMC city offices for two hours (12 to 2 pm). On 22nd and 23 January the union is planning to protest from 10 to 5 pm, without affecting the normal work schedule.

demanding regularisation of all the 939 daily wage workers and provide them the facilities which the regular employees receive. The members of the union this time are pretty confident about their plan of action and have scheduled their protests accordingly.

Protest

According to Chandan Sharma, GMC received a fund of Rs 25 crores for the employees in the financial year 2013-14 which lapsed because the pension scheme was not implemented. Similarly for the year 2014-15, GMC received a fund of Rs 75 crores and the union is apprehensive that this fund also might get lapsed if the scheme is not implemented before the end of the financial year. The employees’ union has

IIT-G student designed Centre’s rural scheme’s logo

IT-G student Shweta Gupta designed a logo for Centre’s Unnat Bharat Abhiyan which aims at rural upliftment. “It feels great to win a national level competition. It is really an honour for me that the logo designed by me which visualizes a developed country will feature in the Centre’s rural scheme Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. This also gave me an opportunity to enhance my skills and concept based learning”, Sweta said. IIT-G students were very excited by Sweta’s achievement. Gautam Biswas, IIT- Guwahati director said, “It is indeed a proud moment for Assam and IIT-Guwahati. It is really a marvelous achievement for Sweta”. Government is looking to bring development in the country by uplifting the rural areas and like us the institutes of higher learning will work under the government guidelines to develop rural areas across the country and bring development in the country as a whole, Biswas further added.

threatened the authorities that it might call for an indefinite strike if the demand are not fulfilled. On 7th and 8th January, the employees union closed all GMC city offices for two hours (12 to 2 pm). On 22nd and 23 January, the union is planning to protest from 10 to 5 pm, without affecting the normal work schedule. On 5th February next, the union will observe a full day strike and all the GMC offices will remain closed for that day. However, if the authorities do not listen to their demands even after all the protests, the employees union will call for an indefinite strike from 16 February till the demands are fulfilled. The GMC authorities refused to comment on the issue, but according to sources, a high level committee might be formed to resolve the issue.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

City student selected for R-Day parade

third-year engineering student of the Assam Don Bosco University, Ankita Patowary has been selected to participate at the 66th Republic Day Parade. 100 meritorious students from all over the country are selected to attend the R-Day parade from the Prime Minister’s Box at Rajpath, New Delhi. Ankita is the only student to get this privilege from Assam this year. The Republic Day celebration of 2015 is going to be a historic one as Barack Obama will be the first President of the United States of America to be the chief guest on the occasion. Earlier also the Don Bosco Society of Assam had sent meritorious students to the Prime Minister’s Box to attend the Republic Day Parade.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

City

FROM

THE UK TO GHY

MRINMOYEE HAZARIKA

tained glass, bits of rainbow coloured glass materials, generally seen almost exclusively in church windows has now found a place of honour in our beloved jaapi. With the singlehanded effort of a UK-based Assamese Bipul Kataky, the people of the city as well as the state have now been able to witness the unique and beautiful artwork of stained glass in a jaapi. At present, three such jaapis have been installed in three different places of the city – one inside Anuradha Cineplex, Bamunimaidam and the other two at the Brahmaputra state guest house for the VVIPs at Kharghuli. After being in the field of architecture for long 35 years, the Sibsagar born prodigy of Assam, Kataky, popularly known overseas as Bill Kataky, has developed his love and interest for stained glass and chosen the same as his hobby to build various art form after retirement. “Stained glass is a very important architectural element. Stained glass, as an art form that began thousands of years ago and was used mainly in Christian churches to tell stories of the Bible when people could not read and write. During the day, the stained glass looks absolutely immaculate from inside the church and at night, when it’s dark outside, the lights inside the church falls on the intricately cut and designed pieces of glasses, throwing countless patterns of light that dazzles the eye, from outside the church. It has dual visual context,” explained Kataky, while elaborating the idea of using stained glass in other art forms. A chartered architect, town planner and urban designer Kataky, who has been living in UK for the last 41 years, first thought of introducing stained glass art works in Assam in the year 2012 and finally ended up securing a contract for construction of two jaapis by the state government, followed by the third commission from the owner of Anuradha Cineplex, Chinmoy Sharma. “In the course of time, this (stained glass) architectural feature moved from not just being used in the church, but into secular architecture, that is domestic, commercial spaces. There are a very few churches in Guwahati and in Assam which might have examples of stained glass and I felt that perhaps I should introduce stained glass to Assam which is my birth place. Would it not be a terrific idea to try and do a jaapi, which is the symbol of Assam in stained glass?” stated Kataky. Kataky, who did his schooling from St Edmund’s school, Shillong, also mentioned that after securing the contract early in 2012, he visited the state and went back to England by middle of January and started con-

Building Jaapis with a touch of the west.

Stained glass Jaapi displayed at Anuradha Cineplex

City student selected for R-Day parade

Accidents on city roads

T Some of the artworks by Bipul Kataky

struction of the jaapis. It took roughly three months to produce each of the jaapis. “The challenge was not just the production, but, curving the glass, the pattern on the glass and more importantly being made in England, I have to somehow ship it across to Assam. I do not think using the marine was an alternative, because it would take a long time. Therefore, I got them airlifted from England to Kolkata and thereafter by truck to Guwahati. Then, I came up myself and installed all the three jaapis at their respective places. The cost of each of the jaapis, including shipping, custom clearance etc came about Rs 6 lakh,” told Kataky. Apart from the stained glass, oth-

er materials including English Oak, Lead Came, glass from Argentina, Cuba, Germany, and France have been used in the creation of jaapis. An alumni of J J college of Architecture, Mumbai and Newcastle University, UK, Kataky has the experience of working in the constituency of Tony Blair, former prime minister of UK, “As an architect, I worked and practiced in many places, but, more importantly, I worked in Tony Blair’s constituency between 1997 to 2007. Having worked in the Prime Minister’s constituency, everything was in great focus and it was a great privilege for me” said Kataky. He also thanked Harry Ramsay for teaching and getting involved in

Bipul Kataky

producing stained glass works. Regarding his plan to popularise the stained glass artwork in other parts of the globe, Kataky said, “Apart from installing a jaapi (stained glass) in my own apartment, I have already done another one for one my friends based in England. Besides, I have done other stained glass works such as Ganesh and a profile of the late Bhupen Hazarika. At the moment, I have been commissioned by one of the colleges of Durham University, England to do the emblem of the college and there will be many to follow. I do not do it for money, I do it because I enjoy it.”

mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

hree persons were seriously injured when a city bus coming from the Basistha Temple hit an Alto vehicle and bashed into a parked motorbike before skidding off the road on Thursday morning. There were around 22 passengers in the bus when the incident occurred. Three passengers were seriously injured and were given first aid at the army hospital near Beltola Chariali and were later referred to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. In another incident two youths died on the spot after the two-wheeler they were riding hit the divider at Chandmari on Thursday evening around 8:30 pm. The locals said the youths were riding the scooty in high speed and may have lost control and hit the divider. Even after measures are taken by the city traffic police to control rash driving in the city, the high speeding vehicles in the city roads are causing road accidents on a daily basis.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

City

Guwahati all set to

celebrate Magh Bihu

KALYAN DEB

t is that time of the year again when Assamese everywhere are gearing up to celebrate the festival of harvest and bounty-Uruka and Bhogali Bihu on January 14 and 15. Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu, marks the end of the harvesting season when farmers, after sweating a year long to produce plentiful crop. Bhogali Bihu is celebrated for the very same purpose as the coming few months, people look forward to a period of plenty, and on this day, they start off with several days of feasting, fun, and frolic. Feast and bonfires mark the celebration of the festival. In various places people set up temporary huts or pandals in open spaces where food is cooked on the evening of Uruka for community feasts and mejis will be erected at several places. The celebration includes music, singing of Bihu geet, dancing and different delicacies. The mejis in the village areas are unusually high and are prepared from days before the festival arrives. The festival also includes various games and events. In the annual festival, buffalo fights and bulbul fights are organised during the festival. The bulbuls and buffalos and their owners are divided into two groups and the owners of the winning birds are given cash prizes and trophies. The birds are set free after the game. The theme of Bhogali Bihu, being similar to the festivals of Makar Sakranti and Pongal,the preparations for the arrival of the festival begins a good few days before, with the ladies of the households getting busy in preparing an array of feast of Pithas, Ladus, Doi Sira Akhoi and various other delicacies prepared and served in the homes to munch on the actual day and around. Bhogali Melas are organised at several places. In the city such melas have been organised in Mahadev Mandir in the B. Borooah road whereas, another mela that has been organised at the Zoo road in the premises of Vrindavan Garden. Private households and business

People browsing through the stalls at the Bhogali Mela at B. Borooah Road

Preparation of a traditional Bhela ghar

Such melas offer a large array of sweet dishes which holds a significance in the festive season. Due to the lack of time these days it is not possible for one to take out so much time for preparation of all the delicacies. Though to continue with the tradition, every household does carry out preparation of such delicacies.

houses prepare Bihu delicacies such as Narikol Pitha, Narikol Ladu, Til Pitha, Murir Ladu, Pithguri, etc. are made available for the visitors. Such Melas have gained popularity among the people over the years since the delicacies that were earlier prepared at homes require a lot of hard work and are prepared after assembling of various ingredients. In order to avoid the hard work, most people are seen preferring buying readymade delicacies rather than preparing the same at their homes. “Such melas offer a large array of sweet dishes which holds a significance in the festive season. Due to the lack of time these days it is not possible for one to take out so much time for preparation of all the delicacies. Though to continue

with the tradition, every household does carry out preparation of such delicacies. Moreover, during this festival, guests are expected in larger number and in order to serve them with the traditional delicacies readymade dishes provides a major helping hand”, said a visitor of Bhogali Mela held in B.Borooah road. “Also for students and bachelors who are staying away from home and can not visit their homes during the festival, such melas and stands are very helpful to them as one can buy the delicacies, already prepared and ready to be serve”, she further added. Also on the sideline of the Magh Bihu preparation Bhogali Jalpan has come up with a Bhogali special hamper, which comprises of five varieties of Assam’s traditional food products including Til Pitha, Narikal Ladu, Tilor Ladu, Poka Mithoi and a packet of ready to eat Milky Sandah. The hamper can serve as an ideal gifting option for those who have a penchant for the traditional food products of Assam. Ajit Sarmah Baruah, Director, Bhogali Food Products Pvt. Ltd, asserted, “The Assamese food products have always been widely cherished, not only amongst the Assamese community but by people from across the nation and the world. We have introduced this hamper not only for the traditional food lovers of Assam, but also with an intention to popularize our traditional food products amongst people from various other backgrounds. This can also be an easy gifting option for those who relish traditional food products from this region. We do hope that our customers will welcome this hamper, just like they have accepted all our products.” Celebrated in the mid of January, a time when winters start to fade and give way to the upcoming spring season, the festival holds a significance of its own. With all the fun and food involved people in the city are all geared up to celebrate the festival to its fullest.

kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week SAT 10 January

SUN 11 January

MON 12 January

TUE 13 January

WED 14 January

THU 15 January

FRI 16 January

Sunny.

Mostly sunny.

More sun than clouds.

10 / 23 °C

9 / 23 °C

10 / 23 °C

11 / 24 °C

12 / 24 °C

6 / 26 °C

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Ward number 25b

Ward Watch

Population 2000 (approx) | Voters 1200 (approx)

BHASKAR PATH DEVELOPMENT ABANDONED KALYAN DEB

Concentrated area Bhaskar Path, Pragati Nagar Councilor Niranjan Hazarika Phone number 9864444847 Area Sabha Member Naushad Ali Ahmed Phone number 9435196303 Police Station Satgaon

he Bhaskar Path in Pragati Nagar area lies adjacent to the Satgaon road, Narengi along the old railway track that once lead to the Narengi army camp. Bhaskar Path, like most parts of the city face the problems of poor drainage and water logging. But unfortunately, even after a tender for the development of the drains and the road was passed almost a year ago, contractor Mautaz Ali allegedly abandoned the job half way when only parts of the drains in the area was constructed. “The contractor, due to some perjury, had a conflict with the local residents. He was also alleged of theft of wires that were found while digging out the drains during the construction”, asserted J.B. Sinha, a resident of Bhaskar Path. “It is only recently that a new contractor has taken charge and the work has been resumed. Although, there are only a few labourers working, materials, equipments and proper guidance can be seen lacking. During the cleaning of the drain, all the water is discharged on the road itself, which is creating huge inconvenience for the passers by”, Sinha added. Bhaskar Path, which also leads to the Panjabari area of the city, has many adjacent by-lanes within the

COUNCILOR’S SPEAK

street and throughout the roads can be seen a lack of proper drainage system and paved streets. The same is the reason for artificial flood during the monsoon season as the water remains logged on the street itself. Since the area is at a lower level than that of the Satgaon road, it also prevents the logged water from moving out. “During monsoon the water level reaches above knee level and commuting becomes very difficult for the office goers and school students. The lack of proper drainage is the major problem and

since the construction is in progress it is hopeful that next monsoon the condition will be much favourable”, said Pitambar Kalita, a resident of Bhaskar Path. A local resident further added, “The unauthorized residences by the railway track that used to be a drain at one point of time and part of which belongs to the railway department have been gradually occupied for accommodation. If cleared off, the drainage problem will have a quick solution, making it more convenient for the people of the area.” “Since the area connects the

“The responsibility of maintenance and development of the entire Pragati Nagar is with the Public Works Department (PWD) and the GMC has no authority in the area. The PWD has been notified regarding the various problems faced by the area”, asserted Niranjan Hazarika, councilor, ward number 25. “Also joint commissioner, GMC, Daya Ram Rajbangshi himself visited the place in recent past. Regarding the unauthorized residences by the railway track he assured of taking measures to vacate the part of the land. Meanwhile, the cleaning out of the drain of the Satgaon, Narengi road that falls in ward number 25 has been carried out with the consent of the councilor and joint commissioner”, the councilor said, adding “It was only after the joint commissioner who called up the PWD engineer at the very moment of his visit that the drains were cleaned.” The councilor also mentioned that the PWD has been approached regarding the water pipeline project but no response has been received yet. Among other projects carried in the area the Luit Nagar, which has been recently constructed with a projected amount of Rs 10 lakh provided from the councilor’s fund where an amount of Rs 30 lakh was divided in three sub-divisions equally. Satgaon road, Narengi to Panjabari it can also be used as a convenient commute for people having to travel to these places”, the resident added. Among other problems, drinking water is also a major issue for the residents of Bhaskar Path. The water pipeline project of

GMDA/JIKA was only carried out till the Satgaon road, Narengi and has not been started in the area yet. With the slow progress of work, one can only hope for the construction to be completed before monsoon knocks at the door.

kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Society

KALYAN DEB

Maharana Athletic Club

a rich legacy of football

he forming of Maharana Athletic Club over a century ago in the year 1907 was the outcome of a serious endeavour of a few young sport enthusiasts namely Jogesh Sen, Uttam Chandra Das, Kartabya Gupta and Shyam Gupta who, with their ardent zeal and amiable disposition, thought of exploring the sports scenario in an elite and organized manner. Initially founded as Orient Club in April 1907, the basic objective of forming the club was to promote hockey among the youths but with time the focus shifted to create motivation among the soccer talents of not just Assam but of the entire Northeastern region. To move towards the Pan-Indian soccer scenario and participate in different tournaments throughout the country, in June the same year the club’s name was changed to Maharana Athletic Club. The name Maharana was brought in as a tribute to the warrior king of Rajasthan, Maharana Pratap Singh, whose mighty figure itself depicted the unique mental makeup and great vision of the batch of the young Turks. Since the process was never too easy to be carried out, it took three decades for the club team to shape up both morally and from the view of sportsmanship in order to take part in tournaments nationwide. In the year 1937 when Maharana Athletic Club emerged as the first ever team to play outside the state of Assam when the club made its debut in Naranarayan Shied Football Tournament in Dinajpur (now a district in Rangpur, Bangladesh). Surprise struck when the team made its way to the final and Sarat Das captured the Best Player title along with Putu Choudhury creating sensation in the tournament. The club football team made its entry at the IFA Shield Tournament, considered as the ‘Blue Ribband of Indian Football’ in 1939 registering itself as the first civilian club from the Northeast. The club created havoc in the football scenario when in the very next year Maharana Athletic Club played a 1-1 draw with Mohmmedan Sporting Club, one of the three giants of Kolkata football. Since then the club team participated in the IFA Shield Football Tournament for nineteen consecutive years till 1958

Among glories registered by the club the years 1953 and 1954 were remarkable years when the club stood champion in the Bordoloi Trophy and defeated East Bengal in an exhibition match. In the year 1957 the club also named itself the Independence Cup held in Nagaon and Dugonsil Trophy, Tezpur in the same year. with its best result shown outside the state in the year 1947 when the club stood victorious in Lucknow. In the year 1946 when the club was set to participate in the IFA Tournament, no football association existed in the state. It was with the initiative of footballer and club member Animesh Ganguly along with advocate P.K. Lahiri where a meeting was held in Lahiri’s residence, which constituted the Assam Football Association led by Fakaruddin Ali Ahmed as President and Anna Ram Baruah as General Secretary. Among glories registered by the club, the years 1953 and 1954 were remarkable when the club stood champion in the Bordoloi Trophy and defeated East Bengal in an exhibition match. In the year 1957 the club also named itself the Independence Cup held in Nagaon and Dugonsil Trophy, Tezpur in the same year. The club also topped the Guwahati Football League for nineteen times during the period of 1946 to 1975 winning each and every major football tournament of the northeastern region. The downfall of the club came in the year 2007 when the sport lost its popularity among the youth. “Since cricket gained more popularity among the people it resulted in the loss of popularity of the sport, which not just hampered the club but the sport nationwide”, asserted club general secretary, Amiya Kr. Kalita. Besides the 250 current members, there are some of the past members of the club has been spreading rumours about the club, alleged the general secretary adding, “There are few former members of the club who certainly has ill feeling for the club

The picture of veteran footballer Babul Phukan amidst the trophies won by Maharana AC

Animesh Ganguly (1904-1975)

“The Immortal Soul Of Maharana Club”

and are responsible for spreading of such rumours, which are completely baseless and hold no fact all.” “The club is now going through the development procedure with the helping hands from Indramani Bora and Kumar Deepak Das for the infrastructure and also the Chief Minister’s untied fund requires a mention. Meanwhile, discussion for the club’s own sporting ground in the outskirts of the city is in pipeline. In aspect of sporting activities with the new laid foundation of infrastructure the club is receiving fresh talent every day and along with football we are looking forward to motivate talents in table tennis, chess and cricket. By the year 2016 the club is looking forward to playing most of the

major leagues”, Kalita added. Housed in a heritage building in Danish Road, Panbazar most players playing in the major leagues are products of the club along with remarkable talents like Dr. T.Ao (the captain of the first Indian Olympic Football Team), Animesh Ganguly, Monoranjan Beberjee, Sarat Das, Raghunandan Ray, Putu Choudhury, Hemanta Guha, Binoy Paul, Pikil Choudhury, Prabhat Hazarika, Susil Das, Haridas Chakravarty, Bharat Chowdhury, Kironmoy Lahiri, Abani Hazarika, Kum Kum Choudhury, Handu Ganguly, Ashwin Rajbangshi, Nip Borua, Narayan Das, Binod Basu, Kamakhya Sen, Moni Gan-

guly, Tosen Bora, Umesh Das, Amu Mukherjee, Saukat Ali, Bhabesh Roy, Babul Phukon and the list goes on in both sport- football and cricket, both a part of Maharana Athletic Club. Though the golden days of football of Maharana Athletic Club lies in history but the club’s presence is greatly acknowledged by the footbal lovers of the region. The club’s record in the Guwahati football scenario will always be an enviable chapter. Led by the present management team, which includes Kanak Kumar Borah as President and Amiya Kumar Kalita as General Secretary, the club is determined to retrieve the old glory. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Bazaar

KALYAN DEB

he dawn of a yet another new year has brought unexpected happy tidings for shopaholics across the city. It may have been a week since the world welcomed 2015, but shopping outlets are still in a festive mood with countless ‘end of season’ sales to attract shoppers to their wares. Retailers can be seen all geared up to cash in during this competitive season. It is common to see “upto 50% off ” in numerous garment outlets to court consumers. Retailers in Guwahati, big or medium have made “upto 50 % off ” the new catch phrase to convince consumers to loosen their purse strings.

OUTLET View The autumn-winter season, which normally yields “almost twice the value of business transacted during the spring-summer window”, according to retailers, had forced many brands to go on sale prematurely but apparently, there is no sign of the sale season ending in a hurry. The sale season usually starts from the end of December and prolongs till mid-February. Just like previous years, this year’s end of season sale had hit the market from December itself and the offers will gradually increase during the last few days before the arrival of a fresh season, when the malls and show-rooms will wear a house-full look. The sale season which thumps twice a year, at the end of summer and winter seasons, are strategies of companies/brands to elevate the flow of customers and the same works efficiently for retailers as well. “Basically the sale is provided to clear off the stock that remained during the season, since fresh merchandise will arrive with the beginning of the fresh season in outlets throughout the city . So, providing such offers is a sale strategy used by most brands to attract customers”, asserted Pramod Sinha, store manager, Van Heusen, G.S. Road. “Since the products generated this year cannot be carried over to the next season and customers look for fresh arrivals, an ‘end of season’ sale is provided which usually kicks off by the first week of January, taking in consideration the competition level among the brands”, Sinha added. Biswajit Bhuyan of Wrangler, G.S. Road, mentioned, “The sale strategy also increases the flow of customers as the term ‘upto 50% off ’ automatically attract them.”

Sale Box

Basically the sale is provided to clear off the stock that remained during the season, since fresh merchandise will be arrive with the beginning of the fresh season in outlets throughout the city . So, providing such offers is a sale strategy used by most brands to attract customers

Sisley Walford, G.S. Road Sale upto 40% off United Colours of Benetton Walford, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off Allen Solly Walford, G.S. Road Sale flat 20% off on 1 product 40% on 3 products

While the season has introduced a wave of offers from different outlets and malls, it remains up to the consumers, who decide which outlet to walk into. Winter normally greets the city in its full blast in December and continues till the last week of January but winter chill playing hide and seek this year has created a lot of confusion among consumers regarding selection of clothes. “It’s the first week of January but it doesn’t feel like winter at all. I am comfortable wearing a light sweater. A jacket is required only in the evenings. It is good though, that the season sale also offers summer garments along with the winter collection,” said Sumitra Baruah, a shopping enthusiast. “Specially among ladies such offers attract a larger crowd in comparison to men so malls will have a fullhouse look. So, likewise I do not want to miss out”, Baruah added. Although most shopping enthusiasts are busy checking out their favourite brands, however, the season sales are also raising questions among

Westside Postoffice, G.S. Road Upto 40% off Pantaloons Downtown, G.S. Road Upto 50% off

Van Heusen Walford, G.S. Road Postoffice, G.S. Road Buy 2 get 1 on all merchandise Flat 30% off on winter wear

Wrangler, Lee Lachit Nagar, G.S. Road Upto 50%

Goenka Readymades ABC, G.S. Road Sale upto 40% off Duke Christian Basti, G.S. Road Buy 2 get 1 free

a section of the customers regarding the quality of the products of the current season. Since the prices are reduced to half at one point of time such consumers remain critical about the outlets. Rupak Debnath, a shopper said, “The outlets that provide such sale must be including goods from older stock and are tried to be cleared off during the sale season. Since productions of these goods are carried out in a bulk, it is not possible for an outlet to clear off each and every product every season. If not sold, where could the goods possibly go? If the outlets can afford to provide such huge amount of discount why are the prices so high during the other times of the year?” “Though the sale season might raise a lot of questions, but in ways it also attracts a lot of buyers as the offers lure them. So with its pros and cons it works for both the parties”, Debnath added. Anirban Gupta, store manager, Pantaloons asserted, “Production of goods are done within a duration of six months and new stock keeps arriv-

Gini & Jony ABC, G.S. Road Upto 50% off

Wrangler Walford, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off

Planet Fashion Christian Basti, G.S. Road Buy 2 get 1, Buy 3 get 2 Flat 20% on Monte Carlo and Octave

CONSUMER View

Sole Station Christian Basti, G.S. Road Flat Rs 599 off on footwear Upto Rs 500 off on garments

Pepe Jeans Christian Basti, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off Levi’s Christian Basti, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off Puma Christian Basti, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off Wills Lifestyle Christian Basti, G.S. Road Sale upto 50% off

ing in an interval of every two months so it is just a misconception that goods sold during such sale is of the older stock. The sale is only provided to purge the remaining stock of the current season. In very rare cases if a product is in demand among the buyers, the same item is carried on with in the current season as well. Moreover, with the change of fashion the demands of the latest goods are more among the consumers.” “Every business organization has their own margin percentage and

Reliance Trends Paltanbazar Upto 50% off Fashion Big Bazaar Paltanbazar Upto 50% off Woodland Bhangagarh, G.S. Road Flat 50% off on apparel Nike Walford, G.S. Road Upto 40% off Rupohi Christian Basti, G.S. Road Buy 2 get 1 10% off on traditional jewellery Reebok Christian Basti, G.S. Road Flat 40% Off Adidas Borah Service, G.S. Road Upto 40% Off

the malls which provide discounts throughout the year are only on value goods and since Pantaloons deal in lifestyle items, it is against the business protocol which will result the in outlet suffer huge loss”, Gupta added. Apart from garments and lifestyle products, many other outlets spread over the city too are all geared up for the end of season sale, luring buyers and expecting huge footfall with offers expected to rise as the end of winter gets closer by the end of the month. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Art

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

DREAMS, IDEAS AND IMAGINATIONS

Subhrajit Roy

hildhood dreams have various dimensions. In one such dimension, even a disabled child can imagine to fly in the sky and rescue others in emergency inspite of the challenges in front him brought by his destiny. Such a child is Wriju, a twelve years old wheel-chair bound young boy who is a victim of ‘Spina Bifida’. His world of fun, pain, mischief, dreams, will power and imagination, all are confined within the bonding with his ten years old sister Paula and his mother. He observes the handicapped mentality of the people outside, who are blind and deaf to a person behind the superficial physical disorder. His story raises questions on the common tendency of the people of being sympathetic to a disabled, rather than thinking about the motto of integration which can equalise them with the other physically fit people in the society to some extent. With the message of idea for a better society for the disabled, Sutrapat (Kolkata) and GoetheInstitut/ Max Mueller Bhavan have recently enacted the story of Wriju through the play ‘Amio Superman’ on the stage of Rabindra Bhawan, at the recently held 4th National Children Theatre Festival. Directed by Jayati Bose and the mature performance by Sagnik Mukherjee as Wriju and Andrita Chatterjee as Paula in the roles of kids, the play is the Bengali adaptation Roy Kift’s famous play ‘Stronger than Superman’. Organised by Guwahati Sishu Natya Vidyalaya in association with National School of Drama, Theatrein-Education Company, New Delhi the festival was held between 3-6 January, 2015. Altogether eight plays across the country

With the message of idea for a better society for the disabled, Sutrapat (Kolkata) and GoetheInstitut/ Max Mueller Bhavan have recently enacted the story of Wriju through the play ‘Amio Superman’ on the stage of Rabindra Bhawan, at the recently held 4th National Children Theatre Festival.

pertaining to issues like child labour, competitive academic pattern and high expectations of parents, child psychology, environmental concern etc. were staged. Three plays, namely, ‘Namaskar Ji Namaskar’ by Kilkari, Bihar, ‘Phul Nuphular Golpo’, by Natmandal, Pathsala and ‘Adhure Sapne’ by Army Public School, Narengi, almost dealt with the same subject. So far as performances are concerned, the team from Bihar took the comical pattern, whereas children of Natmandal presented the subject through emotions. Though the subject had many aspects for improvement, the students of Army Public School could not perform that well as compared to their other counterparts in the festival.

Administration to upgrade GMCH campus

fter surveying the Guwahati Medical College Hospital and finding unsatisfactory infrastructure, Guwahati (Kamrup) Dr. M Angamuthu has decided to adopt a development plan for upgrading the GMCH. Angamuthu said, “We visited the GMCH campus on Saturday and found that the campus condition is not up to the mark. We have asked the hospital authority to clean it up immediately and we have planned a comprehensive plan for over all development of the hospital”. The licenses of the pharmacies operating on the hospital campus will be verified. The administration will also look at the traffic occurrence in front of the hospital campus. “We will be shifting the trekker parking to clear the GMCH entrance, ensuring that ambulances do not face any trouble while coming and going out of the hospital”, he added. The comprehensive plan will also focus on cleanliness and bringing up patient friendly facilities.

City cultural troupe held position at the Bharat Sanakriti Utsav

In the play ‘Xoru Dhemali Bor Dhemali’ by North East Theatre Academy, Dergaon, director Simanta Phukan presented the small fun played by a group of children by the river side in a remote area ironically exposing the picture of the big fun played by the so called leaders of the society and the country with the innocent and common people. Similarly, with the concept of tree plantation to save our biodiversity in particular and nature in general, the organising team staged the play ‘Kunhi Paat – Kunhi Paat’. This directorial presentation of Sanjeev Buragohain can be termed as the most colourful presentation in the entire festival. But the inaugural play ‘Tees Maar Khan’ by Backstage, Uttar Pradesh,

was neither acted by the children nor dealt with any subject related to children. It was just a satirical presentation of a folk tale. On the other hand, director Trishan Barman presented the concluding play ‘Burha Burhi Aru Shiyaal’, a popular folk story by Rasaraaj Laxminath Bezbaruah through modern elements, keeping the antiquity of it intact and it was the most humorous play in the entire festival. As compared to the previous edition, this year’s festival was considered weaker both in the contents as well as performances. But as a whole, the event was the culmination of dreams, ideas and imaginations of young minds on the same platform.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

In Conversation

The Biggest difference is that we know very less about each other” Mac Haque, Renowned Baul musician

ABDUL GANI sane people. We want to get rid of this ill-mentality. I think the Baul sangeet is crucial in this mission.

What is your role in taking Baul sangeet in the global platform?

aqsoodul Haque is a household name in the world of Baul sangeet. Besides being hugely popular and widely respected in Bangladesh, Haque has also been able to leave a mark in this part of India with his mesmerizing performances. Haque, popularly known as Mac is the band leader of the Bangladesh based jazz-rock fusion band ‘Maqsood O’ dHAKA’ established in 1997. Haque has a significant contribution to Bangla Rock music. He was also instrumental in organizing the open air concert in Bangladeshi in 1990 for the first time in its history. In an exclusive chat with G Plus, Mac, whose roots are from Assam, shares his experience and his future plans during his recent visit to Guwahati.

I have been trying all these years to the best of my abilities. It’s been 27 years or so. But there is so much more to learn.

Tell us about your connection to India or Assam? Why you love coming to this part?

As my roots are from this region, I don’t think the people of the region find it difficult to understand the essence of Baul music. The motto of saints like Srimanta Sankardeva and Ajan Fakir in Assam and in Bangladesh of Srimanta Chaitanya Dev and Lalon Fakir was that humanity is above than religion.

You are here to perform the Baul. Do you think the people here are used to this kind of music? Music is a universal language. Inspite of language barriers, we try even to comprehend Chinese songs, figuring out whether it is a song of pain or happiness. As my roots are from this region, I don’t think the people of the region find it difficult to understand the essence of Baul music. The motto of saints like Srimanta Sankardeva and Ajan Fakir in Assam and in Bangladesh of Srimanta Chaitanya Dev and Lalon Fakir was that humanity is above religion. So, Baul sangeet is all about that. Earlier also I have performed here. It was not much difficult for me to connect the Baul music with the audience here.

How can this form of music be embraced with the day to day life? This form of music can be traced back to many centuries. This kind of music tries to give you a different kind of philosophy which is far above your personal or political identity. It deals with humanity. Baul is not interested if you are a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist or an atheist. It does not believe in boundaries either but regards the globe as one. The craze for this has always been there in Bangladesh and elsewhere. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of ‘Masterpieces

On many occasions, we have seen that the Baul sangeet has played a major role in unification. What kind of role it is playing now?

of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO. You mark the point here it’s for humanity, not of Bangladesh or any other country. At present there around more than 100 such bands who sing Baul Sangeet. There are again certain musicians whom we cannot regard as Baul technically but they are widespread across the country.

What are the differences you feel between the old or the pure form of Baul sangeet and the new version of fusion

with more usage of technical stuff performed at the stage? Has the original form lost its sheen somehow? I don’t think that there is much difference between the two forms. Our mission and the message the songs want to convey is all the same. We might have taken a different way but the message is same. We still need to know the origin and to be with the Gurus even if we want to do the fusion version.

We have suffered a lot due to the religious fundamentalists who created trouble for humanity at large. We want to be relieved from this division in the name of religion, caste and creed. In the hour of crisis, the Baul sangeet played a crucial role especially in the time of separation. The religious fundamentalists confuse people. They would define the religion according to their own interests and which have no relation to the religious books. The kind of things which are going on, not just in Bangladesh but everywhere like-killing a Hindus would please Allah or killing a Muslim will satisfy God-is being done by some in-

My fans in Bangladesh might get hurt but the reality is that I’m an Assamese. Both my parents were Assamese from Jorhat town who left Assam in 1952-five years before I was born. My first wife who passed away few years back was also an Assamese. So, very often I keep on coming to this place.

You have been very well connected with the people from the both side of the border. There are lots of political differences between the people living on the both side of the fence. How do you see it? The biggest difference is that we know very less about each other. The people in Bangladesh hardly know about this part. For them, India means West Bengal, Delhi, Mumbai and a few other cities. They have no idea that the northeast has to offer a lot in every aspect. Likewise, here people have very little knowledge about Bangladesh. This has created lot of problems and I think there is lack of political will. We have been hearing of connectivity but in reality it means nothing. There are plenty of possibilities. Like I have come here, I want that people of cultural background from here should go to Bangladesh and participate in large numbers. There are endless possibilities in theatre, in cinema and of course the exchange of television programmes. It is unfortunate that no one here can view the Bangladesh television and likewise in Bangladesh no northeast television channels are available. Such exchanges can bring a huge change. The businessmen also need to play a crucial role. As a musician I will be more than happy to play a role in this regard.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Food sanjukta dutta (Food enthusiast)

Quick

Healthy

Fixes

INSTANT CHILLI PICKLE T Jolokia Aachar his is a very simple, yet very tasty and hassle free pickle one can make. Winters are a perfect time to make and stock up pickles for the rest of the year. Here is my take on an Instant Chilli Pickle, which is loved by my family and friends. We serve it with almost anything.

You will require

1. Fresh Green Chillies (1/2 kg) - wash, pat dry with a kitchen towel and cut into small bite size pieces. Sun dry it for a day and check if it has been de moisturized well. 2. Cumin Seeds (Jeera), Nigela seeds (Kala Jeera) and Coriander seeds (Dhaniya), 2 table spoon each, roasted on a tawa till it brings out all the flavour. Cool the seeds and ground them coarsely in a mixer-grinder and keep it aside. 3. Heat Mustard Oil (300gms) in a wok (kadhai) in a medium flame till the oil is heated well. Once it’s hot enough, turn off the gas burner and let the oil cool. Add the masala that we have prepared by combining the roasted seeds and mix thoroughly over the mustard oil. 4. Here at this stage we can add salt to taste. 5. Just before the mixture is completely set at the room temperature, drizzle some vinegar over the pickle masala. 6. Now, add the chillies into the masala and stir well so that the chillies are completely integrated with the spice. 7. Keep it in the open kadhai (wok) for some more time before we bottle it up in glass jars. 8. Your instant chilli pickle is ready. Keep it air tight and this can be stored for a long time. 9. Serve it with anything you want to eat the pickle with. ENJOY

Kath aloo mati maah daal khar diya

(Black Lentils Cooked with Yams and Alkali)

n an Assamese household, it is more than unusual to have not tasted khar (alkali) or mati daal (black lentils). And the combo of the both (alkali and black lentils) is a marriage made in heaven. Winters are a perfect time to buy vegetables and Kath Aloo (Yam) is very popular during this season. In this issue, let us make this dish, something very common in our households, yet a mouth watering dish.

Serves 4, Prepration time: 2 hours, cook time: 1 hour

You will require 1. Mati Daal (Black Lentils)½ kg 2. Alkali (Kol Khar)- 30 Ml 3. Kath Aloo (Yam)- 150 gms 4. Garlic (Chopped)- 1 tablespoon 5. Onion (Chopped)- 1 medium size 6. Bay leaves- 2 pieces 7. Green Chillies (Optional) 8. Salt to taste 9. Mustard Oil- for tempering 10. Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

How to go about it: 1. Soak the daal in water and wash it a good 6-7 times and discard the skin as it floats in the bowl where you have soaked the lentils. Keep it aside for an hour at least. 2. Cut the Kaath Aloo (Yam) into big chunks and keep it aside. 3. In a pan, add the washed lentils, the yam pieces and water (to boil the lentils). Add salt and turmeric with it and put it on a medium flame. 4. Add the alkali (khar) into the pan and cover it with a lid. 5. Allow the daal to be cooked (soft enough and check if the yams are cooked). 6. Once done, put off the flame.

7. Now add mustard oil in a wok over a medium flame. Throw in the bay leaves; add the garlic and the onions too. If you prefer you can add a few slit pieces of green chillies at this stage. 8. As the flavour oozes out, carefully pour the cooked lentils and this is how the daal is tempered. 9. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. The special daal is ready and is ready to be savoured in a wintery afternoon with piping hot rice and vegetables of your choice.

Snack Attack!

o, is snacking bad for children? Definitely not! Snacks can help your kids stay focused at school and on homework, give them needed nutrients and keep the hunger monster at bay, explains Tennessee-based registered dietitian and child nutrition expert Jill Castle, MS, RD. Leave non-nutritious food alone, however. “The definition of snack needs to be redefined,” she says. To lots of kids and teens, a snack is a bag of chips, some cookies or some other nutrient-challenged food. Think of snacks as a mini-meal instead, she encourages. Offer your kids a snack containing protein and fiber, so the snacks are filling, sustaining and add to the quality of the diet. An ounce of pistachios fits the bill with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber – about the same as a small apple. Snack time is a great time for your kids to enjoy fruits, nuts (for children under the age of 4, nuts may be a choking hazard unless they are finely chopped), vegetables, yogurt and other foods they’re not getting at their regular meals, says registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Malena Perdomo, MS, RD, CDE. These foods are ideal to help children re-fuel between meals and satisfy a growing appetite. The best snacking strategy is to be prepared, she adds. Parents should “plan ahead for that hungry tummy.”

Be a Smart Snacker

The following guidelines will make you and your family smart snackers: • Expect smaller children to eat smaller portions. Young children may need more frequent snacks than older kids because little ones have smaller stomachs that hold less. • Offer meals and snacks at predictable times. State the kitchen is closed at other times. • To make sure your kids eat at mealtimes, don’t offer snacks too close to a meal. • Discourage mindless munching. Expect your children to sit down to eat their snacks without the distraction of the television, computers and video games. • Offer nutrient-dense foods that are otherwise lacking in the diet and will improve your child’s nutrient intake.

Nuts and raisins

Celery sticks filled with almond butter and sprinkled with dried cranberries and chopped pistachios Baked tortilla chips dipped in salsa Whole-wheat tortilla with reduced-sodium turkey breast and reduced-fat cheese heated in the microwave

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Health

G PLUS FEATURE

igh levels of uric acid in the blood, also called hyperuricemia, can result from either increased production of uric acid in the body or decreased excretion of it through the kidneys. It can further lead to problems like gouty arthritis, kidney stones and renal failure. Recent studies have also associated high blood uric acid levels with hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Controlling uric acid levels

Normal uric acid levels are

Men 3.4–7.0 mg/dL Women 2.4–6.0 mg/dL The values may vary at different labs

Factors that can contribute to a high uric acid level include a diet high in purines (purines are broken down into uric acid), excess alcohol consumption, renal insufficiency, obesity, underactive thyroid, genetics, endocrine or metabolic conditions like diabetes or acidosis, and certain other diseases. Certain cancers, chemotherapy agents and other medications, such as diuretics, may also contribute to it. Exercising, fasting and crash dieting may elevate uric acid levels temporarily. There are some tips and natural remedies that can help reduce and control uric acid levels. In addition, proper diagnosis and treatment by a healthcare professional is a must.

Apple Cider Vinegar Being a natural cleanser and detoxifier, apple cider vinegar can help remove wastes like uric acid from the body. It contains malic acid that helps break down and eliminate uric acid. Apple cider vinegar also helps restore the alkaline acid balance in the body and provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Add one teaspoon of raw, organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to a glass of water. Drink this solution two or three times a day. You can gradually increase the amount of apple cider vinegar up to two tablespoons per glass of water and continue this remedy until your uric acid levels come down. Note: Do not take apple cider vinegar in excess as it may decrease potassium levels in the body. Also, it may interfere with diuretic drugs.

Lemon Juice Though it may seem that lemon juice will make the body more acidic, in actuality, it produces an alkaline effect and helps neutralize uric acid. Plus, its vitamin C content also helps lower uric acid levels. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass of warm

HEALTH TIP

water. Drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. Continue for at least a few weeks. You can also take vitamin C supplements. For proper dosage and suitability, consult your doctor.

Additional Tips • Limit your alcohol intake as it interferes with the elimination of uric acid. • Avoid high-fructose corn syrup or glucose-fructose syrup as they tend to increase

Cherries Cherries and dark berries contain chemicals that help reduce uric acid levels. Purple and blue-colored berries contain flavonoids called anthocyanins that help lower uric acid and reduce inflammation and stiffness. Eat one-half cup of cherries daily for a few weeks. You can also drink one or two cups of tart cherry juice for about four weeks. Also, add blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and other vitamin C and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Baking Soda Baking soda, also called bicarbonate of soda, is highly beneficial for lowering uric acid levels and reducing gout pain. It helps maintain the natural alkaline balance in the body and makes the uric acid more soluble and easier to flush out of the kidneys. Mix one-half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. Drink up to four glasses of this daily for two weeks. You can drink it every two to four hours. Note: Do not take this remedy on a regular basis. Also, do not follow this remedy if you suffer from high blood pressure. People aged 60 or older should not drink more than three glasses of this baking soda solution daily.

uric acid levels. • Get regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight. It is believed that fatty tissue tends to increase uric acid production. • Eat a balanced diet that is high in complex carbohydrates and low in protein. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cakes and candies. • Cut back on foods high in fat as it lowers the body’s ability to eliminate uric acid.

Olive Oil Most vegetable oils turn into rancid fats when heated or processed. The rancid fats destroy the vital vitamin E in the body, which is essential for controlling uric acid levels. Opt for cold-pressed olive oil rather than using vegetable oil, butter or shortening in your cooking and baking. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats that remain stable when heated. It is high in vitamin E and antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Water Drinking plenty of water helps optimize uric acid filtering. It helps dilute the uric acid and stimulates the kidneys to eliminate excess amounts from the body through urine. Drinking adequate water regularly can reduce the risk of re-

current gout attacks. In an internetbased study presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, researchers found that participants who drank five to eight glasses of water in the 24-hour period prior to a possible gout attack had a 40 percent decreased risk of an attack compared with those who drank only one glass of water or less. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water throughout the day. Also, include more fluids and fresh, water-rich fruits and vegetables in your diet.

High-fiber foods and starchy carbohydrates Foods high in dietary fiber help lower uric acid levels by absorbing it and then eliminating it from the body. You can also eat foods with

There are many diets that prohibit certain food groups but by following these you will be depriving your body of certain nutrients which could be harmful. Carbohydrates are a great source of energy so don’t totally exclude them from your diet.

starchy carbohydrates as they contain only small amounts of purine. Whole grains, apples, pears, oranges and strawberries are some examples of high fiber foods that you can incorporate in your diet. Starchy carbohydrates are foods like rice, whole grain pasta, tapioca (also called sabudana), quinoa, potato, oats and bananas. You can also drink green papaya tea to prevent the buildup of uric acid and treat uric acid and gout related problems. The papain in green papaya helps the body maintain an alkaline state and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Wheatgrass juice Wheatgrass helps restore alkalinity in the blood. Plus, it is rich in vitamin C, chlorophyll and phytochemicals that promote detoxification. It is also a good source of protein and amino acids as an alternative to eating animal protein. Simply drink one ounce (two tablespoons) of wheatgrass juice mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice daily until your uric acid level comes down.

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Entertainment

‘Nervous’ Arjun Rampal feels like newcomer

Look to whom Aditi is committed?

he word about classic beauty Aditi Rao Hydari’s playing the young Rekha in Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor created quite a stir in the industry and served as a reminder of the year ahead they can expect from this multi talented young actress who has quite an eclectic and promising line up of 5 films in 2015. Now, a source from the film sets reminds us yet again of Aditi’s talent and commitment - as she shot without any complaints in Kashmir at a temperature of minus six. “The film is largely being shot in Kashmir and that’s where the crew has been stationed. Most of Aditi’s shoots in Kashmir has been outdoor at freezing temperatures. In fact for two nighta straight, she was supposed to shoot in minus six degrees wearing light chiffon salwar kameezes while everyone else was covered up and jacketed. However, despite feeling incredibly cold the lovely lass would get on set and give her shot with aplomb and with complete conviction. She got everyone rooting for her commitment and looking out for her right through.”

ctor Arjun Rampal is a tad nervous about his forthcoming film “Roy”, especially as he will be seen on the silver screen after a gap of one and a half years. “It’s been one and half years that I have not been on the screen, so I am a bit nervous. I feel like a newcomer,” Arjun said here Monday at the launch of Dabboo Ratnani’s annual calendar. However, he says that he has seen the movie and feels it is “nice”. Arjun’s last appearance on the big screen was in the 2013 film “DDay”. In “Roy”, directed by Vikramjit Singh, Arjun will be seen as a writer and he hopes his “different role” in the film would work for him. Slated to release Feb 13, “Roy” also features Jacqueline Fernandez and Ranbir Kapoor.

Lata Mangeshkar’s emotional tribute to ‘Pancham da’

2015 is a grand year for Shruti?

he New Year is going to be extremely busy for actress Shruti Haasan, who is gearing up for the release of six films - four in Bollywood and one each in Tamil and Telugu. In Bollywood, Shruti has “Gabbar” opposite Akshay Kumar, “Rocky Handsome” and “Welcome Back” opposite John Abraham and “Yaara” opposite Vidyut Jammwal. Down south, she has a yet-untitled Tamil and Telugu project each with Vijay and Mahesh Babu, respectively. “She’s been working tirelessly, round the clock juggling between her film and brand commitments, while also making time for her music. Shruti has got a very interesting line up that spans various genres and ensures different looks and character graphs,” a source close to Shruti told IANS. Recently, she was signed on for yet-untitled Tamil-Telugu bilingual featuring actor Akkineni Nagarjuna and Karthi.

emembering Rahul Dev Burman, fondly called Pancham Da, on his 21st death anniversary Sunday, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar paid an emotional tribute to the noted Bollywood composer. “Aaj Pancham yaane R D Burman ki 21vi punyatithi hai (Today is the 21st death anniversary of Pancham alias R D Burman). Aisa guni kalakar sadiyo’n me ek paida hota hai,

Protest outside Salman’s house

ro-Tamil activists stage protests outside the actor’s house for drumming up support for the Lankan president. Salman Khan’s recent visit to Sri Lanka to participate in an electoral campaign has enraged pro-Tamil activists, who staged a protest outside his Bandra home on Sunday morning. Sources close to the actor say he had gone there for a social cause while the demonstrators said they were hurt by Salman’s decision to canvass for Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Around 10 protestors were taken into police custody. K Ayyanathan, international committee member, Naam Tamilar Party, says, “We are requesting Salman Khan to respect the sentiments of Tamil people and not go to Lanka

again. He is a citizen of India and cannot participate in the election process of another country.” The protestors do not, however, intend to call for a ban on his upcoming films. “We are not planning any ban and just wanted to urge him not to

go to Lanka again,” says Ayyanathan. An industy insider comments, “Even if there is a boycott, the (Tamilian) market is not even worth Re 1 crore for the actor to worry.” Salman was not available for comment.

wo gaane compose bhi karta tha aur khud bhi accha gaata tha (Such talented artist is born once in ages, he used to compose songs and was also a very good singer),” she tweeted. “Gaano’n mein naye naye prayog karna usko bohot pasand tha (He loved to try new experiments and techniques while composing songs). Aise kalakar ko meri bhavpurna shraddhanjali (I pay a sincere tribute to him),” she added.

‘Kaanchi’ actress Mishti gets a swanky gifts from her mum

M girl.

ishti Chakraborty, who was seen in Subhash Ghai’s ‘Kaanchi’, is a happy

Her mom gifted her a sports car which was imported from the UK. It came as a huge surprise to the starlet. What’s next? Learning to drive?

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

In The News

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Reviews

u D YoOULen SHList

e e am G leas re

Album name: ‘Sucker’ Artist: Charli XCX

Dragon Age: Inquisition

D ie w v o M evie r Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Manoj Bajpai, Shruti K. Haasan, Director: Amit Sharma

ast week, when the Tevar crew flew into Dubai to promote their film, they implored the critics to review their latest project keeping the masses who enjoy Bollywood masala films in mind. I did. But I have also come to the conclusion those Bollywood film lovers, with their voracious appetite for tales revolving around a largerthan-life hero (Arjun Kapoor), damsel-in-distress (Sonakshi Sinha) and a one-dimensional villain (Manoj Bajpayee), have gotten over that infatuation. (Remember, that a crush that you have in your first grade is unlikely to be the grandest romance of your life. So why should it be any different when it comes to taste in films?) They surely deserve better than Tevar — at least in terms of providing twists on a done-to-death tale. The story, set in Agra and Mathura in Northern India, is impossibly jaded (an uneducated henchman, Bahubali Gajinder Singh, falls in love instantly when he sees Radha, a buxom girl who loves to dance). A unsuspecting kabaddi champion, Pintu Shukla, with zero tolerance for violence against women, unwittingly gets involved in their spat and the next thing you know Pintu and Radha are both on the run. There is an army of sword-wielding men and corrupt cops on the hunt for them but the good-hearted Pintu ducks every one of them. He chants something along the lines of: “Kabaddi, kabaddi — should I twist your neck or break your bones” before slapping his beefy thighs and venturing out

to demolish his enemies. As painful as those lines are to read, it’s more painful to watch him repeat them. Seasoned actor Bajpayee tries his best to inject some believability into his insular, crazy-in-love rake. But even he is felled by dialogues such as “Did you think that there was just a scrapyard in here? There’s also a rose garden if you look closely,” pointing to his heart. This is his grand proposal to Radha before he decides to adopt some violent methods of persuasion. Now here’s a man who could have any girl in his village, but is fixated by Radha, who isn’t particularly impressed by him. When will villains in Bollywood learn to take no for an answer? These are stock characters in Bollywood and even someone as talented as Bajpayee can’t redeem it. The highlights of the film are some of the crackling encounters between Pintu and Gajinder, but it gets tiring after a point. Actor Raj Babbar as Pintu’s feisty dad is a treat to watch. Plus, the rustic beauty of Agra and Mathura has been captured in all its shabby splendour. The first half has at least three forgettable songs including one to introduce the greatness of Pintu (the perks of being in a film produced by your own family?) and then a song to display the greatness of Radha among others. Actress Sinha does her familiar routine of looking feisty, forlorn and furious. This song-dance-action formula that dominates Tevar has been regurgitated at least a few dozen times in Bollywood films, and therefore it’s difficult to savour here. Enter at your own risk.

ragon Age: Inquisition does not draw subtle parallels between the Chantry and modern-day Christianity. Its references are obvious and sometimes heavy-handed, but clear allegory aside, this vast and engrossing roleplaying game effectively explores matters of faith and devotion on an intimate level, surrounding you with a multitude of people, each of whom navigates evolving religious turmoil in his or her own way. The chaos of the world you are thrust into explores the usual Dragon Age themes--the struggle between mages and templars, the role of the Grey Wardens in holding off demonic blights, and the political machinations of the Orlesian elite among them. But the Chantry takes a central role, and the ways in which the dialogue and gameplay deci-

sions allow you to express your own views of faith make Inquisition the most personal game in the series, which is a wonderful revelation given how much real estate it depicts. Inquisition’s characters and world, on the other hand, recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know.

u D YoOUL ad SH Re

he might have had one of the summer’s biggest hits with “Boom Clap,” but Charli XCX is still best-known for her assists on other artists’ songs, most notably Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It.” It’s not as if she has been hiding, Sia-like, in the background -- in the past 18 months, she has toured extensively and cranked out a 15-track album, the criticalbut-not-commercial favorite True Romance, as well as a half-dozen or so other songs and several features. But that was just a prelude: Her second LP, Sucker, is poised to be the album that makes the 22-year-old Brit a true stand-alone star -- even if its opening track features the hook “F-- you, sucker!”

Book name: ‘It Happens for a Reason’ Artist: Preeti Shenoy

hen Vipasha, Vee to friends, eighteen and single, makes the decision to have her baby, she does morethan give up her promising modelling career. Sheends up cutting ties with her family and with Ankush, the man she thought she was in love with. Fast-forward sixteen years and she now has two unusual careers: she runs a dog-boarding facility and is a gym instructor. Aryan thinks she is the coolest mom in the world and hopes she will one

day findher Prince Charming - exactly what her best friend Suchi has in mind for her. But Vee secretly has a thingfor Saurabh, the quirky vet.Then, out of the blue, Ankush comes back into their life. But can a decision that was taken at eighteen - more in the throes of lust than love - be the basis of a lifelongrelationship? Is there a future for Ankush and Vee? Vee, Aryan and Ankush are in for the ride of their lives. No seat belts, full speed and a very bumpy road ahead.

NOW SHOWING Tevar

Ahetuk (Assamese)

Apsara Cinema

Daily at 11.00 AM, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Anuradha Cineplex

Daily at 10.30 AM, & 5.00 PM

Fun Cinemas

Daily at 9.00 AM, 2.40 & 8.45 PM

Daily at 11.45 AM & 5.40 PM

Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)

Daily at 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Daily at 11.30 AM, 2.30, 5.30 & 8.30 PM

Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar)

Daily at 11.30 AM, 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 PM

Gold Cinema (Narengi)

Daily at 2.00 & 5.00 PM

Daily at 2.00 PM Daily at 2.00 PM

Daily at 5.00 PM

Daily at 8.15 PM

Daily at 11.00 AM, 2.00 & 8.00 PM Daily at 11.00 AM 8.00 PM

Telebooking numbers: Anuradha Cineplex; 03612656968, 9954544738, Fun Cinemas: 9864800100, 9864800200, Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazaar): 03612735367, 9854077177, Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar): 9854066166, Gold Cinema (Narengi): 8811001898

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Tech Watch

Hike acquires Zip Phone, to launch voice calling soon

ike messenger has announced acquisition of a free voice-calling company - Zip Phone. Hike says the acquisition is aimed at expanding Hike’s product range in the internet-based communication space. Zip Phone has developed a voice-calling app, which works globally. Commenting on the growth and acquisition, Kavin Bharti Mittal, Founder and CEO, hike messenger, says, “From day one we’ve strongly believed that through communication, we can bring India online. With the acquisition we take one more step towards that mission. Zip Phone’s technology will allow us to bring free voice

calling to the market much faster. Incidentally, this is one of the top requested features from our users as well. We can’t wait to launch this on hike.”

Sony relaunches Walkman to challenge iPod

ony today took its Walkman brand into the MP3 era, launching a pair of digital music players without the ‘Network’ prefix to the famous portable player moniker. Sony Walkman 20GBThe players come in a slick, stylish casing and are pitched at the mid-range and highend segments, typified by the now defunct iPod Mini and the still-rocking iPod, respectively. But both borrow from the iPod Suffle, bringing My Favourite Shuffle and Time Machine Shuffle options to the players’ menus. The first randomly selects 100 songs from among the user’s most frequently played tracks, while the second chooses a year then plays all the tracks released during that timeframe. The user-interface

now provides an A-Z initial-letter search to help users navigate through large music collections. The NW-A1000 contains 6GB of storage, while the NW-A3000 contains a 20GB hard drive. Both sport OLED screens 1.5in and 2in, respectively, in the diagonal. Despite the

‘NW’ names, the players will be marketed to consumers under the familiar Walkman brand, not the less-well-understood ‘Network Walkman’ tag. Like past Network Walkman products, the new models play MP3 and ATRAC 3 tracks natively. The 20GB Walkman is available in violet and silver hues, while the 6GB unit comes in violet, silver, pink and blue. All of them ship with colour-coordinated headphones, Sony said. The company will also offer a range of “designmatching” accessories, including a remote control, dock, carrying cases and speakers. The 6GB models cost £169, while the 20GB unit costs £199.

Microsoft Office apps beta Xiaomi may soon DataWind to sell products via start selling HomeShop18’s multimedia now open for Android tablets devices in stores retail platform

icrosoft has opened up the beta versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps in the Google Play store for Android tablet users, in an effort to gather more feedback from a wider audience. Microsoft stated in a blog post that the company wanted to get feedback from a broader set of users to ensure that the Office apps work well on a range of Android tablets before officially launching the apps. The Office 365 team have also mentioned the requirements to install and run

the apps, notably an ARM-based Android tablet with KitKat or Lollipop and a screen size anywhere between 7 to 10 inches. Microsoft which has been trying to compete with Android and iOS apps for a while now has been making its platform more open to developers. According to a recent report, the company may soon add support for Android apps on Windows Phone and Windows platform. This may happen with the Windows 10 OS whose consumer preview is expected to be unveiled at Microsoft’s January 21 event.

iaomi is reportedly eyeing offline stores to expand its base in the Indian market. Prior to the tie up with Airtel, the company has followed an “online-exclusive” model. According to Manu Jain, Xiaomi may replicate the China model where the company offers devices offline. He points out about 30% of sales in China come from “offline” channels. It’s notable the company is extensively working to develop an ecosystem for the Indian market . According to recent reports, Xiaomi planning to buy 20,000 square foot R&D center in India.

ataWind will now also be selling its devices via multimedia retail platform HomeShop18. The latest tie up is part of DataWind’s ongoing efforts to expand its distribution network through a series of modern, traditional and online retail distribution agreements. Speaking on the occasion Suneet Singh Tuli, President &CEO DataWind says, “We greatly value our partnership with HomeShop18, giv-

en their experience and extensive reach across multimedia platforms of broadcast, internet and mobile shopping. The partnership augurs well for both the companies just as it increases access to our low cost android tablets, the addition of our range to HomeShop18 platform enriches their overall offering.” DataWind in the last 6 months has tied up with UniverCell in the south, Spice Retail in the North and West.

How to Access Blocked Web Sites at Work Blocked Web Sites 1. Using Proxy Servers:

ith the increasing popularity of Internet we are becoming more dependent on the Internet to gather information on various topics.Internet has also brought the ways to stay connected to our friends and relatives via social networking websites like Facebook,Twitter, etc.

While we work in our office or study in our school or college labs, we find that we are not able to access the websites which we need to. This is mainly due to the reason that those websites have been blocked by the administrator.

Best Ways to Access

You can access the blocked websites by using the proxy servers very easily. But there is a little risk of getting viruses and infected files from these servers. So, you need to take care of this fact before accessing the website via proxy servers. Here we list few of the most widely used proxy servers: www.hidemyass.com www.anonymizer.com www.blockedsiteaccess.com

2.Using Google Translate: Google Translate is a free service from Google that can be used to translate text from one language to another. You can also use this service to access

blocked websites very easily. Steps to access blocked websites with Google Translate Go to Google Translate. Enter the URL of the website which you need to access and hit enter. Google will translate the website in the language you choose and this way you will be able to see the website.

3. Try replacing http by https: This is also one of the simple ways to access the blocked websites at work or school or in college. The URL of the website starts with the http and you have to simply replace the http with https and you will have access to that website.

4. Using proxy software: You can also access to the blocked

websites by using proxy softwares. These softwares are free to download and they are very small in memory. Once installed they help in providing access to the blocked websites. You can download any one of the software from the list below here, GTunnel (http://gardennetworks.org/download) UltraSurf (http://ultrasurf.us/) Tor (https://www.torproject. org/)

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

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Fun

Your weekly dose of Aries

TIMEPASS

Taurus

You’ll start this week feeling passionate about your goals and plans for the future. And this kind of energy coursing through you gives you the right attitude to make a success of things. In addition, knowing the right people and connecting with the right groups can help your cause immeasurably. Put some time and effort into networking regularly and meeting with those who share your goals and aims and you’ll find your plans progress much more quickly.

Leo

Gemini

You might be more conscious of money matters, especially where shared resources and joint finances are concerned. This week’s lineup encourages some serious thought about how you can cut back on waste, increase your savings, or use any spare money to pay off debts. Meanwhile, this is as good a time as any to consider your career or personal ambitions and how you might progress. Using your charm and getting expert advice might be two ways to impress the right people.

Virgo

Let yourself be guided by the wisdom of others. A few quick questions to the right person could put you on track to success in no time. Relationships in general are good, with an opportunity to expand your social circle and network with folks on your wavelength. However, you may be more circumspect when it comes to dating and creative expression. Don’t let a crisis of confidence stop you. It’s time to face your fears and prove you’re bigger than they are.

Sagittarius You may feel anchored to certain responsibilities as Saturn moves more deeply into your sign, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’ve been dreaming about goals and plans, you now have the motivation to bring them to life. On another note, a lively energy in your communication sector makes this a great time to expand your social circle, get in touch with pals you haven’t heard from in a while, or research your options concerning ideas you want to implement.

SUDOKU

HOROSCOPE

A financial decision may be needed early in the month, or at least a chance to talk things through with someone who can set you on the right path. Your mind is also on the adventures you can have. You’re eager to expand your horizons and get involved in opportunities that are a bit of a stretch. You’ll welcome challenges that bring new experiences, as well as bump up your skill set. Romance could be in the cards when you move in new circles.

Cancer Saturn’s move into Sagittarius suggests you’re going to have a busy time ahead. Part of this may be your desire to get ahead, so you may be putting a lot of pressure on yourself to succeed. Knowing how to pace yourself so you don’t burn out too quickly could be a lesson worth learning. When it comes to joint finances and banking issues, you’ll be ahead of the game should you require a loan. A bright idea can help you secure needed credit.

Libra

Romance looks fairly intense, with opportunities to take a new relationship to the next level of commitment. However, don’t be tempted to manipulate a situation to suit you. It’s important to give your love interest the space and time to make a decision. If you do, you may find things move along swimmingly. Meanwhile, Mercury and Venus in your wellness sector encourage you to get fit and lose any pounds you gained over the holidays. A home-based remodeling project may beckon.

Capricorn

Scorpio

The presence of Saturn in your communication sector suggests that writing, speaking, and marketing could be a big part of your life for the foreseeable future. This could be an exciting time when you develop a writing or Internet business with serious clout. Lay the foundation now and the future could be very sunny. Meanwhile, romantic opportunities look excellent. You’ll be magnetic and flirtatious this week - easily able to catch the eye of anyone you like. Things are looking up!

You may be relieved that Saturn has left your sign. However, its presence in your personal finance zone suggests it’s time to get down to business. This can be an ideal time to increase your income by starting an enterprise that could blossom over the weeks and months ahead. You’ll need to work hard to get it off the ground, but once you do it could make a big difference to your lifestyle and income. Later, entertaining at your place could be fun.

Aquarius

The current alignment encourages you to take a detached look at your life to see what’s working and what isn’t. The things you’re enthusiastic about and motivated to do are the ones to focus on. If any part of your life seems like drudgery, it may have passed its “sell by” date. Perhaps you’ve extracted as much from this experience as you can and it’s time to let it go. Listen to your heart and see what it says on the subject.

You’re still in a natural phase in which it’s time to recharge your batteries. However, you’re also eager to start new plans and projects. For the time being, try to find balance between the two so you can make the most of promising opportunities. Your social life continues to look lively, although you may be targeting certain likeminded people or groups. You’ll be more inclined to hang out with people with whom you can form productive friendships.

Pisces If you’re undecided about a job or the direction your career is taking, the presence of Saturn in Sagittarius will help focus your attention. It’s time to think seriously about where you’re going and what you want to achieve. It’s best to have a plan in place even if you do change aspects of it further down the line. Your social life continues to buzz - with one relationship becoming intense. There is potential for romance in the air.

Useful Life Hacks USE THE SPRING FROM A PEN TO STRENGTHEN CORDS

Wrapping the end of a cable with a spring from a pen will help keep it from fraying after long-term use.

JUST FOR LAUGHs A boy with a monkey on his shoulder was walking down the road when he passed a policeman who said, “Now, now young lad, I think you had better take that monkey to the zoo.” The next day, the boy was walking down the road with the monkey on his shoulder again, when he passed the same policeman. The policeman said, “Hey there, I thought I told you to take that money to the zoo!” The boy answered, “I did! Today I’m taking him to the cinema.” Two lawyers walking through the woods spotted a vicious looking bear. The first lawyer immediately opened his briefcase, pulled out a pair of sneakers and started putting them on.The second lawyer looked at him and said, “You’re crazy! You’ll never be able to outrun that bear!” “I don’t have to,” the first lawyer replied. “I only have to outrun you.”

Solution (Last Issue)

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

classifieds

VACANCY

Urgently Required 20 Nos.For Govt. Project, Data Entry Operator, Salary: On contractual asis. No fees needed. Call: 98640 56427 88768 04812 Hair Styler required in an Unisex salon For details contact 97076 35294 Peon Required Qly-H.S.L.C. Salary-5,500/-(+) Contact -9864306246 Urgently Require Telecallers Salary: 5,000-10,000/Contact-98646-08375 Receptionist Required Salary-Up to 10,000/Contect-98640-62103 Urgently Required Delivery Boy On a famous Courier Salary: 7,000-9,000/Contect-90859-90528 Back Office Executive Required Salary-10,000/-(+) Contact-98543-71481 Delivery boy Required For Online shoppingSalary-up to -9,000/Contact-98646-08375 Hotel Industry Front Office Executive Required Salary-6,000-10,000/Contact-98640-62103 Showroom Executive Required Salary-5,000-6,000/Contact-98543-71481 Marketing Executive Required Salary-10,000/-(+) Contact-98640-62103 Back Office Executive Required On A well known Hotel Salary-Up to-10,000/Contact-90859-90528 In house sales Executive Qly-B.Com with English medium background Salary-Up to-15,000/Contact-98543-71481

To post classifieds call us at +91 8486002319

TO-LET

2 BHK With 2 Bathroom , Parking, Balcony And Lift At G.S. Road Rent-12,000 Ph No.-98644-31944 3 BHK 2nd Floor Flat At Ghy Club, Rent18,000 Call-76630-59321 3 BHK Newly Constructed Flat At Jayanagar, Rent14,000 Call-83999-65686 3BHK Independent House At Jonali, 2Bathroom , Parking, & Kitchen, Rent10,000 Contact-76630-59321 3BHK 3Rd Floor Flat With Bathroom , Parking, Balcony And Lift Rent-12,000 Contact-83999-65686 3 BHK At Ganeshguri Rent-15,000 Call-7663059321 Any type of Rented House Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 2 BHK Flat With 2Bathroom, Parking & Balcony With Lift At Chandmari Rent-10,000 Ph No.- 83999-65686 Any type of Flat Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 Any type of Office Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 Independent House Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari. Contect-98647-39316 2BHK RCC Home Available AtChandmari Rent-10,000/Ph-98647-39316

3BHK Furnished Flat Available At Chandmari. Rent-15,000/Ph-98640-52064. 3BHK Flat At Second Floor With 2 Bathroom , Balcony , Parking With 3 Wardrobe And Lift. Rent- 15,000 Ph No.98644-31944 3BHK Flat With 2 Bathroom, 3rd Floor , Parking, Balcony & Lift in Beltola Rent- 14,000 Pn No.-76630-59321 3BHK Newly Made Flat With Parking, Lift, Balcony & 2 Bathroom. Rent-14,000 Ph No.-98644-31944 2BHK New Flat at Bhetapara (2nd , 3rd , 4th Floor) 2 Bathroom , Parking , Balcony , Lift Rent-9,000 Contact- 83999-65686 3BHK New Flat With 2 Bathroom , Parking , Balcony , Lift At Dispur, 2nd , 3rd , 4th Floor, Rent-16,000 Call-9864431944 400 sqft Rcc godown available At opp.Nichols school, Chatribari. With Shutter and road facing facility. Ph.No.- 98641-59713. 200 sqft Rcc shop inside market. Available and nearby godown. Suitable for any type of CNF work. Ph.No. - 98641-59713. 3 room residential flat on third floor 1300 sqft in Krisna Nagar, Chatribari. Ph.Nos. - 9864159713.

2 WHEELER / 4 WHEELER Discover 2014 Model For Sale, Colour : Black And Red Ph.- 98599-10119

Yamaha R15 2011 Model Colour : Blue Ph.- 98641-06333

Alto LXI 2011 Model Colour: Maroon Contact-88110-91965

Honda Activa For Sale 2011 Model Colour – Grey Call- 73997- 45470

Yamaha FZ – S Year of Manufacturing04/20111, Colour B. Green Contact-95778-21645

Ulto LXI 2010 Colour: White Rate: 2.10 Lacs Fixed Call- 88221-41557

2 WHEELER / 4 WHEELER

Vento (D) Top Model 2011 Colour: White Ph-88110-91965

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Swift VSI 2012 Model Colour: Silver 4.50 Lacs Fixed Call:88221-41557 Bajaj Pulsar 135 2010 Model Colour – M.BLK M. 98540-91738 Scorpio For Sale 2010 SLX Colour – Silver Ph.- 98599-10119 Pulsar 150 2009 Model, Colour: Black Contact- 88110-91965 Scorpio 2010 LX Colour: Black (D) Contact-98641-06333 Honda Dio 2013 Model, 2013 Model Colour: P.T. Yellow Contact-98640-21414 TVS Apache RTR 08 / 2011 Model Colour : Red 98544-01660 Scorpio Model: SLX 2004, Colour: Silver Contact- 88110-91965 Honda Activa 2012 Model, Colour- Blue Call-95773-69908 Wagon R For Sale 2009 Model Colour : Maroon Contact-98599-10119 Hundai i20 Sportz ABS CRBI Price – 5.20 Lacs Colour – Grey 88221-41557 Swift Dzire: 2010 Model, Colour: White (D), Ph- 98599-91965 Activa, Colour: Black 2012 Model Contact: 98641-06333 Mahindra Duro 2011 Model Colour : Maroon Contact: 88110-91965 Mahindra Duro 2013 Model Colour: White Contact-98599-10119 Pulsar 150 2012 Model, Colour Black Contact-98641-06333

Citypedia

AMBULANCE

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251

BLOOD BANK

Splendor 2013 Model Colour Black Call- 98641-06333 Honda Activa 2004 Model Colour : Black Call- 88110-91965

Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594

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

International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998) Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344

Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921 TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 GNRC Hospital 0361 2227702 GNRC Life First Ambulance 9401194011

24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118

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

Cinema Hall Anuradha Cineplex – 0361-2656968, 99545-44738 Fun Cinema (HUB)- 98648-00100, 98648-00200 Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar) – 98540-66166 Gold Cinema (Salasar) – 0361-2735367, 98540-77177 Gold Cinema (Narengi) – 88110-01898

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

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

G PLUS JAN 10- JAN 17, 2015

Catching Up

Kelly Brook Wants Cheshire Home

Gandhi-Bot: US company apologises for using Gandhi’s image on beer cans

he use of Mahatma Gandhi’s image on beer cans and bottles by a US company has raised hackles with a petition being filed in a Hyderabad court alleging it had insulted the father of the nation following which the liquor company has apologised. The Connecticut-based New England Brewing Company even claimed that its intention was to pay homage and celebrate the apostle of peace and that Gandhi’s granddaughter and grandson have expressed their admiration for the label. The beer brand is called ‘Gandhi-Bot’, which the company says

rook 35, is reportedly hunting around for a £2 million countryside home in Cheshire so she save her relationship with David McIntosh, who lives in nearby Manchester. Her friend shared: “Kelly’s determined to make it work with David and is prepared to up sticks and move to where he is. “Word is she’s looking in the £2million price range in the most select and desirable areas.”

is an intensely hopped double India pale with a blend of three varieties of American Hops. An advocate has filed a petition before XI Metropolitan Magistrate, Cyberabad, Sunkari Janardhan Goud contending that Gandhi’s image on the alcohol cans and description of the father of the nation by the brewery is highly condemnable and punishable under Indian laws. The petition submitted that it amounts to offences under Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and 124-A of IPC (related to us inflammatory words, signs or visible representation). The petition is slated to come up for hearing tomorrow.

BMW’s i3 refuses to crash, parks itself ‘autonomously’

ave you come across a car that refuses to crash? BMW’s i3, which comes with an array of well-concealed external sensors, is a car that will not just allow the driver to avoid collisions but will also perch itself in an open space in a parking lot.

The moment the driver gets too close to an object on the road, the car applies moderate brakes with a soft beep to avoid collision. The system works not just on the sides but in the reverse too and allows you to park in a tight spot without getting in the way, reported The Verge.

The i3 also features an automatic valet system which makes use of the same set of high-definition sensors to map the environment around the car. It is initiated using an app that BMW has designed for Samsung’s Gear S smartwatch and the car autonomously finds a spot in a parking lot, lurches really slowly towards the area and parks itself. The app can be used to summon the car too.

Bihar paan seller offers free condoms to create awareness

Filipino Traffic Cops to Wear Diapers During Pope’s Visit

hen Pope Francis visits the Philippines next week, traffic enforcers won’t let the capital’s streets get gridlocked if they have to answer the call of nature. About 2,000 traffic enforcers who will be on duty during the January 15-19 papal visit will be required to wear adult nappies, also known as diapers, said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino. Tolentino also encouraged

I spectators, who will wait for hours to see the pope, to wear nappies. Tolentino said the idea will be tested on Friday by some 800 traffic enforcers who work shifts during the

nearly 24-hour annual procession of the Black Nazarene. It will be the first time that traffic enforcers in the Philippines will wear nappies while on duty in the streets.

n an innovative way to create awareness about population control, a paan seller in Bihar has been offering his customers a free condom with each betel leaf. “I have been giving free condoms to all those who visit my shop for paan. Free condoms offer attracts many and it also help to create awareness about population control,” said Nandlal Sah of Katihar district, runs his stall in Phalka bazaar. Sah, in his early 40s, said: “It is

my small effort or contribution to help population control.” He said some NGOs, medical representatives and others have been providing him condoms for free distribution. “But some time I have to purchase condoms after I failed to get condoms from NGOs or medical representatives on time.” Free distribution of condom also “boosted my paan business as some people consume paan for free condom”, Sah added. “I have also persuaded nearly 300 women for sterilisation till date,” he said. Bihar is one of the most densely populated states. The Bihar government two years ago launched a major initiative to stabilise population and train adolescents on reproductive health and family planning.

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