VOL 01 | ISSUE 15 | JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
`10 ges 24 Pa
Luisa Zissman
Catching Up, Pg 24
GMC CLAIMS FOR REAL OR JUST PIPE DREAMS? New GMC projects have already been sanctioned and the new year seems to have started on a good note for the corporation.
PG
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PG 11 BHOGALI
BIHU SPELLS
BOOM FOR BUSINESS
PG 03 ROAD SAFETY WEEK
GETS UNDERWAY IN THE CITY
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Lead Story
GMC CLAIMS FOR REAL OR JUST PIPE DREAMS? RAHUL CHANDA
New GMC projects have already been sanctioned and the new year seems to have started on a good note for the corporation.
T
he Assam government had sanctioned Rs 63 Cr to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) for the year 2013-14. The city development body takes care of all the general public dayto-day development process, and every New Year, it comes up with various projects to make Guwahati a better place to live in. This year
too, the body has said that it has taken up various projects for the betterment of the society and has also prepared a road map to use the money sanctioned by the government to further bring people’s livelihood to another level of progress. GPlus exclusively researches various projects taken up by the department to use the money.
Projects taken up by GMC during 2012-13 and 2013-14 Construction of G+4 Beltola Market cum Commercial Complex. The foundation stone of the complex was laid by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 03/04/2013. Estimated Budget – Rs 6.38 crores Construction of Lakhtokia office cum commercial complex at Lakhtokia, including the preparation of Bid Documents etc Estimated Budget – 1 crore Construction of Bhootnath Zonal office Estimated Budget – 58 lakh Construction of 124 roads (Total length = 36.012 km) under the award of 4th Assam Finance Commission and13th Finance Commission Estimated amount used in 13th FC (including 11-12 and 12-13) 2011 -12, 1st instalments – 268.15 lakhs 2011-12, 2nd instalment – 440.13 lakhs 2012-13, 1st instalment – 392.29 lakhs 4th Assam Finance Commission (2011-12) 1st instalment – 1105 lakhs 2012-13, 1st instalment – 500 lakhs Total amount used to construct the roads till date – 13705.57 lakhs Construction of basic infrastructure of Adabari Bus Stand (Phase I) under Annual Plan (Construction of 355 m of carriageway with road side RCC drain and pedestrian path). Estimated Budget – 99. 98 lakhs Construction of basic infrastructure of Adabari Bus Stand (Phase II) under the award of 4th Assam Finance Commission for 2011-12 (Construction of 198.00 m of carriageway with roadside drain and pedestrian path). Estimated Budget – 60 lakhs
High mast lighting systems and street lights:(i) Installation of 10+2 numbers of High Mast Lighting System at various locations under GMC Trade and Development Fund Estimated budget – 111.77 lakhs (ii) Street lighting system in following roads of Guwahati under the award of 4th Assam Finance Commission Nepali Mandir to Serapbhati Fatasil Bridge to Ambari Tiniali Police point Estimated Budget –68.83 lakhs Hengrabari road from Ganeshguri point to Express Highway Hatigaon Chariali to NH-37 Estimated Budget –126.65 lakhs (iii) Renovation of existing street lights on 176 roads having 2493 numbers of 40 watts tube lights and 438 numbers of sodium vapour lamp Estimated Budget –39.61 lakhs (iv) New street lights on new octagonal poles on seven roads Estimated Budget –115.76 lakhs (v) Installation of 1260 numbers lamps on existing ASEB poles Estimated Budget –123.78 lakhs
Some projects in the pipeline which will be launched in the near future according to GMC (i) Multi storied markets with adequate parking facilities at Ulubari, Ganeshguri, Rupnagar and Fatasil. Tendering process has already started. Allotments likely to be finalised by end of January 2014. (ii) Garage cum workshop at Basistha. GMC claims that surveying and planning process has already started. (iii) Convention centre at Kharguli. Surveying and planning process has already started. (iv) Dispur and LakhraZonal offices. Surveying and planning process started. (v) Recource centre at Lamb road. (vi) Beautification and protection of river Bharalu (Estimated amount = Rs 15 crores) from GS Road point to ASEB complex at Ulubari. Tendering process already started. Allotment likely to be finalised by January 2014.
There might be many promises made by the government and the bodies attached to it to develop the state and the city every year. There are Assembly sessions, season after season passing various bills and allotting crores of rupees for many projects in the state. But, how many projects get completed in a way that it is a win-win situation for everyone? In spite of crores of rupees getting pumped in by city development bodies like Guwahati Municipal Corporation, for a planned and beautiful Guwahati, why is the city still under various terrors like monsoon, poor roads and chaotic traffic?
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
In The News
ROAD SAFETY WEEK
GETS UNDERWAY IN THE CITY
Increased awareness, developing traffic sense and renewed guidelines are the objectives of the City Traffic Police
Mrinmoyee Hazarika
T
he ignorance of the drivers as well the pedestrians coupled with a few inefficient officials has been a great matter of concern for the road users over the years. In order to spread awareness among the masses on how to use the roads safely, the district administration, Kamrup (M) along with district transport office has organised a weeklong programme from January 11 to 17, 2014. As a part of the celebrations, an art competition for the schoolchildren of the city was organised on January 8th at the Shardhanjali Kanan with the help of Artist’s Guild. Among the activities to be carried out during the ‘25th Road Safety Week’, a walkathon, a rally by the victims of the road mishaps, a vintage car rally and a bike rally are some of the important ones. “Juli Baruah, who lost both her hands in a bus accident, has been invited to take part in the ‘walkathon’, to be held on January 12. Besides, Assam’s first Arjuna awardee Bhogeswar Barua, Guinness world record holder Abhijit Baruah and former five-time national discus champion Tayabun Nisha will also take part in the walkathon,” district transport officer (registration and licensing), Gautam Das said. The walkathon will start from the Nehru Stadium to the Rudra Singha Sports Complex at Dispur. The road safety week, the theme of which is ‘When on the road, Alwaya say pehle aap (you first)’, will also witness a vintage car rally with the help of the vintage car owners of the city. Rupom Chetia Bora, a media personality as well as a budding social entrepreneur of the state, under whose initiative, the vintage car rally will be organised, said, “Owning a vintage car is a matter of pride for the Assamese people. It also represents the age-old rich history and heritage of Assam. Therefore, in order to in-
culcate this idea of preserving our own heritage among the youths, we have decided to organise the vintage car rally in Guwahati as a part of the celebrations of the road safety week.” Bora, who also runs a non-government organisation, Project Paatkai, further added, “The road safety is related to the youths, because, they are the ones who have tendencies to drive carelessly. To spread the message of the road safety week and to
“Owning a vintage car is a matter of pride for the Assamese people. It also represents the age-old rich history and heritage of Assam. Therefore, in order to inculcate this idea of preserving our own heritage among the youths, we have decided to organise the vintage car rally in Guwahati as a part of the celebrations of the road safety week.”
Rupom Chetia Bora Media personality
Date
Time
Events
venue
11 January
10 am onwards
Street corner meeting
Adabari bus stand
th
Health camp 12 am onwards
Training of drivers (hazardous goods vehicles)
T.O.P Betkuchi
Enforcement checking up drive 12th January
8 am onwards
Walkathon
From Nehru stadium to Rudra Singha sports complex
Car rally Vintage car rally 13th January
11 am onwards
Public meeting/ street play
At different locations
10 am to 12 am
Car rally
DTO office
10 am to 1 pm
Training of bus drivers and health check up
ISBT, Betkuchi
11 am onwards
Street play
At different locations
2 pm to 4 pm
Bike rally
DTO office
Joint checking
15 January
9 am onwards
16th January
10am to 1 pm
Eye camp
ISBT, Betkuchi
17th January
9 am to 12 noon
Demonstration by 102 GMC hospital
GMCH
10 am onwards
School education on road safety
th
develop a civic attitude while driving on the road, among the youths, the vintage car rally is being organised.” Other important aspects of the road safety week are the training of drivers (hazardous goods vehicles), street plays, public meetings, health check-ups for drivers and car rallies at different parts of the city. Emphasising on the significance
of road safety week, the city traffic SP Bibekananda Das mentioned that many lives are lost every year because of the lack of awareness on road safety. According to the data available with the Guwahati city police, a total number of 880 cases of road accidents have been reported in the city in 2013 (upto September). Altogether 208
persons were killed and 823 persons were injured in road mishaps during the same period. The previous year (2012) has reported a total number of 1078 cases of road accidents in the city. Besides, 246 persons were killed and 1062 persons were injured in 2012.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
City
DISPUR PS REGISTERS 2757 CASES IN 2013 Rahul Chanda
B
eing the capital of Assam, Dispur is known as the political hub of the state and with VIPs zooming in towards the secretariat and state assembly, the place becomes an important location for the state. All the MLAs also stay at Dispur as the MLA hostel is situated here. Adjacent to the secretariat is the police station which is always busy with security concerns of the area. Interestingly, in the last year, Dispur police station registered 2757 cases.
The Police Station in the state’s capital has a myriad number of cases registered in its logs, with several still pending closure.
Case description
The number of heinous crimes like murder, rape, kidnapping and so on might have decreased, but crimes like theft and burglary ruled the crime chart in 2013. There were 7 murders registered, 77 kidnappings, 1 dacoity, 17 rapes and 6 arsons. There were also cases of land grabbing and arms act. According to our sources in the police, mostly all the major cases are solved and charge sheeted, but still, there are 1695 cases, which are being further investigated in the area. Whatever is the scenario, it is seen that crimes like theft and burglary has tremendously increased in the area. But what exactly is the reason that such crimes are on a speedy rise?
Cases registered in 2013
2757
Cases disposed in 2013
2132
Other IPC/ Accident Murder 7 – 860+195 = 1055 Arson 6 Total IPC 2620 Kidnapping (girls & women) 77 Arms Act 3 Dacoity 1 ES Act 1 Robbery 56 NDPS Act 1 Chain snatching 24 Immoral Trafficking Act 2 Extortion 26 IT Act 25 Burglary 262 Molestation/ Crime against Theft 427 women – 48+13=61 Protection of children from Auto theft sexual offence Act 6 Two wheelers 156 Land Grabbing Act 16 Four wheelers (LMV) 51 Other Act/ JJ Act – 16+4 = 20 Four wheelers (HMV) 3 Total local and special law/ WLP Act 3 Rape 17 Total Cognisable cases 2757 Dowry 110 Dowry death 1 Out of 2757 cases Rioting 14 Cases disposed – 521 CBT / White collar crime People arrested – 653 person – 43+4 = 47 Final Report submitted – 331 Cheating 271 Cases charge sheeted – 190 Counterfeiting 9 Cases further inquired – 1695
Reasons for theft and burglary
Guwahati is witnessing a major change in its look, work culture and various other aspects of development. Being the capital of Assam and the gateway to the northeast, it has become the business hub of this region. People from all over the region visit Guwahati for various purposes and job opportunities. According to police, rising population may be a reason behind such increased rate of theft and burglary in Dispur. Cheap labours from different places come and easily get recruited in different sectors like construction firms and so on. Sometimes, these labourers commit a crime and then flee from this place. They sometimes do it within two three days of their stay in the area, so, people do not even recognise them well, which adds to the hassles of investigation process, the source added. It might be true that there is always an issue of floating population because of immigration, both legal and illegal, but there must be a way to bar the criminals from committing such crimes.
Prostitution
As there were also cases of immoral trafficking registered at the PS, G Plus also enquired the Dispur police about the scenario of prostitution in the Dispur area. The sources in police informed that it is not that Dispur does not witnesses such cases, but mostly it happens as a part of adultery, where
the police cannot even register a case. There are many bars and clubs in and around Dispur, where certain immoral activities happen, but it is difficult for the cops to prove the activity as most of the times, it is out of consensual agreement. If the cops do pick up some people and take them to the court, it is still difficult for them to prove immoral activity as there is hardly any evidence. Sometimes, the police are inhibited as the people arrested can even blame the police of being involved with them.
Juvenile justice act
There were also cases under the protection of children from sexual offence act and juvenile justice act, which were registered at the Dispur police station. According to highly placed sources in Child Welfare Committee, in 2013, a notice was also issued to a well known politician of the state for using a child as a labour for household work. A minor was gang-raped by minors, which was a big shame to not only the city, but the entire state. So, Dispur saw various cases of crime against children in the last year.
White collar crime
Dispur being the place full of VIPs, it is full of white-collar people who make decisions for the entire state. It is not that Assam has a great history of bureaucrats getting involved in corruption. Dispur in the last year did register a few cases of white-collar crimes. But as the outcry for Jan Lokpal Bill is catching momentum, will it
be possible for an important place like Dispur, to be away from such kind of cases. All said and done, the police is not always to be blamed for any crime taking place in the city as the number of cases registered in city police stations is far more than what departments like CBI register. But, how to make the police efficient enough so that no matter what the number of cases may be, it should get disposed soon, and at the end of the year, there is always an equal tally between the number of cases registered and disposed?
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
City
VEHICLE REGISTRATION GOES DOWN IN THE CITY mrinmoyee hazarika
Although there have been various new vehicle launches, the city has seen a drop in the number of vehicles registered, hence signifying a drop in vehicle sales.
A
t a time when the numbers of road mishaps are witnessing an increase in the city, the number of registration of new cars seems to be coming down. In the fiscal year of 2011-12, altogether 62,000 cars (both commercial and private) were registered at the district transport office, Kamrup (DTO). The next fiscal (2012-13) saw the registration of a total number of 58,638 cars in Guwahati. So far, the current fiscal (till the month of December, 2013) has seen the registration of 46,934 cars in the city. “The records have shown that the registration of new cars is falling in the city, which means that the buying capacity of the people has fallen down. The loss incurred in the coal-mining sector has made a significant contribution to it because a huge number of vehicles are being used to transport coals and the current turbulence going on in the sector has resulted in the lesser number of registration of transportation vehicles,” district transport officer (registration and licensing), Gautam Das said. He has also attributed some other factors for the decreasing trend of registration of new cars in the city. Among them, the reducing trend of the peoples’ buying capacity because of the price hike, increased interest rates of bank loans etc are the reasons responsible for lesser number of registration of new vehicles. The data available with the office of the district transport officer (registration and licensing), Kamrup shows that out of the 58,638 vehicles registered in the fiscal year of 2012-13, there are 22270 motor cycles, which is the highest of all other vehicles registered during the period. The registration of cars comes second in the position with a total number of 18,905
“
At present, it has been made mandatory for the owners of both the two and four wheelers (private) to install HSRP in their vehicles.
cars being registered at the DTO office during the same period. Moreover, out of the 46,934 numbers of vehicles (both transport and non-transport vehicles) registered at DT office, Kamrup, during the period of April to December, 2013, the motor cycle segment has once again come at the top in terms of registration of vehicles in the city. A total number of 17,051 motor cycles were registered during that time. On the other hand, the enforcement branch of the district transport office has realised a lesser amount of fines including taxes in the fiscal year of 2012-13 compared to its previous year. More than Rs 2 Cr of fine including taxes had been realised in 2011-12 and more than half a Cr of money had been collected by the district transport officer (enforcement) in 2012-13. In the current fiscal, till the month of December, a total amount of Rs 1,37,37,192 had been collected as fine by the enforcement department of district transport office.
Kamrup 2) Introduction of Tata nano cars as taxi service 3) Putting up of traffic signage on the roads of the city 4) More branches of high security registration plate (HSRP) fitment centres
He has also stated that the people are not eager to replace their old number plates in place of the new HSRP. “Though, some people who own four wheelers do come to our office to replace their number plates, most of the people do not wish to come and do the needful. But, once it is made mandato-
The status of the fitment of high security registration plate (HSRP) – So far, a total number of 68,712 vehicles have been fitted with HSRP in Guwahati since the project was introduced in the month of September, 2012. The project was introduced on a pilot basis in July, 2012 in 20 districts of Assam and since then, altogether 2,18,000 number of vehicles have been fitted with HSRP across the state. “At present, it has been made mandatory for the owners of both the two and four wheelers (private) to install HSRP in their vehicles. But, installation of HSRP in all other old and new two and four wheelers will be made mandatory soon by the DTO,” Hrishiraj Bhagawati, senior project manager of Agros Impex (I) private limited which is working with the office of the DTO for installing HSRP told G Plus.
ry, then they will have to install HSRP. The commercial vehicles will have to install HSRP in the coming years. Since we are running short of office space, it is not possible for us to do the replacements in one day. But as a whole, the process is moving towards a positive direction,” he also told.
Registration of vehicles at DTO, Kamrup Transport vehicles (Trucks, LCV goods, buses & taxis)
Year
Non-transport vehicles
April,12- March,13
7068
51570
April,13 – December,13
5216
41718
22270 motor cycles, 8894 scooters, 18905 cars registered during FY 2012-13 in Guwahati 17051 motor cycles, 9392 scooters, 13700 cars registered from April, 13 to December, 13
Cases registered and disposed under violation of Motor vehicle act Registration of cases (in nos)
Disposal of cases (in nos)
April,11- March,12
8173
6855
April,12- March,13
5257
4694
April,13- October,13
2369
3049
Year
Fine realised including taxes Year
Composite fine (in Rs)
MV tax (in Rs)
Assam passenger & goods tax (in Rs)
Total (in Rs)
Initiatives to be taken up–
April, 11- March, 12
1,33,16,025
22,00,028
48,73,750
2,03,89,803
1) A single window counter for senior citizens inside the office of the DTO,
April, 12- March, 13
1,04,02,720
28,68,980
49,11,548
1,81,83,248
17,85,170
1,06,392
2,80,110
21,71,672
April, 13- November, 13
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Politicking
GUWAHATI SEAT TO GO UNDER HAMMER BEFORE LS POLLS gplus feATURE
A tug of war is set to unfold in the BJP for the Guwahati seat before the LS polls with a new challenger emerging from the folds.
A
s the process of organising Narendra Modi’s visit to Assam in February picks up, hectic confabulations have started in the Party regarding who should be given the ticket for the prestigious Guwahati Lok Sabha seat. On one hand there is the sitting MP and BJP Vice President Bijoya Chakraborty while on the other hand is the challenger and BJP National Executive Member Prodyut Bora. Highly placed sources confirmed that Prodyut Bora has already started his groundwork in the constituency with hurricane tours to the remote areas of the Assembly segments; and holding meetings with ground-level workers. Certain publications have already reported that Bora has formally applied for the party ticket. Just a week
after returning from the United States, Bora’s activities have already created ripples in the inner circle of the state BJP. This has given the sitting MP Bijoya Chakraborty some concern to think about. Chakraborty is believed to have taken this challenge seriously and has increased the speed and frequency of her public appearances. Though BJP has not yet decided on the issue of party tickets for any constituency - and it has been a normal practice to give tickets to sitting MPs - but considering the fast emergence of Aam Aadmi Party nationwide, all major parties will certainly have to do a lot of rethink on the selection of candidates. Just the other day, V Balakrishnan, one of the directors of In-
BJP’s internal survey shows that there is a huge anti-incumbency against Bijoya Chakraborty amongst party workers and the public. Although BJP has a reservation policy for women - and Bijoya Chakroborti - is hoping to reap that benefit, the party is scared of losing the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat by re-nominating her.
fosys, India’s most respected software company, joined AAP. Similarly Meera Sanyal, former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has joined AAP and is all poised to fight the Lok Sabha from Mumbai South. The emergence of the professional class on the political scene is making all parties, particularly the Congress and the BJP, reconsider their strategies and choices of potential candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Informed sources tell us that there is an ‘open mind’ within the BJP on retaining existing MPs. In the recently concluded Vidhan Sabha election in the four major north Indian states, BJP replaced a large number of sitting MLAs: nine in Chattisgarh, six in Rajasthan, and fourteen in Madhya
Pradesh. BJP’s internal survey shows that there is a huge anti-incumbency against Bijoya Chakraborty amongst party workers and the public. Although BJP has a reservation policy for women - and Bijoya Chakroborti - is hoping to reap that benefit, the party is scared of losing the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat by re-nominating her. On the other hand, in a space of just four years, Prodyut Bora has emerged as a bright young face of Assam BJP, and enjoys great popularity amongst the educated youth and the intellectual class. While Prodyut Bora’s age, academic background and clean image will certainly provide him ample advantage, his personal rapport with top-level Party leaders is expected to swing things in his favour.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
In The News
THE WEEK THAT WAS Online amenity to city tax payers Nano taxi to roll out on city roads As the Greater Guwahati Auto Drivers Union has refused to ply on meter and fare chart fixed by the GMC, now they may have to witness tough days shortly. An Official Source said the Regional Transport Authority approved a proposal to introduce 50 Tata Nanos as radio taxis in the city, during a board meeting held recently. To teach a lesson to the city auto drivers who charge according to their whims and to stop the non-registered autos, RTA has decided to roll out Tata Nano on the city roads very soon. At present the city has radio taxi service- My Taxi and Prime Cab which uses cars such as Indigo CS, Toyota, Etios, Ford Figo, Indigo and others, and charges around Rs. 18 per km. The base fare for autos fixed by the Transport Department is Rs. 30 for the first 2 km and Rs, 15 for every subsequent kilometre. But with a base fare of Rs. 15 only for the first 1 km, Nanos are likely to give competition to auto rickshaws. Although the fares are almost same, Nanos are more comfortable and will easily be the first choice of commuters. Because they can book it over phone, the GPS monitoring device fitted with it gives one more reason.
Guwahati set to witness 74th annual session of IRC
With an aim to develop the integrated road network and to connect the missing links the Public Works Department of Assam invited the Indian Road Congress (IRC) to organise its 74th annual session in Guwahati from 18 January to 22 January 2014. The five day-long meet will take place at Sarusajai Sports Stadium. The meet will witness a huge participation from civil infrastructure professionals, members of IRC, renowned highway and bridge engineering experts from state and central government, public and private organisations across India and abroad. IRC was set up by Government of India on the recommendation of the Indian Road Development Committee in December 1934. It’s a premier technical body of highway engineers in India.
APCB to develop water testing quality The Assam Pollution control board planned to improve the water quality testing parameter of pond and water bodies across the state. The Board is also planning to introduce more than five ambient air quality testing stations in all districts of the state near all the ponds and water bodies. Currently, there are 22 ambient air quality testing stations in different parts of the state, out of which six stations are located in Guwahati. Gokul Bhuyan, Senior Environmental Engineer, Assam Pollution Control Board said “Every month the department collects a total number of 101 water sample from Brahmaputra River and its tributaries to taste water quality.” Now more than 20 stations will be introduced to collect more samples. There are many families earning by fishing and every year many fishes die due to contaminated water. So, keeping this in mind the board decided to improve the testing quality. He also said that they already had the planning but due to financial constraints they are not able to monitor. This time a strong financial budget will be helpful to implement this plans and projects.
With an aim to enhance the collection performance and timely collection of property tax, GMC launched a facility for online payment of property tax. This is also very convenient for the tax payer of the city. The new facility was launched on 6th Jan 2014 by S. Vishwanathan, GMC Commissioner in the presence of the civic body and the RBI. To make the online payment
of tax, Guwahatians can log on to www.gmcportal.in, they can also view their bill on the site. As per it citizens will have different options for making online payment using three modescredit card, debit card and net banking. Initially the transaction charges for using the online payment facility by the citizens will be borne by the GMC. This online payment facility
will be free of cost for the citizens. Any issue regarding the use of this facility can be mailed to propertytaxgmc@ gmcportal.in and the website also contains the terms and conditions policy. At present the demand of property tax collection is of around Rs. 25 crore out of 176099 holdings within the corporation boundary.
3rd Servo car rally by FICCI
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) ladies’ organised a car rally in Guwahati on 5th January 2014. An innovative concept total of 27 cars from different car manufacturing companies took part in the 3rd Servo Red River Car Rally. The rally kick started at 8am from Guwahati Tea Auction Center till Thakurkuchi and Panikheti near Chandrapur area via Beltola road and ended up in GTAC again. The rally was covered within 85 km distance. The Servo car rally was flagged off by Pradyut Bordoloi, Minister of Industries, Commerce and Power said, “Such kind of innovative concepts will not only inspire the city people but also eradicate the negative thoughts other states have about Assam”. Unlike other rallies it saw participation of experts from Kolkata, Nagaland and various families and youths of the city.
Final electoral rolls of Kamrup (M) published The final electoral roll for special summary revision of electoral rolls of the Jalukbari, Dispur, Gauhati East and Gauhati West Legislative Assembly Constituencies, have been published on 6th January. “As per instruction of the Chief electoral officer, Assam, the final electoral rolls for special summary revision of electoral rolls with effect from January 1, 2014,as the qualifying date for 51 Jalukbari, 52 Dispur, 53 Gauhati East and 54 Gauhati West LACs falling under Kamrup Metropolitan election district have been published,” said an official while adding, “the copies of the same have been kept for inspection for general public at the office of the concerned EROs and in the office of the district Election Officer, Kamrup Metro. The same also will be available for inspection in the DEO’s website – kamrupmetro.nic.in.”
City boxer becomes first Indian to play forGuwahati American team boy Shiva Thapa becomes the
first Indian boxer to play for an American team Los Angeles Knockouts of world serious boxing. He has been granted a ten year visa and will play his first against Ukraine on 17th January. He is living for USA on 12th January. According to his family sources, if he gets gold in the tournament, Thapa will be directly qualifying for Olympics.
American wrestlers to woo Guwahatians at 21st International Trade Fare Stage is set for the biggest celebration that the city of Guwahati has ever seen. For the first time in the history of Indian wrestling, four very prominent pro-wrestlers associated with TNA and WWF will demonstrate their unbelievable fighting skills at the forthcoming 21st International Guwahati Trade Fair 2014 (IGTF) which will be held from January 31 to February 16 at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, Guwahati. The team of four wrestlers from USA will be led by Sonjay Dutt who is best known for his appearances with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA) who is the organiser of 21st IGTF has taken the initiative to give India the flavour of the sport. ITFAA Vice-President Rajesh Das said, “I am very positive about events and we are the pioneer in Assam on organising such activities. This time the city was looking very beautiful during Christmas and New Years with many activities across the city. I just want to say that the rules and regulations should not be biased and everyone should have a win-win situation.”
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Special
BHOGALI BIHU AND THE MELAS G Plus Network
A
s the festivity of feasts is around the corner, people from different castes and communities from across Assam have been doing their best to prepare food items. In this regard, Guwahati has always been different for various reasons. Keeping the tradition alive, the people of the city also try their best to make Bhogali Bihu memorable. Thanks to the number of Bihu Fairs – Bhogali Mela – at different parts of the city with different variety of foodstuff, they cater to the needs of the people of the city. It also helps the laborious people to earn a few extra bucks besides providing a feel of indigenous and traditional food items during the time of bihu. “We have to remain busy most of the time of the year. We hardly get time to prepare our tradition food items. I feel great that these are still available. Thanks to the Bhogali Mela for providing people like me the taste of pitha, laro and others during the time of Bihu,” said Raktim Barua who is involved corporate sector. Somebody like Raktim does not mind paying a bit extra if they get quality food items like this. “The organiSers and the participants in such fairs should be more professional so that the traditional food items can even be promoted outside the state,”
he added. The Bhogali fairs are being held at the Lakhiram Bora Xetra near Dighalipukhuri, at Zoo Road Tiniali and even the Institute of Hotel Management, Guwahati is organising a food festival titled ‘Mukali Akhol 2014’ at the institute’s campus at Hengerabari, VIP Road. It displays around 75 exotic Indian and International food preparations prepared by the students and faculty of the institute. For the small time entrepreneurs it is a good platform to do their business during the time of Bihu with their products. For some-
one like Manoj Deka, it is one of the best things he has done in the recent past. “It feels good to indulge in your hobby and earn a few bucks. I have always liked cooking and preparing different recipes especially from our region,” said Deka who runs a stall at the Bhogali mela near Dighalipukhuri. Deka is professionally a photographer but is enjoying his role as a chef during the Bihu season. From various types of pork to fish items, he has arranged a variety of local dishes for the visitors from a range between Rs 120 to Rs 80 per plate.
Guwahati looks deserted during Bhogali bihu G Plus Network
As the city eagerly waits, the festival manages to reignite all the traditional values in the citizens.
B
hogali or Magh Bihu is one of the festivals during which the city of Guwahati is left deserted. But unlike other festivals such as Durga Puja, people prefer to celebrate bihu amongst the family members in the rural atmosphere in their ancestral homes. Take the instance of Chida Bora, a cinematographer based in Guwahati, who will be at home at Golaghat with his parents after a long time to celebrate Bhogali Bihu. “Bhogali Bihu always has an especial place in our hearts. The atmosphere of my home during the bihu cannot be compared with anything. The fresh smell of pithas and rice is really fascinating. It would be great to enjoy the feast with my friends and family members at my home,” said Bora who never misses the opportunity to celebrate Bhogali Bihu at his home with parents and friends. “Last year too, I managed to reach home during bihu even though I was in Mumbai for work,” he said but was quick to add that he prefers to be in the city during Durga Puja. “Durga Puja is another festival in which we
get an opportunity to celebrate with friends and it’s more fun to be in the city during the Puja days,” Bora told G Plus. Meanwhile, Rakesh Nath, a state government employee, has applied for leave to spend more days with his family. “As Bhogali bihu is celebrated in a glorious way across the state, I wanted to make it more especial and so I have applied for two extra days of
leave,” said Nath. “I’ll be visiting my in-laws house in Tezpur during the bihu with my wife and kids. Bihu, be it Rongali or Bhogali, is always more graceful in rural areas. The food or the atmosphere is simply more appealing to me than here in Guwahati,” he further said. But for Ankur, a student of B Borooah College, it’s the feast on
the Uruka night which is the main attraction for him when he us at home amongst his friends and family. “The feast is always lovely. To sing, dance and steal things from the neighbours during the night is really fun and then on the next day to burn the meji, a monument made of dry straw, adds an especial colour to the celebration,” said the boy who has booked ticket to go home to Na-
harkatia in Dibrugarh district. Guwahati might be an upcoming city and the people might be slowing moving towards a more cosmopolitan lifestyle, but at the same time, Bihu always manages to bring out the traditional roots in all of them. It is good to see that in spite of everything, Assamese people still regard Bihu as a special festival, which takes them back to their roots.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Special
Opportunities for Assam farmers First international Agri-Horti show kicks off in the city.
G PLUS NETWORK
T
he Khanapara Veterinary College playground has become a hub for the farmers and agriculture experts of the state and 15 countries from across the globe. It opened up new doors of opportunities for Assam farmers at the first ever international agri-horticultural exhibition, which started from Wednesday last week. The show, which is being organised by the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Assam, the Department of Agriculture, Assam and the Assam Agricultural University, with support from the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Assam Horticultural Society will also focus on facilitating the local farmers and promote their products. The four day programme which was inaugurated by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi in the presence of several union ministers and ministers from Myanmar and Laos and was attended by an estimated five thousand farmers from the state and nearby areas to exchange their ideas with farmers and experts from 15 different countries from across the globe. “It was a learning experience for all the people involved with the agricultural sector including the farmers. Because this is for the first time that such a huge gathering of experts and international farmers are assembling here. Besides, we also discussed on the business aspects with the delegates from the foreign countries,” Assam agriculture minister Nilamani Sen Deka said. There were altogether 426 stalls to display and sell agricultural products in the expo. Out of these, 20 stalls were by the foreign participants and 102 by the Indian farmers while the rest were by the farmers from Assam. On Thursday, on the second day of the expo, during Myanmar Conclave, various issues regarding co-op-
eration in agriculture, horticulture, and food sector between Myanmar and Assam was discussed. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi appreciated the performance and activities of agriculture department for its efforts in developing the sector grossly in the recent years after formally inaugurating the first ever international agri-horticultural exhi-
bition. He also hoped that this event will help in promoting the state products at the global level. “The future of the sector lies with proper implementation of the ‘Look East Policy’. The State Government is also looking for employment of sustainable development in the sector. In this regard, the role of Department of Agriculture and Horticulture is
praiseworthy,” Gogoi said in the presence of union minister of state for Agriculture and FP Industries Charan Das Mahant and ministers from Myanmar and Laos. Union minister of state for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Charan Das Mahant said that Assam has performed extremely well in the recent past and the per-
formance has been better than many other states of the country. “Owing to some of the favourable weather conditions, availability of rich resources and irrigation facility, the sector has developed significantly. With proper implementation of central and state policies, the sector will grow in multitude of dimensions in future,” Mahant said.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Space
Building Design and RCC Structures
PHOTO: northeastnews.in
PRATIK DHAR
S
tructural design is the methodical investigation of the strength, solidity and rigidity of structures. The primary purpose of a structure is to relay or support loads. If the structure is not accurately fabricated, or if the actual applied loads exceed the design plan or specifications, the device will probably fail to perform its intended function. The built environment relies upon structures, from high-rise buildings and bridges, to the streets and communities where we live and work. Engineers analyse and design, looking at aspects including strength and durability, to ensure they are safe and able to withstand pressures such as earthquakes, severe weather, blasts, and fire.
The Process – Structural Design
A structural design goes through three processes and it involves all planning, design and construction. Planning: This phase takes into account the numerous needs, requirements and factors that affect the general layout and dimensions of the structure and results in the choice of perhaps many alternative types of structure, which offer the best general solution. The primary consideration is the function of the structure. Secondary considerations like the aesthetics, sociology, law, economics and the environment may also be considered. Design: The design phase involves a detailed consideration of the alternative solutions described in the planning or the first stage and results in deriving of the most suitable proportions, dimensions and details of the structural elements and links for constructing each alternative structural arrangement being considered. Construction: This phase involves mobilization of human resource, procurement of materials and equipments, including transportation to the site, and actual on-site construction. During this phase, some redesign may be required if unwanted or unavoidable difficulties occur.
Structural Design and RCC Construction
Today most of the high rise buildings use RCC techniques that we see everywhere now-a-days. Though Assam Type Houses or sheeted rooftop houses are economical then RCC in terms of construction but slowly they too are loosing ground in this fast developing city of northeast. People have started opting for RCC houses over the years as they are better lasting.
RCC Construction – The Method
Unlike a wall or load bearing construction in which all load of roof and structure is carried by walls down to its foundation, in a RCC framed structure, the load is transferred from a slab to the beams then to the columns and further to lower columns and finally to
the foundation which again transfers it to the soil. The walls in such structures are constructed after the frame is ready. Cement concrete is strong in compressive strength but weak in tensile strength. So, as to increase the tensile strength, steel bars are used in cement concrete. These bars provide good strength to the structure. Usually steel bars are corrugated to further improve the bond between the concrete and steel.
Common RCC Terminology Slab - The flat ceiling of a story. Beam - The peripheral horizontal members supporting the slab. Plinth Beams - The beams at ground level or plinth level. Column - The vertical members supporting the beams. Foundation - The structure below ground transferring the entire load of the structure to the soil. Cantilever - A slab or a beam supported only on one side and projecting horizontally on the other side.
RCC Specifications
Shuttering shall be done using seasoned wooden boards of thickness not less than 30mm. Surface contact with concrete shall be free from adhering grout, nails, splits and other defects. All the joints are perfectly closed and lined up. The shuttering and framing is sufficiently braced. Nowadays timber shuttering is replaced by steel plates. All the props of approved sizes are supported on double wedges and when taken out, these wedges are eased and not knocked out. The entire framework is removed after 3 weeks of curing without any shocks or vibrations. The reinforcement bars are free from rust, grease oil etc. The steel grills are perfectly as per detailed specifications. The covers to concrete are perfectly maintained. Bars of diameter beyond 25mm diameter are bent when red hot. The materials proportion should be as per the specifications of the concrete.
Causes of the Collapse
The recent trend of building failures and even collapses has led experts to reconsider the issue while finding out what could be the possible reasons for such catastrophe. The natural calamities have been regarded as some of the reasons with seasonal cycles of summer, monsoon and winter constantly harming the Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures. Seasonal cycles cause rusting of steel, which leads to cracks and ultimately weakening of the structure. Short sightedness of people on the load-bearing capacities of the buildings has been one of the main reasons for decreasing the life of the structures. With every passing year the load-bearing capacity of the RCC of buildings deteriorates by a small percentage. In older buildings, deterioration is at a faster rate of one per cent every year. If this deterioration is attended to on a timely basis the rate of deterioration can be reduced effectively increasing its life span by many years. During the monsoon, the rainwater penetrates into the walls and ceilings of such neglected structures, increasing their weight by several
thousand kilograms. This additional weight is distributed unevenly on the RCC frame, making it vulnerable to sudden structural collapse. In such a case these buildings cannot be occupied.
Mechanical failure
Cracking of the concrete section is almost impossible to prevent but the size and location of cracks can be limited and contained by rightful reinforcement, control joints, curing methodology and concrete mix. Cracking allows moisture to penetrate and corrode the reinforcement. This is a service ability failure in limit state design. Cracking is normally a result of an inadequate quantity of rebar, or rebar spaced at too great gap or distance. The concrete then cracks either under excess loading or due to internal effects such as early thermal shrinkage when it cures. Failure leading to collapse can be caused by crushing of the concrete, when compressive stresses exceed its strength by yielding or failure of the rebar and when bending or shear stresses exceed the strength of the reinforcement or by joint failure between the concrete and the rebar.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Business
BHOGALI BIHU SPELLS BOOM FOR BUSINESS GPLUS NETWORK
The Bhogali Bihu season means more revenue for many indigenous industries.
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or the lakhs of work force engaged in weaving, handloom, delicacy making and the music industry of Assam, the season of Bhogali Bihu is boom time. Traditional delicacy makers eye the season to boost up their sales. They are doing well in the city areas and there is growing acceptance of the packaged delicacies in the urban pockets. Delicacy makers make, pitha, laru and other delicacies. Director of Bhogali Food Products Pvt LTD, Ajit Sarma said, “Bihu seasons sees our sales moving northward. Our annual turnover is around 1.5 Crore, Bihu season accounts for over 20 percent of the sales. People are increasingly taking to packaged food which was not encouraged at one point of time.” He added, “The growing acceptance of local delicacies in packaged and ready to eat format is basically due to fact that Guwahatian are facing paucity of time and the process is time consuming. The industry is growing.” Besides there are several other companies operating in this segment in different areas of the state and the Bihu season forms an important part of the sales. Several tourists visit the state to witness the celebration. Allied business like greeting cards and calendars too get a boost during this time. The market sees liquidity during this time of the year. The big feast of pre- Bihu festival sees fish worth Rs 5 Crore sold in Guwahati. Pre-Bihu feasting popularly known as “Uruka” is celebrated a day ahead of the annual agrarian festival of the “Magh Bihu”. On the Uruka day, households in the state prepare non -vegetarian dishes for dinner and fish is a favourite delicacy
of that feasting. Over 3000 quintals of fish are outsourced from outside the Northeast to fulfil the demand. The local variety will be around 1000 quintals. To add to this quantity, there is also community fishing in the several ponds and beels in and around Guwahati on the pre-Bihu feast. So high is the demand for fish on this day that Assam imports fish from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu to meet is requirement.
“
Bihu seasons sees our sales moving northward. Our annual turnover is around 1.5 Crore, Bihu season accounts for over 20 percent of the sales. People are increasingly taking to packaged food which was not encouraged at one point of time.” Co-operative societies like FISHFED opens up mobile fish counter at several places of the city. There are also floating fish sellers who move around the lanes and by-lanes of the city making home delivery of fish. To add to the non-vegetarian connoisseur, mutton and chicken worth Rs 2 Crore is also sold on the Bihu eve. Fish variety like “Rohu” and “Katla” come from outside the state. Local varieties like Bhokua, Borali and Sital add to the taste of the season.
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Events
DY 365 Calendar Girl 2014
Metropolis Asia’14
Date: 10th January
Date: 10th to 12th January Venue: Shraddhanjali Kanan & State Zoo
Photos: UB Photos
Photos: northeastnews.in
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Events
Agri Horti Show 2014 Date: 8th to 11th January Venue: Veterinary field
Chandubi Festival Date: 3rd to 5th January Venue: Chandubi lake, Mirza Dakhin Kamrup
7days
Next DATE
Photos: Saranga Borah
VENUE
EVENT
10 – 12 Jan
Shraddhanjali Kanan & State Zoo
Metropolis
11th Jan
Sarusajai Stadium Ground
Sonu Nigam Live in Concert
th
th
11th Jan
Terra Mayaa
Beat 2 with DJ Manu
12th Jan
8th Floor, Shoppers Point
Knock Knock 2014 – DJ Trishul
18th Jan
Regal Club, Royal Regency, Bamunimaidan
SATURDAY LIVE GREETINGS 2014
18th Jan
Terra Mayaa
Alchemy – DJ Mekkanikka
18th Jan
New Brindaban Garden
Bring it on 2014
Want your event to be featured on this page? Just mail us at info@g-plus.in
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Life
LOVE HURTS RAHUL CHANDA
ELLA DIABL
I answer all your questions on life, love and sex
My daughter is in love with a guy I do not approve of. She is only 16 and is in love with someone 20 year elder to her. The guy seems inappropriate for her in more ways than one. I do not want to impose my will on my daughter either for the fear of losing her. What must I do? -Name withheld
Unrequited love can be traumatic, but still there is no stopping!
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rush, infatuation and then love, is what people believe is the chronology of feelings towards the opposite sex that attracts them. With the complexities of life ruling everyone’s day-to-day events, relationships are also getting complicated each passing day. The youths in Guwahati too, are having a tough time maintaining their relationships and it’s not simply because they are too busy with life, but it’s because in many cases, people tend to hurt themselves in a relationship which is one-sided. GPlus explores the situation and the challenges faced in one-sided love affair.
The stupidity
A 26-year-old advertising professional, who is in a relationship, feels that a single-sided affair results in wasting one’s resources. He said, “In a one-sided relationship, where people know that the opposite person who they are in love with, will never come to their life, but still to try and woo the opposite sex, they end up wasting their energy and resources on their so called love. It is basically stupid to fall for someone knowing that person is not concerned about your feelings and is engaged with other things in life or may be in a different relationship.” “The inability of the unrequited lover to express and fulfil emotional needs may lead to feelings such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and rapid mood swings between depression and
euphoria,” said a city based psychiatrist. He explained that the one who is in love in the most of the cases suffers a lot. The agony of the situation is such that the lover is not able to express his or her feelings openly and has to suffer alone because if he/she shares the feelings with well-wishers, the family and friends, they would obviously advice to forget the entire person. So, it is a tough situation to be in and one ends up getting hurt.
The situation
A 26-year-old woman feels it is nothing bad or stupid to be in one-sided love. She expressed, “It’s just a situation which people get into unknowingly but there should be a limit to it. For example, if the lover is pursuing someone who is already in a relationship, then he/she should not interfere in the person’s relationship.” On enquiring if she was ever in such kind of relationship, she replied, “One guy was after me knowing that I have a boyfriend and we were serious in the relationship. I respected his feelings and explained to him clearly. I also introduced him to my boyfriend. The guy was mature enough to understand the situation and now he is a very good friend of mine. But it would have been tough or may have different if he would have tried something physical with me. So, there should always be a limit and people should understand the complexities of such relationships.”
The attention
Everbody in this world loves attention and whenever you feel that someone is attracted towards you, the person somehow becomes special, in spite of the fact that you are committed to someone else or not. Soma Saniyal, a 30-year-old working lady feels that if the person who is attracted to you is a good hearted human being, it doesn’t matter how they looks, you tend to have a soft corner for that person in your heart. She expressed, “I have been in a serious relationship for the last five years, but there is a guy in my office who is attracted towards me and makes me feel very special. Sometimes I feel bad that we will never be able to end up together in our lives and while at other times I feel that no one knows what the future holds. I have informed my boyfriend about this office guy, but not everything. It’s a kind of an unofficial affair which I have with this guy but it’s different and special. I get hurt when I don’t get his attention in the office or when he ignores me. Meanwhile, I have noticed that even the guy gets hurt when I behave a bit rude with him. I cannot exactly explain what kind of relationship we share, but it’s different and special. It’s complicated too. But, I believe it’s the situation and have left everything to take their own course. No matter how much people blame the situation for such kind of a relationship, it is somewhat irrational to know that people tend to get into such complexities of life knowing that they will be hurt.
Dude you can’t do much bout it at the moment. She has just entered her teen hood, and with all the hormonal imbalances, maybe dating these t wo in one varieties (father like f igure cum lover) is comforting and cool. Let her grow older and in most likelihood this relationship should f izzle out. You leave her alone, be calm and carr y on... I have been in love with a man for four years now and a few weeks ago I came to know that he has been married all this while. I love him a lot and feel devastated. His wife has been calling me every night, abusing me on the phone. I don’t know what to say. She doesn’t believe that I didn’t know that the man I loved was also her husband. I am going crazy. What do I do? - Name withheld Well what you should be doing now is to ta ke a K Y M resolution (ie. K now your Man) before fa lling in love in your f uture endeavors. A nd in t his case, just ignore t he women. But if you rea lly want to have some f un tell her t he follow ing: a) her husband has told you t hat he was a v irgin “till he met you” b) her husband has told you t hat he did not k now a women could get so wet and w ild in bed “till he met you”. Rest assured t his would be your f ina l conversation w it h her!
If you have any queries for ELLA DIABLO, mail it to diablo@g-plus.in
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Reviews
Cast – Madhuri Dixit, HumaKureshi, Naseeruddin Shah and ArshadWarsi Director – AbhishekChaubey
T Cast - HimanshKohli, Serah Singh, Dev Sharma, RakulPreet Singh and Nicole Faria Director -DivyaKhosla Kumar
Y
aariyan may be targeted at a young audience but every single teenager who chooses to watch it will be insulting his/ her own intelligence. Debutante director DivyaKhosla Kumar crafts a completely new recipe for a disaster you didn’t see coming. Yaariyan is a work of art. It will be taught in film schools, year after year, when they’re conducting their how to make a really good bad film lecture. Yaariyan, it was claimed, is a college romance. But if you look closely, you will find that it is not one but several college romances put together such as Jo JeetaWahiSikandar, Main Hoon Na and IshqVishk. DivyaKhosla Kumar casts fresh faces on a budget of Rs 11 crore, swings the camera from
Sikkim to Australia and plays in to every stereotype about teens under the sun and I still cannot figure out what the film was about to begin with. HimanshKohli stars as Lakshya -- the name of the protagonist as well as that of the film from which several elements of Yaariyan were borrowed -- is a permanently horny and aimless youth, who is also the most popular boy in college. Somehow the above qualities and his tendency to scream at his widowed mother when not given enough money, make him irresistible to the ladies. Yaariyan might do well with its catchy tunes but it is unbearable to have to watch 2,653 unneeded song sequences in an already unbearable film.
he same pair of dirty rotten scoundrels wearing big hearts on their sleeves, khalujaan Iftekhar (Naseeruddin Shah) and nephew Babban (ArshadWarsi) are once again embroiled in difficult love affairs and family intrigue; only here the credo of powerful womanhood is complemented by a friendship and camaraderie that is indeed remotely reminiscent of Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, 1991). There are no ingenuous twists and the end is unnecessarily elongated with a pell-mell combat partly set to the notes of a ghazal. In our films, long and bloated climaxes are a chronic affliction, you can’t escape them. But a little disbelief seems a small price to pay for being allowed to remain in such entertaining company.
The two women are the film’s emotional and narrative axis. As one would hope, Dixit has an ornamental presence; she almost appears fetishized as a diva or a myth. While the story requires the actor in her, it is finally not the point of the character. Qureshi has exuberant ease and believability as the plotter, doer and heartbreaker. It is interesting to see Raaz in a meaty role again, and he delievers with the foolproof tropes of a Hindi film villain. The pastiche that encompasses all the lunacy and decadence in DedhIshqiya is complemented by its splendidly evocative music by Vishal Bhardwaj. There are no big surprises or transformative moments in it, but the various flavours in the masala get cooked just right.
UPCOMING
NOW SHOWING Yaariyan Dedh Ishqiya
Anuradha Cineplex
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Daily at 11AM, 5 PM
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Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD
Release Date: January 15. 2014
T
he year is 1765. While the seeds of the American Revolution are being sewn in Boston and New York, Spanish forces in the South plot to seize control of Louisiana for the Templars, threatening to forever shift the balance of power in the New World. As Templars secretly take hold of the slave trade in New Orleans, Aveline de Grandpré, an assassin of mixed French and African heritage, stands ready to defend her people. She soon finds herself on an unforgettable journey that will take her from the crowded streets of New Orleans
to voodoo-haunted swamps and ancient Mayan ruins. Whether eliminating her enemies with new assassination skills or luring them into cunning traps, Aveline strikes mortal fear into the hearts of those who would stand against freedom. Taking full advantage of its new hardware, Liberation HD introduces a complete graphical overhaul, remastered music and sound effects, a revamped gameplay experience, and new missions that dive deeper into Aveline’s story.
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
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Travel
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G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Web Watch
SKORE, Indian condom brand launches Android app, offers location based services. Skore, the Indian condom manufacturer has decided to tap into the most popular medium to spread the word about its product.
I
n a rather risqué move, SKORE, a company that manufactures condoms, has released their app onto Google’s PlayStore. The app is designed to help people locate medical stores where they can purchase the contraceptive. Yup, that’s right, we now have an app for finding condoms. The app, along with providing the exact locations of where you can purchase the latex contraption, also offers a few extras. The app contains a database of all the varieties of con-
doms they offer, along with a detailed explanation of how they could be helpful in the user’s particular situation. Another section of the app contains interesting tips and factoids about the sexual domain, something that most people could find interesting. Lastly, the app also contains a collection of various positions, for the adventurous kind. While the app is essentially a store locator combined with a sextips app, it is interesting to see an Indian company take a charge to
tap into the most popular medium as a way of spreading healthy sexual practices. In a country that is plagues by over-population, and knowledge of contraceptive is almost next to negligible, it is refreshing to see a company push that sort of information through apps, given that a large user base in India is using a smartphone. The store locator feature of the app currently works only in Mumbai, but the company is planning on expanding its reach to other cities soon.
Subway Surfers now Even with 49Mbps, India to remain way comes to Mumbai behind in internet race S ubway surfers comes to Mumbai after adding cities like London, Sydney, New York and Rome. The endless runner game has been on a world tour for a while, and the new update brings it to its 12th world tour shop to Mumbai. The version 1.17.0 for Android shows users running around colourful streets of Mumbai. The new update shows tracks lined with fruit stalls and has a lot more earthy colors. The train also
has brown and cream colors similar to the ones found in Mumbai. The game has added a new collectible character called Jay which looks suspiciously like Milkha Singh as portrayed by Farhan Akhtar in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. It has the same number tag attached on the back of his shirt. Even the inspector in the game that chases the characters is now dressed up in khaki colours to go with the uniform worn by police officers in Mumbai city.
Flipkart launches own fashion brand
F
lipkart has launched its own fashion brand and could also acquire another online apparel company as it seeks to increase sales of high-margin products on its portal. Among the companies most likely to be under consideration are two fashion portals, Zovi and
YepMe that sell exclusively on the web. “They have reached a scale that will interest Flipkart,” said a person with direct knowledge. If successful, this acquisition will be the second in two years for India’s largest online retailer which bought electronics portal Letsbuy in 2012.
Microsoft Word gets Assamese clone ‘Jahnabi’
A
group of volunteers have built Assamese word processor called ‘Jahnabi’. The processor looks similar to Microsoft Word and comes with a spell checker and word suggestions. The processor is made to help those who have a rudimentary knowledge of the Assamese language. The Unicode compliant software has a size of 7 mega bytes and has nearly 2.5 lakh Assamese words and 108 readymade Assamese phrases in its dictionary. The processor is based on
the Microsoft dotnet platform. “The programming of the processor is based on dotnet platform and C# language containing around 15,000 lines of code,” Utpal Phukon, the only programmer in the Jahnabi team, said. According to Mridul Kumar
Sharmah, one of the members of the team who built the system states, “The website www.jahnabi.org has received more than 60,000 hits and the free-of-cost software downloaded by more than 1,000 people since it was launched online on November 25 last.”
I
ndia is eagerly awaiting the launch of Reliance Jio’s 4G connection, which promises to offer average internet speed of 49Mbps on the go. This is over 12 times faster than the current average of 4Mbps on the country’s 3G networks. In theory, Reliance Jio’s 4G network will offer maximum speed of 112Mbps. Download speed of 49Mbps may seem astounding for those in India, but the country will still lag far behind the leaders in the global internet race. South Korea, widely acknowledged as the most ‘connected’ nation in the world, already has the highest broadband internet speed of 53.3Mbps and average speed of 13.3Mbps, according to Akamai.
On mobile networks, South Korea’s telecom operator SK Telecom claimed in November that it has achieved maximum internet download speed of 225Mbps on its LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. LTE-A is a new technology that allows 50% faster data download over mobile networks. The speed of up to 225Mbps has been achieved for a demo, though the actual download speed of the network has not yet been announced. The commercial rollout of its service will happen in the second half of 2014, around the same time when Reliance rolls out its 4G network. Even if 225Mbps is taken as the promised maximum speed and not actual speed, it will be twice as fast as Reliance’s peak of 112Mbps.
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20
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Fun
Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE
TAURUS The week starts with a bang — you may find yourself laughing all day long on Monday thanks to a combination of wacky antics and your own good energy. Midweek brings a golden opportunity to talk about your feelings with someone close — or someone you want to bring closer. Open up and don’t hold back on anything. Thursday and Friday are great for taking care of home business, whether it’s cleaning the tub or playing with the kids. Get ready for a big brouhaha over the weekend; the social energy practically guarantees some power struggles.
GEMINI Listen carefully to what your friends are trying to tell you this week. Someone who’s remarkably stable will advise you to try something slightly risky — and they’ll be dead right. Tuesday and Wednesday are filled with exciting energy, and you could find yourself moving from party to party, or friend to friend, in a chain of good times. Later in the week, you’ll need to hunker down and try to just go with the flow in spite of the fact that you may find it more difficult than usual to adapt to changing circumstances. The weekend is much sweeter, and you should have a long talk with someone like-minded.
CANCER
LIBRA
Your contributions at work or at home on Monday reflect your unique nature, and should surprise more than a few people — in a good way, of course! The middle of the week could be a bit more troubling, though, as every project seems to splinter into a million different to-do list items, each of which requires a different approach. Delegation is the key! Thursday and Friday bring a welcome respite from that madness, and you may find it considerably easier to work on more meaningful projects and plans. The weekend is great for planning ahead.
LEO
Monday could find you trapped in the system, whether it’s at work, school or in a bureaucratic briar patch. Be wary and step lightly! Spend extra time with friends midweek — their energy should give you just what you need to recover from your temporary slowdown. On Thursday and Friday, it’s vital to keep your cool, even while family members or coworkers are blowing up over nothing. Your calm can set a positive example and should get you ready for the weekend, when an influx of great energy is set to push you towards a victory of some kind!
VIRGO Start the week with at least a little deep thought — your intellectual energy is powerful, and it’d be a shame to let it go to waste! Your mental state starts to speed up on Tuesday, and you ought to be able to think on your feet amidst even the craziest circumstances at work or with friends. Later in the week, you’ll want to use your legendary organizational skills to bring your people together in some new way. A party or outing would be perfect. Your altruistic side is brought out in a big way this weekend, so get out there and volunteer or just help out around the house.
Things aren’t quite as they seem on Monday, so take a second — and a third — look before making up your mind about what to do next. Your good energy midweek drives you to try new things: Maybe a restaurant, maybe a new kind of music or just about anything else, as long as it can be shared. Try to slow down on Thursday and Friday and appreciate the small details of your life. Things could get frenetic, but you’ve got a good home base. Your friends are especially important this weekend, so check in with each one.
SCORPIO The first half of the week requires greater care than usual — you may need to let go of some people or notions that are holding you back. As long as you think it all through, you should find it pretty easy to get along on your own, and may be surprised by who decides to stick around. Thursday and Friday bring a surge of powerful emotional energy that should put you at peace with your choices, and you may decide to move on even further. Watch out for new challenges this weekend — though you’re always up for a test of your abilities, you may need to draw on new resources.
SAGITTARIUS While you may think of yourself as a big-picture person, Monday brings details that simply cannot be ignored. Force yourself to deal with them quickly so you can get on with the rest of the week — you’ll need to spend some time pondering the big issues in a few days. Watch out for dates or other one-on-one interactions on Thursday or Friday, as you may be a bit grumpy and less able to present your good side. Forewarned is forearmed! The travel bug should bite you hard this weekend, and it’s a good time to make plans to get out of town.
CAPRICORN Monday is strangely good for shopping — you might score an unexpected deal just by browsing or window shopping. Make sure you can afford it, even with the discount! The middle part of the week brings people out in a way that makes communication much simpler and more straightforward — just the way you like it. Things may start to get weird on Thursday, though, and you should try to thicken your skin in preparation for the odd comments that are sure to come your way. Expect quite a few requests for time, energy and money this weekend!
AQUARIUS If you don’t hear from your family on Monday, you may want to check in with them yourself. It’s nothing urgent, but the timing is right. If you’re looking for love, or wondering if your current relationship is right for you, expect things to sizzle in a big way midweek. You may need a few days to recover, but big business comes your way on Thursday or Friday and you’ll need serious focus to deal with it properly. Take a deep breath and get on with it! Over the weekend, show that you’re independent from someone who’s been getting cocky.
PISCES Monday brings a flurry of emails, IMs, phone calls and other communications your way, though you shouldn’t have to deal with all of them right away. This could make for a busy week as you play catch-up, but for the most part you’re happy to be so engaged with people. Thursday and Friday bring a strong current of romance into your life, either through someone new or a reinvigoration of old feelings. Enjoy the buzz! The weekend brings a few too many dramas courtesy of friends and family — try to let them resolve on their own.
JUST FOR LAUGHs Married 25 years, I took a look at my wife one day and said, “Honey, 25 years ago, we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25 year old blond. Now, we have a nice house, nice car, big bed and plasma screen TV, but I’m sleeping with a 50 year old
woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things.” My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot 25 year old blond, and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed.”
Solutions (Last Issue)
ARIES Your social skills are smooth as silk early this week, leading to a pile of little victories. But as midweek approaches, your best bet is to slow down and be as clear as possible with friends and family. Thursday and Friday are perfect for getting things done around the house — you may decide to initiate a repair or clean-up project that’s been simmering for months. The weekend is lots of fun for you and your people, as long as you’re all willing to follow your impulses and see what happens next!
TIMEPASS
SUDOKU
21
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Travel
Gujrat Chronicles L
ocated on the western coast of India, until recent years, Gujarat hardly featured on the tourist map. A very successful series of ad campaigns featuring Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has changed that though. There are actually some fabulous tourist places in Gujarat, with diverse attractions such as handicrafts, architecture, temples, and wildlife. January is a nice time to visit Gujarat for Guwahatians and GPlus talks about some must visit places in the state this week.
Bhuj
If you love Indian handicrafts, don’t miss spending some time in and around Bhuj, the capital of the Kutch region. It offers an eclectic combination of bazaars and historic buildings with atmospheric architecture dating back to the 17th century. Highlights include old royal palaces in the Darbargadh walled complex, and the Italianate style Sharadbagh Palace (its dining room has been turned into a museum). Sadly,
an earthquake caused widespread destruction in Bhuj in 2001 though. You’ll find textile dealers lining Shroff Bazaar, just east of the Darbargadh. Also take side trips to Bhujodi (a village of weavers, seven kilometers from Bhuj) and Ajrakhpur (a village of block printers, 15 kilometers from Bhuj) to meet artisans, see demonstrations, and buy handicrafts.
Great Rann of Kutch
The remarkable Great Rann of Kutch is the world’s largest salt desert, measuring over 16,000 square kilometers. What makes it even more amazing is that it’s underwater during the main monsoon season in India. For the remaining eight months of the year, it’s an enormous stretch of packed white salt. Full moon nights are the best time to see it, and cultural programs are usually held at Dhordo then. Moonlight Rann camel safari is magical. The tourist season runs until March.
Gir National Park
Gir National Park, one of the Top 5 Parks to See Wildlife in India, is the only place in the world where the Asiatic lion can now be found. Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have been increasing. Gir is considered to be the largest dry deciduous forest in western India. There’s plenty of other wildlife there, including around 300 types of birds. You’ll have the best chance of spotting a lion if you go during March until May, although to most comfortable time to visit the park is from December until March. Safaris run daily.
Wild Ass Sanctuary
The Wild Ass Sanctuary, home to the last of the Indian wild ass, is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. It’s spread over almost 5,000 square kilometers. One of the best times to visit is just after the monsoon, in October to November, when the grasslands are
tender for grazing and foals can often be seen out playing. It’s possible to go on organized jeep and minibus safaris, and you can also camp out at the Little Rann of Kutch.
Somnath
An important pilgrimage destination, Somnath is one of the 12 jyotirlinga(shrines of Lord Shiva, where he’s worshiped as a linga of light) in India. Its seaside location is powerful, the intricate carvings on its sandstone architecture are superb, and its history is fascinating. The temple was ransacked by Islamic invaders and rebuilt numerous times, with the final reconstruction taking place after India achieved Independence.Mahashivratri is celebrated in a big way there. A colourful religious fair is also held every year on KartikPurnima (full moon night, usually in November), complete with small children dressed up as Lord Shiva and plenty of bhaang. These are some places which can
be visited this month, and they are mostly a must visit places during this time of the year. There are also some other beautiful places in the state, but for the time being, enjoy your trip to the above mentioned places.
TRAVEL TIPS FOR GUJRAT 1.) Pack suitable clothes ? depending upon the weather in Gujarat at the time of your trip. 2. Make sure all your flight/train tickets and hotel bookings are in order. 3. Make sure all your travel arrangements to and fro from the airport/railway station are confirmed. 4. While exploring Gujarat, beware of pickpockets. 5. Do not venture out late in the night unaccompanied. 6. Take proper care of your valuables (like jewelries, mobiles, laptops etc). If you are provided with a safety deposit box at the hotel, use it to store your valuables. 7. If you are travelling with children, make sure you accompany them on all their activities. 8. Do not carry too much cash in your pockets or bags. You can always withdraw more money from the ATMs, if needed.
22
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
G-Talk
SHOULD MANDATORY TRANSFERS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BE STOPPED? Manoranjan Majumder
Nirmalya Ghose
Corporate professional
Social Worker
POINT
R
ecently Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal defended the transfer of 798 Delhi Jal Board officials saying tanker drivers of the Board had in the past, colluded with the private water tanker mafia. “Money was being charged for water which was supposed to be provided free of cost. We found that drivers of these trucks had not been transferred for the past 10 years, which helped them build a nexus with tanker mafia. Hence, we transferred 798 Delhi Jal Board officials, most of them drivers,” Kejriwal said. I might also be sounding over ambitious like Mr Kejriwal, but the fact is that if transferring officials and bureaucrats can improve the governance and bar people from giving and taking bribes, then it is certainly important for the administration to experiment by transferring the officials and bureaucrats. I feel if the officials are new in a place and the responsibilities assigned to them are for a group of people who he/she is new to, then the responsibilities will be taken care of efficiently. The formation of any nexus also takes quiet a long time, so if the officials do not sit on a chair for a long time, it will not be easy for them to get involved in any kind of nexus. If we speak about Guwahati, departments like Guwahati Municipal Corporation and Public Works Department have a long history of graft and people always complain about various functions of the depart-
The formation of any nexus takes quiet a long time, so if the officials do not sit on a chair for a long time, it will not be easy for them to get involved in any kind of nexus. ments. It takes ages to even get a permission to construct a house in our own plot of land if we approach the department ourselves. If we do it through an agent, than its not only easier but its also faster. The only pain is to shed out some extra bucks from your pocket, which is not possible for everyone. The agents obviously are known to the officials and have a nexus with them. Similarly there are various other departments in Assam, and in every department people have some work or the other always. So, imagine that if all the officials in all the departments are old, then obviously they will be known to many, and it will give birth to various nexuses. I am not saying that all officials are corrupt, but I just feel that if you are new, you are fresh, and if you are fresh, you work efficiently.
I
do not agree with the policy of the government of transferring officials from one place to another every now and then. Sometimes, it might benefit the government, but most of the time it affects the employees. An employee needs some time to settle down in one place or office. If he or she gets transferred after just one or two years of posting, he or she does not even find time to understand her responsibilities. If the employees do not know how to do their jobs, then how will it be possible for them to do it properly? Sometimes, the seniors or the head of an office transfer their juniors just to fulfil their personal grudges on them (juniors). In such matters, the official guidelines for transfer are not being followed and the transferred employees have to face unnecessary harassments from their seniors. The administrative action
An employee needs some time to settle down in one place or office. If he or she gets transferred after just one or two years of posting, he or she does not even find time to understand her responsibilities.
COUNTERPOINT must be reasonable, fair and transparent. Frequent transfers also affect the overall performance of an employee. If an employee has to live under the fear of being transferred all the time, he/she would not be able to concentrate on his/her work. Eventually, the work will not be productive and hamper the growth of the entire department. Moreover, repeated transfers have badly affected the personal lives of the employees. It is not possible for the married employees to take their families along with them all the time if they are being transferred frequently. It is not possible for them to leave their families or dependents alone at some place and do their jobs at some other place because families or the dependents are the responsibilities of the jobholders. Transferable jobs affect the studies of theirs kids. It also creates financial troubles for the employees. He has to spend from his own pocket whenever he has to move from one place to another. Beside this, the employees have to suffer from other problems like societal aloofness. They are deprived of a proper social life, because, they do not get enough time to familiarise themselves with their society. By the time they get to know their neighbours, they have to move from that place as soon as their transfer order gets passed. That’s why I strongly oppose frequent transfer of the employees. According to me, this is not at all acceptable.
23
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Citypedia
professional institutes G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues.
11-Airmen Selection Centre
AIHM
Borjhar, Guwahati – 781015 Phone No – 0361-2842720/23, 2840976
Bagharbori Road, Panjabari Guwahati – 781037 Phone No – 0361-2332266, 9401033000
A to Z Professional Training Institute
Akash
Zoo Road Tiniali Guwahati – 781021 Phone No – 0361-2411353, 9207046945
Abhinav Solutions
G S Road, Ulubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2463882, 2464974
Alliance Academy of Broadcasting
Opp. International Hospital Guwahati – 781005 Phone – 0361-94355-48445
Divine Plaza, Dispur Guwahati – 781006 Phone No – 97060-53892
Abhiruchi Institute of Physical Education
Alphia Institute of Business Management
Sarusajai Guwahati – 781029 Phone No – 94351-00098, 9864320100
Shima Plaza, Ulubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2734290, 2733641
Academy of Broadcasting Media School
Amiya Bharali School of Nursing
GNB Road, Chandmari Colony Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 92074-10105
Khetri, Kamrup Assam Phone No – 99547-07442
Academy of Food Craft, Kitchen & Restaurant Management
Anchit Education
Ananda Nagar, ABC Guwahati – 781005 Phone No – 97061-31365, 9954428246
Academy of Music & Mass Communication Pub Sarania Road Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 97072-52177, 9207042892
Accel Craft
Rajgarh Bihutoli Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 95083-70614
Acharya Institutes
Mandovi Apptt. Ambari Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2730733/34
Aias
Kanchan Path Bora Service Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 98641-10636
Aias College
Near Adabari Masjid Guwahati – 781014 Phone No – 0361-2675271
B K Kakoti Road Ulubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2465579
Anna Technological University Bora Market RGB Road Guwahati – 781024 Phone No – 0361-2592344, 2593852
Anuva Academy
Seuji Ali, RGB Road Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 98640-59185, 98540-15857
Apex
Rupali Path, Jonali Guwahati – 781024 Phone No – 0361-2465225, 94351-01370
Arhan Group of Institutions A T Road, Bharalumukh Guwahati – 781009 Phone No – 88765-99641, 8876599642
Army Institute of Nursing Basistha, Guwahati – 781029 Phone No – 0361-2307101, 99575-08197
ARRPS
Jayanagar, Khanapara Guwahati – 781022 Phone No – 98640-53858
Asian Institute of Management & Technology Bhaskar Nagar, RGB Road Guwahati – 781021 Phone No – 94351-01413, 98645-01020
Asian Institute of Nursing Education RGB Road, Ganeshguri Guwahati – 781005 Phone No – 0361-2203405/06
Assam Academy of Cultural Relations Chandmari, Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 0361-2544128
Assam College og Engineering & Medical Sciences B. Baruah Road, Ulubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2461373, 2452945
Assam Industrial Training Centre
Bamunimaidam Guwahati – 781021 Phone No – 99548-11837, 9854028268
Assam Infotech & Management Institute Rodali Path, RGB Road Guwahati – 781024 Phone No – 94350-47073
Assam Institute of Advanced Studies
Kanchan Path Ulubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2463959, 98641-10636
Assam Institute of Chartered Engineers Byelane 3, Rajgarh Road Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 0361-2511156
Assam Institute of Electronic Journalism RGB Road, Jonali Guwahati – 781024 Phone No – 0361-2200759
Assam Institute of Management East Point Tower Bamunimaidam Guwahati – 781021 Phone No – 0361-2654813/15
Assam Institute of Mass Comm & Media Research Nowjan Road, Uzan Bazar Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2737196, 98640-37486
Assam Institute of Technology Hatigaon Road, Dispur Guwahati – 781006 Phone No – 0361-2230394, 2231850
Compiled by Rangman Das
24
G PLUS JAN 11 - JAN 17, 2014
Catching Up
Headlining acts! Janet Yellen WHO’S sHE?
This lady was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton, and Professor Emerita at theUniversity of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
SO WHAT?
Yellen was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Anna and Julius Yellen, a physician. She graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn.
NOW WHAT?
The U.S. Senate confirmed Janet Yellen, a professor emerita at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, as the first female head of the Federal Reserve. Yellen, current vice chair of the Fed’s Board of Governors, will replace Ben Bernanke when she takes office on February 1.
Luisa Zissman WHO’S sHE?
This babe is a retail entrepreneur. She was the runner-up on the ninth series of The Apprentice and has participated in Celebrity Big Brother 13. She is estranged from husband Oliver Zissman by whom she has a daughter, Dixie.
SO WHAT?
Zissman appeared on the ninth series of The Apprentice, where she claimed to have a “brain like Einstein”, yet got a C, D, and E at AS level. Zissman broke down after thinking she bungled a pitch in the final, and was then fired by Lord Sugar. Zissman said that during the process she had “learnt to keep her mouth shut”.
NOW WHAT?
Luisa Zissman was diagnosed as a sex addict and needed months of therapy to cure her wild urges, it emerged recently. The Apprentice runners-up — who once joined in a 30-strong orgy — told housemates she had found it impossible to satisfy her X-rated desires.
World AIR SEX competition hits Britain Contestants in the wacky contest stand on stage in front of a live audience and act out a full sexual experience, right down to the hand movements and facial expressions. With no partner to actually do anything with, imagination and enthusiasm is key to impressing, while a soundtrack of their choosing can help them get in the mood. The contest involves more than just making a few gyrating movements - participants have to meet their ‘partner’, before seducing them and taking part in foreplay and, finally, full intercourse. Chris Trew, founder of the Air Sex World Championship, said: “Imagine something we think about every day - sex - turned into a sport where the goal is to make people laugh. The official Air Sex World Championship had its debut in 2009 and five competitions later, over a third of competitors are women, with contests held in 30 American cities before an overall champion is crowned.
pick of the week India is gearing up to launch Chandrayaan-II by 2016-17, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan said recently. The ISRO chief said that Chandrayaan–II was supposed to be an Indo-Russia joint mission, but after a failed mission in 2011, Russia decided to review it. “The review would have put our mission on hold till 2017, so we decided to go ahead on our own and build our own lander and rover. We have done a feasibility study and would be able to develop a lander and rover in 2-3 years”, he added.
What did I just hear? Sonia Gandhi is the new Telangana Talli. A former Telangana minister and Congress MLA P Shankar Rao, has laid foundation for Sonia Gandhi’s temple in his agriculture field in Mahaboobnagar district. A bronze statue of the Congress president will be installed in the site, as a token of gratitude for ‘making Telangana statehood a reality’.
Kamur of the week
Heavy motor vehicles. People can understand that heavy vehicles cannot commute during the day because of traffic chaos, but, at night Guwahati roads becomes very risky because of the heavy vehicles which move at breakneck speeds. It’s always a risky proposal trying to overtake these unpredictable monsters!
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