Massive earnings for smokeless tobacco nexus post GST implementation PG 04
VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 39 JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017 PRICE `10
Ghy Smart City Ltd to look after only 8 projects; excludes roads, drainage With a new advisory forum formed by the government to advise the GSCL, many experts feel that the forum does not have the right people to offer correct advice; moreover the GSCL is not converting city into what was promised by GMC when the smart city project was awarded Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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n April last, G Plus had reported that the Centre was not happy with the progress of the smart city work in Guwahati. The Union Minister, Venkaiah Naidu, had visited the northeast and had reviewed the progress of
smart city projects in the selected cities. Naidu had said that the smart city project implementation in Guwahati was not satisfactory and the north-eastern states had much to catch up with the rest of the country. Recently, an advisory forum was constituted by the state government Continued on page 2
ASTC asks vigilance dept to probe all past scams PG 05
City doctors yet to follow MCI order to use generic name of drugs
PG 08
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Lead Story
Ghy Smart City Ltd to look after only 8 projects; excludes roads, drainage
Continued from page 1
Mora Bharalu development, Brahmaputra river front development, Information and Communication Technology – System Integrated, Water ATMs & Bio toilets, solar electricity generating system in selected government offices and development of Deepor Beel. G Plus asked the source about the status of work progress of all these projects and the source informed about the same project-wise.
with the GDD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the chairman and Lok Sabha MP, Bijoya Chakravarty, Gauhati East MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Gauhati West MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Dispur MLA Atul Bora, Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania and Kamrup Metro DC M Angamuthu as members. The MD of Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) is member convenor. There are some technical Borsola Beel experts also in the forum viz. ProAccording to the source, the fessor Dr Arup Kumar Sarma, Pro- project for development of Borsola fessor Dr Jayanta Pathak, and Pro- Beel is in the design stage and the fessor Dr Malikarjuna C (all three DPR is being prepared. The source from civil engineering depart- said that the survey was conductment of IIT, Guwahati). There are ed by the consultant and they are some members in the forum from now designing the developmental NGOs and other organisation plan and preparing the DPR. as well like, the president of the Kamrup Chamber of Commerce, Bharalu the president of ARIEDA, the secAccording to the source, the retary of the Assam Mahila Sama- Bharalu developmental plan is in ta Society, former mayor Queen the survey stage and the consultOjha, and BJP member Mukuta ant is surveying all the possibilDeka. It’s been around two and a ities of developing the area after half years that the city was select- which the DPR will be prepared. ed in the first list of smart cities. What is the progress now? In what Mora Bharalu ways will the advisory forum help According to the source, the the GSCL? During the submission Bharalu developmental plan is in of smart city proposals the GMC the survey stage; even the Mora had showed a proposal which Bharalu is in the survey stage. included various aspects and desired changes in the city. Has Information and everything been incorporated? G Communication Technology Plus checks the status. – System Integrated The source said that Information and Communication TechThe status nology – System Integrated project A highly placed source in the is in the tendering process stage GSCL, talking to G Plus, said that at present there are eight main and the pre-bid process is going projects which have to be com- on where many companies are pleted in five years for the city showing interest. The source said to be termed “smart.” The eight that with this technology, the enprojects are Borsola Beel devel- tire communication system will opment, Bharalu development, be integrated. For example, there
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I am flabbergasted not to see a single planning expert from the field of urban planning, urban design, traffic and transportation planning, environmental planning, industrial design, infrastructure planning, construction management, landscape planning, housing, conservation planning, sustainable architecture etc. in the smart city advisory forum” - A prominent city architect.
A view of Guwahati city | G Plus Photo
will be a Central Command Unit building where all the traffic signal lights will be connected; CCTV camera will be installed at all the signals to capture footage of violators. The bus stops will have all the details that passengers look for. There will be e-challaning and digital waste management system where the waste collection vehicles will be fitted with GPS system. There will be flood control sensor system etc. The source said that the approximate budget for the project is Rs 100 crores and many companies are showing interest.
presenting the smart city proposal, improving the roads by adding two-wheelers’ bay, bus bay, four-wheelers’ bay etc was one of the proposals for smart city. But the GSCL source said that except for the above mentioned 8 projects GSCL will not look after anything else. Now, with all the high technology controlled road signals on the pathetic road conditions, can Guwahati ever become smart? As for the smart city advisory forum, does it have the right people to offer proper advice to the company?
Water ATMs & Bio Toilets
Smart city advisory forum
According to the source, 20 water ATMs will be set up in the city at various locations and the project is now in tendering process. The bio toilet project is in tendering process and 30 bio toilets will be set up at various locations in the city.
A city-based construction consultant, Ranel Kumar Das, talking to G Plus said, “I am flabbergasted not to see a single planning expert from the field of urban planning, urban design, traffic and transportation planning, environmental planning, industrial design, infrastructure planning, construction management, landscape planning, housing, conservation planning, sustainable architecture etc.” He questioned how the advisory forum list of technical experts will advise the stakeholders of Guwahati city to make Guwahati a Smart City as they are just from one department, i.e., civil engineering. He said that it’s like readying a patient for a thoracic surgery with other complications without a single thoracic surgeon and other supporting
Solar electricity According to the source even this project is under survey as the consultant is surveying which government offices are suitable where solar electricity generation point can be installed. The source added that the GSCL will not be responsible for constructing the roads and the drainage system. Only the 8 above-mentioned projects will be covered by GSCL. According to a source in the GMC, while
experts. He said, “It’s an open request to whole of Assam in general and Guwahati in particular: Save Guwahati!” He questioned how the AREIDA president, who is just a president of a builders’ association, or the president of Kamrup Chamber of Commerce, who is a businessman, will advise about how to turn the city smart. He said, “First make Guwahati functional, then turn it smart.” With all the flood, pathetic roads and traffic chaos, Das said that the city is currently just not functional. So unless the city is functional it will not become smart. Another city-based architect, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that there are board members, general public and technical experts, but the forum does not have people from urban planning sector or any architect who can design things. So the forum is of no use. Another Guwahatian said that the list is very politically correct and not technically. A senior official of GSCL said that the advisory forum was decided by the government and will have a meeting may be once or twice a year. But whatever the board or forum is, the GSCL will not work for improvement of the road conditions or the drainage systems. Exactly how the city will turn smart without being functional with proper roads and drainage system is the million rupee question! n
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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Crime
New rebel group targeting Ghy with extortion plans
A newly formed rebel group called National Freedom Fighters of Bodoland smuggled in extortion pad books to Guwahati with plans to extort money from Guwahatians; police have arrested three members and the hunt for other members present in the city is on Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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n 18th July last, the police arrested two persons from Guwahati who are members of a newly formed rebel group called National Freedom Fighters of Bodoland (NFFB). Police sources said that the police recovered huge numbers of extortion pads from the NFFB members. What is NFFB all about? Is there any threat to Guwahatians? Who are the members of the group and how do they operate? G Plus looks into the matter.
The group City police commissioner Hiren Nath, talking to G Plus, said that the NFFB has been formed by some former extremists and other misguided youths and their main motive is to extort money from the public. According to him, many of their members have been nabbed in Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang Districts. On 18th July, one Jona Basumatary was com-
Police arrested two members of newly formed extremists group NFFB from Guwahati on 18th July and recovered 26 extortion pads from their possession | G Plus Photo
ing to the city from Dimapur. The commissioner said that with special inputs the city police arrested Jona Basumatary as soon as he reached Guwahati. After interrogating Jona Basumatary, one Deepak Choudhury alias Deepak Boro was arrested from Geetanagar. The commissioner said that 26 extortion pad books were recovered from Deepak Boro’s house. Nath said that the police are investigating who all are involved and who is the leader of the organisation. From preliminary investigation
it appears that the headquarters of the rebel group is at Daugangpuri. The chairman of the organisation is one B Dinthingra and the secretary is one B Dansrang. Nath said that the city police is verifying everything and is talking to the SPs of all the districts.
Guwahati relation Nath said that Jona Basumatary is from Chirang and Deepak Choudhury alias Deepak Boro lives in a rented house in Geetanagar area.
He originally belongs to Goreswar. Nath said that the preliminary investigation shows that their plan was to extort money from the people of Guwahati and that is why they kept so many extortion letters in the rented house of Deepak Boro. Nath said they would have asked for extortion money from people in Guwahati and would have also gradually taken the pads to different places across the state. Nath said that one Nihal Roy had taken shelter in some house at Bonda. Later, when on police enquiry, it was known that Nihal Roy was a fake name and his actual name is Sajid alias Sagid and he hails from West Midnapore in Bengal. The police have also found some connections of the NFFB members with Sagid and therefore he also has been arrested. Nath said that this is not a very organised gang. It is just that some people with mala fide intentions have come together in a group to make money illegally. Nath said that in the group there are some former extremists; some are former linkmen, some have joined newly and
they all have united together. He said that they therefore know the technique of extortion and were planning extortions accordingly. He said the former extremists were in NDFB before. These arrested members in Guwahati work at the lower level and are basically collectors, according to the commissioner. The preliminary investigation reveals that the extortion pads were printed in Dimapur and were brought to be distributed to various people in Guwahati. But as soon as they reached Guwahati they were nabbed by the police. It seems Deepak works as a cell phone recharge seller in Guwahati and he was targeting some people in the city. Nath said that there might still be some other members also present in Guwahati and the police are investigation this possibility. The members are, at present, in police custody. Meanwhile the commissioner said that security has been beefed up in the city for Independence Day and urged the public to cooperate with the police as there will be a lot of checking and frisking in the city. n
ADVERTISEMENT In pursuance of Election Department’s letter No. ELE 97/2013/Pt/95 dtd. 06.06.2017, applications are invited in Standard Forms as published in the Assam Gazette in Part- IX from the citizen of India for filling up the following posts sanctioned by Govt. Vide letter No. ELE 321/2014/20 dtd. 20.03.2015 in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer, Nalbari in the Pay Scale & Grade Pay with other allowances as admissible under Rule as shown below: Sl. No.
Name of Post
Number of Post
Scale of Pay
1.
Data Entry Operator (Grade-III)
2(Two) No.s (UR Category)
PAY Band- 2 Rs. 5200-20200 + GP- 2400 and other admissible allowances
1. Nationality: Candidate must be Citizen of India 2. Age: Candidate must not be less than 18 years or more than 38 years of age as on 1st January 2017. Relaxation of age is admissible as per existing rules. 3. Educational Qualification: Graduate in any stream with minimum 60% marks in aggregate with an UGC / AICTE approved / recognized Diploma in Computer Science / Application / ‘O’ Level or equivalent certificate from NIELIT or diploma holders from Polytechnic with minimum 60% marks in aggregate or equivalent grade from an UGC / AICTE approved / recognized institution in Computer Science / Computer Engineering/ Electronics/ Telecommunications Engineering / Information Technology. 4. Desirable Condition: Candidate must have the Computer typing speed of not less than 8000 key depressions per hours. A certificate of typing / Skill Test is needed. 5. Other Preferences: Typing knowledge in language like Assamese / Bengali / Devnagari would be preferable. 6. Experience: Minimum 2 (two) years of experience in Data Entry is needed. 7. Candidate already in Govt. Service should apply through proper channel. 8. Mandatory particulars to be enclosed with the application are proof of Date of Birth , Mark Sheets and Pass Certificate of HSLC to Graduation, Caste Certificate, Employment Exchange Registration Card (in case of unemployed youth), 3(three) copies of recent passport size photograph with name and address of the applicant written on the back side. A self addressed envelope affixing postal Stamp of Rs. 10.00 shall be submitted. 9. The last date of submission of applications is fixed on 31.07.2017. Incomplete and incorrect application will be rejected. 10. Candidates applying for the post of Data Entry Operator will have to appear in a Written Test and the date of Written Test will be intimated in due course of time. Call letter for the same shall be issued to the candidates. Successful candidates of written test for Data Entry Operator will be called for an interview and proficiency test in computer. 11. Candidates may also mention mobile no and e-mail ID in the application. 12. The selected candidates for appointment shall have to give an undertaking that they will be abiding by the New Pension Rule of Govt. of Assam along with their Joining Report. 13. Completed application forms along with other supporting testimonials should be submitted during the office hours in the office of the undersigned on or before 31st July 2017. For further details, interested candidates may visit Personnel Branch of DC’s Office, Nalbari and website www.nalbari.nic.in 14. No TA/DA will be admissible to the candidates. S/d Deputy Commissioner Nalbari Janasanyog No.: 1001/17
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Exclusive
Massive earnings for smokeless tobacco nexus post GST implementation Sale, consumption, manufacturing, trading, storage and advertisement of all forms of smokeless tobacco products are
banned in Assam and nexus running the illegal business is earning more than ever and found that smokeless tobacco was being sold freely. A consumer who is a voracious consumer of Rajnigandha-Tulsi, talking to G Plus said that after GST implementation the rates of Rajnigandha-Tulsi have increased. Earlier, he used to purchase one combination of Rajnigandha-Tulsi at Rs 20, but now, according to him, some paan shop owners charge Rs 22, some charge Rs 23 and some even Rs 25. A vexing situation for a very loyal customer!
After GST Smokeless tobaccos being displayed at a roadside shop | G Plus Photo
Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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fter GST was implemented in the entire country on 1st July, the central government claimed that it will usher in a onetax system and the prices of all products will remain same across the country. But in Assam, one product which is officially banned but freely available almost everywhere is being sold at rates that are completely at the whims and fancies of its sellers. In the process, the nexus running the business of that product is earning huge profits after the GST implementation. Smokeless tobacco, or zarda/ khaini in common parlance, was banned during the regime of the previous government but as of today it is easily available. Assam became the first state to legally ban the consumption of all forms of smokeless tobacco including paan masala containing tobacco and nicotine within the state on 13th February 2014. After few days however, a health department official issued a notice to the DCs and the SPs of all districts saying smokeless tobacco sale cannot be prosecuted. Smokeless tobacco was on sale again. After the new government took charge the health department again issued an order to all DCs and SPs to prosecute the sale and purchase of smokeless tobacco. It is still easily available and a big nexus is involved in the business. After GST, the nexus is earning even more. How is this happening? Who all are involved in the business? What is the modus operandi? G Plus looks into the scenario.
The business G Plus surveyed the city markets and a salesman in a shop
located in Fancy Bazar (that was once the king in the smokeless tobacco business) said that they do not sell smokeless tobacco anymore as they do not exactly know whether it is legal or illegal to sell such products. Another wholesale tobacco shop owner said in anonymity that smokeless tobacco like zarda and khaini are not available easily and there are people who sell it by bringing stuff from Jorabat in Meghalaya and Siliguri in West Bengal. The owner further elaborated that as smokeless tobacco is banned as per the state government regulations, the government does not get any tax from such products. So, a nexus has formed that bribes the authorities at Jorabat checking and Silguri checking and easily bring the product to Guwahati from where it gets further distributed. The people in the nexus get shop-to-shop orders and deliver the product at the shops itself and the paan shop owners do not have to visit the market to purchase the same. The All Guwahati Paan Association secretary, Balram Sarkar, taking to G Plus said that the sellers deliver the tobacco product in the morning and collect the money in the evening. Since 2014, the business has been running this way. After the new government took charge in 2016, there were some raids for a few days and some people were even arrested. The paan shops started selling the smokeless tobacco clandestinely, but now again the business is not prosecuted. However, after the health department, on 8th August 2016, ordered to prosecute the sale again it seemed as though the prosecution will be taken seriously but it only gave the nexus an opportunity to grow. G Plus went to many paan shops located near police stations and health offices
A paan shop owner located at Paltan Bazar, who has a yearly turnover of more than Rs 10 lakhs, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that after GST the distributers have increased the rates of smokeless tobacco. He said that the new GST rates have not even come but the dealers from whom he purchases say that the rates have increased and they would charge more than the printed price. He said that all smokeless tobacco items cost more now as according to him, the dealers have stocked huge quantities of products and from 1st July they are charging more thereby earning huge profits. He said that everything is controlled from Jorabat. A G Plus team reached Jorabat and was witness to many Fancy Bazar based dealers having shops there and who have made godowns where smokeless tobacco is stocked. A salesman who travels to Guwahati to distribute smokeless tobacco talked to G Plus in anonymity and said that before 1st July all the godowns were fully stocked in Jorabat and now the products are getting distributed to Guwahati gradually. He said that the rates have been increased and it is more than the printed rate. On enquiring whether after GST the distributers would have to declare the purchase and sale details to the government, the salesman said that smokeless tobacco is banned in Assam and so the business is illegal and government does not get any revenue. He said that products come from West Bengal without any challan and the transactions are made in cash. The products are stocked in Jorabat and so the Assam authorities cannot prosecute. He further said that the distribution in Guwahati happens in small quantities making it difficult for the authorities, and after the shopkeepers take delivery it is their responsibility to sell the product and manage the authorities. He further said that the distributors have a nexus with high
authorities and even politicians. So the business will keep running in the black market. He said that because the business is illegal even he earns a lot of money which, as a salesman in a legal business, he would have never been able to earn. So if there is no challan, the government will never come to know how much tax it should get. He said in the coming days the rates will further increase because once the GST rates are printed and as tobacco products will be taxed at 28%, the price will increase and in Guwahati and Assam the price will be obviously more than the printed rates. But why are the authorities not being able to ban the sale if it is illegal?
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The authorities On 8th August, 2016 the state health department issued an official message to the Food Safety Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of all districts to implement the aforesaid act in letter and spirit and enforce total ban on sale, distribution, trade, storage and consumption of smokeless products such as zarda, gutkha, paan masala, etc containing tobacco and/or nicotine with immediate effect. According to sources in the health department, a health official had earlier issued a notice not to prosecute the sale by taking bribes. So, as soon the new government took charge the order was cancelled. Anyway, after 8th August, a special team of health officials and police was formed to enforce the act. For a few days some checking happened and a few people were even arrested. But later the paan shops again started selling the smokeless tobacco products freely. Police sources said that when they raid a particular shop, the shop keeper conceals the illegal tobacco products. Health department sources said that the enforcement is done by the police. Some paan shop owners say that when police raid and if they find smokeless tobacco, a small fine solves the problem. A paan shop owner in Lal Ganesh said that the police can be easily managed. The entire state, in this manner, is now selling smokeless tobacco easily and after GST the nexus is earning even more. It is just on paper that the item is banned but every paan shop sells the item freely by managing the police and the health officials. In the bargain, the government is losing crores of rupees in revenue. n
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
City
ASTC asks vigilance dept to probe all past scams
The current MD says it will take around 7 to 8 years to bring ASTC completely back on track as according to him the department witnessed pathetic governance between 2006 to 2016; the MD has suspended 400 employees and shunted out 400 more in the last one year Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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year ago, for the first time, an IPS officer was posted as the Managing Director (MD) of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC). After he joined on 28th August 2015, he made many promises to change the department and had also taken various initiatives towards this end. When he joined the main issue that was dogging the department badly was corruption. Now, almost one year down, it has come to light from various media reports that many bus drivers are still serving in the department with fake licenses and corruption remains an issue. Was Anand Prakash Tiwari able to bring any change in ASTC in his tenure as MD so far? Has corruption been completely eradicated from the department? Has the department started earning some revenue? G Plus takes a look at the condition.
Revenue According to a highly placed source in the department, a year ago, ASTC had a monthly requirement of around Rs 5.5 crores for paying salaries and the state government used to provide Rs 2.5 crores as assistance. The monthly income of ASTC used to be Rs 1.5 crores. So, the source said that every month there used to be a shortfall of around Rs 2 crores. Talking about the present scenario, the current MD, AP Tiwari, said that they have explored various avenues of generating revenue and focussed on other possible businesses including advertisements. He said, “After proper tendering process we sold out bus branding.” He added that ASTC has similarly given out advertising rights to private parties at various ASTC stations. He said that as a result, revenues have increased a fair bit over the previous year. He said that the department tried to stop all kinds of pilferages. The quantum of pilferage was huge earlier; it used to happen at many levels like operations, maintenance etc. He said that in maintenance, pilferage has almost stopped and in operations pilferage has reduced thereby raising revenues a bit. He also said that the department is streamlining collection of rent from various shops and establishments that are on ASTC property. He said that the rent collection is monitored through software now (Rent collection and defaulter identification) and the rent is collected through
ASTC bus stand at the ASTC complex in Paltan Bazar | G Plus Photo
this platform. If anyone defaults in payments, the software immediately marks the defaulter. He said that there were many people who were defaulting in their payments since many years but now things have been streamlined. He also said that there were many shops which were sublet which is not allowed. The department has taken strict steps against such lessees and the rent now directly comes to ASTC. He said that while the process is not yet complete there is around 12% growth in revenues over previous years.
Asset development Tiwari said that as a pilot project the department is developing some vacant plots in the state and for now they are planning to develop plots at Rangia, Sipajhar, Kharupetia, Biswanath, Jagiroad, Silchar, Thana Chariali and Dibrugharh. The department will construct markets on these plots and rent it out to interested people. The construction cost will be taken from the interested people according to their specifications. Construction cost, security and the registration cost will be fixed. 50% of the cost will have to be paid on the day of registration, 25% after two months and the final 25% a further two months later. The shop will be allotted after four months. The allottee cannot leave the shop for minimum five years. He said that the department is focusing on optimum utilisation of land and property, beautification, infrastructure development and employment opportunity for business start-ups. He said that ASTC has around 750 bighas of land across the state which has not been properly utilised. Talking about Guwahati, he said that there are different plots of land in the city in areas like Rupnagar (80 bighas), ISBT, Paltan Bazar, Volvo Point (around 9 bighas) and some vacated areas near the old DTO. On
being asked if there are any plans of land development in Guwahati, the MD said that the department has resource shortage and it does not have funds and so things will happen slowly. He said that once the pilot project gives good results the lands in Guwahati will be developed in the second phase. He said that the department is not adopting a PPP model where the land has to be given to a private party. Rather, it is adopting a different model where construction will be done by ASTC and the construction cost will be taken from the applicant of the property. Regarding public utility services, the MD said, “I have written letters to all 126 members of the legislative assembly and requested them to help the public from their own MLA funds. I have also requested the MPs to utilise the MP funds and they have shown their willingness.” He said that in Baihata, Ramen Deka is developing and in Sipajhar the MLA is developing the land for providing public utility services. He also said that he has even sent requests to BPCL and HPCL; HPCL has shown interest in five places. Similarly, BPCL will also take five places. He said that the department is giving the small stations to enhance public utility services. He said the MLAs, MPs and the PSUs are developing public utility services and wherever it is possible ASTC is stepping in as well. So is the department running smoothly now?
Pathetic condition The MD said that when he took over, the department was in a pathetic condition and his stint started with outstanding dues only. He said there were outstanding dues even with newspaper agencies. The situation was such that no newspaper would publish the department’s advertisement because of outstanding dues. He said that dealers wouldn’t even sell them tyres. Everywhere
there were outstanding dues. Floating tenders was fruitless as no one participated. He said that he receives calls from across the country for ‘n’ number of outstanding dues and this is the legacy which was given to him. He said that he is trying his best to come out from this adverse situation through sheer performance. When he had joined, G Plus had asked him how a yatri niwas had turned into Hotel Contour. At that time Tiwari said that he had to check the matter. The question was raised again.
Hotel Counter scam The MD said that Hotel Contour was a wrong decision which was a violation of system and norms. It was funded by North East Council (NEC) and the fund was for a yatri niwas. It is unfortunate but whoever was sitting in his chair at that time should not have taken such a decision. He said that now the matter is in court and ASTC is trying to overcome from the situation. It has become a very lengthy and a tedious problem.
Corruption The MD said that the recruitment process adopted in the past has created a chaotic situation in the department. He said that almost all the drivers entered the service after paying bribes of minimum Rs 60,000 for jobs that were contractual. He said that 600 drivers were hired in 2015 out of which, according to the tests conducted, 342 drivers were not eligible. Some also remained absent from the test and so the final assessment which will decide how many of the drivers will be shunted out is pending. He said that the entire department was suffering because of corruption and therefore he has suspended around 400 employees and another 400 employees sacked in the last one year. He said that the department went to the dogs in the last 10 years. 2006 to 2016 saw pathetic governance and it will take around 7 to 8 years to bring the department back on track if the next two MDs also work efficiently. He said that in the drivers’ recruitment of 2015 around 1,000 people were selected but not appointed; further the selections were done randomly without any proper procedure. He said that he has requested the vigilance department to conduct an enquiry into all past anomalies in the department and the letter, at present, is in the home department.
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Talking about positive changes he said that a positive work culture has been created in the department over the last one year and now the team is efficient and hard working enough. Many other initiatives have also been taken like online rent collection, online maintenance processing, CCTV in ISBT and Rupnagar, swiping machines installed in all the ticket booking counters, smart driver scheme where drivers are provided with uniforms and the like. Among many other positive changes, people can now book tickets online. A source in ASTC said that some people are upset as the booking counter employees hesitate to use swiping machines. Similarly, maintenance request online system also witnessed much opposition. So it seems that bringing ASTC out from an ocean of corruption will be a huge challenge for AP Tiwari, IPS.
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Concern
Sluice gate reopens, ferry services resume as city comes completely out of flood threat Guwahati may have come out of flood threat for the moment but the state flood death toll rises to 75; Dhansiri River is still flowing above danger level at two stations and 14 districts continue to reel under floods Rahul Chanda
shelter. Till 20th July, a total of 2,05,695.93 hectares of land was affected in 29 districts. A total of 15,430 people were evacuated from 20 districts. Till date 75 people have lost their lives across the state. According to the ASDMA sources, the situation is better than before and it is under control as the water level has decreased in many areas.
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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wo weeks ago, G Plus had reported that the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati was flowing 9 centimetres above the danger level mark which is 49.680 metres. Last week we reported that the water level had decreased and the river was flowing below the danger level. But the ferry services continued to be stopped and the Bharalu sluice gate also remained closed. What is the flood scenario in Guwahati now? Has the Bharalu sluice gate opened? Have the ferry services resumed? What is the total death toll in the state? Which rivers are still flowing above the danger level in Assam? G Plus looks at the latest flood status.
Guwahati A highly placed source in the inland water transport department, talking to G Plus, said that the ferry services have resumed in Guwahati now as the river is flowing below the danger level; in fact it is flowing pretty much at the normal level. While all ferry services on the river were stopped and even the private boats and ferries were not allowed to run, since 19th July
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Ferry service resumed between Guwahati and North Guwahati | G Plus Photo
however, the ferry services are running normally. The source said that the water level is normal but the currents in the river remain strong and therefore it takes longer time for the ferries to reach their destinations. Talking about the sluice gate at Bharalu, the gate was closed fearing backflow of Brahmaputra water into the city. A source in the administration, talking to G Plus, said that since there is no threat of water backflow now, the gate has been opened and the scenario is normal. So Guwahati is out of any kind flood threat with the sluice gate open and ferry services resuming like before. But what is the scenario of the state?
State According to the flood report circulated in the evening of 21st July by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, only Dhansiri River is flowing above the danger level at two stations namely, Golaghat and Numaligarh. 14 districts namely Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara, Morigaon, Nagaon, Karbi-Anglong, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivsagar, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar are still affected by flood. A total of 1,65,979 people living in 35 revenue circles and 421 villages/localities are still affected. Now there are 80 existing relief camps in the affected areas where 13,332 people are taking
The Congress had accused the government that they are not serious about the recent floods and the Congress members had written letters to the Centre for issuing various flood relief funds under various schemes. Reacting to the opposition’s move and allegations, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had said during his recent visit to Delhi that relief and rescue operations have been going on without any hiccups and there is no shortage of funds as all necessary steps have been initiated by the government to overcome the problems created by the floods. Sonowal stated that the Congress is trying to take political mileage out of the whole situation through cheap gimmicks and false rhetoric. So, the state flood scenario is improving and Guwahati is finally out of danger with the
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sluice gate reopening and ferry services resuming on Brahmaputra River. n
Two young children donate to CM’s Relief Fund
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isplaying the highest degree of humanity, two young children – Sahil Bharadwaj and Snigdha Kashyap, on Wednesday, contributed Rs. 615 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the victims of Assam floods. Sahil Bharadwaj, a student of Little Angels School, Borbari and
Snigdha Kashyap of Mount Calvary English High School, Diphu today contributed the amount to Chief Minister’s Media Adviser Hrishikesh Goswami, in absence of the Chief Minister who was in New Delhi. Recounting their steps of helping others, the young humanitarians said that seeing
the plight of the people in the flood affected areas of the state, they decided to seek contributions from people around in a bid to assuage the sufferings of the flood victims. Accordingly, they collected the donations and handed over the accrued amount to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. n
Weather report for the week Guwahati
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
T-Storms
T-Storms
Rain/Thunder
T-Storms
T-Showers
T-Storm
31°/26° C
31°/26° C
31°/26° C
32°/26° C
32°/26° C
32°/26° C
SATURDAY
Scattered T-Storms
33°/26° C
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
7
Ward Watch
Maligaon Krishna Nagar in worse condition than many rural areas Concentrated area – Krishna Nagar Ward no. – 7 Population of the ward – 54,000 Voters – 36,620 Population of Krishna Nagar – 750 Voters – 350
Problems – Poor road condition, water accumulation, unavailability of water, no new electricity line
Ward No.
07
Area Sabha Member – Jugen Swagiary (9435191246)
Roads in the Krishna Nagar area in a dilapidated condition | G Plus Photo
Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in
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ith Maligaon Goshala at one end, and Lokhra Highway at the other, Krishna Nagar connects two major localities of the city and serves as a convenient detour or short cut. The road serves as an alternative to the main highway connecting Maligaon and Lokhra. In order to save time and not get stuck in the city’s traffic, a lot of people travel through Krishna Nagar. But the poor road conditions act as a constant hazard; especially at nights it is a ‘clear and present danger.’ The major problems that the region suffers from are poor road conditions and a non-existent drainage system due to which, water-logging can be seen even in the non-monsoonal months when the street becomes impossible to tread on; passage of vehicles is equally hazardous and prone to accidents. A local resident of the area informed, “Throughout the year, the road remains dilapidated. Due to the poor drainage system, the water runs down the hill and gets accumulated. The water can be seen even now though it hasn’t rained for days.” The plain areas have undergone construction recently, but the sides of the road haven’t been fixed. The edges are very sharp on both sides of the road, the side-berms have been left too wide which can lead to vehicles and individuals
slipping off the sides. Also, the work has been carried out over a very small area, and not the whole. The newly constructed road starts off rather abruptly, and ends equally suddenly a few metres before the hill starts. To all appearances, it looks like the work on road construction had commenced only to be abandoned midway for no apparent reason. “While the plain areas of the region undergo construction every few years due to the poor road condition, the hill area is almost always neglected. This has led to damaged, slippery roads. Many children have suffered injuries by tripping and stumbling over the protruding stones on the hill side,” a shopkeeper of the area asserted. Apart from the poor road con-
erage, spends around Rs. 1,500 per month on water. Another burning issue in the vicinity is the administration’s refusal to issue new electricity connections for the houses built in 2016-17. There are a lot of ongoing projects in the area, with new houses undergoing construction, but they haven’t received permission for an electricity line despite various applications and attempts at an electrical connection.
Councillor’s say The reason behind the area suffering from such problems is that it is located at a much higher altitude than the other areas of the ward. While in the rest of the areas of Ward No 7, development processes are being carried out or
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The water supply project of Gammon India is set to solve the problem of water unavailability in the area. It is expected that the residents will be provided with proper water supply from October, 2017.” – Councillor, Ward No. 7 ditions, the residents of Krishna Nagar also face the problem of unavailability of water. Residents of the hill do not have access to fresh water; they have to buy water to carry out daily chores like cooking and bathing. A family of 4, on an av-
Councillor – Bhupen Thakuria (9864053365)
have already even been completed this particular lane has remained deprived of the basic amenities of a society. The main cause behind the unfortunate condition of the road is the poor drainage system due to
which water rushes down the hill right over the road itself, carrying away sand and breaking down the road with great pressure. “The road is undergoing construction; it has been carried out in the plain areas as of now, but the hill area will also be covered. As soon as the road is done, the workers will be assigned to build the drainage system on both sides of the road,” informed Bhupen Thakuria, councillor of Ward No 7. Poor road condition is a very common problem in a lot of areas of Guwahati, a topic that has been discussed time and again. But water is the basic amenity of life that no one can survive without; and the residents of Krishna Nagar are unfortunate enough to be deprived of such a necessity. Even though the residents have asked the authorities to make water available and easily accessible to them on multiple occasions, they’re still required to procure water from different sources.
Discussing about the unavailability of water in Krishna Nagar, the councillor said, “The water supply project of Gammon India is set to solve the problem of water unavailability in the area. It is expected that the residents will be provided with proper water supply from October, 2017.” When asked about the problem with new electricity connections, he informed, “Due to the increasing number of houses being constructed on the hill, the disaster management department has closed electricity connection for the hill areas. I, along with the MLA, wrote a letter to the department to permit new connections in the area again but we only got approval for the plains areas because of safety issues,” asserted the councillor. With the ongoing projects in the area, it is expected that Krishna Nagar will soon be at par with the other areas of the ward in terms of road, drainage, water as well as electricity supply. n
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Concern
City doctors yet to follow MCI order to use generic name of drugs A World Health Organization study recently found that generic medicines were available only in 20%-40% of public health clinics surveyed
People buying medicines from a city pharmacy | G Plus Photo
Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
A
re the city’s doctors free to formulate their own rules or do they mandatorily have to follow the rules of the Medical Council of India (MCI)? As per reports, they are not following an order issued by the MCI which requires doctors to use generic names of drugs on their prescriptions or write the names of medicines in capital letters, whichever is preferable. Clause 1.5 of the MCI (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 was amended in 2016 and notified in the Gazette of India on 21st September, 2016. It stated that “Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and they shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs.” All the registered medical practitioners under the IMC Act are directed to comply with the aforesaid provisions of the Regulations without fail but it seems that the medical prac-
titioners in the city are not following the aforesaid norms deliberately or they are not aware of the fact that they should prescribe a medicine with its generic name. Big pharmaceuticals often sell both branded and generic medicines and the price difference is marginal. The idea is to maintain a monopoly, so the government needs to be careful about this. “The doctors are not following any such norms and we receive the prescriptions based on the brand name rather than the generic names. The doctors are continuing to write in running hand rather than in capital letters which is one of the instructions given by the Medical Council of India. The doctors’ handwriting can only be deciphered by the pharmacists and the patients have no idea what medicine is being prescribed to them making them rely completely on the pharmacists,” said a pharmacists of the city. Speaking to G Plus, Joint Director of Directorate of Health Services, Dr Ganesh Saikia said that the order has been implemented but it will take time for
the doctors to write the generic names as it is difficult to remember the generic names of all the medicines. The doctors of Guwahati Medical College & Hospital are also not following the norms and are continuing to prescribe the medicines with their brand names. “Such orders are not useful in the city as it is not followed by anyone. The MCI has taken a good step as the doctors write the brand name because of their tie-ups with the companies and accordingly they prescribe the medicines but there are some patients who cannot really afford a particular medicine and yet have to buy it for the sake of life. If the doctors prescribe a medicine with its generic name the patients can ask for a low cost medicine with the same composition. We receive around 1,000 patients on daily basis who come with a prescription and there are some people who come directly to ask for medicines for cold, cough etc. They buy the medicines which are recommended by the pharmacists themselves. But none of the medicines in the prescription prescribed by the
doctors are written in generic names despite the order issued by MCI,” said another pharmacist of the city. According to Dr Bikash Rai Das, Senior Cardiac Consultant of GNRC Hospital, generic medicines have a few inherent disadvantages. Several generic drugs are still not available in the market. More importantly, combination drugs can’t be prescribed without a brand name. We would need two or more generic medicines as substitutes, which is not advisable. A wider range of drugs is needed to effectively replace brands. As per MCI rules, doctors are supposed to maintain treatment record of every patient for 3 years, something which is rarely done. If this is made compulsory, it will provide an idea about the efficacy of drugs. This will, at least, help to screen the quality of drugs. A World Health Organization study recently found that generic medicines were available only in 20%-40% of public health clinics surveyed. In comparison, 40%-60% of private health facilities had adequate stock of generic drugs. The sub-national surveys were carried out in Chennai, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and West Bengal. WHO said, “More than half of the public facilities lack essential medicines.” Around 78% of healthcare expenditure in India is out-of-pocket of which 72% is spent on medicines. National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) records show that the highest out-of-pocket expenditure on drugs is in Himachal Pradesh (87.95%), followed by Uttarakhand (87.75%), Bihar (84%), Rajasthan (83%), Uttar Pradesh (81.86%) and Chhattisgarh (81.38%). In larger states like Maharashtra, 60% of out-of-pocket expenses are for buying drugs, Karnataka (65%), Delhi (74%), Tamil Nadu (66%), Madhya Pradesh (71%) and West Bengal (65.80%). So, till the time the availability and efficacy of generic medicines are proved and they are properly regulated by stricter regulatory
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guidelines by the competent authorities, it will be futile to start this latest trend of prescribing generic drugs in a hurry. But it can be expected safely that in a longer period of time it will definitely be quite beneficial to the poor and the needy people in saving lives, which is priceless. A price range should be fixed for all generic medicines now so that manufacturers can’t revise costs and nullify the price advantage later. Generic medicines will have to ride on their cheaper tag to make inroads initially. Ideally, there shouldn’t be any qualitative difference between a branded and a generic medicine. But unscrupulous manufacturers might try to pass off poor quality stuff in the absence of regular monitoring. So, we need to have a certain number of manufacturers who would be accredited and licensed by the government to manufacture generic drugs. n
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
9
Governance
City nursing homes under DA scanner; CE Act norms to be enforced The city’s nursing homes are being inspected under the Clinical Establishment Act to ensure adherence to the norms and strict action will be taken against any hospital found negligent
File photo of a nursing home | G Plus Photo
Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
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ursing homes and hospitals in the city are under the scanner of Kamrup (M) District Administration and four teams have been formed to inspect the private hospitals under the Clinical Establishment Act. This is in the backdrop of the observation that most nursing homes do not follow the defined rules and regulations for which lives of patients come under risk at times of emergency. The team inspected pollution control norms, hospital waste management protocol, biodegradation of waste materials, food related issues, fire & emergency services, safety of radioactive materials, ICU ramp, drug related issues etc. “We have been inspecting the hospitals very minutely as it is very important to follow the guidelines of the Clinical Establishment Act. Earlier, no such drive was taken and therefore each and every aspect of the hospitals has been checked thoroughly. We have not inspected the hospitals to seal them on finding any shortcomings but we will warn them and also give them time to rectify the problems, if any are found, so that they can
provide better service to the patients,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), Palash Pratim Bora, while speaking to G Plus. Clinical Establishments Act aims to register and regulate clinical establishments based on minimum standards in order to improve quality of public healthcare in the country. The Act is applicable to all kinds of clinical
of facilities and services for all categories of healthcare establishments and ensure compliance of other conditions for registration like standard treatment protocols, display of range of rates to be charged, maintenance of records etc. The Act explicitly states that hospitals should display the range of rates to be charged but it seems the private hospitals in the city
“
We have been inspecting the hospitals very minutely as it is very important to follow the guidelines of the Clinical Establishment Act.” - ADC Kamrup (M), Palash Pratim Bora establishments from public and private sectors, of all recognized systems of medicine including single doctor clinics. The Clinical Establishment Act aims to establish digital registry of clinical establishments at national, state and district level and to prevent quackery by unqualified practitioners by introducing registration system which is mandatory. It also aims to prescribe minimum standards
do not follow the said norms and charge different rates. The surgical items are also over priced and the patients are often left with no other alternative than to go with the decision of the doctors to save the life of a patient. Recently, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority had slashed the prices of stent up to 85% and has included stent in the national list of essential medicines after which doctors will not be able to
overcharge for the stent. But there are other surgical items which are charged at high rates by the hospital authorities and the doctors. To this ADC Bora said, “Every hospital has different equipments and its qualities differ and therefore the charges are also different. The patients opt for the better quality instruments and therefore the prices are not uniform in all the hospitals.” Bora said that other than the prices there are other factors which should be looked into like whether the hospitals have fire emergency exits or if the staffs have the requisite knowledge on how they should handle patients in times of any natural disaster. “During earthquake patients should be kept safely and the ramp or the staircase should be wide enough so that the people can rush to a safe place using the staircase or the ramp as lifts do not work during earthquakes. The staff should have minimum knowledge about such disasters so that patients can be saved,” said Bora. Healthcare in India suffers from under regulation subjecting the populace to poor quality treatment, quackery menace and high costs. This makes it imperative to enforce minimum standards on clinical establishments in both private and public sector. The private sector has a vast range of service providers from the highly competent to the quacks. Patient safety is compromised here and financing and service delivery are not transparent and accountable, making delivery of healthcare prejudiced against the poor. High cost of healthcare in private sector raises the issue of affordability and also equity. Technical quality of healthcare depends on factors like competence of personnel involved, adherence to clinical protocols, standard treatment guidelines as well as availability of required facility and infrastructure which are ensured in accredited hospitals but remain suspect in non-accredited institutions. Bora also informed that 30 hospitals will be inspected and inspection of 10 hospitals has been completed. He said that every aspect will be looked into including
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whether the hospitals have renewed the licenses or not. The licenses of the instruments should also be renewed and whether it has been done by the hospitals or not will be inspected. Different departments like fire and safety, pollution control board, food safety, drug related issues will be looked into individually and if any hospital is found to violate any norms or is not following the Clinical Establishment Act will face stern action. If any hospital is required to rectify some minor issues it will be given a period of time within which it will have to rectify the problems. The inspection team will also scrutinize the bio-medical waste process of the hospitals as it is very sensitive. According to the Bio Medical Act of Pollution Control Board of Assam, human anatomical waste (human tissues, organs, body parts) should be incinerated and deep burial should be done, microbiology and biotechnology waste, waste from the laboratory cultures, stocks or specimens of micro-organisms live or accentuated vaccines, human and animal cell culture used in research and infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories, wastes from production of biological toxins, dishes and devices used for transfer of cultures should be incinerated. Discarded medicines and cytotoxic drugs (wastes comprising of out-dated, contaminated and discarded medicines) should be autoclaved. n
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Business
GST impact – MRP of medicines remains same, supply short
GST intricacies along with unpreparedness of medicine dealers over the change in the tax regime are impacting the supply of medicines to the city with stocks of essential drugs plummeting
A man rides past a banner reading the implementation of GST from July 1 in Guwahati | G Plus Photo
Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in
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he Indian pharmaceutical industry is the principal supplier of generic drugs all over the world. In fact, 80% of all AIDS drugs are produced in India. Indian pharmaceutical companies manufacture 20% of all generic drugs that are used around the world. Prior to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, the average VAT rate for most of the pharmaceutical products were 6% and 15%; for the formulations it was 9%. The excise duty charged on pharma products was 12.5%. Earlier, in most of the states, the VAT on the pharmaceutical products was charged on the maximum retail price and at a single point. Therefore, the distribution channel did not pay any tax or file tax returns. Post the GST, payment of timely taxes and filing 37 returns is going to be a daunting task for the distribution channel. In the GST regime, essential drugs that treat malaria, HIVAIDS, tuberculosis, and diabetes fall in the 5% bracket. Almost all other drugs are in the 12% net. Nicotine polacrilex gum, diabetological instruments and devices, dermatological soaps and a few other products are taxed at 18% GST rate. No medicines have been taxed at 28% GST apart from food products like protein powder, skin and hair care products. Ayurvedic medicines have been worst affected by this change in tax policy. Earlier, Ayurvedic drugs or medicines were charged an average VAT of 4% and excise of 1.5% due to the
excise-free manufacturing zone benefit. Under GST, Ayurvedic medicines have become costlier as they are taxed at the rate of 12%, leading to a tax hike of 7%. While other medicines fall under all five tax slabs under GST, the same is not the case with Ayurvedic products. All Ayurvedic products have been imposed a 12% tax. Post the imposition of GST, uncertainty prevailed over supply of medicines and medical products in the city. Speaking to G Plus about the impact of GST on the pharmaceutical industry, Prafulla Sharma, President of the Assam Pharmaceutical Association
(APA) said, “There is no specific impact of GST on the pharmaceutical industry; it’s only the general impact that has affected all the industries together.” He further added, “I do not think GST is the problem; rather, it is the unpreparedness of the retailers regarding the GST rollout that is posing to be the problem. There’re a lot of software issues as many people thought that GST will come later, and didn’t get registered or install the necessary software. So, the unregistered retailers are facing a lot of problems.” The Assam Pharmaceutical Association (APA), in a meeting held on Saturday, said there could be a crisis in the supply of life saving medicines in the state due to the prevailing confusion over GST. The APA said since the medicine market in the northeast is controlled from Guwahati, there should be arrangements for a more trader-friendly system so that dispatch of life saving drugs is not hampered. According to the association, the guidelines for issuing permits, announced by an order of the commissioner of taxes in Assam dated 7th July, are creating problems in the supply of medicines within and outside the state after imposition of GST. The guidelines stipulate that vehicles carrying
consignments must possess GST is proving to be a loss for the reinward permit for import and tailers. This scenario is only prevtransportation of taxable goods alent in the case of existing prodinto the state, GST outward per- ucts, we do not yet know what will mit for inter-state supply, GST happen post GST; whether the permit for intra-state supply and MRP will change or only slight transit passes for transportation adjustment in tax will take place.” Binay Agarwalla, owner of of taxable goods. The order was Modern Pharma Company which modified on 11th July to exclude GST permit for intra-state supply is one of the biggest pharmaceutical distributors of the region said, from the list. But the website www.tax.as- “GST does not have much effect sam.govt.in is carrying an an- on the consumers or retailers of nouncement that the issue of per- the pharmaceutical industry. On an average, 90% of the products mits has been “kept in abeyance have been kept at the same rate due to technical reasons”, posing a problem for dealers to transport as before, with no change in MRP. There is only slight adjustment in their goods. the taxation. The only effect is on “There was confusion over the want of permit for interstate and the stockist because of the differintra-state supply of medicines. ence of tax on the closing stock This was resulting in our mem- prior to GST. While most compabers not being able to dispatch nies are compensating for this medicines to other states. But loss, some are not. So we have to post the meeting held on Satur- bear the loss of the difference in tax on those products.” day the GST inward permit has According to sources, the avbeen opened from Monday onwards and free flow of life saving erage sale of life saving drugs in drugs on the basis of GSTIN num- June has come down by 20% to ber and invoice has been permit- 30%, and an overall de-growth of ted,” informed Dr NL Agarwala, 8%-12% has been observed. The sales of life-saving drugs in the VP, APA. He also informed, “The exist- city are yet to pick up. The pharmaceutical industry is also asking ing stock is going down because of the change in taxation policies. for more information on the implementation of GST on the MRP Since the present medicines are of pharmaceutical products post selling on MRP, in spite of a rise in their tax, the difference in tax the GST rollout. n
Division of life saving drugs under varioius tax slabs
NIL
5%
12%
18%
28%
Human blood and its components
Animal or Human Blood Vaccines
All goods not specified elsewhere: Medicines made by mixing two or more constituents for therapeutic or prophylactic uses. (Including Ayurvedic medicines)
Nicotine chewing gums
Skin lotion
All types of contraceptives
Diagnostic kit for all types of hepatitis, Formulations manufactured from bulk drugs listed in the list 1 of notification 12/2012 -central excise
Medicines made by mixing two or more products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses. (Including Ayurvedic medicines)
Nutraceutical products
Hair products
Gynaecological products
Cyclosporin, Drugs or medicines specified in the list 3 or 4 of notification 12/2012- central excise
Wadding gauge, bandages, and similar articles
Diabetological instruments
Food products like protein powder
Oral Rehydration Salts. Medicines (including veterinary medicines) used in bio-chemical systems and not bearing any brand name
Forms or packing for retail sale regarding surgical, dental or veterinary purposes
Dermatological soaps
Desferrioxamine Injection or Deferiprone
Pharmaceutical goods specified such as sterile laminaria, dental adhesion barriers etc.
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
11
Health
Measures taken to combat vector-borne diseases from soaring in the city The NVBDCP has released a fund of Rs 31 lakhs to GMC for conducting fogging operations in the city to reduce the number of cases related to vector-borne diseases
Fogging in progress at Guwahati | G Plus Photo
Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in diseases are still prevalent in the district and to curb the menace, a district task force meeting on Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Dengue was held under the chairmanship of Barnali Sarma, District Development Commissioner, Kamrup (M). The present status of the diseases has been monitored and gearing up activities like fogging, mass awareness programmes, IEC-BCC among the masses, source reduction in the district to reduce the disease burden of Malaria, JE, Dengue in Kamrup Metro, has been emphasized upon. Sarma instructed Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) & Joint Director of Health Services, Kamrup Metro to set up a control room for JE and Dengue and prepare an action plan for fogging operations to be jointly undertaken by the GMC and health depart-
ment in all the wards of the city. Dr. Umesh Phangsu, Joint Director of Health Services (Malaria) cum SPO, National Vector-Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP), Assam, assured that the logistics and fund is available in the state and the department will shortly release an amount of Rs. 31 lakhs to GMC for conducting fogging operations in the city. The involvement of the other departments like police, education, social welfare, public health engineering in containment of vector-borne diseases is also necessary as awareness should also be created at the school level. The chairman also requested the Joint DHS Malaria to put up a notification to the private hospitals for setting up of isolation wards at their respective hospitals for H1N1 affected patients. Dr Ganesh Saikia, Joint Director of Health Services, Kamrup (M) apprised that various measures from fogging, source reduction, blood slide collections to conduct-
ing awareness meetings at community level and school level have been planned for Dengue, JE, Malaria and H1N1. The ADC (Health), Kamrup (M), Palash Pratim Bora elaborately reviewed the vector-borne diseases prevalent in the city. He requested all the line departments like PHED, social welfare, education, veterinary and irrigation to coordinate with the health department to decrease and check Dengue, JE, Malaria and H1N1. The ADC (Health) requested all the data managers to upload the MCTS timely and laid emphasis on hospital cleanliness. “It is true that Assam has the maximum number of JE cases when compared to other states in the northeast. This is due to the state’s terrain and its agricultural background. Paddy fields are strewn across the length and breadth of the state,” said an official of the state chapter of the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
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The cases of JE and Dengue are more in the city due to the unhealthy environment and greater use of plastics and disposable items. It is the responsibility of the GMC to carry out fogging but the department does this only on basis of complaints. According to an official of GMC, the smoke of the fogging is injurious to health and therefore they do not fog on regular basis. The fogging and spraying drives are taken up from April and carried out till December but the question is how effective these drives are. “People have a wrong concept that fogging and spraying will help prevent JE or other vector-borne diseases. As fogging and spraying is bad for health we try to take such drives as less as we can so that it does not harm the people. These drives are taken to satisfy the public and should be limited as the smoke contains harmful chemicals,” the official said. Helpline numbers have also been given so that public can complain if any area has been dropped off from fogging or can also complain against any problem faced by the residents. The numbers are 8811007000 (GMC Helpline), 03612606997 (Jt. Director H & FW). The National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), Guwahati unit has also come up with a network of field stations under “Integrated Disease Vector Control Project” to check persistent transmission of malaria and contributing to most cases and deaths annually in the state. The main objectives were to field test newer interventions for containment of malaria transmission and subsequent transfer of technology to strengthen the national malaria control programme. Ever since the inception of the station, a number of technologies like insecticide-treated mosquito nets/long-lasting insecticidal nets for vector control,
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monitoring therapeutic efficacy of anti-malarial medicines for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, evaluation of rapid test kits for diagnosis of malaria, promoting environment management methods for control of mosquito breeding and capacity building exercises for strengthening the state healthcare services were evaluated. Taken together, all these newer interventions were incorporated in healthcare services resulting in substantial disease transmission reduction, and communities at stake today are more aware of the disease prevention and control. The NIMR prioritize to include building cross-border initiative preventing entry and dissemination of multi-drug resistant malaria and monitoring insecticide resistance in disease mosquito vector species in northeast region in the near future. n
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
City
Ola, Uber raise fares, reduce driver incentives
Surge price displayed on the Uber app | G Plus Photo
Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in
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f late, Guwahati has been experiencing a tremendous hike in cab prices. While some cheered at the lowering of fare taxes under GST, replacing the 6% service tax with 5% GST, most noticed a sudden rise in the total cab fares. Riders are facing problems like cab unavailability and surge prices of up to
3X. The daily cab ride from home to work that used to cost Rs 90-100 earlier, now costs Rs 180-200, and that too, after waiting for quite some time for the cab to be available for booking. G Plus tried to dig into the matter to find the reason behind the current scenario in the cab industry. Ismail Ali, president of the All Guwahati Cab Owners’ and Drivers’ Association, informed, “The number of Uber and Ola cars have lessened in the city recently
because the drivers are not being given proper incentives by these companies. The company assured us an income of about Rs 75,000 per month. But now our monthly income has gone down and is between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 per month. Since they do not have enough money to provide us with the promised incentives, they charge more from the customers in the name of surge pricing.” Owner-cum-cab driver, Ali,
Assam to shut down all inter-state check gates from August 1
I
n a major move, the Assam government recently announced to shut down all inter-state check gates from 1st August. The step is aimed at reducing transportation cost of essential items coming from other states. “The government has taken an in-principle decision to shut down all check gates along the inter-state borders. As a measure
of goodwill, the state government has decided to go beyond GST and close down even those gates, which deal with non-GST items,” Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He said the government will suffer loss of revenue because of this decision, but the actual impact will be known only after a year. “Some departments like ex-
cise, transport or for that matter even the Agriculture Marketing Board will have to bear major losses in terms of revenue,” Sarma said. It is to be noted that the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board is heavily dependent on the check gates for its cess collection. Funds for all affairs of the Board, including salaries of 1,100 employees, are met from the cess. n
who used to operate under Uber but has now migrated to Ola and Ogo stated, “The office staff at Uber do not treat us well. On paper, drivers are partners of the firm. But in reality, we are not given the same status as the office staff. They even have bouncers outside the office who do not let us enter the office premises during times of crisis.” An Uber driver anonymously informed us that despite logging onto the platforms early in the morning, they receive just 2-3 trip requests in a span of 6 hours, resulting in zero incentives for the day thereby reducing their earnings per month. On the other hand, another problem that the customers are facing with these cab services recently is that the drivers accept the request for their next trip before the ongoing trip gets over. This leads to the driver driving rashly in order to make the drop faster, else the next rider might cancel the trip. It is also a hassle for the next rider as he/she has to wait much longer for the cab to arrive. This, again, is due to the lack of cabs in the city. When there are no other cabs in the vicinity, the cabs that already have passengers keep getting multiple ride requests. This is harassing not only for the passengers, but drivers as well. With the coming of Ogo, a new
app-based cab service in the city, the situation of Ola and Uber has further worsened. Drivers can be seen migrating to Ogo cabs for better pay and incentives. “The cab market in Guwahati had become monopolistic with Uber and Ola ruling the market and both having surge prices. With Ogo entering the market, their monopoly has started to break. Although we do not have sufficient cabs at the moment, we’re satisfied with the present number of around 600 cabs that serve around 1000-1200 customers every day. We haven’t yet publicised our platform much, but we’re happy that we have 600 drivers working with us in such a short span of time; most of them left Ola and Uber,” said Ogo representative Rahul Sharma. He further added, “The drivers don’t work under our payroll. Their earning is their own for now since we’re in our starting phase. Later, the drivers just have to pay us Rs. 100 per day, and the rest of their income will be theirs. Unlike Ola and Uber, we won’t be charging the drivers for every trip they make.” He also assured that they do not plan on charging surge prices from their customers. G Plus tried to approach Ola and Uber representatives, but neither of them made any remarks stating that the price hike is a part of internal affairs and they didn’t want to comment on it. n
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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Snippets
Eviction at Deepor Beel road
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dditional Chief Secretary (Guwahati Development Department), MGVK Bhanu, has directed the Kamrup (Metro) district administration to carry out an eviction drive on the side of the road along the Deepor Beel as part of efforts to preserve the spot. Bhanu gave the instruction after visiting the site today. Bhanu also asked the administration to explore best practices
adopted in neighbouring states for conservation of such natural water bodies so that the Deepor Beel can be protected in the natural way without compromising on the biodiversity of the water body. The Additional Chief Secretary, along with a team of officials from the state government, the district administration and various line departments, visited
Deepor Beel and some adjoining areas to take stock of the present scenario of the Beel and the Mora Bharalu river channel up to Pamohi. Bhanu also directed the Pollution Control Board to collect samples of the water from various locations of the Mora Bharalu and adjoining areas to examine its quality and contamination level. n
AASU Demands Scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
AASU Demands Scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill | G Plus Photo
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he influential All Assam Students Union (AASU), on Thursday, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrap the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is scheduled to be tabled in the monsoon session of parliament. The AASU said that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was scheduled to visit Assam to conduct a public hearing, but the visit was postponed. And now, without conducting any hearing, the government is planning to table the Bill in Parliament to pave the way for granting citizenship to lakhs of Bangladeshi Hindus.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 introduced by the Modi government first in December 2014, proposes to grant Indian citizenship not only to the Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh, but also to all Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and who are seeking refuge in India “due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution.” The AASU questioned the Prime Minister as to why the JPC has not visited the state for public hearing despite its assurance of the same. The committee was scheduled
to visit Assam on 2nd and 3rd November last year, but the visit was postponed in view of the by-election to the Dhemaji Lok Sabha seat. The committee never came to Assam thereafter. In a statement, AASU President Dipanka Kumar Nath and General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “A small state like Assam cannot bear the burden of foreigners who came to Assam after 1971. The foreigners’ issue in the state must be resolved by implementing the Assam Accord in letter and spirit.” The students’ body threatened to launch a mass movement on the lines of Assam Agitation, if the government goes ahead with the decision diluting the Assam Accord. In Assam, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is currently being updated to weed out illegal migrants who came to Assam post the 1971 war when Bangladesh was liberated from Pakistan. The cut-off date for the NRC is midnight of March 24, 1971, and all those who migrated to Assam from Bangladesh before this period would get Indian citizenship as per the Assam Accord signed in 1985. n
All NE States to have Business Facilitation Centres
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inister of DONER, Jitendra Singh, on Wednesday, said that Business Facilitation Centres (BFC) will be set up in all north-eastern states to guide new and first generation entrepreneurs in all areas related to project financing. According to the Minsiter for DONER, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has taken a string of initiatives for entrepreneurship development in the region, including mentoring assistance and credit linkages to
entrepreneurs. “NEDFI has also taken initiatives to conduct seminars, workshops, entrepreneur development programmes (EDPs) and business meets/awareness programmes
for potential first generation entrepreneurs,” said Singh in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. “The corporation has prepared 100 project profiles related to MSME segments which have been widely distributed and also uploaded on the website,” he added. NEDFI will have a design and skill upgradation programme for improving the existing skills of artisans and craftsmen by providing design inputs so that value-added products based on the natural resources of the region can be developed. n
Gurgaon-based Guwahati girl commits suicide
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n a very shocking incident, Bidisha Bezbaruah, a Gurgaon-based Guwahati girl committed suicide on Monday, by hanging herself. Bidisha earned the praises of the people of Assam with her brilliant acting in the TV drama ‘Xanto Xisto Hristo Pusto Mohadusto.’ She was also seen performing Bihu along with Angarag Papon Mahanta during an event of Radio Mirchi. Bidisha passed from Nichols High School in 2007. She completed her graduation in English Liter-
ature from Cotton College and later pursued her diploma in Mass Communication. Bidisha was a very popular face known mostly for her contributions in the cultural field. Bidisha got married to one Nisheeth Jha, a person from Gujrat, almost a year ago. Nisheeth was later arrested by Gurgaon Police on Tuesday evening on charges of abetment of suicide under IPC Section 306. The reason for her suicide is yet to be known. Bidisha was the daughter of Aswini and Ranjeeta Bezbaruah. n
Teacher arrested for misbehaving with student
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ebendra Kumar, a Physics teacher of Borjhar Kendriya Vidyalaya, allegedly misbehaved with one of his students while giving tuition. Reportedly, the victim, who is a Grade 11 student, had
gone to the teacher’s rented house as usual for tuition. But later while teaching, he tried to misbehave with her to which she resisted. Aghast by the incident, the victim after reaching home, informed her parents about the same. The parents immediately rushed to the Azara Police Station and filed an FIR against the teacher demanding his arrest. The accused, Debendra Kumar, hails from Uttar Pradesh and is currently in police custody. The police are probing into the matter as interrogation is ensuing.n
Guwahati gets a Prabasi Asomiya Kendra
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal addressing the Indian Diaspora at 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 in Bengaluru
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Prabasi Asomiya Kendra has been set up at the office campus of Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (AIDC), Guwahati and was inaugurated on Tuesday by Industries and Commerce Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary. He was accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce), Ravi Capoor. The Kendra is dedicated to facilitate the people of Assamese origin living abroad and as a centre to help and engage with Assam’s vast diaspora. “The Kendra would facilitate the Assamese diaspora in the forthcoming Global Investors Summit to be held in January, 2018 at Guwahati,” said Patowary.
Managing Director of AIDC, Ashutosh Agnihotri, said that during the Global Investors Summit, one day would be earmarked for the ‘Prabasi Asomiya’ and the Kendra would facilitate them in participation during the summit and at the ‘Prabasi Asomiya Day’ and also to assist in business opportunities in Assam. The Kendra will work in tandem with the Prabasi Asomiya Kendra which has already been set up in the Chief Minister’s Office, Dispur, Guwahati. For future correspondence, people can contact Mrs. Gitimala Baishya, General Manager, AIDC at (0361) 2201215 or 2202216. n
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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The apathy continues…
am not going to sulk here nor am I going to be jealous. We north-easterners in general and Assamese in particular, have forsaken these emotions long back. But one incident that has not gone down well with us is the recurrent annual begging we indulge in when it comes to mobilising central funds to combat our floods. CM Sarbananda Sonowal had to personally visit New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and request for central assistance to repair the infrastructural damages caused by the floods. Hasn’t the Assam floods been enough of an intense annual disaster of mammoth proportions that it warranted a visit by the Chief Minister to ask for help? The BJP sweep one year ago has just not transpired into any favours and benefits for Assam per se. Such funds should have been granted swiftly and proactively given the ravages that Assam is currently going through. But this supposedly friendly Centre continues the legacy of negligence. Tall rhetoric about making Assam an organic hub, accelerating on a so-called ‘Look East Policy’ and bringing the state at par with the more developed states of the country falls miserably by the wayside when it comes to the practicalities of the economic game. While the floods have taken centre-stage for the moment, the measure of neglect has stretched to the point where Sonowal had to request the PM to send a delegation under a cabinet minister to assess
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the calamity. Understandable that Modi Sir is a very busy man. But a quick visit by him to the region at this time would have garnered a lot of “national media” attention towards the pathetic state of affairs in Assam, which otherwise remain totally oblivious of the situation. Yes, the apathy continues. And it continues to the extent that special schemes and subsidies for setting up industries introduced by earlier regimes have been abruptly withdrawn shelving all hopes of growth and prosperity and leaving a deep foreboding of uncertainty over the currently flooded land. No sulking, no jealousy from me but it certainly pinches to recall the instant transfer of substantial funds when natural calamities hit other states. The Kashmir floods of 2014 and the Chennai floods of 2016 brought tears to everyone’s eyes, unprecedented media attention and wads of notes for salvaging the situation – almost on auto-mode and without a murmur of a request. And here we are, saddled to our homeland with no escape plans, ravaged by recurring floods year after year, and once more in time, begging a “friendly” Central Government to help us out of our misery. I guess we are doomed to lie between the proverbial devil (erstwhile government) and the deep sea (current regime) when it comes to our woes. “Acche din” remains a pipedream. Swapnil Bharali Editor
Drama sans power
ihar Governor (now former), Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday, was elected as the 14th President of India. He was the NDA’s presidential candidate and won with over 7 lakh votes against opposition candidate Meira Kumar. This is certainly a major development for a country where a Dalit has been elected as the President; a community that was once considered untouchables. According to the New York Times, this is BJP’s move to secure Dalit votes in future elections and to acquire political capital. Kovind is also a long time associate of the RSS. Although this should not be a cause for concern, given the country’s current state of affairs, it is. Although Kovind’s post is very ‘signatorial’ and ceremonial, he still has the responsibility of representing the Nation. The main test for him would be how he uses his Presidential pardons. Kovind’s presidency has tightened BJP’s hold in the country. In his tenure as the Governor of Nitish Kumar’s Bihar, Kovind had not been in media crosshairs, had not made national headlines. This might indicate that he is either not very vocal or he may be a very agreeable person. But do we need a puppet or possum for a president or a vocal one? No one can be sure. It was BBC that reported that Kovind has never campaigned for a Dalit cause. We don’t know if this puts him in the good books of Dalits at all. But Ram Nath Kovind being president is akin to Barrack Obama’s presidency with a difference. It has all the drama sans the power. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA
Opinion
Hail! Lord Federer
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here is a very thin line separating anguish and ecstasy, the champions from the legends. There was many a great name - both during the amateur and open eras - who had earned innumerable accolades till the Australian Open 2017. This is when the phoenix rose. The ultimate champion and the true maestro: Roger Federer! On the wrong side of thirties and after a gap of 5 years in his chequered career, the Australian Open set the momentum rolling for a magnificent second innings. Grit and fitness coupled with precise strategy saw the legend win Wimbledon 2017 as well. Preceding that, Federer skipped the French Open, knowing well that it was the backyard of another great legend Rafael Nadal who had won the coveted trophy 9 times before 2017 and was not willing to budge from his reign of domain. If lot of people, apart from his followers, thought that the Australian Open 2017 was just a flash in the pan, they had to shed those thoughts after watching Wimbledon 2017. In spite of being just 23 days short of 36, an age by which many players are long retired, the maestro had won all the matches in straight sets. Even his severest critic critics have got mesmerised by the prowess and dexterity that the maestro is currently displaying. In the process, the aura that has engulfed him is so overpowering that his opponents are mentally and physically broken at his very sight. Mind you, a Wimbledon finalist is no “pushover” but Federer has given each such champion the surprise
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Rajiv Das
of their lives. Federer was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1981. As a youngster he grew up loving all sports which involved hand-eye coordination of a ball. He played football, badminton and basketball and even calls himself an avid cricket fan. Although he played several sports, he began receiving tennis coaching from the age of 10 from Adolf Kacovsky. Kacovsky remembers that Federer had tremendous natural talent. “He seemed to be born with a racket in his hand.” Despite Federer’s unbounded talent and versatility, he had an acerbic tongue and was very temperamental on the court which, to an extent, affected his career. As a youngster, Federer’s on-court tantrums and hair-trigger temper once threatened to stunt his progress. However, Peter Carter, an Australian coach, spent considerable time moulding Federer into having a cool and a focussed mind. Over his teenage years, Federer learnt to control his temper. He is now regarded as one of the calmest tennis players. In 2002, Peter Carter died and the lamenting Federer said that his death was very harsh and traumatic for him. But it gave motivation to implement his advice to be not only a better player but also a better person. From 2003, there was no looking back for the maestro. But then came 2011, and Federer had a relatively lean year – failing to win a grand slam for first time in several years. Federer faced increased levels of competition from Rafael Nadal and the improving Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. In 2012, he returned to form at Wimbledon, winning his 7th title on grass. In the past few years, Federer’s rate of career milestones has slowed down, but he continues to be one of the great tennis players of the era, despite also showing human limitations. Federer has also displayed great versatility and great perseverance, in a career spanning over a
decade. Jimmy Connors said, “In an era of specialists, you’re either a clay court specialist, a grass court specialist, or a hard court specialist… or “Roger Federer specialist.” If his backhand flick of the wrist is like a magician’s wand and the forehand like cannon balls, the volleys and half volleys had the deft touches of a ballerina. Since 2004, two names have dominated men’s tennis: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Each player is legendary in his own right. The Spaniard Nadal is the winner of 15 Grand Slam titles, including five consecutive French Open singles titles from 2010 to 2014, and is the only player ever to win a Grand Slam for ten straight years. Swiss Federer has spent over three hundred weeks of his career ranked as the number one player in the world and has won nineteen Grand Slam titles and two Olympic medals. But neither player’s career would have been nearly as successful without the decade-long rivalry that pushed them to excel and reach the pinnacles of tennis excellence. Federer is widely regarded for having the complete all round game – power, finesse, a full range of shots, and excellent footwork. He methodically looks at opponents to evaluate weakness in their game. Through tournament winnings and endorsements, Federer has become one of the most highly paid sportsmen of the current era. Forbes ranks Federer as number two in terms of top earning sportsmen. Federer supports a number of charities, founding the Roger Federer Foundation to help disadvantaged people through sports in 2003. He was also appointed a goodwill ambassador by UNICEF in 2006. Last but not the least, let us not take away the due credit from Ivan Ljubicic, the 34 year new coach cum partner to Federer, who also was very supportive and played a huge part in Federer’s comeback. n
Letter to the Editor
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uwahati is often dubbed as the gateway to northeast India. Over the years the city has seen widespread growth both in infrastructure and population. New challenges are coming to make the premier city of Assam hygienic, people-friendly and beautiful. There is a full-fledged government department named GDD to look after the city dwellers’ well-being. Apart from the Guwahati Development Department (GDD), there is a democratically elected corporation called Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). But the city is lacking several infrastructures like proper potable water, roads and drains, public toilets, street lights, etc. The residents are paying various taxes to GMC but in return GMC has failed miserably. The current Mayor, Mrigen Sarania, who belongs to the ruling disposition, is the most incompetent and hopeless Mayor GMC has ever had. When one goes around the city one will see overflowing dustbins, garbage littered right near the footpaths, broken water pipes from where thousands of litres of water are wasted daily, street lights not working due to non-payment of electricity dues, unauthorised vegetable and food vendors occupying the footpaths, uncovered drains, stinking public toilets (which are few in numbers), etc. But the Mayor is hardly bothered as he is always enjoying benefits of his chair. It is obvious that the problems of the city are difficult to solved in a hurry but even if the current incumbent Mayor had tried to do something people would have been happy but it is not happening. He is basically busy in ribbon cutting ceremonies around the city. It is time to replace Mrigen Sarania with someone dynamic and keen to do something rather than sitting in the air-conditioned chamber of the Mayor.
Aparna Sarma GNB Road, Guwahati
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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In Focus
Uttam Teron
The man who educated 11 villages
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here is a yin for every yang, a solution to every problem, and a hero to every occasion, where hero is not just a word but a commitment. One such story of an unsung hero is the story of Uttam Teron - the man who educated 11 villages! Born to a train-driver father and a homemaker mother who never went to school, Uttam hails from Pamohi Village of Garchuk, a peaceful Karbi dominated area, 20 kms from Guwahati. After finishing his graduation from a city college, he returned to his village. He started giving tuitions that earned him a paltry amount of Rs. 800. If he was short of funds for his escapades, Uttam and his friends would collect wood from the hills and sell it in the nearby market.
He was content until that one sunny day in 2001, he suddenly noticed the lack of joy and hope on the faces of children who loitered around in a village up in the hills. He noticed the same despair in the children of his own village. Most of them were either school dropouts or had never been to school. He realised deep in his heart that he had to do something for them; maybe start teaching them. But without money, there was little he could do. After waiting for two years, he invested the Rs 800 he had earned as a private tutor in constructing a room with a tin roof and bamboo walls at an old cowshed. A pair of desks and benches was procured from a village carpenter. “Parijat Academy” started its first class with just 4 students. “At that time,
parents were reluctant to send their children to school. They themselves were illiterate and had no idea what school education meant. They thought that their children were better off helping them in the fields. So I had to explain to them the importance of education - education gives true direction,” Uttam said. The task was not easy. In fact, it was much tougher than what he had imagined. But what started as a small room in a cowshed has now turned into a regular school that provides free education to children from 11 villages of Assam. Uttam informed, “We have classes from Nursery to Grade 10 with 512 students and 25 teachers currently. In addition to subjects like Assamese, Hindi, English, Maths, Social studies, Environmental Studies, Science, Moral Education, Arts, Recitation and Music, we also teach the children sewing (for girls), bamboo craft, garment making, card making, etc. We also organise sports and cultural programs for the children for their overall growth.” Parijat Academy aims to “develop and explore latent potentials of the children through education, helping children develop the qualities of love, kindness, compassion and universal responsibilities.” The academy has in fact become popular with volunteers coming from different parts of India
and overseas to help the children in different activities like photography, agriculture, health, sports, art and crafts, adventure programme, computer, yoga etc. Students from different schools, institutes, colleges and universities also visit Parijat Academy from time to time. The academy receives help from many individuals as well as organisations in cash as well as in kind. “Ever since the school started, the journey has been very difficult. Running a school for the underprivileged is not easy, especially because fund raising is so difficult. When I started the school in 2003, I had to collect pencils, old school bags and old books from the villagers who were better off to give to these children. It was only in 2005 that I received the first monetary help of Rs 4000 for the school.” Today, even after 16 years, money remains a problem for Parijat Academy. There are a lot of expenses involved in running a school – salary for teachers, stationary, electricity bill, benches, food, to name a few. Uttam informed that the teachers sometimes do not get salaries for 3-4 months due to lack of funds. Whenever the school receives outside contribution, the teachers are paid their salary. Working his way past all the problems, Uttam has been able to achieve 95% literacy for the people of Pamohi and the nearby villages. The rate of school dropouts is nil in his village. But Uttam says, “Parijat is just a drop in the ocean; we cannot bring about a change in the entire state by ourselves. We’re currently focusing only on the neigh-
bouring villages. But if more people work together towards educating the poor, Assam can be on its way to achieving 100% education.”
Current services provided by Parijat Acamedy: Providing education and hostel facility to children from remote state border areas and Garbhanga forest villages. The school provides a library facility for the children in order to enhance their curiosity to learn. The academy is adding computer education for the school children. Children are taught basic computer knowledge, MS Word, Excel etc. The academy arranges regular health check up for the school children. Regular food bags are provided to the children once a month. Children of pre-primary level are given milk thrice a week and midday meal is served to all the school children once a month which is arranged by Nita Sairam Parmer, the founder of Lordsai.com.
Recognitions: Eastern Women Association Social Service Award Rotary Vocational Award Balipara Foundation Award CNN IBN Real Heroes Award 2011 Karmayogi Award by Lions Club
Is the administration’s decision to close one side of the Chandmari flyover for the convenience of morning walkers a good idea? This discussion was raised in the backdrop of a school bus colliding with a two-wheeler at Chandmari flyover on Friday morning in which two persons sustained injuries. Some opinions, responses and comments are given below.
Nitupam Chetia: Such an accident is a real danger. The fact is Chandmari flyover always remains blocked one side in the morning between 5 am and 7 am and every week there is an accident at this turning point – major or minor. It is illegal to block one side of the flyover only for the morning walk of a few people.
Brahma Gupta: I think the government should build a joggers’ park for the morning walkers instead of blocking the roads because in the morning time school buses run on their way.
Manish Tandon: So illogical to block one side of the road when there is a Chandmari field which is perfect for all the morning showoff people. They can just walk there. There is a footpath also to walk on. This is a very bad decision by the people who have given a green signal to block this type of flyover that has a pronounced u-turn.
Megha Das: In a city like Guwahati where there is an exponential increase in the number of vehicles, accidents are becoming a recurring phenomenon. These are issues of concern and proper action needs to be taken. Moreover, blocking one side of the road is illogical as roads meant for movement of vehicles not for morning walks. People must understand that there are parks for such activities.
Surjya Gogoi: Looking at the photo which G Plus posted makes me believe that the bus was coming from the wrong side. No wonder the driver ran away from the scene of the accident. Such drivers not only harm themselves but also put the lives of the passengers and other vehicles drivers and passengers in danger. Vinod Nath: This was bound to happen when you block one side of the road to make it pedestrian zone for morning walk. Administration needs to rework on this idea.
Seema Jain: The decision is to close the road from 5 am to 7 am only, I think the population of Guwahati can keep their calm for 2 hours of the day at least and not disturb the morning walkers. Considering the rise in accidents in the area, I think the vehicles must keep in mind the implementation of the rule and drive more carefully.
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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Trotter
Goat born with demonic face
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he birth of a baby goat with demonic features has left locals in Argentina shocked
– with the bizarre pictures quickly going viral. Owner Gladys Oveido says she was left “deeply surprised” when she saw the face of the new arrival only to see the bizarre demonic face staring back at her. The kid was sadly stillborn with scary “protruding eyes” in San Luis province, central Argentina. Gladys was not surprised the goat’s arrival had attracted so much attention. She said: “The rest of the baby is normal; it only has deformations in the head. It is unusual what happened.” (Source: Mirror)
Mother forced to wait three hours with dead baby in a handbag
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ammy Anderson, 33, went into labour prematurely at her home in Dagenham, Essex, just 15 weeks into her pregnancy. She suffered a miscarriage and gave birth to the body of son Archie and then phoned midwives, who initially said they would come to see her but eventually asked her to go to Queen’s Hospital in Romford. Ms Anderson said she was
made to wait for three hours in Accident and Emergency while her baby was ‘in a cover in her overnight bag’. After seeing a doctor she handed her son over to the staff and was told she would be put in touch with bereavement workers – but claimed no one spoke to her for another 48 hours. ‘They didn’t treat me like a human being, there was no compassion or respect.’ It was never confirmed by tests and she subsequently suffered the ordeal at home, helped by her ‘very brave’ 14-year-old daughter JamieLeigh, who helped her mother cut the umbilical cord and wrap Archie in a blanket. Ms Anderson added carrying her baby in her bag ‘ripped her to pieces’ and she ‘still feels numb’ at the way she was treated. (Source: Mirror)
Woman posed as man to dupe friend into sex; jailed
Top Emojis Trends on Facebook
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woman who wore a prosthetic penis and a tricked her blindfolded friend into having sex with her has been jailed for six-and-ahalf years. Gayle Newland, of Willas-
ton, Cheshire, created a “disturbingly complex” online persona in which she pretended to be a man for more than two years. The 27-year-old was found guilty at a retrial at Manchester Crown Court in June of committing sexual assault by penetration, using a prosthetic penis without her blindfolded victim’s consent. Newland sobbed and slumped to the f loor of the dock as sentence was handed down on Thursday. The complainant said she was persuaded by Newland to wear a blindfold at all times when they met and only found out she was having sex with Newland when she finally took off her mask. She was originally jailed for eight years in November 2015, but the conviction was later quashed on the grounds that the trial judge’s summing up of the case was not fair and balanced. Newland received concurrent terms of six years for three counts of sexual assault committed in 2013. (Source: The Guardian)
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Buzz
3rd Pulin Das memorial lecture held
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he 3rd Pulin Das Memorial Lecture, marking the 3rd death anniversary of the legendary sports personality of Assam and the pioneer of sports journalism in the state, was held at Landmark Hotel in Guwahati on 16th July. The lecture was organised by Assam Sports Journalists’ Association with support from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Chairman of the Development Committee and Vice President of All India Football Federation, Larsin M Sawyan, delivered the lecture on the “Contributions of the Northeast in Growth of Football in India” in front of an august gathering of sports organisers, sportspersons, government officials, journalists and others. Mr Sawyan stressed on the need for grassroots development for the growth of football in India. He said the new concept of baby
league, a miniature form of football meant for the age group of 6 to 12 years, as a threshold to the football culture. “Since it hardly involves huge infrastructure or a lot of expenditure on organising, it can be organised by anyone anywhere. The concept is like that of gulli cricket. It can be played even on basketball turfs, futsal turf or any small open space because it involves only five players on each side. The AIFF is going to promote it in a big way because through this initiative talent can be spotted and nurtured,” Sawyan said. About the contribution of northeast India towards football in the country, Mr Sawyan said that over 50% of the Indian senior football team camp over the past one year comprised players from eastern India out of which more than 38% were from the northeast. Similarly, the under-17 FIFA
World Cup probables comprise more than 51% of players from the northeast. “It is this legacy shown by the north-easterners in the Tata Football Academy that has been solely nurturing talents and connected the northeast with the rest of the country over the past three decades. The concept of playing in the I-League figured in the agenda of Shillong Lajong FC which fructified within a very short time,” said Mr Sawyan, who is also the managing director of Shillong Lajong FC. He, however, lamented that Assam being the biggest state in the region with a population of three million is yet to contribute enough as far as producing players is concerned. “There is no dearth of talent. In fact, the state has abundant talent but there is something amiss somewhere which is delaying the desired result,” he observed. State Level Advisory Committee for Students and Youth Welfare member secretary Mr Lakhya Konwar was the chief guest at the lecture. He lit the inaugural lamp and paid homage to Pulin Das. Mr Konwar said the government was always prepared to help in the development of sports but appealed to the organisers to prepare an annual calendar of events and submit it with the government so that assistance could be provided in time. n
GU MBA Dept concludes ‘Akhar Rengoni’ competition and cultural events like chorus, dance and songs sung by the inmates as well as the GU, MBA students and JFS members. “It is said that life gives you two choices - either to be angry and sad for what you don’t have or be thankful for what you do have. These specially-abled people are the ones whose chose the second one. A day spent with them won’t
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n a country like India, where billions of heads fill the map, there are people who are born differently and are pushed aside to wander even by their own. With this thought “Akhar Rengoni”, a daylong event was organized by Gauhati University, MBA Department (GUMBA) and Justice for the Society (JFS) in Destination on 8th July, 2017. While JFS is a 5-year old non-profit organization, Destination is the home for the special-
ly-abled people. It takes care of 45 males and 43 females. The event included several activities besides a drawing competition where more than 30 inmates took part. 3 winners and 3 consolation awards were given away. It was followed by a Tekeli Bhanga competition, where inmates broke 3 tekelis (pots). Other activities included musical chair, a quiz
NEUFC launches own residential youth academy
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ine superstar John Abra- stated. “We have already chartham’s popular football ed a well-defined and competclub, the NorthEast Unit- itive pathway for the fantastic ed FC (NEUFC), took its first talent pool of the northeast. We want to showcase all this on the major step towards nurturing football talent across the eight biggest footballing stage in Instates of the northeast India dia,” Abraham added. Dominic Tariang thanked by launching its own residenJohn Abraham and the NEUFC tial youth academy. The Centre for being such strong believers of Excellence (CoE), as it has been baptized, will operate out in the football potential of the of Shillong and offer the hand- northeast. “Our partnership picked kids the best in terms of creates synergies that will bentraining, education and compe- efit the footballing environment of not just Shillong but all othtition throughout the year. “This is a dream come true,” er parts of the region,” he said. John Abraham said while mak- “We have found a great partner in Dominic and Shillong United ing the announcement. “When I bid for the team three years and we share our passion and love for football in the northago my first goal was to start a residential academy for the tal- east,” John supplemented. The two clubs will diligentented kids out there. We will all ly pick the best students for the do everything in our power to CoE and not only provide them provide every talented child the opportunity to learn and even- training and education but also tually play for the NEUFC first competition throughout the year. Shillong United already team,” he added. has a solid base in the capital The ambitious plan fell into place after NEUFC joined and will give the chosen ones hands with Shillong United opportunities to play and enhance their skills in the Shillong FC, formerly known as Royal State League and other comWahingdoh FC, to develop the region into a football power petitions. The CoE will create teams in the Under-13, the Uncentre. “We are delighted to start this developmental project der-15 and Under-18 categories with NEUFC,” Dominic Tariang, so that the NEUFC has an abunowner of Shillong United and dance of young talent to choose Partner - Youth Development, from in the near future. n
NGO to host traditional fashion show and beauty contest
N make their life easier but will definitely help them to live their life happily and give them and us a hope to survive,” said Anup Kalita, General Secretary (GUMBA). n
ava-prabhat NGO will be hosting the 3rd edition of All Assam Mega Traditional Fashion Show 2017-18 and Divine Traditional Queen of Assam. The mega traditional fashion show is a platform where new designers can showcase their work and craftsmanship. This is the 3rd season. A competition for designers will also be conducted where designer’s will have to go through a task to be the winner. Divine traditional queen of
Assam is a contest for females and the contest is not only based on beauty but on knowledge as well. The winner will be launched in an upcoming Assamese movie besides getting the chance to win a lot of exiting prizes. Models have to come in white-fitted top, black or blue jeans and stilettos with 1 profile view photo and a close-up. Registration will start at 10 am and the location is SFL Gyms, GS Road, Guwahati. The event dates are 22nd and 23rd July. n
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
19
Entertainment
Arindam Barooah’s movie earns more accolades
The Hindi song in the Assamese industry
Honours & Recognitions Honorable Jury Mention at 7th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival - 2017, Delhi, India Outstanding Achievement Award at 6th Season of Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 2017, Kolkata, India Special Festival Mention at 6th Bangalore Short Film Festival-17, Bangalore, India
G Plus News
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dding to the list of critically acclaimed movies that Assam has in its kitty, director Arindam Barooah’s venture titled ‘’Obosheshot (At Last...)’’ is another gem. The short film has been adapted from Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s short story, ‘Debodut’. Dr. Saikia is Assam’s renowned novelist and filmmaker. The film has managed to earn accolades and recognition across various film festivals nationally as well as internationally, including the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival – 2017 (Honourable Jury Mention). Synopsis: The film follows of the story of a child born in a village where superstitions run amok. People are gripped by fear and apprehension and consider the child to be that of a demon. Amidst all this is the struggle of
a mother whose love and sacrifice for her child acts as a barrier against the tribulations of the world. It is the tale of Numoli who strives to give her child a voice, the use of which she has forfeited. While the villagers deem her to be possessed and impregnated by the demon, only she knows what hurts her. And when the demon returns to her life, although she is filled with rage and hatred, all she can ask for is her voice; to teach her child to speak and who needs his mother’s voice to comfort him. The movie’s direction and screenplay is by Arindam Barooah, with Thangmaism Nishanta Singha & BhaskarJyoti Dutta as DoP. The script has been written by Rita Bhuyan Barooah and Bhavna Devchoudhury. Arindam Barooah’s masterpiece has taken the benchmark for the standard of short films higher in the country and the ones that come from the region. n
Official Selection at 12th Cyprus International Film Festival, Pafos, Cyprus Official Selection at FICOCC - Five Continents International Film Festival - 2017, Venezuela Official Selection at Barcelona Planet Film Festival 2017, Barcelona, Spain Official Selection at SHORT to the Point - International Short Film Festival 2017, Bucharest, Romania Official Selection at 6th Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival - 2017, Kolkata, India Official Selection at Meraki International Short Film Festival - 17, Bangalore, India Semi-Finalist at Lakecity Film Festival 2017, Lagos, Nigeria Special Screening organised by Dept. of Communication & Journalism, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam
G Plus News
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ulika Das’s “Yaadein Hain Teri” is the outcome of a team of young individuals coming together and putting in the effort to uplift the quality of Assamese videos trending on the internet. As a result, Nabish Alam, who is recognised for his work on radio, has ventured into this video as his debut project. Tulika Das, the singer of “Yaadein Hain Teri” has apparently waited for more than one and a half years to cast Nabish in the video. “I was not at all serious until she called me and convinced me to act in the video,” said Nabish to G Plus. Tulika said that ever since she penned down the lyrics of the song, she had already marked Nabish in her mind to act in it. Tulika Das is a popular youth sensation who has done a handful of songs, each being different from the
other, which shows her versatility. Tulika wrote the song in about two hours. The duo worked on the set like friends and college buddies who made each other comfortable and charged at the same time. Director Samir Buragohain has tried to ensure that the video and emotions evoked therein resonate with the audience. “Although I have been offered a few roles and projects, I am still calculating whether I should take them because I am not into songs that have cheap lyrics or hook words,” shares Nabish. Nabish is currently hosting a Hinglish show “Zindagi Ka Formula” for TV and YouTube. The song has been sung and composed by Tulika Das and directed by Samir Buragohain. The camera has been handled by Bipul and the music has been mixed and mastered by Pinkal Pratyush. n
A look back at Assamese Classics- A series of old movies for the readers with a story, its origin, its cast and its relevance to contemporaries.
Mirza Arif Hazarika Synopsis: The story and its plot are based in the 1930s. In a small town in Assam, Madan, a thief, who came from Bangladesh, spent most of his time in custody. In the same town resided Mahikanta - the second son of a respected family. Mahikanta had established good relationship
with the British officers and using his contacts he started a rice mill that turned out to be a gold mine for him. His income increased and he soon became very wealthy. Mahikanta married Menaka, the beautiful daughter of a cultured family. Menaka was very loyal towards her husband and was loved by all in the family. Mahikanta and Menaka eventually had four children but wealthy Mahikanta’s character changed and he turned into a greedy alcoholic. Time went by and one day he married Kiran, a beautiful girl from a poor family. This act of Mahikanta
her baby came back home made everyone upset at and was welcomed by home. But the damage Agnisnan (1985; color) Menaka. It was then that was already done. MenaKiran came to know that ka maintained silence, • Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia won the best accepted her fate and screenplay award at the National Film Festival even Menaka was pregnant. Everyone at home changed her room. • The film won the Rajat Kamal award at the regional film section appreciated that MahikanOne night Mahikanta • Featured in the Indian Panorama and screen ta still loved his first wife knocked on Menaka’s in many International festivals and nothing had changed door but she refused between them despite to open it. She made it Story; Screenplay; Dialogues; Produced and the second wedding. Mavery clear to him that Directed by: Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia (the film is hikanta was shocked on she had accepted all he an adaption of his novel named ‘Antarip’) hearing this. He knew that had done but now he will Cinematography: Kamal Nayak nothing of that sort had have to stay physically Music: Tarun Goswami taken place with Menaka away from her. MahikanEditor: Nikunj Bhattarcharya and it never will. Mahikanta ta, who wanted to enjoy Cast: Biju Phukan, Malaya Goswami, Arun Nath, asked Menaka if the news everything around him, Kashmiri Saikia Barua, Sanjeev Hazarika, Indra was true, to which she anwas angry and humiliatBania and others Child artist: Kamruzaman Ahmed, Jebin Ahmed, swered in the affirmative. ed. Arun Bhuyan Her response to Mahikanta As the story proceeds, was that she wanted to be Madan became quite a Sita-like figure but he had concerned about Menaka, developed a good relationship physical. Menaka later got quite failed to be like Ram. Thus Menaka with her and eventually they got disturbed by this act. Kiran with had her revenge.
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Reviews Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Harry Styles, Tom Glynn-Carney, etc Director: Christopher Nolan
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vie Mo view Re Dunkirk
unkirk’ is a World War II film by Christopher Nolan which depicts the story of a French beach and harbour where allied soldiers were caught in a fierce battle, with nowhere to escape. Christopher Nolan shows defeat, the blood, sweat and tears of it; how it settles into your bones, sets in your face, moves your clawing fingers, hardens your scared heart. At a time when the world seems to be hurtling towards war, Nolan puts us in the middle of it. As we move between the three separate fronts where the battles in Dunkirk ensue —
the land, signifying defeat, despair and death; the air, signifying freedom and victory; and the sea, depicting the bridge between defeat and victory — we catch a glimpse of what war truly means, and why we must avoid it at all costs. The sensory experience of Dunkirk — with its mind-opening IMAX shots and immersive sound design — is only the packaging. War has never felt this close to you on the big screen before, and with Nolan continuing to bend cinema-time at will, Dunkirk, like every Nolan film yet, will only age with actual time.
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your stopwatch because after every 15 minutes, there is a-song, fight, song, fight and some more blah. In what seems like an encore of his previous work, Tiger dances like a dream and breaks bones with the grace of a ballerina. You can only tell that this is a different film because he mouths a different dialogue here. It goes, “Munna jhagda nahi karta, munna sirf pithta hai.” Debutant Nidhhi is overconfident and underwhelming by turn, while Nawaz continues to be a revelation in each film. Here he adds a new dimension to his terribly mean, horribly funny routine, making the audience chuckle.
War for the Planet of the
Gold Mine 10:30 AM
08:45 PM
Munna Michael 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 08:00 PM
Haunted House 01:00 PM 04:30 PM
Forest Adventure & Aero Bike 03:00 PM 07:30 PM Jagga Jasoos 05:00 PM
PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Munna Michael 01:30 PM 03:20 PM 09:25 PM
Cast: Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Nidhhi Agerwal, etc Director: Sabbir Khan
unna Michael is the story of Munna (Tiger), an orphan brought up by an ageing chorus dancer Michael (Ronit) in a Mumbai chawl. The boy grows up idolising Michael Jackson. To realise his dream of grooving like the King of Pop, he even agrees to tutor a hoodlum, Mahindar Fauji(Nawazuddin). Their bromance turns ugly when both end up falling in love with Deepika aka Dolly (Nidhhi). Seems like, with Tiger around filmmakers do not bother finding a script. Instead they just coast along joining the dots of a routine story with neatly-choreographed songs and fights at regular intervals. You can almost record screen proceedings with
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Design and Build The Mi Max 2 looks more polished and expensive than the price
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Jagga Jasoos 11:30 AM 05:30 PM
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tag it sports. The metal chassis feels premium. This gives it a solid feel and also gives the phone a clean and smudge-free look. It is 7.6 mm, which makes it the slimmest big-battery smartphone in the market right now. It tips the scales at 203 gms and the weight has been evenly
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Munna Michael 12:45 PM
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06:15 PM 09:00 PM
Munna Michael 11:00 AM
Dunkirk 01:10 PM 03:15 PM
02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM
Features
the screen size or the hardware that makes it tick at this price point. It will be available in a single black coloured variant from 27 July.
Jagga Jasoos 05:30 PM
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distributed so it doesn’t feel heavy at the top. The rounded edges give it a nice comfortable feel in the hand. On the negative side, the fingerprint sensor feels a bit on the higher side if you are holding the phone with one hand. The volume button is a bit on the higher side too and feels a bit stiff.
iaomi’s newly launched Mi Max 2, just like its predecessor the Mi Max, is a 6.44-inch phablet that towers over every other phablet in the market right now by its sheer size and ambition. Priced at Rs 16,999, the smart phone has very few rivals which can match
Apes 03:30 PM
The massive 6.44-inch display has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. It also boasts of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. Xiaomi is marketing the display as one of the best features of the Mi Max 2, but there’s also a big 5300mAh battery to talk about. Mi Max 2 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, which has been a popular SoC for phones in this price segment. The Mi Max 2 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, with Xiaomi’s MIUI 8.5 skin on top. This makes it the only phone in the company’s portfolio to currently run a stable MIUI ROM based on
XIAOMI Mi Max 2 Nougat. The phone sports a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel back camera. The phone has a hybrid dual-SIM slot which might disappoint users who want to take advantage of the big screen with lots of movies and TV shows stored on a microSD card. Users have to sacrifice either a second SIM or a microSD card.
Verdict Priced at Rs. 16,999, the Mi Max 2 offers a great package and is targeted at users who like to watch videos, play games and read books while on the go. While the overall design is impressive, camera quality could have been better. n
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
21
Lifestyle
Grow your height with Yoga
VAASTU SHASTRA
VAASTU OF PLOTS - ACCORDING TO SHAPE
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efore you get to the Vaastu of a house, it is crucial that you get the Vaastu of the land right. With rampant scarcity of land in Guwahati, finding the perfect plot has now become difficult. Therefore, the Vaastu of the plot should be corrected before anything else. The foremost factors for the Vaastu of the plot are the shape and slope of the plot. A square plot with all angles at 90 degrees is very auspicious in terms of success and prosperity in all fields of life. A rectangular plot with all angles at 90 degrees is also considered auspicious. An extension to the northern, northeast or eastern northeast in both square and rectangular plots is a positive Vaastu addition. A circular plot is good for wealth and knowledge. But there shouldn’t be a square shaped construction inside a circular plot. This upsets the flow of energy. It is advisable to construct a circular building on a circular plot. An oval or egg shaped plot is not good and it brings losses and harm. Triangular plots are not good. If residences are constructed on such a plot, there may be fire hazards as the southeast is disturbed. There are dan-
gers of litigation as the northwest is also disturbed. If the shape of the plot is that of a parallelogram or has extensions in opposite corners while the sides are parallel, it will cause financial losses besides attracting foes and will cause unhappiness in the family. A star shaped plot is rare but if there are plots like this, it should be avoided. L-shaped plots should be avoided except when there is an extension towards northeast. A Gaumukhi or cow shaped plot is good to live in. This plot is smaller in front but larger on both directions at the back. Residents living on such a plot are happy. However, business establishments on such plots are not advisable. A Shermukhi (Singmukhi) or lion faceted house is very good for business. It is wider at front but smaller on both sides at the back. It has bigger roadside frontage that is required for business. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
here is a saying, “I’m not small! It’s the world that’s too big!” Many of us have spent our childhood hanging on the monkey bars or cycling for long hours just to stand shoulder to shoulder with our father but have failed to do so! Well, this is a case with a lot of us who think that if our height increases by two inches, it would make a big impact on our and others perspective about the way we live our lives. A recent study tells us that a good height is not only restricted to the physical aspect but is also linked to higher IQ’s, better job prospects and more positive outlook towards life. Another research done in Britain suggests that the parent’s height is an important factor but attaining a good height is not only about the genes. What we eat, how we live and think are equally important. But, regardless of what we eat and how we live, height growth has never been that easy. If the modern cosmetic surgery and other methods are not what you are looking for, then this old fashion can just be your style. Yoga To Increase Your Height: Well, this ancient Indian technique may just be the answer to all your growth related queries in a simple and effortless way! Surprised? Don’t be! With the mind relaxed and stress free, the body can easily produces the Growth Hormone, which is responsible for the increase in height. A couple of minutes spent practicing yoga regularly can help you grow physically and make the mind calmer. Let’s have a look at a few of the postures that can aid you in increasing your
height: 1. Bhujangasana (Cobra posture) The Cobra pose stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominal region. It helps increase the height by aiding in achieving a better posture. 2. Tadasana (Tree pose) The Tree poseis an ideal posture to lengthen and straighten the spine to increase your height. 3. Natrajasana (Lying down body twist) The Wheel pose stretches the lungs and chest, while strengthening the muscles of the buttocks, legs, calves, wrists, arms, and spine. 4. Surya namaskar (Sun Salutation) Cyclic Practice of yogic postures in Suryanamaskar helps to loosen up joints and muscles in a short period of time. Abdominal organs are alternately stretched and compressed, ensuring proper functioning of the organs. This practice also has a profound effect on the back as it involves alternate backward and forward bends. It also improves spinal flexibility and results in improved immunity. The rate of body growth varies from person to person and depends on a lot of factors. While yoga can definitely help make your body more supple and assist in increasing the height, one should also pay attention to the type of nutrition the body receives. Regular yoga practice will ensure a sound body and mind and good eating choices will aid in maintainshri shri ravi shankar ing the Founder- Art of Living Foundation. vigor.
Risks of Investing and Not Investing in Mutual Funds
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ith the evolution of the financial markets, investing in Mutual Funds has emerged as a preferred choice among investors with varied incomes and risk appetites. Mutual funds are the investment vehicles that pool the money of the investors to invest in equity and fixed income securities. They aim to reduce the volatility of returns through diversification by investing in a number of companies across a broad section of industries and sectors. So, even when the standard disclaimer to invest to mutual funds reads, “Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks”, the risk is mitigated through professional fund management. Here are a few risks associated
with investing in mutual funds: 1. Market Risk - It is the risk associated with the volatility of all the underlying investments like equity shares, commodities like gold, fixed income etc. A security is said to be more volatile if its price moves over a larger range during the day in comparison to other securities. This risk is mitigated through investing in a wide basket of equity stocks and other asset classes etc. since each sector/commodity has their own growth and uptrend cycles. 2. Timing Risk - This is the risk of buying at the highs of the market. In order to avoid such situation, one should save and invest steadily and consistently through Systematic Investment
Plans (SIPs). The monthly automatic compared to traditional investment investments through SIP snatches the avenues. Even though the past perliberty of investing at your own sweet formance of mutual funds cannot will and hence, achieves the purpose guarantee the future returns, the of consistent and continuous invest- consistency of returns over long term gives you a comfort to invest through ing for healthy financial future. 3. Interest Rate Risk - Funds in- mutual funds. For example, a monthly investment of Rs. 2,000 in RD fetching vesting in debt and bonds are affected 8% p.a. interest accumulates to Rs. directly by achange in interest rates since the price of the bonds is inverse- 1,47,934 over 5 years, while a monthly SIP across an equity MF giving 12% ly proportional to the interest rate p.a. historical return accumulates to movement. Equity and index oriented mutual funds are however not affect- Rs. 1,64,972 over the same period. ed directly by the change in interest As such, in case you are not comfortable investing in mutual funds, you rates. So, while the risk of investing can end up losing higher returns and through mutual funds can be man- might need to settle for lower returns. 5. Risks of paying higher taxes aged, it is riskier to not invest in mutu– As per the provisions of the Income al funds for the following risks: 4. Risks of losing potential for Tax Act, 1961, the taxation of capital better returns – Mutual funds offer gains arising from the sale of equity funds and non-equity funds have tax higher potential for better returns as
advantages. While long-term gains on equity funds are exempt, short term gains arising out of investment for less than a year are taxable at thepreferential rate of 15%. Similarly, long-term gains on debt mutual funds are also taxable at preferential rates only. As such, you may end up paying higher taxes when you choose not to invest in mutual funds. As such, one may consider investing in the mutual funds taking into consideration their risk appetites and the time horizon planned to stay invested. Stay invested through Mutual Funds and reap the benefits in form of higher returns. Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
Fun Horoscope of the week
You may lack energy in a situation that calls for action at the start of the week. However, there’s also a good chance that you’ve already invested time and energy into this matter and that results have not been forthcoming. Trying too hard or acting on impulse might not help, but asking friends for advice could mean that things turn out better than you’d hoped. Finally, your social life will have extra sizzle just in time for the weekend.
If you’ve been experimenting with various ideas and trying on new options for size, you might be tempted to take one of them further without thinking it through properly. This could lead to problems and disappointment down the line, so your best option may be slow down and do further research. Even spending another day or so gathering information can help you make wiser choices. Later in the week, a more ambitious phase begins for you.
Doing the best for everyone may mean that plans become watered down and no easy solution presents itself. You may find yourself in this situation over the next day or so, and it could be because you don’t want to upset anyone. You may have no option, as someone will criticize you whatever you decide. Just do what seems best to you and don’t worry what others say. You’ll be in a lighter and brighter space by the weekend anyway.
Go easy with your money at the week’s start, as something that seems worth purchasing could turn out to be a disappointment. Save your cash for something that’s worth your while. Tuesday could also be a day of indulgence, but your chart suggests that this could be good for you. You’ll be ready to knuckle down and get some work done on Wednesday. From here, a shift occurs and the emphasis moves to your sector of relating, encouraging a lot more interaction.
While opportunities for fun and delightful experiences continue to present themselves, there’s a shift in the air this week that could encourage a more dedicated outlook. This change of heart may come about as a result of mistakes made earlier in the week that may have cost you. A desire to get organized and focus on clean living and a healthier outlook may now seem the better way ahead. Sunday’s New Moon can help you to accomplish your aims.
Mixed messages could be an issue at the week’s start, as well as the temptation to act on the spur of the moment. If you want to get the coming days off to a productive start, it might help to slow down and think things through. You’ll be glad you did, as your efforts, in tandem with others, will be far more fruitful. From Thursday, you’ll enter a more intense phase that could pave the way for deeper change from the inside out.
curio-city
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The turtle named Bank was found in a filthy manmade pond in Thailand. She was in agony and her shell was swollen cracked and infected. CT scans revealed the turtle had a huge lump of metal in her stomach. Which man made issue resulted into this problem?
1. Coins founded in its stomach resulted from the popular coin throwing custom there 2. Band Aid 3. Chacha Chowdhury 4. Irom Sharmila Chanu 5. Because he had entered railway station premises without a valid train or platform ticket.
2
What was invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, for his wife Josephine Dickson, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking,?
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This is actress Ojas Suniti Vijay performing her play titled “Le Mashale” which was performed in many Indian cities including Hyderabad to great acclaim. Whose life is this play all about?
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In the mammoth 11,000 page chargesheet filed against Ajmal Kasab by the police, he was booked under various acts including the Railway Act. Why was he booked under Railway Act? Abhra Das; Ace Quizmaster of Assam This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Dilbert by Scott Adams
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2 7 8 3 6 8 5 8 3 9 9 1 4 2
6 8 5 3 7 Daily Sudoku: 4 Thu813-Jul-2017 9 5 2 Daily Sudoku: Thu 20-Jul-2017
8 9 7 7 3 21 66 44 32 95
4 3 2 9 7 8 8 55 16 67 91
5 6 1 4 9 6 4 27 39 72 83
7 1 8 4 6 9 2 5 8 5 2 3 11 7 98 2 46 5 37 6
2 5 3 8 6 39 94 17 58 41
3 7 8 1 2 75 39 26 41 64
9 2 4 5 1 96 28 75 13 87
6 1 5 6 4 4 7 38 83 99 25
3 1 4 5 8 2 Daily Sudoku: Thu 13-Jul-2017 hard 6 8 2 5 3 7 9 4 1 7 1 4 8 9 6 5 http://www.dailysudoku.com Word of the week3 2 9 5 3 1 4 2 8 6 7
Phlegethont
Daily Sudoku: Thu 20-Jul-2017
very hard
noun [fleg-uh-thon, flej-]
At stream of fire or fiery light http://www.dailysudoku.c
curio-city
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Sir Chhotu Ram, a leading social reformer of the Punjab in the pre-independence era, was the first Stephanian (St. Stephen’s College, Delhi) to be knighted in 1937. He is widely credited for laying the foundation of the ‘Green Revolution’ and the resulting socio-economic prosperity of the region. Which iconic character is said to have been modeled on him?
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Your social life continues to look upbeat, with a focus on this sector coinciding with a reunion, or perhaps you will look up someone you haven’t heard from in a while. If you’re meeting with someone you’ve had a spat with, it might be possible to heal the past, but great sensitivity may be required to do it. On July 20, Mars, later followed by the Sun, enters a more secluded sector of your chart, signaling that it’s time to relax and recharge.
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There is a positive shift in the air this week that will enliven and invigorate you. As Mars, followed by the Sun, enters your sign, you will feel you’re in your element and ready to tackle the next big project or make some significant changes. Prior to this, it would help to be careful about what you promise, as an impulsive yes to a request could mean you aren’t able to fulfill it. It might be better to first reflect on what is involved.
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The early part of the week could coincide with mixed messages, or you might be tempted to leap into action based on false information. Unexpected pitfalls could lie ahead, which is why you shouldn’t rush into anything. Things become steadier as the week progresses, and as long as you don’t hurry you can do well. As Mars sweeps into Leo on Thursday, financial matters take the top spot in your list of priorities, and you’re encouraged to resolve any outstanding issues.
Sudoku
You may easily absorb other people’s energies this week, which could have an impact on certain decisions. In fact, Monday might not be the best time to commit to a path or try a new solution because your thinking may not be as clear as usual. But later your confidence will return as the celestial picture changes and your efforts to get organized and communicate produce results. You should have no difficulty in deciding what is best for you.
Crossword Across
Down
1. Hue (6) 4. Fight, strive against (6) 8. Distant in manner (5) 9. Prisoner (7) 10. Farm vehicle (7) 11. Took part in play (5) 12. Indigestion (9) 17. Unaccompanied (5) 19. Lottery (7) 21. Put right (7) 22. Upper part of leg (5) 23. Deserving (6) 24. Hassle (6)
1. Guileful (6) 2. Big cat (7) 3. Out of condition (5) 5. Children with no parents (7) 6. Constructed (5) 7. Fashionable (6) 9. Woodwork (9) 13. European language (7) 14. Do away with (7) 15. Hunger-march town (6) 16. Accumulate (6) 18. Academy award (5) 20. Favourite saying (5)
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You might feel like doing something on the spur of the moment to relieve a feeling of pressure. If you feel this way at the start of the week, it might be more beneficial to stick with an idea or project and see it through to the end, as your efforts won’t then be wasted. As the focus shifts to your home zone, the cosmos encourages you to take a step back and indulge in a bit of pampering and self-care.
last week solution
A nebulous link suggests that the influence of certain friends may not be as helpful as you think. While confiding can often bring many benefits, this time you might find the opposite. Their advice or words of wisdom could be misleading. It might be because they don’t really understand your situation fully. Bearing this in mind, it would be better to pay attention to your intuition. Later in the week, a more dynamic phase encourages you to forge your own path ahead.
Last week’s solution
G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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Events Event: No Diggity Date: 15 July, Saturday Venue: Underdoggs, Central Mall In a first, Guwahati experienced 6 straight hours of Hip-Hop music at Underdoggs. The event, No Diggity, featured some of the best Hip-Hop artists of the country - Smokey the Ghost x Aerate Sound (Bengaluru), Prabh Deep x Sez (Delhi), DJ Karma (Delhi), Khasi Bloodz x DJ Knack (Shillong), Cryptographik Street Poets x DJ Knack (Shillong), J97 x Dipong (Guwahati) - setting the stage on fire with their electrifying performances.
The Band delivered an energetic performance
Event: Saturday Live – Holly Bolly Nite Date: 15the July Venue: Royal Regency, Bamunimaidam
Sumon Kalyan Dutta (Extreme L) with his friends and audience at Royal Regency
This all new take on Saturdays with live music is going to be the next big thing in Guwahati! It is with such events that good music can be kept alive and with artists like SKD, Ankita, Ruchita Saikia and Eisa Ghaznavi, who are the perfect combination of veterans and new comers; they make sure that your Saturday is worth it! Amlandeep Das (L), Navanil Baruah (2nd L), Akid Zaman (C), Brig. Bharat Rawat and Nadir Hussain (R)
Event: Saturday night with DJ Jawed Date: 15 July, Saturday Venue: Terra Mayaa, Guwahati Saturday nights at Terra Mayaa is largely gaining popularity among the youth of Guwahati!
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G PLUS | JUL 22 - JUL 28, 2017
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