Vol 5 Issue 22 by G Plus

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Inside

Volume 05 | Issue 22 Mar 24 - Mar 30, 2018 Price `10

Chick PG 24

Contractor bankruptcy delayed JICAassisted water project by a year

City resident finds worms in biscuit packet

With nearly 60,000 votes, Guwahati fetes its best eateries

PG 05

Special Court for Income Tax prosecution in Guwahati Avishek Sengupta

avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

on the block

court under the Kamrup (M) District Judiciary has been notified as Special Court for prosecution of offences under the Income Tax Act, 1961. The court of Munsiff No 3 of the Judicial Magistrate 1st class has been notified by the Gauhati High Court. District Munsiff Court is a court of the lowest order handling matters pertaining to civil issues in the district. The state government or the state court also can notify the pecuniary limits for the District Munsiff courts. It is under the charge of a Munsiff magistrate/judicial collector. According to highly placed sources in the Income Tax department, the move was necessitated due to rise in tax offences and to avoid inter-judiciary imbroglio. “Several cases of income tax offences are filed in various courts and it gets hard to keep a track of these cases. It has become even harder as over the years, the number of such offences has also swelled up. With the setup of a special court, these confusions can be avoided. Any cases that falls under the IT Act’s periphery will be forwarded to this court where it will be easy to keep a track of the case and also initiate a speedy disposal of those cases,” the source said. The IT department had approached the Gauhati

High Court with the same request following which the special court was notified last week. In the financial year 2017-18, prosecution of 120 cases are going on against those who have conducted tax offences such as default in payment and collection of TDS, concealment of income, non-furnishing or late furnishing of income tax and abetment of false return statement. Even though the IT department here has jurisdiction over the entire northeast region, the bulk of the cases are from Guwahati, the source revealed. “There are only 7-8 income tax slabs in the entire region. Most of the offences happen in Assam. At least 70% of the cases under prosecution are from in and around Guwahati,” the source revealed. According to Section 10 (26) of Income Tax Act, 1961, in the northeast, members of scheduled tribes permanently residing in any area in the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram and in certain areas of Assam and Meghalaya (district councils or regional councils are created under the Sixth Schedule such as North Cachar Hills, Karbi Anglong and Bodo Territorial Council in Assam and Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills and Khasi Hills in Meghalaya) and generating income from within their respective states are exempted from paying income tax. n

More Stories on PG. 2

PG 07

Centre Spread 12-13

Lead Story

SNIPPETS Awesome Assam makes way to international TV channels

s an initiative to promote the beauty, tradition and the rich culture of Assam, a programme will be telecast on FOX Life India and National Geographic India, the two popular lifestyle channels of India. As per reports, the one hour programme will be hosted by top model and internationally acclaimed chef, Sarah Todd and Udayan Duarah of Assam and will showcase the heritage and vibrant beauty of the state of Assam, spread across Umananda to Majuli. From boat journeys on the mighty Brahmaputra to road trips within the lush beauty of Assam, the programme will take Assam to the global audience. The programme will also showcase Sarah visiting different heritage sites of the state, savouring the ethnic cuisines of Assam and enjoying quality time in the tea gardens. Sarah, in the programme, would also be seen draped in the Assamese Mekhela Chador. Speaking to G Plus, Kausar Hilaly, MD of Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (ATDC) said, “Sarah Todd is an international figure, who has been successfully running programmes showcasing different places of the nation. We were overwhelmed when NatGeo approached us with an international icon who had interests in Assam. The entire script of the programme has been written by a young Assamese girl.” The programme will be premiered on FOX Life India on March 24th at 8 PM, and will be repeated on Nat Geo on April 14th. n

Kamrup DC Bungalow to be converted into a heritage site

he Assam Government is planning to convert the bungalow of Kamrup DC into a heritage site and make it a tourist destination for the people of Assam as well as visitors from outside. According to sources, the bungalow will be renovated and beautified and will have a library, a museum, walking zone, amphitheatre and playing space for small children. The bungalow as a Heritage Site is likely to be opened for public by the first week of April. The renovation of the bungalow began in 2012, as part of the Guwahati Riverfront Development Project of GMDA. n

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

IT cracks whip against defaulters, money launderers Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he Income Tax Department has issued notices against at least 300 bank accounts that saw a disproportionate deposit of over Rs 1 crore during demonetisation asking account holders to reveal the source of income. The step was taken by the department under its Operation Clean Money campaign which was started on January 31, two months after demonetisation when the government had banned the high denomination currencies of 500 and 1000. “We have identified 575 persons who had made deposits of over Rs 1 crore in various accounts. Out of that, 110 have already complied and have proved the source of income. The department will be taking stern action against the rest of the accounts if they are not able to show the source of income,” the source revealed. As many as 12,000 accounts were identified that had a sudden surge of money deposits over

Rs 10 lakhs. Out of these, 2,700 persons have already complied while 9,700 are yet to reveal the source of income, the source said. The accounts were identified by the department by its money trailing process in which it makes a comparative study of the individual’s last year’s tax declarations and sources of income. “If the people who had tried to launder money during the demonetisation by depositing in accounts have thought that it’s been a year and they are going to get away scot free, then they are wrong. Huge amounts of money were deposited during the demonetisation and the scrutiny for those is still going on,” the source said. On non-compliance to the notices, the persons will be prosecuted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. In the financial year 201617, when the demonetisation happened, the IT department had conducted 30 searches and seizures in which it had recovered Rs 25 crores of cash and gold worth crores. It has also identified Rs 450 crores of undisclosed money. 138 persons were booked under IT Act, 1961.

File photo of Aaykar Bhawan, Guwahati This year, 15 operations were conducted in which Rs 10 crores in cash was recovered and Rs 500 crores of undisclosed money was identified. This year, from various data bases such as mutual fund investments, stock purchases, bank statements, property documents etc, the IT department has identified at least 3 lakh persons who, over a

long period of time, have not filed their income tax returns. “The department has been knocking on the doors of these defaulters to file their returns. Of these, 70,000 have complied while the rest have not responded yet. As many as 1.85 lakh such cases are under verification by the department. Stern action will be taken against the defaulters,” the source said. n

IT aims to supersede 2017-18 target of Rs 7,000 crore tax collection

ith only six working days left for the last date of paying tax, i.e. March 31, the Income Tax department of northeast region is hopeful of realizing more than its target. “The target set for this financial year was Rs 7,000 crores and till date (Friday), the department has collected Rs 6,000 crores from this region. This gap is expected to be plugged over the next six working days by way of extensive and intensive action for collection of advance tax,

tax deducted at source (TDS) and self-assessment tax by the defaulters of more than Rs 15 crores. The northeast region has a tax payer base of about 6.54 crores, 70% of which are from Assam. So far, about 4 lakh have already paid their taxes. “We are expecting that the rest 2 lakh to comply before March 31,” an IT official said. The tax collection of the department has increased substantially over the last three years with the collection figure exceeding the target every year.

In 2015-16, the department had targeted Rs 5,122 crores and had collected Rs 5,200 crores. In the last financial year, it set a target of Rs 5,886 crores and had collected Rs 6,092 crores. This year, a 15% higher target has been kept. Certain measures by the IT department such as abolition of slabs in TDS return, reeling in the bulk agricultural producers and the imposition of the amended Benami Property Act, 2016, has attributed to this increase. “The farmers who produce in bulk and earn higher than the

slabs have been brought under scrutiny; they will have to show the source of income and pay the equivalent tax,” the source said. Regarding TDS, while last year, no cases were registered, at least 182 cases were filed for discrepancy in TDS and 125 persons were prosecuted and penalized this year. Under the Benami Property Act, which was amended to thwart people from purchasing property under the name of relatives to launder money, at least 10 cases have been registered by the department. n

GAIL receives approval for pipeline extension to Guwahati

il regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), on Monday, has approved extension of state gas utility GAIL India Ltd’s ‘Urja Ganga’ pipeline up to Guwahati in Assam, said Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “PNGRB has accorded the Provisional Acceptance to GAIL on February 2 for the proposal for laying, building, operating or expanding Barauni-Guwahati natural gas pipeline as an integral part of Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra natural gas pipeline,” he said.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said the pipeline from Barauni in Bihar to Guwahati in Assam would be 672-kms long and would be 24-inch in diameter. “The tentative route of the main trunk pipeline in Barauni to Siliguri in West Bengal, Bongaigaon in Assam and then to Guwahati,” he said. The pipeline would be executed in 36 months from the first notification of Right of User (RoU) acquisition. “The project is likely to be completed by 2021-22,” he said. n

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Governance

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Was the old investment policy better than the new one? G Plus tries to make a reasonable dissection of the new investment scheme approved by the Centre taking the views from industry experts, CAs and the opposition Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre approved the new investment scheme for the northeast. Experts however feel that it simply does not compare with the old one. Experts feel that the North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017 is a rather diluted offering. Former chairman of Federation of Industries and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER), RS Joshi said, “There is no comparison between the old industrial policy and the new one.” FINER was persuading the state and the central government to formulate a new investment policy for the north-eastern states after the old Northeast Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP),

which was announced in 2007, expired on March 31, 2017. As per the provisions of the NEIIPP, industrial units in the region were eligible for 100% income tax exemption, 30% capital investment subsidy, excise duty benefits varying from goods to goods, interest subsidy, among others. Joshi said that he is sincerely appreciative that the central government has at least announced an investment scheme for the region. There are many diluted policies in the new approved scheme which has come as a disappointment and will fail to attract large scale investors, said another industry expert on condition of anonymity. In the earlier policy there was no cap on exemptions and subsidies but according to the new policy an investor can avail benefits up to only Rs 200 crores on the same. According to NEIDS, Rs 3000 crores have been earmarked for

Policy to only attract MSMEs

said, “Large scale industries will icro, small and medium not come to Assam for subsidy, it enterprises (MSMEs) is the MSMEs which require subare to benefit the most sidies.” from the newly apPatowary claimed that proved North East InMSMEs create more employment dustrial Development Scheme with lesser investment and the (NEIDS), 2017. government aims to generate According to the new scheme, more employment in the state in investors will get 30% of the inthe comvestment ing days. in plant Paand matowary chinery though with an said that upper limthe large it of Rs 5 scale incrores on dustries the inwill get recentive imburseamount ment of per unit. central This will goods and fail to atservices tract large tax (CGST) scale inand investments. Office of the Commissioner of Industries tegrated A cityand Commerce | G Plus Photo goods and based services tax (IGST). chartered accountant said, “An According to the new scheme investor who is investing Rs 1,000 investors could get reimbursecrores will get a mere Rs 5 crores ment of 58% of CGST and IGST as incentive on plants and mafrom the date of commencement chinery. The same amount will go of production. to an investor investing around Talking about state goods Rs 17.5 crores because the upper and services tax (SGST), Palimit of the subsidy is Rs 5 crores.” towary said, “The governReacting to the issue, state ment is formulating the state’s industry and commerce minisinvestment policy.” ter, Chandra Mohan Patowary n

Vital points of the new investment scheme and comparison with the old policy North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017

Northeast Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP), 2007

It is a scheme

It was a policy

It will benefit investors for 5 years

It benefited investors for 10 years

Investors can avail subsidy benefits up to a cap of Rs 200 crores

There was no cap

Rs 3000 crores earmarked for entire scheme

There was no allotment; all claims of the investors were taken care of

Investors will get a refund of 58% from the money paid as income tax from commencement of production

Investors did not have to pay income tax. Everything was exempted for 10 years

Investors will be given 30% of the investment in plant and machinery with an upper limit of Rs 5 crores

There was no upper limit

Transport subsidy divided into three parts. 20% for transporting finished product through railways. 20% for 100% subsidy for any kind of transportation of the movement through waterways. 33% for transporting industrial product perishable goods through airways the scheme period (1 st April 2017 to 31 st March 2020) for the eight north-eastern states. A retired IAS officer raised some questions regarding the new policy. From the earmarked

amount, it is unclear as to what amount will be deducted for the exemptions given to industries set up in the last one year in all the eight states. In the next four years how much will Assam

get remains to be known as the scheme is not yet notified. The officer said, “Rs 3000 crores for the scheme covering eight north-eastern states is rather less.” n

Is new transport subsidy a gimmick?

he approved North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017 has divided the transport subsidy into three parts and excluded road transportation subsidy. Investors will now get 20% of the cost of transportation including the subsidy currently provided by railways for finished goods transported by rail. 20% of the cost of transportation will be refunded for movement of finished goods through inland waterways transportation. 33% of cost of transportation of air freight on perishable goods

(as defined by international air transport association -IATA) will be refunded to the investors. In the previous policy (Northeast Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy) which expired in 2017, 100% subsidy used to be provided which included road and railway transportation. The investors hardly use waterways for transporting industrial finished product, said a city-based chartered accountant (CA). The new transport subsidy sounds like a gimmick and will fail to attract investors, the CA opined. In the new policy there

is no subsidy announced for transporting raw materials, said former chairman of Federation of Industries and Commerce of North-Eastern Region (FINER), RS Joshi. Reacting to the allegations, state industry and commerce minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary said, “In the old policy huge amounts of money used to be siphoned off by over invoicing.” He claimed that in the new policy all subsidies are being offered on transportation through government facilities and there will not be any scams in the name of availing transport subsidy. n

New policy a cruel joke: Congress

lamming the state and the central government for failing to formulate a better investment policy for the north-eastern region, the opposition dubbed the policy as “cruel joke” on the people of the region. Congress leader and former state industry and commerce minister Pradyut Bordoloi said, “The new investment scheme is a lollipop devoid of any healthy nutrients.” Bordoloi claimed that to

kill the gap between northeastern states and the mainland India Congress had announced Northeast Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy which helped in developing the scheme. The BJP government, after capturing Delhi, suspended the policy for two years (2014 to 2016) and resumed it for a few months before it expired on 31st March 2017. During that time Patanjali opened up production units in Assam availing the

previous subsidy. But the new scheme which was approved on 21st March 2018 by the union cabinet is “not even a poor imitation of the old policy,” said Bordoloi. The Congress feels that announcing Rs 3000 crores for eight states for three years is a “sham.” The Congress also feels that the investment policy approved now is just a gimmick created to woo the voters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. n

In The News

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Contractor bankruptcy delayed JICAassisted water project by a year The much touted water supply project that would “solve” Guwahati’s water scarcity has hit a major roadblock with its main contractor declaring bankruptcy Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he Guwahati Jal Board, which is looking after the ongoing water projects in the city, has asked Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority to float new tenders for the pipeline works after the Hyderabad-based contractor, IVRCL Pvt Ltd, went bankrupt. This has further pushed the completion date for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project in which IVRCL was conducting the pipe laying works by at least one year. “The entire process of floating the tender again and then waiting for new parties to apply for the tender, conducting the scrutiny of the prospective contractors and then making a selection will take at least a year’s time. It might take more too,” an official of GMDA told G Plus. The project was commissioned in 2012 and was supposed to be completed in 28 months, but had been missing deadlines ever since - in 2015 and then, De-

cember 2017. The current commissioning date was slated for October 2019. IVRCL had completed about 67% of the pipe laying works so far with 800 kms out of a total of 1,200 kms already laid. The total area of pipeline network is 775 square kms. The project that had a total budget of Rs 1,636.28 crores – Rs 1,363.28 crore loan from JICA and the rest Rs 273 crores from the state government – when completed will provide 191 million litres of potable water daily in south central Guwahati. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Hyderabad had ordered the commencement of a corporate insolvency resolution process against IVRCL on February 23 vide an order – C P (IB) No 294/7/HDB/2017. The tribunal made the copy of the order ready for communication on March 3, 2018. On March 3, all the assets of the company was handed over to the Interim Resolution Professionals (IRP) vide Section 18 (1) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 to look into speedy and proper repayment to the company’s corporate debtors. The IVRCL was rendered

bankrupt due to its inability to repay a loan amount of around Rs 600 crores to a public sector bank. “This was an unexpected development. When this company was awarded the contract, it was one of the best when it came to water supply projects. It was working on several other ongoing projects at that time. Not only will this project get affected, several other projects going on in different parts of the country will also be affected,” S Venkatesan, managing director of Guwahati Metropolitan Water & Sewage Board under the Guwahati Jal Board that is looking over the completion of the project, said. “We can however contain the damage to a certain extent if we can properly utilise our other contractors and speed up other works. The works for water intake point and construction of reservoir need to be done on war footing and be completed by this monsoon,” Venkatesan added. Besides IVRCL, other private and government construction agencies such as Gamon India Ltd, M/S IVRCL Infrastructure and Project Ltd, Viswa BRCCPL (Jevi), JWIL Renhill (Jevi), Zindal Show Ltd, Electro Steel Casting Ltd, APDCL and NJS Consultant

Company Ltd were also involved in the South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project. According to the website of the company, IVRCL has completed at least 18 water supply projects in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. IVRCL was also working on the Trans Arunachal Highway project – the project for development of roads and highways of Arunachal Pradesh - in which it was widening the existing 2-lane national highway standard roads along with improvement and re-alignment works from Nechipu to Hoj, via Seppa, Khodaso and Saggalee of Arunachal Pradesh. Besides South Central Guwahati, the JICA is also assisting on the North Guwahati water supply project that will provide 38 million litres daily (MLD) at North Guwahati while the Asian Development Bank is funding South Eastern water supply project that will supply 98 MLD water and the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission is funding another West Guwahati water project that will supply 107 MLD water. All the projects are awaiting completion. n

G Plus Campus Talks held at IHM, Guwahati Suresh Hinduja pins Food as the prime reason behind mankind’s evolution

ampus Talks, an initiative by G Plus, organised an interactive session with Suresh Hinduja, Founder - India’s social network on food, drink and travel for the students of Institute of Hotel management, Guwahati. Amitav Dey, Principal, IIHM also addressed the students during the session. Suresh Hinduja, who is also a consulting chef and food designer/curator, is in the city for the fourth edition of Guwahati Food Awards, 2018. He was overwhelmed to see the interest that the students showed on topics of food and social media. Social media has led to a drastic change in the food interests of people. He spoke on various topics that centred on Indian cuisine, northeastern cuisines, difference between home cuisine and restaurant cuisine, hotel management as a career option, future of Indian cuisine, food blogging etc. “Geographical

Suresh Hinduja (L) with Amitabh Dey (R) speaking at Campus Talks at IHM Guwahati proximity and climate plays a very important role in determining the food habits of a region. Indian dishes have variety because one dish changes its ingredients at every 1 km. One has to understand people’s demographics, tastes and choices

in this career,” said Hinduja. Blogging is again an altogether new phenomenon and food blogging is taking this to a completely new level. On this, Hinduja said, “As a blogger and author, my main motive should be to educate my readers and

not misguide them on any topic that I write. When it comes to food write-ups, my readers rely on my feedback before visiting any restaurant. So directly or indirectly I am influencing their opinion. It can make or break the reputation of that particular eatery by what I write. So, blogging is actually a very responsible act.” Winding up the discussion, Amitav Dey said, “Every individual and his or her body have different needs when it comes to food. Our taste buds cater to different kinds of cuisine. We should hence look out for what is healthy for us and avoid food that harms our health. Campus Talks, which has been started by G Plus, is a very new event for the city. It primarily aims at creating an open platform for students to discuss the social issues and relevant topics that caters to their interests. This session was organised in association with Airtel and Life Insurance Corporation of India. n

SNIPPETS Rs. 41.82 crores realized as penalty from ticketless travellers by NF Railway

uring the recently conducted drive (from April/2017 to 15th March/18) to curb ticketless travel and to facilitate genuine passengers; about 6.5 lakhs numbers of ticketless passengers were detected by NF Railway against previous year’s detection of 5.06 lakh passengers. This is about 28.5% higher in regard to number of cases detected in comparison to last year. This increase is despite suspensions and cancellations of train services of mail/express and passenger trains during the months of August and September, 2017 due to breaches and floods leading to almost 4.47 million less travel of passenger. The NF Railway authority has also realized an amount of Rs. 41.82 crores from ticketless travellers as penalty in comparison to Rs. 34.14 crores realized during the last year. This is about 22.5% higher in regard to earnings in comparison to last year. Moreover, this is the highest ever penalty realization by NF Railway since formation of this zone in 1959. NF Railway officials have been conducting surprise ticket checking drives in mail/express and passenger trains. As per section 137 of the Indian Railway Act of 1989, travelling without ticket, improper ticket or unbooked luggage is an offence punishable by imprisonment or fine or both. To discourage ticketless travelling, Northeast Frontier Railway has put systems in place whereby surprise ticket checking drive is conducted by flying ticket checking squads of divisions as well as HQ. Fortress checks are also conducted in stations. For this, officers are nominated at HQ and divisional levels from different department who are accompanied by security personal from Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police. n

In The News

SNIPPETS NRL inks MoU with MBT Trade International for wax supply in Bangladesh

ontinuing its momentum of exporting NRL Wax worldwide, Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 19-0318 with MBT Trade International, Bangladesh for supply of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax from NRL to Bangladesh. The MoU was signed by GM (Mktg) NRL - Mr. Subrata Das and Proprietor of MBT Trade International - Mr. ABM Mustak Hossain in presence of SCGM (Marketing & Business Development), NRL Mr. Bruno Ekka and other officials from both the sides. As per the MoU, 100-150 MT of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax (FRPW) will be supplied per month from NRL’s Wax Plant at Numaligarh to Burimari, Bangladesh for a period of 1 year. NRL Wax has established its presence in as many as 25 countries so far including Asia, Africa, Americas and Europe. n

No VIP darshan at Kamakhya Temple for Navratri On the occasion of the ongoing Navratri, new timings have been announced by the authorities of Kamakhya Temple for the visitors. On 24th March, Saptami, the temple doors will open at 9:30 AM for the visitors and close at 4:30 PM. On 25th March, Ashtami, the doors will open at 11 AM for ‘darshana’, and close at 4:30 PM. n

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Joint team formed to check illegal coal trade Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Plus follows up on

the coal syndicate case in which several officials of the transport department had been summoned for questioning by the CID A joint team comprising police, tax department officials and transport department personnel has been constituted to check the illegal coal trade in Guwahati. A senior official of the transport department said, “All these days, the transport department officials were only slapping fines on overloaded coalladen trucks entering Guwahati. Now the trucks will be seized and handed over to the police; even tax department officials will investigate whether the challans are genuine or not.” After seven transport department officers were summoned by the criminal investigation department (CID) for their alleged involvement in the illegal coal trade, the department has cracked the whip on all the officials to ensure systematic checking of overloaded trucks. A source in transport department said that since January 2018, around Rs 1 crore was recovered in fines from overloaded coal-laden trucks at Khanapara. But only slapping fines does not seem to be the solution. “The tax department has to check the challans to find out if the coal

File photo of a coal truck being loaded at Meghalaya brought to the city are legally mined,” said the transport department source. Explaining why the involvement of tax department officials is important, the source said that in upper Assam (Lido, Lekhapani and Margherita) there are some mines belonging to Coal India Ltd and coal extracted from those mines gets transported legally by train. But in the nearby coal mines of Meghalaya, the coal mafia extract the coal illegally for transportation and supply to Bihar and West Bengal. Such coal-

laden trucks have to necessarily travel via Guwahati. Hence fake challans are created which only tax department officials can detect. Trucks carrying coal from Meghalaya also are mostly overloaded and the same scrutiny needs to be implemented. The trucks are overloaded because trucks carrying the approved 9 tonnes of weight yield very less profit to the transporters. The transport department has written to Meghalaya police and district administration of Ri Bhoi District to check the trucks.

The joint team has also been asked to verify all the owners of the coal depots located in Guwahati. The weigh bridges were operating without licences from the transport department. Therefore notices have been served for licenses to be procured at the earliest. The transport department has also asked the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to check if the coal depots have proper trade licenses. The joint team has also been asked to mandate CCTV cameras at all the weigh bridges. n

CID likely to grill more transport dept officials

ore transport officials are likely to be grilled by the criminal investigation department (CID) which is probing the illegal coal syndicate case. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), CID, Nirmal Baishya said, “Some more officials will be summoned

soon for investigation.” On enquiring if any IAS level officer of the transport department will be quizzed, Baishya said, “All the officers are under our scanner.” The complaint, according to him, was against the transport department, some politicians and the police. Therefore anyone might be summoned if the

investigation so requires. The seven transport officers who were grilled earlier in the case are Enforcement Inspector (EI) Chitra Kumar Nath, Assistant Enforcement Inspector (AEI) Tapu Ram Bora, AEI Anurag Sandilya, AEI Bedanta Gogoi, Enforcement Checker (EC) Mrigen Sharma, EC Madhav Neog and former Kamrup

(Metro) District Transport Officer (Enforcement) Prasanjit Ghosh. The CID has not yet arrested any transport department official, but sources in CID said some officials might be arrested soon. Meanwhile, the transport department has transferred Prasanjit Ghosh, DTO (Enforcement), to Sonitpur. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Storm

33°/20° C

33°/21° C

30°/20° C

31°/21° C

32°/20° C

31°/20° C

SATURDAY Sunny

31°/20° C

City

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

City resident finds worms in biscuit packet Irked on finding worms inside Britannia’s ‘Good Day’ biscuits, Guwahatian filed an online complaint with the central ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

city resident filed an online complaint on Wednesday after allegedly finding worms inside a biscuit

packet. Rahul Jha, a resident of ABC, GS Road, said that he had bought several packets of biscuits from Big Bazaar in bulk on March 10. However, when he opened the packaging of one of the packets, Britannia’s ‘Good Day’, he found worms crawling over the biscuits. The manufacturing date as printed on the packet was 9th February 2018 and the expiry date was mentioned as five months from packaging. The biscuit packet was worth Rs 10. “Today when some guests came to our house, I opened the last remaining packet of biscuits from the batch we had bought on March 10. But to my horror, I found worms in every single biscuit inside the packet,” said Jha, who is a businessman. He then filed an online case with the central ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution. The department has launched a portal as an Integrated Grievance Redress Mechanism (INGRAM) which aims to bring every stakeholder such as the consumer, central and state government agencies, private companies and regulators on the same platform. Jha said that the company should be more careful

especially with food items which, if consumed, can hamper the health of buyers. He also uploaded a video on Facebook which showed worms on the biscuits. The video drew flak from Guwahati residents against the manufacturers as well as the sellers. After the video was uploaded, officials from Britannia contacted Jha and he was told that a representative

will call him from the company to discuss the matter. Officials of the district consumer disputes redressal forum (DCDRF) informed that they receive several cases against companies for selling sub-standard products. Cases are also filed against companies for charging above the maximum retail price as printed on the product. In a recent case, a Guwahatian had paid Rs 13 for

Stolen hair oil worth Rs 14 lakhs recovered by city police

n what could be termed as a huge success story, Jalukbari Police on late Sunday night recovered 907 cartons of Bajaj Almond Hair Oil worth approximately Rs 14 lakhs, which was stolen by miscreants on February 21. According to reports, one Saddam Hussain, who works as a truck driver, in absence of the vehicle owner, stole the cartons of hair oil and sold it to one Abdul Ukil of Bechimari for Rs 8 lakhs. The entire incident came to light after officials at Jalukbari Police Station detained two persons, viz, Rejaul Karim and Rustam Ali from Bechimari market of Dalgaon on 4th March along with nearly 600 bottles of oil. On further questioning by police, it came to light that

Rustam and Rejaul had procured the bottles of oil from Abdul Ukil, which were sold to them for comparatively cheaper price. Rejaul and Rustam were later arrested by Jalukbari police. Later, Jalukbari Police along with Dalgaon Police in an investigation drive recovered more cartons of oil from the residence of Abdul Ukil. Ukil and Hussain are currently absconding. n

a half-litre bottle of water when the maximum retail price (MRP) as printed on the bottle was Rs 10. He then decided to approach the consumer court for redressal. “The complainant was aware enough to demand a proper cash memo from the shop owner. This was then presented in the court as evidence and he received Rs 2500 as compensation,” said

Archana Deka Lahkar, member of DCDRF. Officials say that the possession of evidence in form of memos becomes crucial while filing cases for defective goods and services. As per the official record, the DCDRF has registered a total of 94 cases in 2017 till November. Prior to this, 92 and 125 cases

were registered with the district consumer forum in 2015 and 2016 respectively. While the awareness among consumers is increasing, a lot still needs to be done in order to make them aware of the types of potential exploitation practises which can be faced by the customers from sellers, say authorities. n

Ward Watch

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Water logging prone Anil Nagar continues to struggle for drinking water With ward elections to the GMC council on the anvil, G Plus has started conducting surveys to check performances of the coucillors of the various city wards. The spotlight this week is Anil Nagar in Ward No 20 Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

earth of potable water continues to remain a major problem in the flood affected Anil Nagar of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Ward 20. This was revealed in a survey conducted by G Plus in which 100 families were asked questions on different living parameters such as drainage, water supply, streetlights etc to find out the performance of GMC. On being asked if they receive clean water supply, 64 out of the total sample size responded that they do not receive any water at all. Off the rest 36 respondents, 14 received drinking water, while 12 received water at home occasionally and the rest 10 declined to comment. As reported by G Plus earlier, water logging and lack of drinking water supply, ironically, are the biggest problems for the residents of Anil Nagar area (Ward 20A) of the city. The survey is being conducted keeping in view the ensuing ward elections, the dates of which have not been announced yet. All

the respondents said that water logging is the primary problem for them. Trademarked with the foul stench of Bharalu River, this area geographically happens to be the lowest point in the city and it acts as a basin to the rain water flowing down the hills into the Bharalu River that flows from Zoo Road to Bhangagarh and beyond and defines the eastern boundary of the ward. Hence, flash floods occur every time the city receives a smart downpour. Such water logging has also resulted in deaths annually. In 2013, a youth was washed away by the river and this was followed by two more such deaths the next year. Following this, the then chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, had formed a committee spearheaded by then Additional Chief Secretary, MGVK Bhanu to address the problem which bore no result yet. While the geographical disadvantage coupled with unplanned growth of the city has attributed to this region becoming a victim of flash floods every year, scarcity of drinking water is a problem for which the locals blame the GMC entirely. In the survey, when asked about drainage, 66 respondents

File photo of a flooded area in Anil Nagar said that there is no drainage in the locality while 26 respondents said it needs improvement and a mere 8 respondents were satisfied with the

Brighter side of Anil Nagar

hile water logging during the monsoons remains a problem for the residents of Anil Nagar, the ward exceeds the expectation of the residents in terms of other facilities such as health care, electricity, garbage collection and road conditions, the survey revealed. Due to its proximity to Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) where there are two more private hospitals and a bunch of clinics within the radius of 1 km, the residents voted highest (92 respondents) for availability of health care facilities. A majority of 72 respondents voted that garbage is being collected daily while 10 respondents said it is collected twice a week, 2 respondents voted it is collected once a week, 14 respondents voted for irregular collection and 2 respondents said that their garbage isn’t collected at all.

The ward also performed well regarding streetlights in a city where almost every by-lane and residential area complains of inadequate

streetlights. Only 14 respondents complained that there is no streetlight whereas, 10

respondents said that their lanes are well lit. 32 respondents said it is vaguely lit and 44 respondents said that the roads are lit but need improvement. Apparently, this area is one of those that are least prone to traffic congestions. 86 respondents were of the opinion that there is occasional crowding while 14 respondents opined that there is a smooth traffic movement in the area. In terms of councillor’s performance too, the people offered a mixed reaction: 6 respondents termed it excellent and 44 respondents said satisfactory. 42 percent, on the other hand said the councillor has underperformed and 8 respondents said the performance was poor. 26 respondents said that the councillor never interacted with them; 12 respondents said they are in regular touch with the councillor and 62 respondents were approached occasionally. n

drainage conditions. Another problem faced by the people of Anil Nagar in mosquito infestation. 54 respondents opined that there had been no

pest control measures taken in their area. A mere 4 respondents said it’s being done regularly while 42 respondents said it’s being done occasionally. n

Flood control in manifesto for the second time

ard 20 councilor Anima Deka, who is contesting from the same ward for the second term, said that flood problem, which had been a poll plank for the last election, will remain “high on priority” in this election too. “In my ward (20), we don’t just have flash floods but proper flooding problem during which, houses in Anil Nagar remain inundated for more than 2-3 days. Despite several promises by the ruling government and the council, no holistic approach has been taken yet. That is why, I am going to put this problem on the top of my priorities in the election,” Deka said. She said that the flash floods cannot be thwarted by the efforts of just one ward; the entire city will have to chip in. “Storm water from the entire city finds its way into this region through the Bharalu. So, check must be done throughout the city.

The GMDA has been planning on this for quite some time, but with no result. Most of my focus will be to pressurise the council and the GMDA to execute it soon,” Deka added. She said that she is aware of the drinking water problem, but that too will be solved once the water projects are completed. “Until then, we cannot do much,” Deka added. She further said that she is aware of other problems such as drainage and a few areas where there streetlights are placed intermittently. “I will make sure that every inch of the ward is well lit,” said Deka. n

Population of the Ward: 18,400 Voter Population: 9,300 Population of Anil Nagar: 4,500 Ward Councillor: Anima Deka

Health

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

SNIPPETS Guwahati to host Northeast Supercross Challenge

BS Motosports, a pioneer motorsports club of Northeast India, is gearing up to host ‘Suzuki Gixxer North East Night Supercross 2018’ at the AEI Playground, Chandmari on 24th and 25th March, 2018. In India, only a handful of sports receive necessary limelight. Amidst the lesser known sports, motorsports is undoubtedly a sleeping giant. While until a decade back, Guwahatians didn’t acknowledge motorsports as a sport, with the rise of stars like Gaurav Gill and CS Santosh, the sport has taken a major leap forward. People often mistake street racing with track racing. Motorsports is perceived by many as a sport of the wealthy. But NBS Motorsports has been trying to change this perception since its inception in 1991. In Assam, they have successfully organized 26 motorsport events so far. Super cross involves offroad motorcycle racing on an artificial, man-made dirt-track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. The first of its kind Supercross event is being organised in association with the Motorsports Club of Arunachal, sponsored by Suzuki Motorcycles India and co-sponsored by Shell Lubricants. The event will be organised under the aegis of the Federation of Motorsports Club of India (FMSCI) which is the governing body of motorsports club affiliated to the international body. Around 80 riders will be battling against each other in 4 different classes of race - Indian Two Stroke, Indian Novice, Indian Open and Indian Expert. Riders from across the country, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra will take part in the event. Activities like paintball, stunts by Team Suzuki and open-air rock concert will also be conducted, along with a road safety campaign on Sunday 25th March at 11 AM. The campaign will aim to create awareness on the evils of road rage and street racing. This will be preceded by a bike rally and concluded with a live graffiti on road safety. With the vision to promote motorsports as a mainstream sport, ‘Suzuki Gixxer North East Night Supercross 2018’ will provide the riders of the region with a platform to compete with their national counterparts while complying with the national standards of safety. n

Homeopathy students temporarily call off protests The agitating homeopathy students and doctors have temporarily called off their protests after the government assured them of holding talks regarding their various demands Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

fter 17 days of college lock down, the homeopathy students of Swahid Jadav Nath Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital in the city have temporarily called off their indefinite protest on March 20. The students decided to end the strike for the time being after the government agreed to hold talks with them on their demands during the first week of April. At least 300 current as well as former students participated in the protests. Apart from Guwahati, the students of other two homeopathy medical colleges of the state in Jorhat and Nagaon had also joined in the protest at their respective colleges. The agitating students had locked down the main gate of the three college buildings and had been conducting an indefinite dharna in front of the gate against the government for their long pending demands. “We are hoping for a positive outcome from our meeting with officials from the health department. However, if the result is not favourable, we will be compelled to continue and intensify our protests after the talks,” Anichur Rahman, general secretary of All Assam Homeopathy Medical College Students’ Union (AAHMCSU) informed G Plus. On the invitation of the government, representatives from the student bodies held a meet-

File photo of Homoeopathy students protesting in front of their college gate at Panjabari ing with officials from directorate of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). In the meeting chaired by deputy director, AYUSH, Dr D Bhattacharya, it was decided to temporarily suspend the lockdown of colleges on the assurance of a meeting with the government to discuss the demands of the students. The protests were triggered after state health and family welfare minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, remarked that homeopathic doctors are not appointed in government health centres owing to a lack of demand by the public.

Students strongly condemned the remark and held a demonstration at Dispur Last Gate from February 26 to 28. Here, the police allegedly resorted to lathi charge on the protesters in which some of the students were also injured, informed students. Following this, the students locked down the college gates and began the indefinite dharna. As a result of the lockdown, the OPD services in all the three colleges also remained affected and patients had to return without any treatment. Dr Mufuzur Rahman, secretary of the All Assam Home-

opathic Doctors’ Association informed that the protestors ended the lockdown of the college keeping in mind the troubles of the patients. “The number of patients was increasing day by day and many even came from far off places for treatment. We decided that the patients should not suffer and should not be deprived from receiving medical services due to the protest,” he added. The students have also warned of intensifying their protests if an amicable solution is not provided for their issues during their talks with the government. n

Only 13.58% utilisation of NHM funds, dearth of doctors affecting medical scenario

uring his visit to Guwahati on February 16, union minister of state, health and family welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, revealed during a press conference that Assam has been able to spend only 13.58% of the total funds under National Health Mission (NHM) for 2017-18. He further informed that the centre had allocated Rs 1,056.25 crores for Assam under NHM for 2017-18. Additionally, there is a serious dearth of doctors in the state. According to World Health

Organisation (WHO) guidelines, there should be at least one doctor per 1,000 population. The national average of doctorpopulation ratio is one doctor against every 1,592 people. However, Assam has a very poor doctor-population ratio at 1 doctor per 3,000 population. Homeopathy students and doctors say that since there is a scarcity of doctors in the state and the funds too remain underutilised, the government should not be negligent and reluctant in seriously considering the appointment of homeopathy

doctors. Mufuzur said that unemployment of BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) doctors has been their biggest concern. “Our students study for the same duration as MBBS students under the guidance of good professors and undergo internship of one year in medical colleges. They are also given enough exposure,” he informed. Another student Ravi Kumar said that the students are outraged because they have been passing out year after year but no

appointments have taken place despite the availability of so much funds as well as scope for appointment. “It is only because of the stepmotherly attitude and apathy of the successive governments,” said Kumar. Students informed that only 75 medical officers (homeopathy) have been appointed under APSC till now, out of which 15 are already retired and those posts are now lying vacant. Additionally, at present there are 232 homeopathy doctors appointed under NHM. n

Concern

SNIPPETS Health Ministry grants approval for admission under disabilities quota

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Network congestion in Ghy virtually at an all time high G Plus tries to unravel the reasons for the current extremely poor connectivity conditions of mobile phone networks Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he ministry of health and family welfare has granted approval to amend the regulation for admission to PG medical courses in order to expand the scope of persons with disabilities getting benefit of reservation. The percentage of seats to be filled up by persons with disabilities has been increased from 3% to 5% in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Commenting on this decision, union health minister, JP Nadda, stated that after twenty years the government has taken a historical decision for welfare of divyang sisters and brothers in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikaas’, ensuring that they are equal contributors to the progress of the nation. “Now all 21 benchmark disabilities as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 can register for admission to medical courses,” Nadda added. According to the amended provision, 21 kinds of disabilities (as per Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016) that includes blindness, low-vision, leprosy cured persons, hearing impairment (deaf and hard of hearing), locomotor disability, dwarfism, intellectual disability, mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability, thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities (including deaf, blindness), acid attack victim, parkinson’s disease, will now be considered under the reservation provided for persons with disabilities. n

Four MoUs signed for development of NE Tourism

he Centre on Monday inked four MoUs with the USbased hospitality major Airbnb under the aegis of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to promote tourism and generate technology-enabled livelihood opportunities in the northeastern region of the country. n

etwork congestion in mobile telephony in Guwahati has taken a plunge for the worse with mobile phone customers getting increasingly irked with the “pathetic” services provided by the telecom companies. A city-based Vodafone customer, Jaya Devi said, “We have to dial a particular number 4 to 5 times to get connected; most of the times the network is busy.” Another customer from Maligaon, Dhiman Choudhury, who has three mobile phone connections (Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Jio) is of the view that all the telecom companies are grappling with the network congestion issue and it is a matter of serious concern. He said, “I am rather apprehensive that after Reliance Communications and Aircel, the other operators are also planning to close services in Guwahati.” With Aircel customers porting out to other networks since last month, mobile phone customers of the existing networks are facing huge network congestion in Guwahati. After Reliance Communication ended its services on November 2, lakhs of customers in Guwahati started shifting to other existing networks. Currently, 5 lakh Aircel customers are strand-

A cellphone tower in the city ed with no network and all of them are shifting to other networks. Meanwhile, the other telecom companies are coming up with various plans and offers to pull in the stranded Aircel customers. As said by an industry expert, “60% Aircel customers shifted to Airtel, 10% to Vodafone, 10% to Idea and the rest to BSNL.”

The telecom operators who are welcoming the stranded Aircel customers have either not upgraded their infrastructure or are in the process of upgrading the same. Every site (base transmission tower) of a particular operator has a certain capacity. To accommodate new connections the capacity needs to be increased. A telecom industry expert

Congestion to continue till December

he network congestion issue can only be resolved if the telecom operators increase the capacity to provide uninterrupted services to all the customers. It can happen only in December 2018 in Guwahati, said sources in the telecom industry. An expert in the telecom industry said, “Only Airtel is trying to improve its infrastructure. Unless all the operators increase the capacity, the congestion issue cannot be resolved.” The other companies will be increasing the capacity by December, the expert claimed. An expert in the telecom industry said, “Vodafone and Idea are merging soon and till the merger is complete both the

companies are reluctant to invest in Guwahati.” Both the companies expect the deal to be closed in the first half of 2018 even as experts say that it may come through by MarchApril. An industry expert, talking to G Plus said, “All formalities of the merger of both the companies will be completed by December and then things will improve.” A source in the Guwahati

Vodafone and Idea are merging soon and till the merger is complete both the companies are reluctant to invest in Guwahati

Municipal Corporation (GMC) revealed that only Airtel has applied for permissions for erecting new towers in Guwahati. Other operators are yet to apply. For erecting towers in a city, the telecom operators are mandated to avail permissions from the urban local body. Airtel has around 350 towers, Vodafone around 150 towers and Aircel also continues to have around 100 to 150 towers in Guwahati despite its closure. Idea is considered to be a small player in Guwahati and has very less towers, sources said. To resolve the congestion issue the capacity of existing towers needs to be increased and new towers are required to extend the reach. n

said, “One tower has a capacity of 4TRX, which is able to provide uninterrupted services to around 60 customers when they are simultaneously talking over the phone.” If the number exceeds at a particular site, call traffic gets affected and there is a congestion which is the cause of call drops and slow data speed, the expert explained. n

No place to install towers

here seems to be extreme shortage of locations to erect new towers in Guwahati. Many Guwahatians feel that because of the radiation emanating from these towers, the flora of the city gets affected. Even human health is affected, a source in a private telecom company said.The capacity of the towers can be increased by upgrading the softwares, but many building owners do not permit the change. After requisite permission is taken from the land/building owners to erect a tower, permission from Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has to be obtained. GMC takes a long time to issue such permissions. A private telecom operator has already availed permissions from 50 building owners in Guwahati but since the last one month the GMC has remained undecided whether these permissions should be given or not. Erecting a new tower is a process which takes around 6 months, sources said. Telecom operators can easily get a site to erect a tower in rural areas but Guwahati has “no place to install towers,” said a source. n

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Guwahati Food Awards Special

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G Talk

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

A ‘SORRY’ picture

ver time I have learnt that human intelligence has two variants. One is academic in nature where “intelligent” people excel in their academic pursuits but then turn out to be failures in the practical work field. The other variety of intelligent people might not be the sharpest academic brains but come with a high degree of common sense that often sees them do better than the academically intelligent variety. Take the case of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, for instance. Academically brilliant, an alumnus of IIT, he just did not have the common sense to keep his mouth shut even if it made him look like a fool (as practised by another academically brilliant politician for 10 long years) and chose to open it and remove all doubt. Faced with 33 defamation cases, he has been made to eat humble pie and so has launched himself on an apology spree. Sorry here, sorry there… I am beginning to wonder how sorry a picture he has painted for himself! Closer home are two specimens who have a similar variety of intelligence and who trend on social media for their similar in-

sensible utterances. One is of course the rabble-rouser called Akhil Gogoi, no well-wisher of Guwahati, who has cultivated a habit of making a fool of himself with unsubstantiated allegations against political bigwigs. And he doesn’t realize this. I guess it’s time he took a leaf out of Kejriwal’s book, both being pathological agitationists by their genes. And now we have the latest in this fine breed of intelligent people deeply lacking in common sense. Journalist Atanu Bhuyan pulled a pitiable stunt by informing us through his Facebook Live video that national telecom market leader, Airtel, is closing shop within the week after having “looted” us in the name of business. Their massive establishment at 6 Miles is being sold off; it would be vacated by Monday next. Thereafter, he literally incited his followers to run riot against the company. The video indeed displayed a terrible intellectual void in the man and sure enough had to be backed up by another video containing his apology. Well, Edith Sitwell rightly said, “I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.” Swapnil Bharali Editor

Data breach and winds of change

ark Zuckerberg’s public statement that was downplayed as a ‘breach of trust’ between Facebook and its users, while claiming that Facebook was unaware about this data theft, is one of the smartest, most diplomatic statements we’re likely to hear all year. Mark must have been trained by Salazar Slytherin himself. His statement needs real introspection by Facebook users and Mark himself. If there are companies aggregating data without Facebook’s knowledge, this is a serious oversight and a loop in the entire ‘idea of privacy’ that users on the internet and Facebook think they have. The second most important thing is that privacy in the 21st century is an illusion. Please know that your behaviour is always being monitored; 30 years ago, it was your nosy neighbour, then the telecom companies started keeping tabs and now the internet knows everything there is to know about you. If the data was misappropriated by Cambridge Analytica to influence voters, this is not just a breach of trust, but rather it is theft of a lot of personal data and companies cannot get away by playing the victim card. What is India’s position in all this? India is still decades behind when it comes to cyber laws and protection of privacy. While data sharing is important, privacy is paramount. It is time that the government sits and decides on how it will safeguard the privacy of one of the most data hungry countries in the world. Sidharth Bedi Varma

Paradigm for investments in Assam

ssam government’s investment pitch and organization of Global Investor’s Summit is heartening. One has to wait to see how it fructifies. A pertinent question that emerges is - what attracts investments? Across the world it is observed that investments are drawn to locations developed as industry clusters - places that increase productivity, stimulate innovation and enhance competitiveness while making a product. US’s Silicon Valley, London’s financial district, Costa Rica’s ecotourism, Malaysia’s palm oil industry are some successful clusters. To optimize use of available resources and its skilled manpower, similar clusters based on merits need to be developed in Assam. Five areas having maximum potential for development as clusters that can turnaround the state’s economy are described below:

Furniture and home furnishing products

Statista, the statistics portal, states that global furniture and home furnishing market will be $182 billion with 700 million users in 2018. India’s share in this global market will be a paltry $1.4 billion (or 0.78%), with 83.4 million users. Assam is blessed with abundant natural building materials - wood, bamboo, water hyacinth and jute. To take its full advantage, a cluster that delivers affordable high quality furniture and home furnishing products can be developed. A new product - wood plastic composite - is gaining popularity due to its strength and low cost. Assam has an advantage in this as its basic constituents - polypropylene (also produced by BCPL) and wood fibres from sawmill waste – are readily available here.

Fishery and fish products

FAO FishStat database estimates that freshwater fish comprises about 30% of all fish and sea food production in the world. 5% of global fishery production originates from India (2014 data). Assam’s geographical position with its numerous freshwater bodies indicates its potential. With the right policies and marketing these can be developed as cluster of sustainable fish producers,

rPin drop silence

frozen food processors, packers and exporters of fish products. New regulations, quality control, packaging procedures should meet USFDA requirements and EU directives concerning production and export of frozen fish, fresh and chilled fish, frozen fillets and steaks, salted and dehydrated fish, frozen shrimp, dry fish, live crabs and tortoises. Global demand of fish oil is increasing - Americans spend about $15 billion a year on it or other such supplements –a potential target for this cluster.

Horticulture, floriculture, plant nurseries

Flowers and lush foliage of ornamental plants are in high demand across the world. With right inputs, Assam can become a honey pot for adventurous gardeners. Care should be taken not to introduce plant species outside its native range called invasive species that might affect the natural ecosystem. Thus this cluster requires thorough research on plant biology. International demand has rapidly expanded for ornamental plants. Total US floriculture and nursery consumer expenditure was over $31 billion in 2015 (US Bureau of Economic Analysis report). In 2015 the Dutch share in world’s cut flower export was 43% (Rabobank, 2016). However, for the first time—Colombia, Kenya, Ecuador and Ethiopia— attributed as the four rising flower stars have surpassed Holland’s share in 2015 and accounted for 44% exports. Air freight is expensive and relatively unsustainable. At this time, companies are exploring opportunities to spread into other markets and/or sourcing countries/regions and adopt more sustainable supply chains, and here lies an opportunity for Assam.

Earthquake resistant construction engineering

A major earthquake in high seismic risk cities including Mumbai, Dhaka and Kolkata (UN 1999) or Guwahati could cause major devastation and a significant number of deaths. Recent earthquakes have revealed that so-called modern building construction practices are not necessarily safe. EERI’s and IAEE’s World Housing

O p i n i o n Dwaipayan Bora Encyclopaedia reports describe the same vulnerable features and poor performance in earthquakes all over the world. Assam and the neighbouring region are rich in limestone reserves, which have attracted the cement industry. India is the second largest cement producer in the world with $5.24 billion FDI between

The author identifies five areas having maximum potential for development as clusters that can turnaround the state’s economy 2000 and 2017 (DIPP data). At this time, Assam should build a cluster for Earthquake resistant construction engineering for developing cost effective safe designs, products and services to meet similar challenges across the world.

Tea value-chain

In spite of being a global producer of quality tea for a long time, Assam has not been able to develop other products of the tea value-chain. It is necessary to move down the value-chain to extract maximum economic advantage of this commodity which has a great brand value. Investments are required for tea blending and packaging of various flavours, production of tea bags, compressed tea, instant tea, tea pre-mix, bottled and canned tea. On the edges of established tea estates, organic tea should be grown creating a parallel supply within the available infrastructure. Tea eco-tourism should be further developed to enhance its value. In the near future Assam’s climate due to global warming will be more conducive to rubber plantation. To take advantage of this situation rubber plantation along tea estates should be encouraged. This can act as a precursor for developing a new industry in Assam. Thus these clusters with right policy frameworks, technologies, inter-linkages and investments would bring Assam to a pre-eminent position in developing its social and economic condition. n

Letter to the Editor

few weeks ago, Rajiv Bhawan witnessed an ugly scuffle between two groups in full view of the camera over some serious allegations brought in by an ex MLA, Anil Raja, over Congress heavyweight Rakibul Hussain. The Congressmen usually call their party as a party with a difference. But on that day it was a virtual civil war among the party cadres. Post the ‘civil war’ the issue continued to hog the limelight as all the local news channels continued relentless covering. As usual the people were expectant that the guilty would be caught and duly punished. Nothing happened as both Anil Raja and Rakibul Hussain seem to have gone into hiding somewhere. Rumours are making rounds that both have compromised and the public has once again been made a fool. Even the veteran of many wars, Akhil Gogoi, is maintaining a pin drop silence definitely due to his own compulsions. Lanu Dutta, GNB Road, Guwahati.

In Focus

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

In conversation with Riniki Bhuyan Sarma “I will rather jump off the Saraighat Bridge than contest elections”: Riniki Bhuyan

he number of women in high-powered leadership positions has been ever increasing. Women today are charting unknown territories unabashedly and fearlessly - be it business, education, travel, fitness, entertainment or industry. And while there are plenty of women who have made a mark in their own fields with sheer determination, G Plus got in touch with the Chairman and Managing Director of Pride East Entertainment, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, to know about her journey to the top, the hardships she faced along the way and her matrimony with Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A gritty independent woman, Riniki is so much more than just “Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife” – she’s a lawyer by profession, an extennis player who has represented Assam in the nationals and the head of the largest media house of the region with 2 news channels (News Live and North East Live), 3 entertainment channels (Rang, Ramdhenu and Indradhanu) and 1 Assamese newspaper (Niyamiya Barta). Besides, Riniki also heads 3 NGOs.

We are a very lethal combination – politics and media Born in Guwahati to a leading industrialist of the time, Riniki grew up within the business environs of the society. After completing her schooling from St Mary’s School, she went on to pursue her graduation and postgraduation from Cotton College, Guwahati. She then pursued LLB and is currently enrolled in the Bar Council of India. During her graduation days in Cotton College, she met the then General Secretary of the college, Himanta Biswa Sarma. They fell in love and got married after a courtship of 10 years. The couple now has two children – their son is presently giving his board exams from Doon School, Dehradun while their daughter is studying in 8th grade at Mayo School, Ajmer. We present excerpts from a conversation with her.

Tell us about the inception of Pride East Entertainment. A group of 5 like-minded people started News Live way back in 2008 with the aim to make the people of Assam more aware of the happenings around them.

At that time, there was no concept of broadcast journalism in Guwahati and we started off really small. We were facing difficulty finding people to work for us. So we started picking up the who’s who of print media. We had media gurus coming in to Guwahati to guide us with the production process, handling of equipments and helping us figure out how to present news in front of the camera. It was a learning experience for us. Ever since, there has been no looking back for us. We have grown from a single channel to a network of five channels.

How

do you

think has the regional media evolved in the past decade? Back in those days, even if an incident used to take place in our own locality, we never used to know about it until the next morning when we read the newspaper or the national media covered it. With News Live, we came with the intention that ‘daaror batori dare jaabo’ meaning, ‘each news must reach the people.’ We wanted the people of Assam to be the first ones to know about the news around them rather than waiting for others to tell them the next day. But now, with so many regional channels coming up and the digital media picking up pace, the scenario has changed drastically. People have become more aware.

Do you agree with the notion that the Indian media is ignorant of northeast India? People from other parts of India as well as abroad always have misconceptions and stereotypical

representations of us; they have not been exposed to our cultures and vibrant traditions. I do feel that northeast India is not well represented in the national arena – be it in the field of sports or politics or natural calamities occurring in the region. And that’s why, with our media presence, we have always aimed to put northeast on the global platform and show the world that we represent a beautiful part of India. Although News Live is Assam dominated, the channel is telecast pan-India and it’s also available in other countries. With News Live, we are catering to the Assamese audience residing in all parts of the globe.

With me heading the media house, everybody thinks that I’m an ornamental wife sitting here on behalf of Himanta We recently launched Northeast Live because while Assamese is a regional language, English and Hindi are widely spoken languages and it makes our news reach a wider audience.

Being one of the leading businesspersons and media personalities of Assam, do you face any challenges or threats? I’m encircled by the aura of being Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, so challenges and threats come to me naturally. You see, we are a very lethal combination – politics and media. Right now, I’m in a very powerful position, but it wasn’t always like this. When my children were doing their schooling in Guwahati, they faced radical discrimination. I remember my 4 year old daughter being bashed up just because she was a politician’s daughter. Both of them used to come crying to me, wanting to know what was going on. It was a very difficult phase for all of us, as a family. We started having terrible nightmares and had to fight our way out.

How is it being

Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife? If I have to describe it in one word, I’d say I’m proud. I know I don’t sound feminist but being his wife is an identity that I admire. I do believe in letting my work speak for myself and I feel that when people see and accept my work, I will carve a niche for myself. But until then, if they recognise me as Himanta’s wife, I don’t think that’s an identity to take offence of.

Amidst speculations of Himanta Biswa Sarma contesting MP elections, the Jalukbari constituency will be up for grabs. Are you likely to contest elections from there? Never! Since I help Himanta in his grassroots works, a lot of people seldom ask me this question. Well, the truth is that I’d rather jump off the Saraighat Bridge than enter the line of politics. I’m very introvert by nature. I get involved in politics to the extent where I have to help him. But till date, I’ve never meddled with his constituency. Whatever help I can give as a wife, I extend that. I’ve no involvement in politics other than that.

Tell us about your philanthropic pursuits? I’m currently running three NGOS’s – Sneha Bandhan, Udayachal and The Golden Threads of Assam. With Sneha Bandhan - a home away from home for young children – we aim to provide long term family based care to children who have lost their parents and also strengthen disadvantaged families and communities as a punitive measure against abandonment and social neglect of children. Udayachal is a home filled with love, colours and warmth – it is a place for people of all ages and also a school for the special children. We also shelter the elderly, provide them with love and support, and help them feel at ease. The Golden Threads of Assam is an initiative taken to preserve the royal silk - Muga. It is an effort to show people that ancient craft form and the glamorous fashion industry can co-exist in harmony. While Muga silk is solely available in Assam and weaved by a certain class of women, these intricate thread works are slowly being eliminated from the society due to the presence of middlemen. So, as part of our CSR activity, we provide these women with the threads and other raw materials and sell the final products to end customers at minimal rates so that the women earn a fair share and the customers are not over charged.

Nehal Jain

Feature

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

A true grit hero – Late Capt Ghanshyam Das (Retd)

apt. Ghanshyam Das (Retd) passed away on 15th March 2018, at Down Town Hospital, Guwahati, Assam. He was born on 29th August 1948, in Shillong, Meghalaya. Fondly remembered as ‘Hill’ - a name symbolic of his character - a beacon of strength and hope he shall always remain. He was an alumnus of St Edmunds School, Shillong and Sainik School, Goalpara. Staying true to his character, he later joined the National Defence Academy and The Indian Military Academy. After passing the

Ghanshyam Das with ex-wife Alison Christine Recardo vigorous training standards of both academies, he was commissioned into the Elite 10 Para- Special Forces (Parachute Regiment) of The Indian Army. A brave and daring soldier, he served his country as a commando and officer. His

The Alpha team with Brig.(then Lt. Col.) Bhawani Singh; Capt.(then Lt) Ghanshyam Das; Col.(then Capt. ) M.P Chaudhary and officers; Brainstorming final operational plans. exploits during the Chachro Raid of 1971 remains a testimony of his enduring courage, grit and determination - a true ‘Desert Scorpion’ - the given name of the 10 Para Commandos. The Indo-Pak war of 1971 was considered one of the most daring commando missions in the world, undertaken by specially trained commandos of the Elite 10 Para Regiment. The most audacious and memorable among them was the raid on Chachro, and several other Pakistani military positions. The commandos travelled over 500 kilometres deep inside enemy territory with little or no technology to help them. They attacked several enemy positions and returned without suffering a single casualty. The war effectively came to an end after the eastern command of the Pakistani armed

forces signed the Instrument of Surrender on December 16th, 1971, following which East Pakistan seceded as the independent state of Bangladesh. During operation Chachro Raid, Capt Das served under the esteemed Late Brig Maharaja Bhawani Singh, the last titular Maharaja of Jaipur and recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra. The raid was actually a diversionary tactic that caused a lot of confusion among opponents allowing India to fulfil other important objectives. It formed a part of a larger set of operations directed towards gaining military victory on the western front.

A watchful Col.(then Capt.) M.P Chaudhary second in command of the Alpha team manning the medium machine gun and Capt.(then Lt.) Ghanshyam Das at the wheel.

an inspiration to all of us, and even to those who heard of his legendary exploits,” said Brig Mandeep Singh Sandhu (Retd)

Ex-10 Paramilitary. As a true visionary, resolute and courageous man, he continued his quest in striving to give the best of himself, in equal measure, dedicating his time, patience and wisdom to help others achieve the same. Tanya Das, Late Ghanshyam Das’s daughter recalled, “A man of many passions - love of travel, music, good food and good company, my father’s abiding passion above all, were his family and friends. Upon retiring from active duty with the 10 Para Special Forces of The Indian Army, he spent the next 40 years of his life involved in the family business.” He is survived by his son, daughter, daughter in law, grandson, ex-wife, brothers and sisters, niece and nephews and grandchildren. n

professional who is found sleeping at the workplace? Someone who is missing deadlines and is unable to execute his or her task efficiently? They may be at risk for losing the job and labelled lazy. Now let’s look at the medical manifestations. An overweight individual who has diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, have had episodes of heart failure requiring hospitalisation and who complains of lethargy, headache and an all pervasive sense of tiredness. One may never look into the fact that he

snores as well and may have OSA. The load of the other diseases may camouflage the presence of OSA. Very few people complain about the presence of snoring. Age has a profound effect on OSA and the overall health. Patient may have worsening symptoms but they may be attributed to ageing. The patients may keep themselves confined indoors because they find socialising difficult. Unless the patient himself complains, the family may not take notice. In fact, they may just consider it as the retirement relaxation rather than a sleep disorder. Obesity is a common association between OSA and metabolic diseases. OSA makes a person lethargic and he tends to gain weight which deteriorates the disease further. One needs to break this vicious cycle for relief. Thus OSA, even when severe may come in a disguise of some another illness. It is important here to realise that snoring should not be ignored. A simple sleep (polysomnography) test can bring out the truth. The best part is that OSA is treatable, however severe it may be. Treatment not only improves the quality of life, it also improves the overall health. People have more productive work hours added to life and feel refreshed and alert. n

The Alpha team lined up for a final briefing in the Kelnor area. Col.(Then Capt.) M.P Chaudhary; Capt.(then Lt)Ghanshyam Das; Brig.(then Lt. Col.) Bhawani Singh. “Capt Ghanshyam Das was a true, solid and brave soldier to every drop of blood. Hero of the Raid on Islamkot, he was

Do you snore? Dr Rakesh Periwal

noring is very common among the masses, but that it could be a pointer to an underlying disease is almost unknown. That disease is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The sound of snoring is produced by the passage of air through the airways during the act of breathing. Our airways become narrow during sleep but in some people they become so narrow that they produce vibrations whenever a person breathes. These vibrations produce the sound of snoring. Sometimes, the narrowing can be such that the airflow is totally obstructed and the patient is unable to breathe in. This is known as Apnea. Because there is no airflow, there is no longer any sound. Thus the snoring is interrupted by silence. This characteristic pattern of snoring interrupted by periods of silence is classical of OSA. During the apneic period, there is a drop in blood oxygen levels and the brain receives

distress signals, similar to how it would behave during a period of choking. These distress signals lead to an arousal, which is brief and often never appreciated by the patient. The arousal leads to opening of the airway, breathing resumes (or rather snoring resumes!) and the patient falls back to sleep, only to be awakened again by an apneic episode. In people with OSA, this phenomenon recurs throughout the night, producing fragmented and disturbed sleep. The patient may complain of fatigability, tiredness, inability to concentrate and deterioration in functional capacity. They may be noticed napping by their colleagues and family members at inappropriate times and places. Additionally, the choking episode causes tremendous excitation and can lead to metabolic diseases. If you are someone who snores, noticed to have pauses during sleep, and who has daytime fatigue or a host of metabolic problems, it’s time to get your sleep test. Age, alcohol and obesity worsen the manifestations of OSA. Let’s look at this in real life situ-

ation. A middle-aged, overweight truck driver, who drives in shifts and consumes alcohol regularly, has already enough reasons to have an accident! What if he also has OSA? This may very well be a fatal combination. The incidence of road accidents is alarming. Let’s look at an elderly politician who has been found napping in the assembly; or on the podium during an election rally. We critically analyse all the issues related to the gentleman but never even think that it could have been a health disorder. What about a young

Trotter

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Pic of Afghan woman taking exam while nursing her baby goes viral

powerful photograph of a woman who took her university entrance exam while nursing her baby has taken social media by storm. Jahan Taab, a 25-year-old woman from Afghanistan, was photographed sitting on the floor at a private university in Afghanistan’s Daykundi province. She was writing an entrance exam - called the Kankor exam for the social science course at Nasirkhosraw Higher Education Institute in Nilli city. It was during the exam that her twomonth-old baby started crying. According to Yahya Erfan, a lecturer at the university who was monitoring the test, she got up from her desk, sat crosslegged on the floor and continued writing answers while nursing her baby. Erfan took a few photographs of the powerful scene that played out in front of him and shared them on a Facebook post. Though the original post has now been deleted, the pictures have gone massively viral and have been re-

admission at the university, she is now concerned that she may not be able to afford the tuition fees. Taab, who is married to a farmer, is keen to continue her education. A British organization, the Afghan Youth Association, has launched a GoFundMe to support Taab’s studies calling her a “role model to thousands of other Afghan women who face similar challenges.” (Source: storypick)

Airport worker gone viral for his good looks now paying for it

oo much of a good thing can be bad for you, as in the case of a man from China who had to pay the price for being "too good looking." A technician working at Xiamen airport had his pay deducted by 10% after a video featuring him went viral. The airport technician was filmed by a passenger through a plane's window. Footage recorded shows the man, seen wearing sunglasses and noise-cancelling headsets, walking on the tarmac. The man quickly went viral for his good looks and received the collective attention of Chinese social media. Several netizens also compared his looks to a South Korean actor, Song Joong Ki, from the show "Descendants of the Sun.” The airport worker may have won love from social media but his superiors seemed far from

impressed. They deducted 10% of his salary for not meeting the company's code of conduct when the video was filmed. Citing his untidy uniform and the fact that

his hands were in his pockets, the company statement said: "Taking into consideration the influential impact this video has made, the aggravated penalty must be applied." While social media is angry with the punishment, the technician is more chilled about it. "Honestly, I still feel quite happy because it is not easy to become so famous that quickly. My company did nothing wrong. It was my fault for not keeping with the correct standards in terms of dress code and behaviour," he told. In an appeal to people trolling the woman who originally shot and posted the viral video, he added, "Please don't bombard the passenger who uploaded the video online. I never blamed her because she didn't mean to cause me any harm." (Source: indiatimes)

Fare dodger uses roller skates to get free bus ride

befuddled driver on a Chinese road captured a video of a roller skater performing a dangerous stunt by road surfing at the back of a bus. The video recorded shows a man on roller skates getting a free ride by cling-

Bengaluru student books Ola to North Korea at an estimated fare of Rs 1.4 lakhs

N shared thousands of times. People on social media love the image and what it conveys. “Afghan women are unstoppable,” says one viral tweet. Many others have called Taab “inspiring” and “a legend.” “It was amazing and all the classmates were in admiration of her,” Erfan said. Taab, who has three children, travelled over six hours to reach the city of Nilli. Though she has passed the entrance exam to gain

ing to the back of a city bus in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. “What is he doing?” the filmer can be heard saying in Chinese. The filmer said the bus-surfer held onto the back of the moving vehicle for more than a minute. (Source: upi)

orth Korea remains one of the most secretive, tightly-controlled countries in the world. But a Bengaluru student was able to book a cab (oh yes, a cab!) to the world’s most elusive country with just a click. Estimated cost of the round trip? Rs 1.4 lakhs - perhaps a small price to pay for one of the most inaccessible places on earth. Recently, 21-yearold Prashant Shahi managed to a book a cab ride via Ola from his home in Bengaluru to South Pyongan, North Korea. The student says the realisation that it was even possible to do so was totally by chance. “North Korea had been trending all over the news. I once opened the Ola app instead of Google Maps to check North Korea’s road connectivity to South Korea. There, I noticed there was the option for booking a cab. I was surprised to see it possible myself,” he said. According to screenshots, the cab company confirmed the ride and even sent driver details to the rider. The estimated fare

for the five-day road trip was a whopping Rs. 1,49,088. We guess that’s without surge pricing. The student shared screenshots of the glitch with his friends before flagging off the issue to the cab company on Twitter. His tweet failed to get a response. Minutes later, another tweet by a person named Rohit Menda got Ola’s attention to the bug. Responding to tweets, the cab company said that it was a technical glitch and restarting the phone would solve the problem. But as many pointed out, the glitch still existed as they shared screenshots of similar road trips they managed to book to far off lands including Norway and Canada among others. Some saw the humour in the unfortunate error. When we tried, we were able to book an outstation cab by dropping the location pin in North Korea or Australia. This isn’t the first time a technical glitch has amused Ola cab riders. Last year, a Mumbai man was mistakenly billed Rs 149 crores for a one-minute ride. (Source: ndtv)

Indore juice shop owner pays Rs 2 lakhs for pet iguanas, draws huge crowds

uge crowds gathered at a juice shop in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to look at a pair of iguana lizards. According to the news agency, juice shop owner Raju Sagar paid a whopping sum of Rs 2 lakhs for the exotic pets. The man says he brought the 4.5-footlong lizards from Mumbai the same day he was informed. The man, who already has 4-5 lizards as pets, had been wanting to have an iguana as a pet for a long time. "Look at the many designs on it. It is really a miracle of nature," the proud pet owner said. A video shared shows people flocking to the juice shop to look

at the huge lizards. Some even went so far as to pet them, while others were seen clicking pictures. One daring man even held one of the iguanas and let the scaly reptile sit on his shoulder. The owner says the iguanas are harmless despite their scary appearance. "They look very dangerous, but iguanas are actually very harmless. They wouldn't hurt a baby," he said with one of the iguanas perched on his shoulder. "It's a vegetarian and eats carrots, pumpkins, spinach and other vegetarian foods," he says, a statement supported by footage of one iguana munching away at cucumber slices. (Source: ndtv)

Review

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Cast: Rani Mukerji, Kunal Shinde, Asif Basra Director: Siddharth P. Malhotra

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Hichki

f you are craving for a generous dose of idealism and emboldenment, then Rani Mukerji’s drama about teacher-student bonding will scratch that itch right away. It’s one of those inspirational films that careers dangerously between being strongly inspirational and insipidly utopian. Mukerji plays the unconventional teacher Naina Mathur who lives with Tourette syndrome, a nervous system disorder marked by involuntary motor tics and grunting sounds. She has made her peace with it, but it’s those around her who find it difficult to be inclusive and graceful about it. It’s a delight to watch Mukerji play Mathur with a blend of consummate conviction, grace and gravitas. It’s easy to feel affectionate towards her aspirations and her unconventional methods of teach-

ing. The first half is dominated by Mukerji winning the reluctant misfits — acted out nicely by young talents such as Harsh Vyas as the rebellious Atish — over with her grit. While the performances by Mukerji and her gang of students come out with flying colours on the acting front, the film isn’t high on novelty. The twists and conflicts are painfully predictable. While Hichki is intent on communicating life-affirming philosophies such as ‘there are no bad students, but just bad teachers’ and ‘conquer your fear and fly free’, there were moments in this drama which are laboriously didactic. The climax is also unnecessarily dramatic. But that’s a minor hiccup in an otherwise engaging feel-good drama. Be ready to be schooled by Mukerji who’s in top form. i

and for the lack of a better word, more dumbed down version of the first movie. But what it doesn’t deliver in terms of sheer density of imagination, it more than makes up for in pure spectacle - which was arguably the biggest problem fans had with the first film. No matter how epic the action, every scene felt like it had been condensed down to the bare essentials; as if piles and piles of material had been left out in favour of more monster mayhem. There's no such friction or fuel for fantasy here, nor is there much of the imagination or audacity that helped the original skirt by. There's just numbness and exhaustion – so much mayhem and so much crushing boredom. n

Gadget Review

phone measures 151.8mm tall, 72.8mm wide, and 7.7mm thick and Xiaomi includes a TPU cover in the box that makes the phone slightly less slippery. The device has a 5.7-inch HD+ IPS screen, but is more closely comparable to a classic device with a screen that’s a bit smaller than 5.5 inches. The phone comes with an 18:9 screen and trimmeddown bezels, allowing it to achieve the form factor.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

iaomi recently launched its latest budget smartphone, the Redmi 5, in the sub-Rs. 12,000 price segment in India. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 price in India is Rs. 7,999 for the variant with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage; Rs. 8,999 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage; and Rs. 10,999 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. While the first online flash sale has already taken place, the offline sale is expected to follow later.

Design and build

The Redmi 5 does resemble its elder sibling a lot with the same metal body, although it’s not as large. The Redmi 5 weighs 157g, and the weight is distributed evenly. There’s even 2.5D curved glass on top. The

Pacific Rim Uprising

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buttons. On the left is a hybrid dual-SIM tray that can house either two Nano-SIM cards or one Nano-SIM and a microSD card. The bottom of the device has a Micro-USB port and loudspeaker. Finally, on the top are a 3.5mm headphone jack, an infrared emitter and a microphone.

Camera

Specifications

The latest model from Xiaomi runs MIUI 9 on top of Android 7.1.2 Nougat, out of the box. Much like other MIUI-based Xiaomi phones, the Redmi 5 also has a number of customisations and preinstalled apps. There are no timelines on an Android Oreo rollout yet. The 3300mAh battery powers everything from under the hood. MIUI has a Sleep Mode that is claimed to conserve battery life significantly by closing background apps; restricting

Hichki 10:30 AM 01:00 PM

Pacific Rim Uprising 09:00

Black Panther 12:20 PM

Cast: Scott Eastwood, Tian Jing, Rinko Kikuchi, John Boyega Director: Steven S DeKnight acific Rim Uprising is a collection of noises and images and military jargon being oorahed at sternum-rattling volume and featherweight CGI destruction and WTF slo-mo sequences and the occasional feeling that you've been cheated, but let's not call that a movie. The idea that a sequel is rarely better than the original is a cliché – oh, and there are tons of clichés in this as well – but this is not just a bad follow-up, or even a flipped bird to fans. This is Transformers-level inanity. From the very first scene, it’s quite evident that debutant director, Steven S DeKnight, is not trying to replicate del Toro’s rather inimitable style Uprising is a brighter, louder,

Cinepolis

NFC, Bluetooth, GPS, mobile data, and Wi-Fi access; and cutting down on notifications. The phone also has a rearmounted fingerprint sensor,

placed right below the camera. The phone’s size makes it easy to reach the fingerprint sensor. On the right of the Redmi 5 are the volume and power

Above the display is a 5-megapixel front camera with its own LED selfie light. The camera’s performance is a lot like what budget phones in this price segment usually offer, but the LED flash does help in low light. There’s an enhancement feature called Smart Beauty 3.0 that is supposed to make selfies look better. The metal back of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a 12-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, HDR, and an LED flash. Models in the Redmi series haven’t been known to sport the best rear cameras, and the Redmi 5 is no exception. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Band of brothers: Siddharth and Amitabh Barooa

ess narcissistic than solo performers, more intimate than a mere band, musical duos embody a special chemistry. And what better chemistry than that of two brothers? Musical duo from Guwahati – Amitabh Barooa and Siddharth Barooa – has been making it huge in the music circuit of the region ever since they first formed ‘Lucid Recess’ a decade ago. Born in Shillong, Meghalaya, they shifted to Guwahati at a very young age where they completed schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khanapara before pursuing Economics Honours from Cotton College. While Amitabh completed his graduation in Economics and soon began his musical pursuit, Siddharth went on to study Masters in economics from the same college. They developed an interest in the field of music at a very young age and decided that they wanted to make music in the future. “We got introduced to Beatles, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Guns n Roses etc by our older cousin when we were about 7 and 10 years old respectively and we just sort of dived into this amazing world of rock music. We would buy every new audio cassette that would come out and also every issue of the Rock Street Journal,” recalled Amitabh. The self taught musicians started their musical career way back in the early 2000s when they decided to go full time into music as well as recording and production. In 2008, they set up the Lucid Recess Studio

to mix our pre-recorded music with on the spot improvisations.” Apart from the occasional cover songs, both these bands perform original music composed and produced by the duo. While Amitabh is more involved in the song composition, Siddharth spends time mixing, mastering and producing the sound.

and have recorded and produced about 200 artists/bands from all over the country so far. “Working as a producer with so many different bands from all over the country has been a wonderful journey. We are a studio of independent artists and 90 percent of our clients are independent musicians with different struggles, experiences and approaches to music. It’s a very satisfying feeling to see their efforts coming together and taking the form of an art and be a part of their journey,” the duo says. Siddharth and Amitabh have been playing as Lucid Recess regularly in various parts of the country, especially in Northeast India. Apart from live performances, they have also released three albums so far. In 2006, they started their live electronic act ‘Lateral’ and released the debut EP ‘Us’ in 2017 along with two DIY music videos. Speaking about what separates Lucid Recess from Lateral, Siddharth says, “Lucid Recess was

Assamese actor releases books on Amitabh Bachchan, Brajen Borah & Zubeen Garg

handradittya Sharma, an actor, dancer and martial artist from Assam, has released books on his favourite actors Amitabh Bachchan, Brajen Borah and singer Zubeen Garg. The names of the recently released books are ‘Amitabh Bachchan: Biggest Star of This World and Greatest Star of The Millenium’, ‘Brajen Borah: First Action Hero and Evergreen Superstar of Assamese Films’ and ‘Zubeen Garg: The Living Legend.’ While the book on Amitabh Bachchan revolves around the chronicles of the superstar’s journey in the Hindi entertainment industry, his political debacle, fiasco with ABCL and his comeback from the ashes with ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, the book on Zubeen Garg reveals the singing sensation’s charitable deeds and social causes, his superstardom post the album ‘Anamika’, his chartbuster songs, numerous awards won by him, the songs

sung by him and the various controversies surrounding him. These books were released by noted actor Brajen Borah, Brigadier Joshi, Director of Sainik Board, Salim Ahmed, President of Garia Chatra Parishad, actor Jagadish Sharma and Amardeep Paul, Founder of NEEDS at the Guwahati Press Club. Meanwhile, the writer, apart from appearing in serials, short films, feature films and music videos, has acted in a play called ‘Sasur Damad’ directed by Aakash Jolly and staged by the Chitrakatha Theatre group of Mumbai, where he is presently doing a diploma course in acting from Cadence Theatre. He was also part of a comedy web series – ‘Masti Ki Pathshala’, directed by Sudhanshu Jha. Interestingly, Chandradittya has had the rare distinction of appearing twice in ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Chandradittya had also done an integrated course in acting from Brajen Borah’s Swapneel Creation.

our lifelong dream of making and playing rock music coming to life. Lateral came into being in 2016. By then we had been playing with LR for almost 8 years and wanted to explore newer ideas, new audiences and new challenges. Both are completely different in terms of music and live performance. While we like to keep Lucid Recess as raw and organic as possible in setting, with no samples or background music and just three guys playing their hearts out, Lateral is a live electronic dance music setup where we try

Speaking to G Plus about North East’s current rock music scene, Amitabh says, “Northeast has always had an abundance of talent. In recent times, many amazing new talents have entered the music scene here and they do not just stick to rock music, but hip hop, electronic and country music as well.” He further said that the increase in the number of music festivals being hosted in this part if the country has given a boost by providing the regional artists with

a platform to reach out to a wider audience. These festivals have also led to making Guwahati the ‘go to place’ for everyone else. As musicians, Siddharth and Amitabh have had a wonderful journey so far. They’ve shared stage with some of the giants of the industry like Meshuggah, Wolfmother, Megadeth and Steven Wilson, among others. They won the Toto awards for music in 2011. At the recently held Rocka Rolla Music Awards, they won 4 awards for their album ‘Alive and Aware’. That’s not all. They were listed among the top 10 producers in India by the Rolling Stones India magazine. With the album sales globally going down, G Plus asked the duo as to what they think is the way forward for musicians. They said, “Presently live shows and merchandise sales are the most important things for an artist. Albums are more like tools to spread your music and reach out to newer audiences. Majority of independent artists cannot make profit from album sales but they can increase their fan base which in turn leads to more tickets and merchandise sales.” Siddharth and Amitabh are currently working on albums for both Lucid Recess and Lateral, which are slated to release later this year. Siddharth is also involved in a new project called ‘Phantom Sky’ with Ipsita Bharali, a musical prodigy.

Nehal Jain

Theatre Olympics Master Class receives overwhelming response

he master class sessions being organised as part of the eighth edition of the Theatre Olympics at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati have given youngsters an opportunity to explore theatre as a career. The master class series, which began on Wednesday, March 14 saw actress Seema Biswas, filmmaker Jahnu Barua, dramatist Jatin Goswami and actor Adil Hussain participate as resource persons. Their classes got an overwhelming response from students of theatre and performing art courses from various institutions of Assam. Students and faculty members from various institutes of the city as well as other parts of the northeast took part in the sessions. Various well known drama and acting personality of the state also joined the event and extended their support to the Theatre Olympics. The students were taught the techniques of acting and drama and they were also familiarised with the journey of theatre personalities. With the aim to provide every newcomer exposure to the field of drama and acting, it is for the first time that such an event has

been organised in India. The Theatre Olympics has been organised in India from February 17 and will conclude on April 8. In Assam, where the event is being held at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, national and international groups are performing 15 plays, along with various other cultural activities. The Guwahati chapter was inaugurated by chief minister

Sarbananda Sonowal on March 11 in presence of various dignitaries including noted film and theatre personalities Pranjal Saikia and Baharul Islam. Organised by National School of Drama (NSD) under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India and in collaboration with the Government of Assam, the Guwahati chapter of Theatre Olympics will conclude on March 25.

Fun

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Horoscope of the week Socially, things are looking good for you now. With lovely Venus and inquisitive Mercury, your guide planet, in your friendship zone, the days ahead can bring fun events and pleasant encounters. The sun moves into this sector on Tuesday for a four-week stay, and this could inspire you to make a few changes. If you’re interested in a subject, joining a club could bring it to life for you.

If you want to impress someone, the coming days and weeks could be the best time to do so. Using a mixture of charm and witty conversation, you may find that progress becomes possible. People may be drawn to you, and you can use this to your advantage. Once the sun enters this same sector on Tuesday, you may be propelled into the spotlight.

Are you ready for adventure? If so, the coming week could encourage you to follow your heart. In fact, a discussion with a friend could act as a catalyst and encourage you to book a trip. Once the sun enters your sector of far horizons on Tuesday, you could be propelled into experiences that expand your mind.

With expressive Mercury, your guide planet, aligning with lovely Venus in an intense sector of your chart, conversations could reveal much. You might be eager to get beneath the surface of a relationship issue so you can understand what’s going on. It seems you’ll succeed and a solution will be found.

Relationships sparkle with promise, and you may find that any important conversations seem to work out well. If you’re looking for a compromise or hoping to heal a tricky situation, you’ll likely manage. Once the sun enters your sector of relating on Tuesday, you could become aware of ways in which you can improve certain relationships.

As dynamic Mars continues its journey through your sector of communication, you may become aware of opportunities that are still waiting for you. All you need is the courage to embrace them. The coming days and weeks could see you doing just that. There’s a lot of activity in your sector of routines and wellness.

Leisure options seem particularly upbeat over the coming days. Whether you’re eager to pursue a new hobby, sport, or love interest, it all seems to be coming together very well. However, lively Mercury, your relationship planet, turns retrograde in this same zone midweek. You may be drawn to activities that you enjoyed as a child.

This month holds plenty of activity on the home front. Whether you’re entertaining guests or doing your own thing, it all looks like it will be fun. This can be a good time for a celebration or get-together, as a lovely blend of energies can ensure that everyone has a good time. Inquisitive Mercury turns retrograde in this same sector midweek.

You could get involved in some exciting conversations in the days ahead, and these might propel you into fresh adventures. Whatever you’ve been thinking about could now become a reality. With the sun entering your sector of talk and thought on Tuesday, you may become aware of one opportunity that’s just waiting for you to embrace it.

A conversation about a purchase could work out in your favor. With just a little charm, you may be able to persuade a significant other to buy you something you’ve always wanted. When the sun moves into your money zone on Tuesday, it might be time to take stock and tweak your budget so it can help you save money.

By what name was Dharam Devdutt Pishorimal Anand better known in the world of culture?

‘Agnijugor Firingoti Moi’ was the first song written by which Assamese?

Connect these six viral words- Mind, Soul, Space, Power, Time, Reality.

4 5

Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy heads which enviable list?

Which trending Indian sportsperson made his International debut against England on 5th September 2004?

Identify this tennis player of yesteryears, the first male to hold the ATP no. 1 rankings. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Garfield by Jim Davis

curio-city

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8 6 2

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Daily Sudoku: Wed 14-Mar-2018

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http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Dev Anand 2. Dr. Bhupen Hazarika 3. These are the Infinity Stones in the Marvel Comics Universe. Anyone who holds all six becomes omnipotent. 4. It is the No. 1 Restaurant in the world according to Eater.com 5. Dinesh Karthik 6. Illie Nastase

curio-city

Sudoku

The focus is on your spiritual sector this week, perhaps bringing insights and revelations your way. You could have a strong connection to emotions that run beneath the surface. Should you need to talk about them, this could be easier as well. In fact, you might feel great relief from getting them out in the open.

Your feelings may be validated when a discussion with someone you trust enables you to feel heard and understood. A lovely lineup on Monday can be excellent for talking over an issue and perhaps benefiting from any advice. The sun enters your sign on Tuesday, meaning that the next four weeks could see you making great strides with your personal plans.

Word of the week Dornick noun [dawr-nik] A small stone that is easy to throw

Crossword Across

Down

1 Excessively virtuous person (5,3-5) 8 Turn away (7) 9 Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (5) 10 High school dance (4) 11 Throw away (8) 13 Scandalmonger (6) 14 Gossamer — A Midsummer Night’s Dream fairy (6) 17 Boyfriend — teenager (5,3) 19 Fibre used in linen (4) 21 Sharp (5) 22 Tanned (7) 24 Force in a moving body (7,6)

1 Deity (3) 2 Patent (7) 3 Those voting in favour (4) 4 Frankfurter (6) 5 Answer (8) 6 Watering hole (5) 7 Safe (9) 10 One way for an adult to carry a child (9) 12 Most miserly (8) 15 Dancer — fairground ride (7) 16 Kind of metric foot in poetry (6) 18 180° change of direction (1-4) 20 Formal dress (4) 23 Arid (3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Do not borrow these things

lmost all of us are forced to borrow sometime or the other. There are numerous occasions when you run short of money for something and you are forced to take a loan. According to astrology, there are certain days ruled by certain stars which are very bad for borrowing. These days are listed in the Panjika or the daily almanac. There are some compulsive borrowers who will never return your money! But today we will discuss certain objects which should not be borrowed from others. This is almost opposite to the Vaastu rules on giving gifts. 1. Pen It is one of the most common items which people forget to return! This can land you in trouble. By not returning a pen taken from others makes one vulnerable to insults. The borrower faces financial crisis later on. So do not forget to return others’ pen immediately after use. 2. Bed One should not sleep on others’ bed as far as possible. This brings quarrels with other members of the family. Sleeping on a bed other than your own will make you face financial

problems also. 3. Watch Many people (mostly girls) have the habit of exchanging their watches with others just for style. This may prove dangerous as wearing someone else’s watch will make you unsuccessful besides bringing financial losses. 4. Clothes Wearing clothes borrowed from someone else will make one face several problems. People’s clothes carry their energy along.

The negative energies get to the wearer first and it may cause clashes with family members. 5. Money Houses with doors in the north or northwest direction seem to have the inmates suffering from loans most of the time. Borrowing from others and not returning is considered a sin and that person will always face crisis in life. If you don’t

want ill luck to fall upon you, return it as soon as possible. It is considered equivalent to having an eye on the wealth of others. A well or water hole at northern or northwest corner is also responsible for debts. 6. Handkerchief It is a general courtesy not to use the handkerchief of other people. This can land you in family tensions and physical problems as well. The one who constantly uses the handkerchief of others will eventually face financial crisis too. 7. Shoes Borrowing shoes is similar to borrowing clothes. One should never wear any footwear which is either stolen or received as a gift. Such footwear would never help you reach your goal and would always pull down your luck and career prospects. NB - Tuesdays are ruled my Mars (Mangal) which is a malefic planet and one should never take a loan on a Tuesday. However, if someone has to repay the entire loan amount, Tuesday is a good day.

Somehow “It will be okay,” you said. “I doubt that, somehow,” I replied, But I knew you wanted to help, I understood how hard you tried.

“It’s falling apart. Crumbling sights I can’t overlook.” I said and looked in your eyes You looked back and your heart shook.

I looked away and sighed I realized it was no good That you don’t see through my eyes Even though try you would.

It was despair! Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

The need for Term Insurance

life insurance policy turns out to be a suitable way to face the uncertainties of life. An insurance policy must aim at ensuring that the family members dependent on our financial support do not face the crisis in case of any unfortunate event. As such, the primary objective to be fulfilled at the time of getting insured is the risk coverage. A term insurance plan precisely takes care of this risk. A term insurance policy is the simplest kind of insurance policy wherein the insured person pays regular premiums on theperiodical basis as per the policy and in return, the insurance company (the insurer) undertakes to pay the nominee the sum assured in the event of the death of the insured during the tenure of the policy. There is no payout to the insured person otherwise during the policy term or even at the end of the policy term. Salient features of a term insurance policy are as below: 1. Plain Vanilla Insurance Cover – The policy provides protection to the insured person against the risk of life. There is no investment option or payout option embedded in the policy, other than that at the time of the death of the insured person. 2. Cost Effective – The premium of a term insurance plan is relatively

My eyes stung with tears. But I couldn’t cry yet, Not with your pure heart so near.

So I lied Or maybe it was hope I told you I’ll be fine That you don’t need to worry anymore.

You smiled a little I knew I had to try There is still good in this world lower than all other insurance plans as there is no investment element in the premiums being paid towards the policy. The premiums are determined based on the life expectancy and lifestyle habits of the insured person. For example, a term insurance plan for Rs. 1 crore may cost Rs. 12,390 annually to a non-smoking individual at the age of 35 years, while the annual premium rises to Rs. 17,228 for a smoker. 3. Easier Comparison – Since there are no embedded options in the insurance policy, it is easier to compare insurance policies being offered by different insurance companies. While deciding on the quantum of the insurance coverage, one

must keep few things in mind. Insurance cover should be sufficient to maintain the family’s existing lifestyle and also take inflation into consideration. Further, it should also take care of the existing debts and loans taken by the insured person, so that the family does not have to face the financial stress of EMIs in case of any unfortunate event with the insured. As a term plan comes at reasonable costs, it emerges as the most suitable option for someone who wishes to avail a high-risk coverage. Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services pallav@salasarcapital.com

For which I could stand up and fight.

“I’m still broken hearted, I’m still in despair, But I have a little faith, Enough to tell you that I care.”

Sanjali Dixit

Buzz

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

NE students receive coaching from Premier League educators

he Premier Skills Phase 1 Coach Education course which was launched on March 12 in Guwahati, concluded with a football festival on March 18, where 62 participant coaches demonstrated the skills they had acquired with nearly 100 students. The hugely successful Premier Skills initiative, jointly organised by the British Council, the Premier League, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), took place in the city for the first time. 62 participants, including grassroots coaches and physical education students from the eight states of northeast India were part of the sessions. These participants received expert training from qualified Premier Skills coaches, giving them the skills and support to develop their own community football projects. The course in Guwahati was led by Premier League Coach Educator Jeremy Weeks and he will be supported by UK Club coaches - Isaac Hammond from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Niamh Nolan from City in the Community, the foundation arm of Manchester City Football Club. They were joined by four Premier Skills

Tezpur University scholars awarded by President for their innovative work

P coach educators who took part in the Premier Skills programme in India between 2013 and 2016, and who were on hand to assist the Premier League coaching team and pass on their experience to their fellow Indian coaches. Through Premier Skills, young people, often including the most vulnerable in society, are given opportunities to become better integrated into their local communities, to develop their skills for employability and to raise their self-esteem. The training was delivered at the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), North East Regional Centre,

Tepesia, Sonapur in Guwahati. The closing ceremony was also held at the LNIPE grounds. Among the dignitaries present were Professor Biswajit Basumatary, Dean LNIPE, Dr VK Sharma, Deputy Director Operations, SAI New Delhi, Jeremy Weeks, Premier League Coach Educator, Dr Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director British Council East and Northeast India and Dr Subhas Basumatary, Director SAI, Guwahati, Dr PB Khaund, Director Sports, Assam, DK Dinglow, Director Sports Arunachal Pradesh and Sreelakshmi Choudhury from the DoNER ministry. n

allabi Das, Department of Environmental Science, and Kasturi Sarmah, Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University (TU) were awarded the prestigious Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Award 2018 for their innovative work on large-scale synthetic routes to manufacture nanomaterials that are wonderful soil conditioners for increasing micronutrient availability to plants with least toxicity. Their work and the materials they created augmented crop production 3-4 folds and decreased the requirement of traditional micronutrient fertilizers 8-10 times. The award gives the entire team a project grant of Rs.

15,00,000 (Fifteen Lakhs). The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) and presented the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards to grassroots innovators that included the two research scholars of Tezpur University at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday, March 19. n

World Sparrow Day observed

n the occasion of World Sparrows Day, Help Earth organisation, in association with GMDA, installed Bird Boxes at Shraddhanjali Kanan, Guwahati. World Sparrow Day is

celebrated on 20th March to raise awareness regarding conservation of sparrows. Sparrows are an integral part of urban ecosystem and render a wide variety of ecosystem services. But due to rapid urbanization and deforestation, sparrows are fast losing their homes that Guwahati once provided them with. While the Assam type houses from the yesteryears provided sparrows with knocks and corners, these are not present in our present day mega concrete structure. The initiative of providing nesting boxes for the sparrows was inaugurated by Dr M Angamuthu, CEO of GMDA. After the inauguration, Angamuthu praised Help Earth for the initiatives to make people aware of the conservation of sparrow and other birds in the city life. n

Month long Squash coaching camp gets underway

Assam Textile Institute observes Annual Institute Week 2018

M. Com Department of Gauhati Commerce College celebrated its Silver Jubilee on Wednesday, March 21 at the college campus

he Assam Squash Rackets Association (ASRA) has organised a month-long squash coaching camp for young kids of Guwahati. The camp is being organised from March 16 to April 13, 2018. Senior coach of Indian Squash Academy Chennai, V Laxman, along with other coaches of ASRA will train the players. V Laxman has also been one of the pioneers of Indian squash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a pleasure being part of the Squash coaching camp. I feel that such coaching camps will definitely encourage our budding players to improve their performance,â&#x20AC;? said Laxman at the inaugural ceremony. n

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

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Catching Up

New

Chick on the block

G PLUS | MAR 24 - MAR 30, 2018

Shreya Borthakur

About I am Shreya Borthakur. I am a 21 year old aspiring model. I started modelling since 2015. I have won the title of Miss Luit 2nd Runner Up in 2015. Mojo The happiness I see on my friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face with every small and big achievement that I make keeps me motivated and moving ahead. Route in the Woods I am currently more focused in my studies. However, I plan to do more and grow better in the field of fashion and modelling once I complete my studies. Photography by - Kakali Das

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Scan the QR code Get the G Plus app Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641