Vol 5 Issue 31 by G Plus

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Inside

Volume 05 | Issue 31 May 26 - Jun 01, 2018 Price `10

Botched up investigation might allow Pratul Ghosh to go free in alleged 2016 murder case PG 04

Guwahati’s Parivartan in last 2 years Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he Sarbananda Sonowal led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government completed two years in Dispur on 24th May 2018. Before the 2016 elections, the BJP had released a Vision Document (20162025) that contained many promises of development. Two years into the regime, the same government released Parivartan, a report on the “changes” in the last two years. G Plus recalls the promises made for Guwahati’s development and analyses the claims of the government on completion of two years in power along with the status of the promises.

Promises, claims and present status

The first promise made in the vision document was the revision of the Guwahati Master Plan. Sources in Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) said that the work on the revision of the Guwahati master plan is ongoing but it would take around six more months for the same to be finalised. Meanwhile, the Assam Capital Region Development Authority Act 2017 was passed by the state government in October 2017. The act was passed to

set up a regional authority for a rapid and integrated development of the capital city and its peripheral areas. The next promise made in the vision document was of preventing traffic congestion by building new roads, widening existing roads and creating tunnel routes wherever necessary. In the claims made in Parivartan – the two years’ development report – the government declared that feasibility and detailed project report work for two six-lane bridges across Brahmaputra River - one from Pan Bazar to North Guwahati and another from Palashbari to Sualkuchi - is under progress. The city traffic congestion still remains the same and there is no relief. City-based activist and a senior citizen of Guwahati, Ajoy Dutta, had said that the bridge should be constructed somewhere in Noonmati and not at Pan Bazar as it will only make the traffic scenario in the locality more chaotic. There is no mention about any new foot over-bridges or tunnels in Parivartan. None of the roads have been widened, sources in Public Works Department (PWD) said. The third promise made in the vision document was to establish a new water supply system to cater to the entire population of the city. In Parivartan, the government claimed that

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Talking to the

Toppers PG 07

Life thrown out of gear at Lal Ganesh due to water crisis PG 12-13

Lead Story

SNIPPETS Assam becomes first state in eastern India to sign MoU for Ayushman Bharat

ealth Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is positive about the progress made by the Atal Amrit Abhiyan scheme so far. Addressing the media, Dr Sarma talked about the Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Scheme – which intends to cover the poor and vulnerable families providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. This scheme is aimed to help the poor and needy of the state. The good news is that Assam has become the first state in eastern India to sign the MoU with the centre for implementing Ayushman Bharat. The scheme will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS). Dr Sarma presented the physical and financial progress of Atal Amrit Abhiyan up to 20th May, 2018, Some basic information on the progress of Atal Amrit Abhiyan in Assam: - A total of 1.5 crore (approx) people have been enrolled under the scheme against which 1.19 crore cards (includes minors) have been distributed. District kiosks have been set up and are operational in all the districts of Assam. Additional enrolment kiosks have also been set up at government medical college and hospitals for facilitating urgent issue of cards at the hospital premises itself. - All the districts where the enrolment is less than 65%, two kits per block are being deployed for further enrolment in a phased manner. The cashless scheme was launched on 18th April, 2018. Post launch status of cashless mode: Hospital Kiosks manned by Arogya Mitras have been established in all empanelled hospitals within and outside Assam which are operational 24X7. District hospitals and Arogya Mitras have been notified as referral centres with the superintendant as the nodal officer. n

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Guwahati’s Parivartan in last... Continued from page » 1 the newly-established Guwahati Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board is coordinating the JICAassisted Guwahati water supply project. Shockingly, the water supply project is ongoing since the Congress’s tenure and the completion deadline has been postponed repeatedly. After the new government was formed in 2016, the GMDA officials had claimed that by the end of 2017, the water supply project would be complete. But that did not happen. The present government has also failed to provide the exact

timeframe by which the project would be completed. There is no extra pace observed with the work over the last two years. Another vital promise which the BJP made before 2016 elections was that they would use state-ofthe-art technology to prevent flash floods. In Parivartan, nothing has been mentioned about any new initiative regarding controlling flash floods. Talking about the present scenario only the desiltation budget for the next three years has been increased from Rs 45 crores to Rs 75 crores. But the process of de-siltation remains the same. Even now the city faces flash floods with just half an hour

of downpour. The vision document promised that green canopies will be created in all areas of the city with large areas of green and joggers parks across the city. In last two years, an agreement was signed between the state government and government of Singapore for planning landscapes with integration of parks, open spaces and green networks under the Guwahati open spaces and park integrator network. Technical approval for design is under process, the Parivartan document said. Two new parks at Assam State Housing Board Complex, Maligaon and

Khadi & Village Industries Board Complex, Hengrabari have been taken up in the last two years. But the idea of converting the old jail campus at Fancy Bazar into a botanical garden has not been taken well by the local public. The other promises made were preventing destruction of hills and hillocks and protecting the water bodies in and around the city. Well, the Amchang eviction was one initiative seen but it was again done on the directive of the Gauhati High Court. Other than that no other initiative was taken by the government in the last two years. n

Other claims made on Guwahati development

he Sarbananda Sonowal government has made some other claims also in the Parivartan report released on 24th May. The report said, “The old Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) bungalow is being converted into the Guwahati Heritage & Handloom Museum. This site will be used as a recreational and educational hub for the city.” The Parivartan report also claimed that the multilevel car parking in front of Shraddhanjali Kanan was now open for public and construction of the multilevel car parking at MMC Hospital campus is targeted for completion soon. Both the projects were started during the Congress regime before 2016 and the work on the MMC Hospital campus car parking is moving at the same pace missing all the completion deadlines.

The report claimed that Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has engaged 58 NGOs for door-to-door garbage collection of solid waste. Sweeping of arterial roads, streets, footpaths, pavements, etc has been taken up extensively. Many city residents are of the view that the garbage collection is not regular. NGOs had been enrolled earlier as well for the job prior to 2016 but at that time there were 31 NGOs. It’s just that the number has increased after the tender agreement expired in 2017. There is no other initiative by the government on garbage collection system improvement. Talking about smart city projects, the Parivartan report claimed that a few area-based development projects and several pan-city projects in information technology, road, electrical and solar sectors have been taken up which has made significant

progress in 2017. The report said that preliminary work on Gandhi Mandap refurbishment, installation of the National Flag at Gandhi Mandap, supply of safe drinking water through 20 automated water dispensing units at select locations and installation of CM Sarbananda Sonowal addressing a press conference on the 30 bio-toilets occasion of the completion of two years in office | G Plus Photo have begun. At present, Guwahati Smart City But the smart city work is Limited authorities are not sure moving at a snail’s pace. In 2014, about the deadline. Also the Narendra Modi’s government vital projects under smart city claimed that the first list are under detailed project report containing 20 smart cities will preparation process. be made smart within five years. n

BJP is only good at making promises: Congress

APCC President Ripun Bora addressing a press conference | File Photo

aking a jibe at the Sarbananda Sonowal led BJP government, the opposition party said that the BJP is only good at making promises. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, Ripun Bora said, “They have shattered and completely demolished the expectations of the people in Guwahati.” He expressed that nothing has been done in Guwahati. He said this was simply declaration; until it is transformed into reality it is meaningless. “They organised Advantage Assam Summit here, but who were the investors who came here?” he questioned.

Bora said that BJP observed Namami Brahmaputra and what they basically did was hire 120 priests from Haridwar. “Sarbananda Sonowal announced that there will be dredging in Brahmaputra. What is the progress today after two years?” Bora questioned. He rubbished the government’s claim that on both sides of the Brahmaputra there will be express highways. Talking about the flash flood issue in Guwahati, Bora said that the government did not start any initiative. “There is no development in Guwahati in the last two years except some temporary decorative lights,” Bora said. n

City

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

City gears up for Ambubachi Mela Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ith less than a month left for the Ambubachi Mela - the biggest Hindu congregation in this region – that will be held from June 22 to 25, Guwahati gears up to welcome the pilgrims, the number of whom has swelled manifold under the BJP regime. According to reports, while in the 2015, the last year of Congress’s

government departments. The Ambubachi Mela committee has already been formed,” Mohit Chandra Sarma, the head priest of Kamakhya Temple, said. On May 5, the district administration had a meeting with different involved departments such State Disaster Response Force, Public Welfare Department and Bordeuri Samaj, the committee that runs the temple. It was decided in the meeting that five areas in the city – Naharbari, Pandu, Kamakhya Railway Station, Baripara, Tarun

File photo of Kamakhya Temple during Ambubachi Mela reign, the pilgrims’ numbers were only five lakhs, it has swelled to 1520 lakhs in 2016 when BJP came to power. The figures have only gone on to rise the next year touching more than 21 lakhs. “We are expecting a higher number this year, especially after so much of publicity by the tourism department. We are ready to welcome the pilgrims with the help of the district administration and other

Sangha and Guwahati Old Jail – would be sites for pilgrim accommodation besides the areas on the Nilachal Hill. Ambubachi, the annual congregation, held to celebrate the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya, is considered to be the biggest in eastern India and generally attracts 15 to 20 lakh pilgrims, tantriks and foreign researchers. “The PWD has been instructed

The Koch Royal Family still side-lined

he Consortium of Koch Royal Families, the descendants of the Naranaryan and his brother Chilarai, who are credited with renovating the Kamakhya Temple in 1565, feel that the government has side-lined their contribution. Last year, the consortium had asked the government to put a statue of Naranarayan and Chilarai and the history of the temple renovation in front of the temple. “I don’t know why it is not being done. The Bordeuri Samaj has this time agreed to the proposal of setting the history on a sign board. They also informed that there are already statues, but those have not been properly maintained,” Pranab Narayan Dev, 16th generation of the Koch Royal Family and general secretary of the consortium said. After the death of King Nara-

narayan in 1584, the Koch kingdom was divided into Koch Behar and Koch Hajo. Koch Behar, now Cooch Behar in Bengal, was ruled by Naranayan’s son Lakshmi Narayan and Koch Hajo, which covers large parts of present-day Assam, was ruled by Chilarai’s son Raghu Narayan. According to archaeologists, the origin of Kamakhya Temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in the country, dates back to the eighth and ninth centuries. Religious literature says the original temple was built by Kamdev with the help of Vishwakarma but it was demolished in the 15th century by Mughal general Kalapahar. The ruins were discovered by Koch king Viswasingha and he revived the worship of the goddess. His son Naranarayan reconstructed it with the help of his brother and Koch general Chilarai. The temple was, however, rebuilt later. n

to build the makeshift tents and the temporary toilets for the pilgrims. GMC has been given the charge to maintain cleanliness. The NDRF and SDRF have been deployed for crowd management. The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) has been asked to provide enough buses to connect the pilgrim sites with the

temple,” Virendra Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) said. Regarding the security arrangements, Guwahati city Police Commissioner, Hiren Chandra Nath said, “More police officials have been deployed this year compared to last year. We have covered the entire Nilachal

Hill (on top of which Kamakhya Temple is located) with CCTV surveillance. Traffic police are closely coordinating with the transport department to maintain smooth traffic flow during the Mela days.” Besides, extra Central Reserve Police Force personnel have also been sought. n

Crime

SNIPPETS State minister Naba Doley orders CID probe into P&RD exam row

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Botched up investigation might allow Pratul Ghosh to go free in alleged 2016 murder case G Plus gives an updated report on an alleged murder case that happened in 2016 involving the owner of Ghosh Brothers, a premier business house of the city, as the prime accused Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

tate Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) Minister, Naba Kumar Doley, has ordered a CID probe into the department’s recently concluded combined competitive examination held last week. The move came in the wake of multiple allegations that were made by the candidates who appeared in the department’s examination alleging paper leak and use of mobile phones during the exam period. Doley today wrote a letter directed to the Assam CID and asked to look into the allegations of illegal use of mobile and internet inside the exam centers by some candidates. Officials from the Bloom Electronics Private Limited, the Kerala-based company which conducted the examination, assured that they had taken all the precautions and preventive measures to validate the code of conduct but still, some candidates managed to carry their mobile phones. Meanwhile, strong protests outside the P&RD office at Six mile in Guwahati continued on Thursday. State P&RD Commissioner, JB Ekka had assured all the candidates that the department will look into the matter and take appropriate action on the issue. Hours after the examination concluded on May 20, pictures of students using mobile phones had been making rounds on various social media platforms. n

Porn site running under BJP Assam’s domain

espite your best intentions, if you search the key terms “BJP” and “Assam” in the web search engine Google, you might be directed to a porn site. The site bjpassam.org, deceiving as it may be, is not the party’s domain but has pornographic content. The official website of the party can be accessed in www. assam.bjp.org. G Plus tried to reach out to the IT Department, BJP, Assam. However, they could not be reached for a comment. n

he owner of The Contour Hotel, Pratul Ghosh, is in the police custody now with allegations of involvement in the murder of his friend, Mridul Jyoti Das. However, he might walk free due to lack of clinching evidences. A source in the city police Crime Branch said, “The initial investigation carried out by the then investigating team was full of lapses and there are not enough evidences to prove him guilty.” Ghosh was held in connection with a case registered in Paltan Bazar police station under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to the murder of Mridul Jyoti Das. In the first information report (FIR) lodged by Mridul’s brother Pranab Jyoti Das, Ghosh was named as the main accused. The deceased Das, on 4th February 2016, was reported to have jumped off the 5th floor of The Contour Hotel. The local police registered a case of

Pratul Ghosh being produced before the CJM Court in Guwahati | G Plus Photo unnatural death on the same day. Later, Pranab Jyoti Das (Mridul’s brother) registered a complaint accusing Pratul and two others of murdering Mridul. The murder case was registered on 19th March 2016. The local police had claimed that Pratul has been absconding since the last two years. However, the Crime Branch source revealed that it’s been just 2-3 months that Pratul had absconded. Actually, the case gained momentum after the Gauhati High Court pulled up the local police for not being able to

Ghosh was apprehended from a posh dwelling in Kolkata

fter the investigation caught momentum two months ago, the Crime Branch became involved and with specific information, it was known that Pratul Ghosh was living in Kolkata. The Crime Branch team contacted the Kolkata Police Crime Branch which invited them to Kolkata. After reaching Kolkata, both the teams worked jointly and the informers were activated. The informers reported that Ghosh, along with his wife, was living in a posh house located at Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass is a 29 kilometre long major road on the eastern part of Kolkata. It connects Ultadanga in Bidhannagar to Kamalgazi in Rajpur Sonarpur. The road is a major link to Salt Lake and Rajarhat localities of Kolkata. The police team zeroed in on a Rs 1 crore flat located behind the Spring Club and apprehended Ghosh. His wife was present during the arrest. The Crime Branch sources revealed that Ghosh did not confess to the crime. According to him, on 4th February 2016 he had left The Contour Hotel at around 4.30 am while the incident occurred at around 6.30 am. The two other friends are still absconding and the Crime Branch sleuths are hunting for them. Ghosh had approached Gauhati High Court for pre-arrest bail but the court rejected his plea on June 8, 2016. But according to Crime Branch sources he left Guwahati only four months ago as, until then, the local police had not tried to arrest him. Ghosh also has homes in New Delhi and he kept travelling to Kolkata and New Delhi from Guwahati. n

apprehend Ghosh. Mridul’s family was unhappy over the police not being able to nab Ghosh for so long and had moved the Gauhati High Court recently with a prayer that the investigation be handed over to the CBI. Interestingly, the investigating officers (IOs) of the case kept changing ever since the case was registered. Two months ago, Ratneshwar Das was made the IO of the case after which the investigation caught speed. Crime Branch sources revealed that in the case diary

updated previously, the CCTV footage was not recorded. Mridul Das fell from the 5th floor and the investigating officer should have procured all the footages of the 5th floor when the incident happened. Bapan Das, the then manager of the hotel said, “The police checked all the footages but did not ask me for any footage.” He also said that the location where the incident happened is not under CCTV surveillance. But nothing in the case diary reveals any investigation on the scrutiny of the CCTV footage. Also, the two other friends who were drinking with Pratul and Mridul on the same day are still absconding, said the Crime Branch source. According to Mridul’s family, Ghosh, who was his friend, had called him to The Contour Hotel citing some urgent work. When Mridul reached around 1.30 am on February 4 2016, Ghosh and two others took him to room number 508 and allegedly beat him up resulting in his death. They then threw his body from the balcony of the room. Pranab alleged that Ghosh did not inform them about Mridul’s death till his post-mortem was conducted. n

Hotel Contour steeped in scams and controversies

he Assam State Transport Workers’ Association recently protested alleging that The Contour Hotel is not paying the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) its pending dues and threatened that the hotel will be sealed if the dues are not paid by Monday (28th May). General Secretary of the association, Dwijen Lahkar said, “Since 2011 to 2018, The Contour was supposed to pay Rs 11.73 crores but has only paid Rs 2.39 crores.” He revealed that the hotel is yet to pay Rs 9.34 crores and if the money is not paid, the hotel will be sealed. According to very highly placed sources in ASTC, North East Council (NEC) had sanctioned Rs 11,24,47,000 to construct a yatri niwas and a parking lot. This money was given to Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC). ASTC completed the construction of the building on 24th January 2011. On 3rd February 2011, the then chief minister inaugurated the building and eventually the keys of the building were given to Pratul Ghosh. The source said that the then managing director of ASTC, KN Chetia, the owner of Ghosh Brothers, Pratul Ghosh and the then transport minister, Chandan Brahma were very close to each other and a tender was put out in Dispur seeking bidders to take over the

File photo of hotel Contour building on lease to make it a hotel. Ghosh Brothers was the highest bidder and took the building on a rent of Rs 10,75,000 per month. The keys were given to Ghosh Brothers with a condition that the 3rd floor of the building would be exclusively used as a guest house of the NEC. Interestingly, the source said that initially Ghosh Brothers did pay the rent on the building on time but at present, a huge amount remains due with the lessee defaulting on rent for a while now. The question is how was a piece of construction meant for the public as a “yatri niwas” given to a private party on a lease of 10 years? The incumbent ASTC Managing Director, AP Tiwari (IPS), revealed that the authorities are concerned about the issue and he has already written to the vigilance department to conduct an enquiry. Tiwari also said, “We are already working on the issue and very soon the solution will be derived where the yatri niwas issue will be given priority.” n

In The News

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

HC orders state to set up welfare board to provide transgender people an ‘identity’ The action to be taken by the state government to uplift the cause of the state’s transgender population after the High Court’s order to constitute a welfare board dedicated for the same

SNIPPETS Singer Nahid Afrin shines in HSLC Examination 2018

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he was thrown out of her house at the age of seven and shunned by the society since then. For 27-year-old Roshna, the first hope of getting an identity of her own came on May 22 after the Gauhati High Court issued an order to the state government to set up a welfare board that would provide the transgender community of the state their identity. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ajit Singh and Justice Suman Shyam of the Gauhati High Court told Dispur that the committee constituted by the state government in November last year to this effect should submit its recommendations within three months and it should be implemented within six months. Among the various recommendations to uplift the community, the High Court has also asked to form a welfare board that would take cognizance of the various identity related cases of the transgender people among other things. “The feeling that we too exist and our lives matter, too, is something that has been alien to us for a long time. We don’t have any documents, and hence, we don’t belong anywhere officially. A board fighting for the cause would mean that our fight for existence will finally be over. Of course people will still taunt and look at us differently, but that will take some time. This is our first victory,” Roshna told G Plus with a sigh of relief. Roshna is one among 5,000 other transgenders who have been living in a “pitiable” condition in Assam where even after four years

ahid Afreen, the young artist from Tezpur, Assam has proven her talent in the field of education too. Nahid, who appeared for the HSLC examinations this year, has passed with flying colours. With letter marks in all 6 subjects, Nahid scored a total of 549 (91.5%) marks. Nahid first gained recognition in the 2015 edition of Indian Idol Junior. The singer made her debut performance as a playback singer in the 2016 Bollywood film Akira. Nahid is also the proud recipient of Achiever Award 2015, Prerna Award 2017, Gana Adhikari Promising Artist Award 2017 and Best Playback Singer 2017. n

Members of transgender community during a procession in Guwahati | G Plus Photo of the Supreme Court’s ruling on recognising the transgender as a third gender along with male and female, no welfare policy or initiatives to implement the apex court’s recommendations have been taken. The bench said that despite the apex court’s directives to all states in 2014, no steps were taken in Assam. “It is only after receiving a notice from this court that the government constituted a core committee comprising senior officers and persons having knowledge in the subject, including the petitioner, to make an in-depth study of the problems faced by the transgender community and suggest measures that can be taken by the government to ameliorate their problems,” the bench said. The Assam Transgender Association founded by Swati Bidhan Baruah had, on March

27 2017, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) after which the High Court sent a notice to the state government to constitute a committee. “I sought the Court’s intervention as Assam had not acted upon the apex court’s directives such as steps to treat transgenders as socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and extend reservation for admission in educational institutions and in public appointments. HIV sero-surveillance centres for transgenders, steps to address fear, shame, gender dysphoria, social pressure, depression, suicidal tendencies & social stigma and awareness programme were also recommended,” Baruah said. Baruah alleged that the core committee headed by the director of the state social welfare department SS Meenakshi

Sundaram and constituted by the secretaries of all the state departments was formed in December last year and it has held only two meetings so far. “The second PIL on the core committee to speed up its process was filed in January this year. On seeing that the core committee did not take the necessary actions, it was necessitated,” Baruah, who is also a member of the core committee, said. When asked, Sundaram said, “The committee will be taking its suggestions from this week onwards and after the completion of a month the board called “Transgender Welfare Justice Board” will be formed. Several branches of the board will be formed in the districts, too.” He further added, “The policy formulation for the committee will be done based on the suggestions of the committee.” n

Board to identify indigenous transgenders for enrolment in NRC

ne of the primary functions of the Transgender Welfare Justice Board, once formed, will be to backtrack to the families of the transgender people and retrieve their documents so that they can enrol themselves in the National Register of Citizens which is currently being updated for the second draft. Producing legacy data has been a challenge for the transgender people as most them have been shunned from their homes of birth by their family members.

“Producing legacy data is difficult for many of us (transgender people of Assam) because, in most of the cases, when a family finds out that the child is a third gender, they either shun us or they send us to the hijra guru (families of transgenders). Most of us don’t have enough documents with us. Those who have, due to the fear of insult and embarrassment, have not kept any contact with their real family members and so, approaching them for legacy data is out of question,” Swati Bidhan Baruah, founder of the Assam Transgender Association said.

She added, “The board, when formed, will register the transgender people living in the state. It will try to track back to their family members and retrieve the necessary documents such as Aadhaar Card, PAN card etc.” “The registered transgenders will also be able to avail the facilities,” Baruah said. While the move will help provide identity to the indigenous transgender, it will also help to identify the floating population of the transgender people. According to a survey conducted by the association, Assam’s transgender population has

swelled to around 20,000 from 11,000 in 2011 as revealed by the census report. “Many of the new entrants are either too scared to come out fearing embarrassment or have come from other parts of the city. So, a screening by the government is required to differentiate the original inhabitants from the shifting crowd,” said Baruah. Baruah said that the shifting population of the transgenders from other parts of the country, who come here for livelihood, pose a threat to the indigenous transgender population and hence, requires a proper census. n

Former GS of B Borooah College passes away

n an unfortunate incident, former General Secretary (GS) of B Borooah College, Rajdeep Gogoi, passed away at Nemcare Hospital on Wednesday morning. Rajdeep originally hailed from Sonari, under Charaideo District. Rajdeep served as GS for the year 2014-15. He was also the national delegate of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Assam, for the term 2015-17. According to sources, Rajdeep was supposed to contest for the Youth Congress Election this year. State President, NSUI, Jyoti Bikash Changmai talking to G Plus said, “Rajdeep was going through a fair bit of mental trauma for the last few days. He was residing in his aunt’s place at Dibrugarh, where he supposedly set himself on fire inside a bathroom, around 3-4 days back. He was rushed to Guwahati and was undergoing treatment for his burns at Nemcare Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries today morning.” Students at B. Borooah College said that he was one of the strongest GS that the college ever had. He had made a huge contribution to the college and his help was always at hand for students to actively participate in college activities. n

City

SNIPPETS Monti Rajkhowa becomes first Assamese to scale Mt Kanchenjunga

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Kamrup (M) placed 3rd behind Dhemaji, Nalbari with HSLC pass percentage of 67.15 Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

T G

uwahati girl, Nang Monti Rajkhowa, successfully scaled the third highest and one of the most challenging peaks, Mt Kanchenjunga. She is the first Assamese to complete this feat. Rajkhowa, a resident of Hatigaon in Guwahati and an executive engineer with Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), was part of a five-member team that completed the mission on 20th May. She was also part of the Everest expedition last year, scaling up to camp 4 located at an altitude of 8,000 metres. The Kanchenjunga expedition team had three women members, out of which ONGCian Monti Rajkhowa and IMF’s Sheetal successfully scaled the peak while Shipra Batra, another ONGCian accompanied the team as support staff. The team attempted the summit in 2 groups with the first group comprising expedition leader Nirmal Kumar, Pankaj Joshi, Monti Rajkhowa, Palkesh G Kalma and Gaurav Kadian scaling the peak at around 8:15 AM, Nepal Time on 20th May, 2018 and the second group comprising Yogender Garbiyal, Rahul Jarngal, Akash Bavariya, Surendra Prasad Jakhmola and Indian Mountaineering Foundation’s Sheetal scaling the peak on 21st May, 2018 at around 3:40 am Nepal time. Summiteers Nirmal Kumar, Rahul Jarngal and Yogender Garbiyal were also part of the team that scaled the Everest last year, a unique accomplishment. Congratulating the team on its momentous feat, ONGC CMD, Shashi Shanker said, “This is a unique achievement which will inspire all ONGCians. ONGC continues its tradition of creating new milestones and scaling new heights.” Sharing their experience on this momentous occasion, the team said, “We have done it again. Summited the most difficult mountain, Kanchenjunga. We dedicate this success to all the martyrs of ONGC who laid down their lives in the service of the nation. We feel privileged to take the ONGC dream to the top of the world again.” ONGC’s team is now the first corporate in the world to accomplish this unique feat. n

his year a total of 67.15% students from Guwahati successfully passed their High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Class 10 examinations, the results of which were declared on May 25. Out of the 12,300 students who appeared for the board examinations from Kamrup (Metro) district, 3,889 secured first division, 3,242 passed with second division and 1,129 secured third division in the examination conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA). Students from Kamrup (M) shone through during this year as the district bagged the

3,889 First division

3,242 Second division

1,129

Third division

(L-R) Bipanch Deka, B. Zenith Kashyap and Arbi Chaliha of Suderashan Public School | G Plus Photo third highest number of pass percentage in the state. Further, Guwahati also saw four out of the top ten rank holders of Assam. On the other hand, Dhemaji emerged as the top district followed by Nalbari with a pass percentage of 79.76% and 69.85% respectively. Additionally, Arbi Chaliha of Suderashan Public School bagged the third rank, while Bipanch Deka and B Zenith Kashyap of the same school attained the eighth and ninth ranks respectively. Sermon Caisar of St Mary’s High School also secured the ninth rank. Further, Raktim Bhuyan of Moonlit High School, Sonitpur

secured the first position with total marks of 593. Abinash Kalita of Anundoram Borooah Academy High, Barpeta bagged the second rank with a total of 592 along with Preetpal Bezbaruah of Tihu High School, Tihu, Nalbari. Sultana Ayishah Siddiqua of St Teresa English High School, Barpeta secured the third position with total marks of 591 along with Jintee Devi of St John’s Higher Secondary School, Baksa and Arbi Chaliha of Suderashan Public School Kamrup (M). Sayeeda Mukit, principal of Suderashan Public School, which has three of the four rank holders from Guwahati said that she is very happy with the school’s results.

“The competition was very tough but this was a good batch and we sailed through all the difficulties to reach this height. We emphasised on the written work this academic year and asked the teachers to return the students’ notebooks on time so that they become aware of their mistakes and improve on them,” she told G Plus. A total of 3.3 lakh students appeared for the examinations and 1.8 lakh students passed the same this year. Out of this, 60,987 attained the first division, 81,853 got the second division while 46,351 students secured the third division. Further, 59% boys and 53.2% girls passed the boards this year in Assam. n

Gunotsav aided in improving quality of education: Bhattacharya

hile addressing a press conference on Friday, state education minister, Siddhatha Bhattacharya, said that the education department’s initiative Gunotsav - which was aimed at improving the overall quality of education in schools, has resulted in a better pass percentage this year as compared to the previous year. “Looking at the success of the initiative, from this year onwards we are also planning to introduce Guntosav in high schools up to class 12,” informed Bhattacharya. The overall pass percentage in Assam saw a jump of around 8% with 56.04% students clearing the examinations this year in comparison to 47.9% in 2017. The minister further added

that after a gap of several years, this time boys fared better than girls. “It is a matter of great pride that among the top ten rank holders, five of them belong to government schools,” he said. Commenting on the feature of “grace marks” given to students who fall a few marks short of the passing marks, Bhattacharya

said that the number of students who were awarded grace marks has reduced this year and they are planning to slowly abolish this principle. He added that the students should only be awarded marks on the basis of merit. SEBA chairman, RC Jain, said that the results were declared without any anomalies and before time.

Pass percentage in HSLC examinations Year

Pass percent

2014

61.42

2015

62.20

2016

62.79

2017

47.94

2018

56.04

The examinations were conducted across 852 examination centres in the state amid tight security and 71 centres were identified as “vulnerable centres” by the authorities. Further, in order to keep proper vigil outside the centres, five flying squads were appointed which consisted of circle officers and authorities from the education department and the police. The mathematics answer sheets were evaluated digitally this year, too, with officials saying that they would carry this forward according to the feedback received. The officials had set up 11 specialised evaluation zones for mathematics all over Assam. Out of these, two evaluation centres were set up in Guwahati. n

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Talking to the Toppers With results of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations being declared on May 25, G Plus speaks to all the rank holders from Guwahati to get a glimpse of their preparation strategies and their plans for the future.

Bipanch Deka, Suderashan Public School (8th rank) Bipanch Deka of Suderashan Public School secured the 8th rank with 586 marks and said he is satisfied with the result. Sharing his examination preparation strategy, Bipanch informed, “The number of hours does not matter as long you seriously concentrate for as long as you are studying. According to me, that makes the difference.” He aims to become a doctor and would hence undertake the medical field for which he has already started preparations. “I would also like to appear for the UPSC examinations,” said Bipanch. His mother Jaya Deka told G Plus that she never pressurised Bipanch to score high marks and he has always been regular in his studies. “I am excited and happy with his result and would support him in whatever he would like to pursue in the future,” she said.

Sermon Caisar, St Mary’s School (9th rank) Sermon of St Mary’s School secured the ninth rank scoring a total of 585 marks out of 600. She told G Plus that she was elated with her marks and said that it exceeded her expectations. She added that her parents, too, are very happy with the result. Talking about her study strategy for the papers, Sermon informed that she, in fact, did not follow any fixed routine or time table even during the examinations. “I studied when I felt like it and also took breaks when I did not want to study anymore,” she said. Sermon is interested in pursuing science as she has always found the subject very fascinating. “I am most interested in chemistry and will be taking up the science stream in higher secondary,” said Sermon whose father is an entrepreneur and mother is a home maker. Even though she still hasn’t zeroed in on any specific profession yet, Sermon is focussed on going on the entrepreneurial path. “I want to start up a company which would be related to the field of science.”

B Zenith Kashyap, Suderashan Public School (9th rank) B Zenith Kashyap of Suderashan Public School who secured the ninth rank said that while his examinations went well, he had not expected to become a rank holder. “I used to study for 10 to 11 hours before the examinations and did self study regularly with what was taught in my school,” he said. Speaking about his future plans, Zenith told G Plus that he wants to pursue the medical profession but also has a lot of interest in mathematics. Zenith’s father Achintya Bhuyan informed that they were confident that Zenith would achieve good marks in all subjects, but were apprehensive about Assamese. “But he did well in Assamese and we feel very good. His decision is to become a doctor and we are with him,” said Bhuyan.

City

Arbi Chaliha, Suderashan Public School (3rd rank) Arbi Chaliha of Suderashan Public School was expecting to top the state in the examinations but she nevertheless was satisfied with her result. She achieved the third rank with a grand total of 591 marks. “To be honest, I was expecting to get the first rank but I made some silly mistakes. However, my parents are happy and I too am content with my marks,” she informed G Plus. Arbi said she will be taking up the science stream in the coming days for her higher secondary education as she is interested in astronomy. She added that she studied according to her own comfort and did not follow a schedule but she studied for 11-12 hours before the papers.

City

SNIPPETS Hunger strike against Citizenship Bill on May 29

emanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, constitutional safeguard for the indigenous people of Assam, implementation of the Assam Accord and sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 28 organisations representing different ethnic communities of the state will sit for a mass hunger strike here on May 29. In the first half of June 2018, a movement will also be organised in Guwahati and spread across the state to amplify the demand. This movement has been named as ‘Gana Satyagraha’. The ethnic bodies have appealed to the like-minded public organisations, individuals, women’s group, etc to join the mass movement that would continue throughout the state. All the 29 organisations would sit for a meeting on 2nd June, 2018 to decide further course of action to take this movement forward. n

Diesel auto rickshaws over 15 years to be banned

he government is going to start a drive where diesel auto rickshaws older than 15 years will be banned from plying. These auto rickshaws, will be removed from the streets. n

Physically challenged girl shines in HSLC exam

ebin Kousar, a physically challenged student who wrote her HSLC exam with her feet, secured 1st Division with 63 percent marks. She is from Gyan Jyoti Academy of Murajjhar in Hojai District. Her father works as a driver and her family is financially unstable. Jebin’s performance stands as a testimony to her sincerity and dedication towards her academic goals. Her result in the HSLC exams despite being physically disabled is an example for others facing similar conditions to perform well. n

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Authorities fail to enforce HSRP on city vehicles G Plus highlights the importance of the High Security Registration Plates or HSRP on vehicles as an important deterrent in thwarting vehicle lifting Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he deputy commissioner (DC) of Kamrup (Metro) had recently issued an order that all the vehicles in the district should convert their old registration number plates to the new High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) on or before May 31, 2018. High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) were expected to be installed in all vehicles within a period of two years from the commencement of the scheme in any state. In Assam, HSRP installation started in the month of June 2012. Within June 2014, all the vehicles (including previously registered vehicles) were expected to be installed with these security plates. According to a source in Agros Impex India Pvt Ltd (the company which is responsible for fitting HSRP in the vehicles), a significant lesser vehicles got installed with HSRP in Guwahati. The source said that approximately 16,858 vehicles were installed with HSRP in 2013, 44,394 vehicles in 2014, 6,626 vehicles in 2015 and in 2016, 74,542 vehicles were fitted with HSRP. In 2017 there was an increase in the number of installation because the vehicle dealers were directed by the district transport office (DTO) not to deliver any new vehicle without the HSRP installation. Consequently, HSRP installation machines were set up in some of the dealers’ showrooms for the purpose and fitting of the same on vehicles was guided by the company. The source described that

DTO office in Guwahati | G Plus Photo initially, after the implementation of HSRP scheme in Assam, the DTO had made a rule that a vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) would be provided to the vehicle owner only after the HSRP plate was installed on the vehicle. But later, after the change of policy, only if the challan or the receipt of the payment for HSRP was shown to the DTO authorities, the RC was provided to the vehicle owners. The source said that the agents come with the files of many vehicle owners and after the payment of the challans, they

collect the RCs of all these owners. There is a big difference in the number of challans generated and the number of vehicles fitted with HSRP. Since the commencement of the implementation, the source said that only newly bought vehicles usually go to the District Transport Office to install the security plates. The old vehicles are hardly seen installing such plates by changing their old plates. Now as the vehicles dealers cannot issue a new vehicle without HSRP, all the new vehicles are fitted with these security plates. But many of

the old vehicles are yet to change their old plates as there is no enforcement, revealed the source. A sources in the DTO enforcement branch said, “Because of lack of manpower, drives against vehicles without HSRP are hardly conducted.” The traffic police, at times, act against such vehicles but mostly the onus is on transport department. After the Kamrup (Metro) deputy commissioner’s recent order, the DTO and traffic police are gearing up for drives against vehicles without HSRPs after 31st May 2018. n

HSRP not helping in finding stolen vehicles

he big question here is: Is the HSRP helping the security agencies in finding and recovering stolen vehicles? A source in the crime branch of the city police said, “HSRP has not helped the police recover even a single vehicle.” Once all the vehicles are fitted with HSRP, the vehicles without HSRP can be easily identified. Vehicle lifters do not use HSRPs while changing the number of their stolen vehicles because the same can be easily identified, the source said.

HSRPs are installed with bold, clear and conspicuous lettering in standard letter fonts in one language only. Standardized sizes and also the fitment details on each vehicle lead to better and higher visibility of HSRP. It is supplied by authorised vendors only on the specific authority of district transport office (DTO) and is affixed on the premises of the DTO. As similar plates are not available elsewhere, these plates cannot be forged or duplicated. An HSRP has a special retro reflective

sheet of high reflectivity which can be seen clearly even from a distance of 20 metres. This factor can help to note the number details easily and because of such technology, law enforcing authorities can detect vehicles involved in any crime and thus nab the lifters. HSRP has many more factors of importance as also some special features. If an HSRP installed vehicle is stolen, the lifters face difficulties in changing the number plate because of the way it is fitted; specialised equipments and tools

are required to replace the plate. The lifters however have managed to gather equipments and tools to replace the plates now, said a police source. But it cannot be done easily. In Manipur, Nagaland and Manipur, some DTOs have a nexus with the lifters and even the HSRP installed stolen vehicles get registered with a different number. As it is a central government decision, unless all the vehicles in entire country are not installed with HSRP, law enforcing agencies will not be able to benefit from the HSRP system. n

In The News

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Motivational programmes, e-books on the cards for district library

SNIPPETS Minors allegedly beaten by AEC students

District library will undergo a complete overhaul in the coming months with the authorities planning to introduce digitisation of books and motivational programmes Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ow bookworms will be able to access and issue e-books and e-journals from the District Library of Guwahati. Established in 1955, the District Library of Kamrup (Metro) will undergo a complete overhaul in the coming months, informed officials. In a first, the authorities are set to introduce a digital system where members will get a chance to issue e-books and e-journals. This is a part of the plan for the upcoming renovations which are soon to take place at the library situated at Dighalipukhuri. Further, authorities said that the official website of the library will soon display an online catalogue of available books. This will help readers to be able to browse through the book titles available, sitting in the comfort of their homes. Till now, 3,500 books have already been added to the digital catalogue. This apart, students and other library visitors will also be allowed to bring their own books to the library to read. There will be a separate section dedicated for this and this new feature will be called “own book reading section.” “This feature will be introduced keeping in mind the students who do not have access to studying places, especially

File photo of District Library during examination time. They will be able to bring their books as well as laptops to study,” informed Krishna Bordoloi, the librarian. She added that they are in the process of procuring additional computers in order to establish a cyber centre in the renovated library. “Here bona fide members will be able to avail the internet facility for 45 minutes,” said Bordoloi. Additionally, with a view to expand its horizons, the District

Library is planning to initiate motivational programmes. This will include classes for spoken English and personality development among others. The officials of the directorate of library services have tied up with the British Council library for the same. “For instance, we will appoint a teacher to conduct classes for spoken English and the British Council library will provide us with all the study material free

of cost,” Balen Kalita, assistant librarian, informed G Plus. Currently, the library consists of a reading section, issue section, science & technology section and general reading section. Apart from this, it has a separate room dedicated for the differentlyabled visitors. The place boasts of a rich collection of over 47,000 books of different genres apart from journals and magazines on a wide range of topics. n

n yet another controversial incident, two minors were allegedly physically assaulted by students of Assam Engineering College (AEC). A source at Jalukbari Police Station revealed that two minors were rescued from hostel no - 3 of AEC yesterday. They were allegedly beaten up by the students of the hostel. The source said, “According to some students, both the minors entered the hostel illegally with the intention of stealing the gadgets of the students.” The police however registered a case and are investigating the matter as the two minors were severely beaten up by the students. Students of AEC said that many local children enter the hostel premises and often steal the valuables. This time they were able to get hold of the children. The students however denied the allegations of abusing the minors. n

Gold worth 30 lakh rupees seized at Paltan Bazar

Taking the library to the community level

n another new plan, officials are deliberating on taking the library to the community level. “We want to inculcate the reading habit among children and include more members of the community as part of the readers’ tribe,” said Bordoloi. She added that the motive behind the initiative is to increase the number of children as members of the District Library. Assistant librarian, Jaya Choudhury, is hopeful that the impending modifications will bring about a positive change and will bolster the overall image of the library. Further, Choudhury who has been associated with the library since 1991 informed G Plus that contrary to the popular belief, the inflow of registered members has not decreased over the years and has remained almost steady. At a time when information

related to any topic under the sun is available online, the district library has still retained its glory with the officials claiming that they haven’t seen a decline in book borrowing over the years. “We have maintained a good

number of members over the years and new members have also increased during some years,” said an official. As per the official records, the district library has a total of 39,682 registered members as on

District Library of Kamrup (Metro) will undergo a complete overhaul in its library services in the coming months Authorities are set to introduce e-books and e-journals in the library Official website of the library will soon display an online catalogue of available books Till now, 3,500 books have already been added to the digital catalogue. Officials will also introduce motivational programmes They also aim to take the library to the community and to increase young members

March 31 2018. Further, the library added 422 new members in 2015, 445 in 2016 and 419 in 2017. Elaborating on the new facilities to be provided at the library, Balen Kalita informed that the modifications aim to modernise the already existing sections. “We will be witnessing some structural changes in the library. For instance, the issue section will be shifted to the front and the reference section will be moved to the back. Overall, the building will remain the same from the outside while the modifications will be conducted only on the inside,” said Kalita. He further added that, at present, the ceiling of the library is very high, giving rise to a lot of distance between the floor and the ceiling. It will now be reduced to incorporate a new floor in between. n

altan Bazar police, on Monday, arrested one Vikas Taporia with 4 gold biscuits worth Rs 30 lakhs (around 750 gms). Taporia revealed that he received the gold from a Naga person in Guwahati who got it from Myanmar and was transporting it to Jaipur, Rajasthan. There has been an increase in gold smuggling busts and Guwahati is being used as a transit point for smuggling. Gold smugglers have set up safe havens and distribution points in various areas of the city. Most reports reveal that gold is being smuggled from Myanmar via Manipur and is being transported to different parts of the country. n

Concern

SNIPPETS Adil Hussain nominated for Best Actor at IIFA Awards

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Child protection experts call for more sensitive reporting Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ctor Adil Hussain from Assam has been nominated for the Best Actor (Male) at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards. He was nominated for his performance in the film Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) which was directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani. The IIFA awards ceremony will be held in Bangkok in June. The film is a comedy-drama about a son who is forced to set his job aside to accompany his elderly father to the holy city of Varanasi. Adil Hussian plays the role of a son (Rajeev) who takes his father (Daya played by Lalit Behl) on this journey to Mukti Bhawan and the experiences they have there. When Daya thinks of attaining salvation in the ghats of Varanasi, he takes his son Rajiv along with him. As days pass, Daya finds company in a widow while Rajeev is left in a state of dilemma. Adil’s character is forever flailing between the pragmatic and the profound, wondering if his father’s readiness for death makes any sense at all, and also questioning whether the hotel that promises salvation is itself haunted. The film has received much acclaim and accolades ever since its world premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival in September 2016. Earlier, the film received four nominations at the 63rd Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics). Adil also found a place in NDTV’s Ten Best Actors of 2017 list for his spectacular performance in Mukti Bhawan. Mukti Bhawan, the directorial debut of 25 year old Shubhashish Bhutiani, also has Gitanjali Kulkarni and Palomi Ghosh a part of its cast. n

hild protection experts from the state called for a better and sensitive representation of childrelated issues in the media by professionals. This was discussed in a seminar organised by the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) on representation of children in the media on May 24. It was attended by various stakeholders including members of different NGOs working in the field of child rights. Sunita Changkakati, chairperson of the commission, said the ASCPCR will take into account the suggestions which were put forward in the discussion and will work towards implementing them. These included making police stations child-friendly and holding discussions with members of different media organisations to make them aware about maintaining caution and sensitivity in their reports related to children. Further, the chairperson also mentioned that they will create awareness among school children to teach them about their rights. “It is important for children to be aware of their rights. This will help them feel empowered and will also instil a sense of confidence in them. There

It is important for children to be aware of their rights. This will help them feel empowered and will also instil a sense of confidence in them.” Sunita Changkakati

A glimpse from the seminar organised by Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights | G Plus Photo are several cases which go unreported since children are scared to speak up. We hope this initiative will be a stepping stone in providing children with a voice,” said Changkakati. She added that for this they would make use of pictorial methods such as banners and comics which will be of interest to the children. Participants also suggested that the provisions of child protection laws like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Juvenile Justice Act must be taught to various authorities who deal with children. Members of the commission also discussed recent media reports which violated ethical norms of reporting. Technical consultant at ASCPCR, Rajiv Jha, mentioned a few examples where names and addresses of the alleged accused and the victims were published in a few media reports leading to

easy identification of the victim. Participants also mentioned the need to maintain caution while reporting on juvenile issues keeping in mind the possible effect it could have on the alleged victims and perpetrators of the crime and their families and relatives. Further, Dr Pilu Hazarika, member of the commission, threw light on the important guidelines for media professionals of reporting of children issues. She informed the gathering about the provisions of the Delhi High Court which directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to set up an expert committee to develop a guideline for media reporting on children. These guidelines mention that the media must ensure child’s right to privacy is maintained, their identity must not be revealed and their stories should not be sensationalised. It also mentions procedures

to follow while conducting interviews with children. On the other hand, another member of the commission, Indrani Tahbildar, spoke on the legal provisions for media professionals on reporting of children related issues. Tahbildar spoke about the provisions of the POCSO and the Juvenile Justice Act. She also spoke about the guidelines by the NCPCR to regulate participation of children in TV serials, reality shows and advertisements. “The Information Technology Act provides for punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form and for material containing sexually explicit act,” she said. “The media is one of our key partners and also serves to inform us about important cases related to child rights. This, in turn, aids us in taking suo moto cognisance in a lot of cases which we come to know about through the media,” said Changkakati. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Rain

Storm

Rain

Storm

30°/23° C

31°/23° C

29°/23° C

31°/24° C

SATURDAY Storm

30°/24° C

Feature

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Tête-à-tête with Uddhab Bharali

With 147 incredible innovations, this man is the king of innovation Chandrika Das

ddhab Bharali was born and brought up in Lakhimpur in a family that was is financial doldrums. He was a bright student since his early days, but that hardly helped. He could not complete his studies due to financial constraints. His family was burdened with debt and continuing with education was not something that was even an option. His early life was basically about poverty-stricken days and hungry nights; he hardly has any good memories of his childhood. But then, it was those hard days that actually made him the colossus that he is today. This person has always been in love with mathematics and science. He was promoted to the 3rd standard from 1st (double promotion), and when he appeared for the Grade 6 examination, he was directly promoted to Grade 8. From a very young age, Uddhab was made to stand outside the classroom because he asked difficult questions to the teacher. That however never deterred his curiosity to learn new things. Today, from machines to help the physically challenged to the very popular pomegranate deseeding machine, Uddhab Bharali has 147 innovations to his name. Burdened by debt, Uddhab took up a project with a polythene making company where he invented a polythene making machine to help the tea garden workers. The machine was invented at a subsidized cost of Rs 67,000. This was his first project that went a long way towards paying off his

My life has been a very difficult one. I would not have been capable of anything, if I’d have sat and complained. I kept grabbing new opportunities in life giving the best of the knowledge I had. Hard times come to all people. What matters is how you deal with it” Uddhab Bharali

debts. Talking about his journey, the innovator said, “People often begin their success stories from zero, but mine was not the same. My journey started with minus Rs 18 lakhs. That was the amount of debt that my family had to clear. It was during those hard days only that I got the chance to work for the polythene making company.” This innovation opened new floodgates of opportunities for him. The innovator invented 24 machines between the years 1990 and 2005. In 2006, Uddhab invented a pomegranate seed peeling machine which became one of his most popular innovations. The machine was designed to separate the outer skin from the thinner membrane without any damage to the seed. The machine can de-seed approximately 55 kgs of pomegranates in an hour. This machine actually helped him in building his identity as an innovator. The machine made news across the globe in mere days. Soon, orders for the deseeding machine came pouring from US, Japan and Turkey. In addition to this machine, the innovator has invented machines that could peel garlic, cut tobacco leaf, strip canes, polish brass utensils, peel passion fruit seeds and juice etc. His innovation “Areca Nut Peeler” can peel 100-120 nuts per minute. Then there is the “Cassava Peeler” - an electronic gadget that can process up to 5 kgs of cassava per minute. All his inventions are made to make life and living easier for the common people. Another major innovation that won him recognition and fame is a mini tea plant for green tea. The plant that is designed to help tea workers consumes very little electricity and has grown to be a big hit already. His rice planting machine is yet another marvel. The low cost machine is designed in a manner that doubles the rice yield to boost the economy of the state of Assam. “Conventional rice cultivation yields 10 muna or 40 kgs of rice from one bigha (14,400 sq ft) of land. With my paddy seeding machine the yield will be double,” Uddhab said. The practice of preparing the paddy seed bed, its maintenance

and transplanting is cumbersome, and demands intensive labour. The machine designed by Uddhab will plant the encased paddy seeds into the soil at an exact gap of 10 inches thereby removing the transplantation process. According to Uddhab Bharali, Assam is a state which is rich in natural resources. But the fact that people are in the race to buy materialistic stuff saddens him. “Our state has everything that can make the young generation innovative. He said, “For example, instead of buying rakhis from

shops during Raksha Bandhan, why doesn’t the generation try to make one? With bamboos available in abundance it’s just so easy to make one!” Several people relate him to the character of Ranchodas Shyamaldas Chanchad played by Aamir Khan in the movie “3 Idiots.” He is one to believe in the power of learning and not scoring marks. He holds that

everyone is capable of creating wonders but that will only happen if we begin working on them. He is a recipient of President’s Grassroots Innovation Award, 2009. In 2007, he got Shristi Samman Award. He is the winner of engineering design contest organized by NASA Tech “Create the Future Design Contest” for the year 2012 and 2013. He is also the recipient of Rashtriya Ekta Samman in 2013. He was one of the speakers in TEDx ISM, Dhanbad held in October 2014. n

File photo of Uddhab Bharali with a pomegranate deseeding machine

Ward Survey

G PLUS | May

Life thrown out of gear at Lal Ganesh due to water crisis Problems of Lal Ganesh where respondents of a survey conducted, ticked off only four parameters as good living standards Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

Defunct water project (Left) forced people to take water from the underground tank (Right) Goswami, who has been living here for the last 10 years, said that the problem persists and has remained unaddressed by the GMC over the last two years. “We had filed several complaints to the GMC and the dis-

0% Yes 60% No 40% Sometimes Pest Control Measures

72% Yes 16% No 12% In some lanes Water Logging issues

40% Smooth 60% Occassionally crowded 0% Pathetic 0% Yes 100% No Public Toilets

trict administration. But no step has been taken yet. Every time we were assured that they will look into the matter. But in the end, it all boils down to one thing: wait till the ongoing water supply projects are over,” Goswami said.

Lal Ganesh, a tri-junction where Kahilipara Road meets the Lokhra Road is also one of the emerging residential areas of the city. According to the Central Ground Water Board (GGWB),

Concen

6% Yes 94% No 0% Sometimes Water Supply

36% Yes 64% No Parking Spaces

8% Good 30% Average 62% Bad 0% Pathetic Road Condition

6% Yes 66% No 28% Could be better Drainage system

46% 0% Half an hour daily 18% An hour daily 36% More than an hour 0% No load shedding

0% Very secured 28% Secured 46% Needs more security 26% No security

Load shedding

Law and Order

Sometimes

Councillor Report

Negative Response

cute crisis of potable water remains the greatest concern in Lal Ganesh area of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Ward No 16. This was revealed in a survey conducted by G Plus in which 50 families of the ward were asked questions on 14 parameters of living standards. Barring 3 (6 per cent), all the respondents expressed dissatisfaction regarding availability of potable water in the area. The residents had complaints on 10 of the 14 parameters, but water crisis topped the list. (See Chart) “Except for the monsoon season, we have to purchase water almost round the year as even the groundwater reserves are almost depleted. Those who can afford, purchase water while the rest have to collect it from the public water taps. The GMC provides water twice a day through the public taps, but it isn’t enough for all the residents living here,” Abhijit Bose, a resident here said. Another resident, Partha

with the groundwater reserves depleting fast, the threat of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium in the water is also becoming more pronounced. A survey conducted by the board revealed that Lal Ganesh already falls under one of the 17 high fluoride zones in the city. “In Lal Ganesh, we have found that the fluoride level is above 7 milligram (mg) per litre which is way above the permissible 2 mg per litre. However, if the groundwater reserve keeps getting depleted at this rate and not replenished at the same rate, we are staring at an imminent threat of heavy metal accumulation in the region,” a scientist in the Guwahati office of CGWB said. Heavy metals, as the name suggests, are heavier than other metals and thus, have a tendency of settling at the bottom of groundwater reserves. While fluoride contamination causes health hazards like skeletal fluorosis causing bent bones in legs and dental fluorisis causing crooked teeth, hazards of heavy metals are more serious. These include neural troubles, serious skin diseases, disability in children and weak development of certain body parts among others. n

Pop V Pop

0% Always 58% Sometimes 42% Never

Councillor in C

0% Yes 62% No 26% Sometimes 12% Only during ele

Councillor Inte

Ward Survey

26 - JUN 01, 2018

Clogged drains, water logged lanes and other woes

Water logging at Lal Ganesh area | G Plus Photo it is confined to a few lanes only. “While water logging on GS Road and Zoo Road area is something that cannot be avoided due to congestion, the same is not the case here. A bit of management and regular cleaning of the drains will easily stop this problem here,” Partha Goswami, a resident said. Regarding drainage system, 33 residents (66 per cent) said that there is no proper drainage here while 14 others (28 per cent) said that it needs improvement. The residents are not satisfied with the road conditions too as only 4 (8 per cent) said that the roads are good while off the rest

ection

eraction

ran Krishna Bhaumik, councillor of Ward No 16, admitting his inability to provide regular drinking water preferred to highlight the ward’s streetlight condition and regular garbage collection. “Water crisis is a problem over which I don’t have much jurisdiction. It is being looked after by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). However, what I can do is to ensure regular garbage collection and make sure that the roads are well lit. The residents have no complaints regarding these services,” Bhaumik said. When apprised that the residents are not satisfied with the road conditions, Bhaumik added, “It all depends on the funds. With the limited funds that I receive, I have spent on streetlights and other services. Moreover, this region is one of the exits to the national highway and is frequently used by heavy vehicles. So, the cost to repair roads is high. This hampers the construction of new roads.” He also urged that to deal with the depleting ground water, people should try to increase the green cover in their respective areas. “The green cover is a major concern, I admit. Even the urban floods are caused due to lesser green cover in the area. I had been encouraging the people of my ward to refrain from covering their compounds with concrete. This will at least delay the ground water depletion to a lot of extent,” Bhaumik said. According to a map prepared

Councillor Pran Krishna Bhaumik by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on the green covers in the city, Lal Ganesh is one of the mildly vegetative wards. A BJP councillor, Bhaumik is banking on the incumbent government of the same party to solve the water crisis problem. “Water crisis is a problem that has gripped the whole city. It is due to the inefficiency of the 15 years of rule of corruption of the former government. The works in the water projects have already started and is being done on a war footing. Soon this problem will be solved too,” Bhaumik said. He further added, “Once people get 24X7 water from the government, the ground water usage will decrease to a lot of extent. Heavy metal contamination is a threat in the long run and we hope that the water crisis will be sorted way before that.” n Survey conducted by Ria Choudhury

ntrated Area: Lal Ganesh (16B) Ward No: 16 pulation of the Ward: 36,000 Voter Population: 30,000 pulation of Lal Ganesh: 9,000 Ward Councillor: Pran Krishna Bhaumik

Community Works

Solving water crisis is beyond my capacity: Councillor

46 (92 per cent), 15 (30 per cent) said that it is average and 31 (62 per cent) said that the road condition is bad. In Lal Ganesh, an area that has earned a reputation of being one of the crime prone areas of the city, only 7 residents (14 per cent) felt secured while the rest said it needs more police vigil. This area, which is not exactly within the core of the city, is also suffering from frequent loadshedding. 18 respondents (36 per cent) said that they suffer from load-shedding for at least more than an hour daily while 9 others (18 per cent) said that it lasts as long as an hour. Regarding pest control, 35 (70 per cent) said that there have been no such activity while the rest 15 (30 per cent) said that pest control measures are taken up occasionally. Lal Ganesh is also one of the dengue prone zones of the city according to a survey conducted by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme under the National Health Mission to check prevalence of the disease. The area, however, is not devoid of its perks. Adequate streetlights, door-to-door garbage collection, transport connectivity and availability of healthcare facilities are the few living parameters in the ward in which the residents expressed satisfaction with the GMC. (See Chart) n

42% Yes 58% No Do you know Councillor?

0% Excellent 18% Satisfactory 60% Under performing 22% Poor Councillor Performance

Positive Response

hile water crisis tops the problems for the residents of Lal Ganesh, the locality is also suffering from poor maintenance of drains, especially in the lanes and so, has water logging issues too as a result. 47 respondents (94 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction with the drainage network which according to them is either faulty or not properly maintained. Regarding water logging, 36 respondents (72 per cent) said that the whole area is prone to the problem while 12 others say that

72% Yes 16% No 12% Needs improvement Ambulance, Health Services

66% Everyday 18% Twice a week 0% Once a week 0% Fortnightly 16% Irregular 0% Never Garbage Collection

66% 0% 8% 26% Street Lights

94% Yes 2% No 4% Needs improvement Transport Connectivity

G Talk

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

No congratulations to Guwahati

t’s a matter of regret isn’t it? The most hip district in the entire state that Kamrup (Metro) is, with the best possible facilities in schooling especially, the city’s results in major examinations throws up a different picture altogether. Yes, I am talking about the HSLC results this year and the uncannily poor performance of the city’s schools in the same. Just think about it. Many of us city folks have no idea what Dhemaji is like. We only hear about it in the news; the district features prominently during the flood season with pitiful scenes of homes being washed away and people herded like cattle in makeshift camps. In fact, a fair bit of the flood-affected population there made a beeline to Guwahati hoping to revive their lives in this city of opportunities. And yet today, this same district has outshone Guwahati with a massive 79.76% pass result. In comparison, Guwahati looks like a failure with just 4 positions on the merit list – 3 of them from just one school – and an inexcusable 67.16% for a pass result! And if you think back again, last year was no different. No Guwahatian figured in the top-10 of

the merit list leading us to wonder whether our children are intelligent or diligent enough. Why is it this way when Guwahati provides the best facilities in terms of all-round infrastructure? Good schools, good teachers, school buses et al. Isn’t it a point to ponder for all concerned? Parents in Guwahati have often come across as serious guardians when it is about their children doing well in studies. I mean, where is the lacunae if there is one at all? Or is the city too glitzy and distracting with its seamless internet and rocking party zones that students find themselves weaned on a regular diet of nonacademic pursuits? Quite clearly, this is not the case with the Dhemajis, Nalbaris and North Lakhimpurs – these districts do not have Guwahati’s “appeal” and so their students study better. The overall 8% increase in the pass percentage augurs well for the state; at least this has, by far, been a good performance for the state and more than half the 3.5 lakh odd candidates have cleared their matriculation. Congratulations to all of them! Swapnil Bharali Editor

Partivartan aaya, do saal baad

he BJP-led Assam government completed two years in Assam and apparently, there’s an entire book dedicated to it. The CM, in the anniversary celebrations, released a book titled ‘Parivartan’ which highlights the development activities in the state. While Rome was not built in a day, as a Guwahatian, I am not really happy about how the government has fared and what it has done for the city. For one, the grand road renaming exercise of 2017 continues to puzzle me. The cultural imperialism behind this decision did not really teach anyone anything, mostly because the curriculum around it did not evolve. Most importantly, people are still happy using the old names. So did this exercise really help anyone? The second: VIPgiri continues to be at an all time high in the city and our Governor is the flag-bearer. Dear Governor, you are not as important as you think you are. You can walk around on the middle of the road and I promise no one will bother you. If the top politicians continue this, the small fries follow and this irks Guwahatians. This of course is added with the price rise – fuel and perishables both, the mismanagement of the security and surveillance, not tackling the foreigners’ issue and the border management. This list is a little expansive. In any case, there are another 3 years for the government to prove its mettle and I think they have more milestones to achieve. Rebranding and repackaging is a typical BJP skill, but we also hope that this results in something positive three years down the line. But I wonder if the 108 page ‘Parivartan’ is code for “Is kitaab to jap te raho” and acche din will be here.

Sidharth Bedi Varma

Two years of BJP in Assam – hits & misses

or the first time in its history, Assam, influenced by the phenomenal saffron surge that swept the country, elected a BJP government in 2016 pinning hopes of setting many things right that had gone awry during the previous regimes. As the BJP completes two years of governance, let’s take a look at the areas where they did really well and a few grey areas where they failed or could’ve done better. The BJP wrested power from the Congress on the promise of protecting jaati (indigenous people), maati (land), bheti (home) and from day one, its actions somewhat denoted that it meant business. The various eviction drives on forest lands and hills carried out in many parts of the state, especially the Kaziranga National Park, resulted in thousands of bighas of land being cleared of encroachment - mostly by illegal migrants. The government has also delivered on its promise of zero-tolerance on corruption. Examples are removal of illegal check gates on national highways, the arrest of APSC Chairman and related officers, arrests of corrupt officials from departments like agriculture and excise etc. The Madrassa Board was scrapped and merged with the state education board to promote modern learning. The CM’s “Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana” was launched with a whopping outlay of Rs. 30,000 crores envisaging allround development of all villages. The “Assam Ease of Doing Business Bill 2016” was passed in the very first session of Assembly demonstrating the government’s commitment towards creating a business-friendly atmosphere. The proposed investment of Rs. 1,000 crores each by Patanjali Foods and Hindustan Unilever Limited to expand and establish manufacturing units in the state is a major boost to the state’s industrial sector. The Global Investors’ Summit in Feb 2018 was highly successful; it will boost trade and other relations with Southeast Asia. The valiant sacrifices of the martyrs of the Assam Agitation were honoured under the “Shraddanjali” program where Rs

rMurder of democracy

5 lakhs each was paid to the kin of the 860 martyrs’ families. The expeditious manner in which the Herculean task of NRC updating is being carried out with assistance from the Union government deserves applause. The increment in monthly pension of artists and sports persons of the state from Rs. 4,000/to Rs. 8,000/-. In line with the government’s promise to make higher education accessible to the poorest students of the state, more than a lakh were admitted free of cost in more than 300 colleges across the state - a laudable step indeed. Extricating the oil royalty for the period 2008-14 from the Centre, tea workers benefitting with more than 7 lakh bank accounts being opened: a major step towards their financial stability.

Most influx took place during the Congress terms from 2001-2016 and earlier, when BJP had little role to play in state politics. Currently 9 of the 33 districts have a predominantly Muslim population and it’s anybody’s guess whether these are foreigners/locals. Thanks to some insensitive and greedy political parties whose only objective was to establish a trusted vote bank and nothing else.” However, notwithstanding the decent work done by the BJP government in many spheres, there are certain areas they have failed thus far or could’ve done better. Little improvement/action has been seen with regard to the perennial problems of flood and erosion that have plagued the state for long. The magnitude of the problems is such that they cannot be resolved in a short span of time. But any concrete step towards a

O pi n io n Subhasish Das

resolution is missing. The one-horned rhino is facing a survival challenge like never before. Although instances of poaching have come down in the last 2 years with induction of special protection forces with modern weapons, more is expected from the government to save this pride of Assam from extinction. Prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed despite illegal check gates being closed down and a massive clampdown on corruption. In its vision document released prior to the 2016 polls, the BJP had said that the Assam Accord would be implemented in letter and spirit. On the contrary, the party is now supporting the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016 which has caused widespread resentment amongst the indigenous populace of Assam. The slow pace of the sealing of Indo-Bangladesh border is another area where the party seems to have deviated from its promise. Another pre-poll promise was to enact a law to sternly deal with industries, business houses and other agencies that employ foreigners. Nothing has been done in this regard so far. In one of the rallies prior to the 2014 Parliament elections, Narendra Modi, driven by his immaculate rhetoric, had declared that illegal foreigners residing in India would have to pack their bags if the party is voted to power. No noticeable action has been seen. More disappointing than this has been Assam government’s ineffectiveness in taking things forward with the Centre in the right direction. Also, the entire region is still looking forward to see what the Centre’s much-hyped “Act East Policy” – the erstwhile “Look East Policy” – actually has for its people, and when. People are sanguine that this government won’t let them down and keep up with most of its promises if not all ticking the maximum boxes before it reaches out seeking another mandate. Well, two years is long enough for people to form an opinion but short enough too to be judgmental and overcritical on any government’s performance. n

Letter to the Editor

he recently held panchayat polls in West Bengal were a complete ruckus. The ruling TMC government under Mamata Banerjee left no stone unturned to make the elections a bloodbath. The goondagiri resorted to by the TMC goons during the polling day and prior to D-Day simply proves that Mamata Banerjee wants power at any cost. There was a wise saying, “What Bengal thinks today India thinks tomorrow.” That was the benchmark Bengal had setup earlier for the rest of the country. Now in the present situation West Bengal is setting a bad example to the rest of the country by murdering democracy in broad daylight. It has been proved again that Mamata Banerjee (unlike her name suggests) is pretty merciless when it comes to clinging on to power. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Utpal Borpujari Journalist, film critic, filmmaker

tpal Borpujari is a National Film Award winning filmmaker from Guwahati. A journalist cum film-critic turned filmmaker, he has made a mark with his films, which mostly deal with problems faced by northeast India. Born and mostly brought up in Guwahati, Utpal did his initial primary education in Latasil School (the rest of the primary education was in Sadar Asamiya Prathamik Bidyalay in Silchar), followed by Cotton Collegiate Higher Secondary School. He completed his BSc with Honours in Geology from Cotton College before doing my MTech in Applied

Geology from IIT-Roorkee. As a student, Utpal used to write in newspapers and magazines on various subjects. Hence, after completing his studies, he started out as a journalist with The Sentinel in Guwahati. Subsequently, he worked with organizations like PTI and Deccan Herald. While film criticism was only a part of his journalistic work, Utpal considers it crucial to his work. Speaking to G Plus about developing an interest in the field of storytelling and filmmaking, Utpal says, “I believe that watching films from all over the world must have

subconsciously influenced me slowly to tell stories through the medium of cinema. That is how, perhaps, I ended up leaving my journalism job to pursue filmmaking.” He strongly believes that to be a sensitive filmmaker, one has to understand the way the medium of cinema can be used to tell a story. While filmmaking is totally different from literature or journalistic work, it’s true that they all tell stories. Utpal says that his experience as a film critic has helped him immensely in his film making career. “Watched thousands of films over the years have surely helped me learn how stories can be told differently and how the visual and aural power of cinema can take the story forward. Also, watching films and analyzing them has helped me understand what works and what does not in cinematic storytelling,” he says. Utpal’s directoral debut ‘Ishu’, which deals with the problem of witch-hunting in Assam, has been screened at many national as well as international screens. It has received critical acclaim from critics all over the world. Describing his take on the film, Utpal told G Plus, “Ishu is based

on a novel by Manikuntala Bhattacharjya who is a one of my favourite authors apart from being a dear friend. The problem of witch hunting was something that has always troubled me as a conscientious citizen. I had read about the works being done to fight this social evil. When I read Ishu, I thought it could be an interesting way to look at the problem as it has the perspective of a child. Children, with their innate innocence and simplicity, can really bring in a fresh way to look at the complex of things because they are not prejudiced against anyone.” However, he adds that making the film wasn’t an easy task and it was quite difficult to find a financier to back it. That’s when he decided to apply to Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) and its script committee with his script. However, the whole process from applying to completion took almost five years. Speaking to G Plus about his take on the current scenario of the Assamese film industry, Utpal says, “Assamese film industry, I feel, is currently standing at the crossroads. While we are drastically short of cinema halls to screen our own films – and here when I say “Assamese” it is not only the language but also all the films made in various ethnic languages in our state.” He further added that in the last couple of years Assam has seen the emergence of a good number of young filmmakers who are trying to bring in fresh

narratives into cinema in different genres and styles. But while the new generation of Assamese filmmakers is bringing in lot of hope, it’s very alarming to see some filmmakers bringing in elements of B or C grade films from industries like Telugu or Bhojpuri in the name of “commercial” cinema. A recipient of the prestigious Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic at the 50th National Film Awards of India in 2003, Utpal has served as a jury member in various film festivals across the country, including World Cinema and IFFI. He has also been part of 177 worldwide film critics who were invited by BBC Culture to poll individual Top 10 films of the 21st Century (2016). As a critic and journalist, he has covered Cannes, Nantes, Montreal, IFFI, MAMI, 3rd Eye Asian Film Fest, MIFF and Osian’s Cinefan film festivals over the years. Utpal, who is currently writing a couple of scripts for feature films and short films and also working on developing a few documentary film ideas, says that these projects will only see the light of the day if he finds a financier for each of them. His earlier works include documentary films Mayong: Myth/Reality (2012), Songs of the Blue Hills (2013) and Memories of a Forgotten War (2016). Describing himself as a “Guwahatian in the truest sense of the term,” Utpal visits Guwahati frequently and keeps in touch with his big group of childhood friends.

There have been some mixed reactions on the recent hikes in fuel prices. G Plus presents some interesting observations from its digital channels Raj Hatikakati Best form of protest during this price hike would be all the people taking out their vehicles, parking it in the middle of the road and walking off. One day when the entire traffic would come to a standstill, everything will fall in line and right now, the government is absolutely having no control over things and is just being dictatorial. Not right at all!

Neelav Kankan Sarmah Fuel rises has hit every Indian but that doesn’t mean that we will take out thelas and rickshaws on the roads to protest like the Congress people are doing. Only the ones who don’t have any jobs will simply do all this on the roads. Yes, price hike of fuel is a serious problem but this is not the solution.

Binay Hazarika The amount of tax imposed on petrol or diesel is not less than 200 percent. Ever increasing prices are badly hitting the common people. Instead of petrol or diesel, there is scope of levying 500 to 1000 percent import tax on any luxurious item. That will be good for ‘Make in India’. Petrol or diesel should be free from any types of taxes to relieve the common people.

Sanjib Barua International crude oil prices are beyond Indian government’s control. It’s the US that is in control over almost everything. So no point blaming! Secondly, the currency value of India is also a big matter to be looked at because of which the prices are too high. People need to gain some knowledge before commenting.

Er Jyotishmoy Mech Seriously people don’t have work! When Congress was in power and now when BJP has formed the government, they are still protesting on every issue. These people of political parties have so much time in life. But why waste the time of the public? If they are so unhappy with the rise in the fuel prices, they should directly go to the Supreme Court and parliament to protest because protesting on the streets will give nothing. I am personally not supporting any of the political parties here because all are the same. Pallav Sinha Mr Narendra Modi, we request you to please not raise petrol and diesel prices like a tortoise move. Just make it the round figure 100. And leave us free for next 3 to 4 years. We will then have zero tension to see a paper every day. Heights of price rise and sufferings! Every time it’s the public who has to suffer.

Shreya Dhar We want answers from government. What are they doing? It’s better they take a quick decision on petrol/diesel price hike in the country. Also accept it that Modi Sarkar has totally failed because they are looting people openly in the name of various taxes, price hikes and what not. Shalini Banerjee Petrol price is being hiked for second time in the last 25 days by BJP government. Today, petrol price is being hiked by Rs 2.19 a litre and diesel by 98 paise per litre again. Remember, as per the crude oil price in international market and Dr Manmohan Singh’s (UPA) government policy, petrol price in India should have been below Rs 20 and diesel price should have been below Rs 15. Modi is looting this country and still millions of idiots say petrol price is been decreased by Modi government.

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Two years of

Parivartan Two years back on this month, May, the Bharatiya Janata Party in coalition with Asom Gana Parisad and Bodoland People’s Front had formed government with landslide votes. The journey so far has been filled with various ups and downs. The following feature contains the highlights of these two years:

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal along with Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami and other dignitaries during the release of the books, namely, “Sharddhar Ekajoli and Madhya Pradesh: Ek Ananya Jatra” at a function held on December 22, 2017.

Information and Public Relation The state governmenthas been giving great emphasis on the overall development and welfare of the journalists of the State. Under the “One Time Ex-gratia to the next of the kin (NoK) of the deceased journalists” scheme one time Ex-gratia of Rs 5.00 lakh each was given to the next of kin of 31 journalists who lost their lives or are missing in various incidents of violence in the state. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has formally distributed the grants on December 22, 2017 at Shrimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra. Sharddhar Ekajoli- a

collection of short biographical sketches of these journalists was also released on this ocassion by the Hon’ble Chief Minister. The present Government has introduced “Republic Day Journalism Award” to honour one eminent journalist of the State annually for his/ her outstanding contribution in the field of Journalism. The awardee is given Rs. 1.00 lakh. The award is conferred annually in the state level function of Republic Day, i.e. 26th January. During 2017 the first award was conferred to noted journalist Radhika Mohan Bhagawati.In 2018,

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seen handing over one-time Ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the deceased journalists at a function held on December 22, 2017

the award was conferred to noted Journalist KanakSenDeka. The State Government has introduced Assam Pension Scheme for Journalist to provide retirement benefits @ Rs. 8000.00 to the journalists working more than 20 years in Assam on their retirement. Pension Authority Letters have been distributed to 20 retired journalists on February 5, 2018. During 2016-17 under the scheme, “Press Tour on Goodwill Mission

for the Rural Media Persons of Assam”, a team of 18 rural media persons along with two officers visited Gujarat from 4th March to 14th March, 2017. During 2017-18, a team of 14 rural media persons from various districts of Assam visited Madhya Pradesh under the supervision of two officers from 24th November to 6th December, 2017. The Media team interacted with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Sivraj Singh Chauhan and ceremonially handed over the Goodwill Message

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal along with Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami during the distribution of one-time Ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the deceased and missing journalists at a function held on December 22, 2017.

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami in presence of Director of Information and Public Relations, Assam Rajib Prakash Baruah during distribution of Pension Authority Letters to retired journalists in a function held on February 5, 2018.

of the Honâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ble CM of Assam. 20 Rural Media persons will be sent to Rajasthanduring the current financial year 2018-19. The present Government has taken a significant initiative and announced Media Fellowship for the Working journalists who want to improve their professional skills and upgrade their knowledge in journalism. Under the scheme, financial support will be provided for their continuous improvement of professional skills, up-gradation of

knowledge in journalism. Already advertisement was issued inviting applications for the year 2018-19. Every year 20 nos. of fellowship will be awarded to Media Persons @ Rs. 50,000 each. Realising the importance of a government mouthpiece, the present government has taken decided to republish RaijorBatori in form of fortnightly magazine with all new look. The aim of publishing Raijor Batori is to bring the people closer to the Governmentby highlighting

Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami along with other dignitaries seen with the recipients of Journalists Pension in a function held on February 5, 2018.

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Sivraj Singh Chauhan while interacting with the team of rural media persons from Assam on a Goodwill Mission to Madhya Pradesh during their visit to the state from 24th November to 6th December, 2017.

government policies, plans and programmes. Hon’ble Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has formally released the first issue of Raijor Batori on March 18, 2017 and has expressed hope that Raijor Batoriwould turn out to be “raijor batori” in the true sense of the term. Raijor Batori is distributed in all the Districts of the state including rural areas and popularity and numbers of readers of Raijor Batori has been increasing day by day.

The Government has introduced a new welfare scheme for the media person entitled,“Journalist Family Benefit Fund (JFBF)” to provide financial assistance to the family of the deceased journalist met with untimely death while being on duty. The Government has notified this scheme on 29th February, 2016. The Government has already sanctioned Rs.100.00 lakh for this purpose and the amount has been kept with the SBI, Dispur Branch as Fixed Deposit to constitute a Corpus Fund.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while handing over the Media Fellowship Awarding Letter to one of the 20 journalists in a function held on May 23, 2018.

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seen distributing kits to one of the media persons selected for Conducted Press Tour to Rajasthan during the Flag off function held on May 23, 2018.

The State Level function of the National Press Day is observed every year in befitting manner. During 2016-17, the “State Level National Press Day” was observed at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati on November 16, 2016 wherein Editor of Amar Asom Shri Prasanta Rajguru delivered the key note speech. During 201718, the “State Level National Press Day” was observed at Tezpur andeminent writer Dr. Nagen Saikia delivered the key note speech. Six senior journalists from six districts were felicitated for

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal along with other dignitaries during the release of the in-house magazine of DIPR, “Antaranga” in a function held on May 23, 2018.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during distribution of Accredited and Recognized cards to journalists in a function held on April 13, 2018.

their contribution towards journalism during 2016-17 and 2017-18. Under the“Journalists’ Medical Welfare Scheme” one-time financial assistance is provided to Accredited and Recognized Journalists of Assam for their medical treatment. This scheme also covers dependent family members of the journalists. The financial assistance is extended out of the interest accrued from the Corpus fund. Financial assistance

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Special Feature

Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal conferring Republic Day Journalism Award- 2018 to noted Journalist Kanak Sen Deka on 26-01-2018.

has been extended to 31 journalists on 13 March, 2018. An amount of Rs. 300.00 lakh is kept in the SBI Dispur Branch as fixed deposit in the Corpus Fund of the scheme. At present an amount of Rs. 21,98,823.00 is available as interest accrued from the Corpus fund. Accreditation and Recognized cards have been issued to journalists to facilitate their information gathering endeavours and journalistic activities as per guidelines of the press Accreditation committee rule 1989. Although since 1989 Accreditation and Recognized

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal along with other dignitaries releasing a magazine titled ‘Parivartan’ compiled and published by IPR Department on the occasion of completion of two years of the present Government at on May 24, 2018.

Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami in presence of other dignitaries ceremonially releasing Tele-tips published by DIPR on February 1, 2018.

Cards were issued time to time, but virtue of the bold initiative taken by the present government, as many as 153 nos. of Accredited and Recognized cards have been issued at one go in a ceremonial function held on 13/04/2018. Sri SarbanandaSonowal, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam himself handed over the cards to the Journalists as a good will gesture on the eve of Rongali Bihu.

Buzz

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

May edition of GTCchess championship concludes

he May edition of the Gauhati Town Club Chess Grand Prix 2018 was held at Gauhati Town Club on Sunday, May 20. This edition witnessed participation of 73 players in total in the Under-15 and Under-9 categories. In the U-15 Mixed category, Dhrupad Kashyap bagged 1st, while Abhinav Dubey bagged the 2nd prize. In U-15 Girls category, Adreeja Sinha emerged 1st, followed by Anchita Sharma in the 2nd spot. In U-13 Boys category, 1st spot was clinched by Nihad Islam Hazarika, while 2nd was by Manish Gwra Basumatary. In U-11 Boys category, Prangovinda Parasar Kashyap bagged 1st, while Jaideep Kashyap bagged the 2nd prize. In U-9 Boys category, 1st spot was clinched by Himanish Sarma, and 2nd by Priyangshu Goswami. In U-9 Girls category,

Lulakshi Mahanta emerged 1st followed by Kreesha Jain in the 2nd spot. In U-7 Boys category, 1st prize was bagged by Keertan Kalita, 2nd by Abhirup Saikia. In U-7 Girls category, Hritika Das emerged 1st, and Nibhriti

Goswami 2nd. The prize distribution ceremony was attended by former national player, Manas Sarma, and secretary of Sivasagar District Chess Association, Swaraj Buragohain. n

International Museum Day observed

s part of the International Museum Day celebrations worldwide, Assam State Museum conducted a day-long programme at its premises on 18th May, Friday. The Museum day celebration started with an introductory lecture by the Director of Museums,

YS Wunglengton. Speaking on the occasion, he emphasized on the various aspects of Museum collection and its development over time. Wunglengton further urged the students to actively participate and develop an understanding towards the rich history and cultural heritage of the region.

This was followed by a presentation and interactive session on the theme “Hyperconnected Museums: New approaches, new publics” by Mrinmoy Das, former Curator, Sanskriti Museums, New Delhi. Thereafter, the students took a guided tour of the ongoing special exhibition titled “Interpreting Space: Naga Realm” curetted by Sayantan Maitra Boka. Further, in an effort to provide the students a creative understanding, a drawing competition was held in the sculpture gallery of the museum. The drawings were properly scrutinized and selected by judges Violina Das, Arvind Tyagi and Bonoto Achumi as first, second and third respectively. A total of 50 students from Royal Global School, Guwahati actively participated in the various events held during the day. n

SEBA introduces online service to ease students’ woes

ducation Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya inaugurated an online application system of the Board of Secondary Education, Assam at the office of the Board of Secondary Education, Guwahati on May 24, Thursday. In his inaugural speech, the minister said that the online services have been introduced to ease the hardships of the candidates for submission of applications. Problems such as applications for obtaining duplicate and correction of registration card, rechecking of answer script, etc could now be done online. Besides this, he said that human error also would be

minimized through the use of the online system. It may be mentioned that the facilities will be provided

by SEBA’s website www. sebaonline.org through three different portals from 1st June, 2018 onwards. n

Rock climbing camp concludes

three-day sports climbing training camp organized by the Assam Rock & Sports Climbing Association was held at the 4th AP Bn Campus in Kahilipara, Guwahati from May 18 to May 20. Altogether 58 trainees from various walks of life took part in the camp which was held under the guidance of Everester, Tarun Saikia. The camp concluded with a closing ceremony and distribution of certificates on May

21. The president of the organizing body, Dr Durlav Chamua, senior police officer, Pradip Kumar, vice president, Bipul Pathak along with veteran mountaineers were present during the closing ceremony. n

World Turtle Day celebrated in Guwahati

o mark the occasion of World Turtle Day, Help Earth Organisation, Assam State Zoo, Turtle Survival Alliance India and Cotton University jointly organized a day long programme at the state zoo campus. Tejas Mariswamy, DFO, Assam State Zoo, initiated the programme followed by Dr Narayan Sharma of Cotton University delivering the introductory lecture on the topic. Dr Jayaditya Purkayastha, general secretary of Help Earth, presented a slide show, highlighting the conservation of turtles with stress on captive breeding programme in temple ponds across the state. Another highlight of the programme was the felicitation of Pranab Malakar, a grassroots worker engaged in turtle conservation at Haigriv Madhav Temple in Hajo. He has been

instrumental in the successful breeding of the black soft-shell turtle, one of the rarest turtles. The programme also comprised an awareness drive among children and students and a seminar on turtle titled ‘Let’s talk turtles’. Among the major vertebrate groups, turtles are the second most threatened groups of animals after non-human primates. Of the total 356 species found throughout the globe, 148 (60.4%) are on the verge of extinction. Significantly, Assam is the most species-rich state in India in terms of turtle diversity, accounting for 20 species out of 33 species found in the country. But unfortunately, such a threatened species is not getting the focus it deserves. It was with the objective of raising awareness regarding turtles and their importance that May 23 is celebrated as the World Turtle Day every year. n

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018

Catching Up

G PLUS | May 26 - JUN 01, 2018