Vol 5 Issue 45 by G Plus

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Volume 05 | Issue 45 Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018 Price `10

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Experts call for stricter implementation of COPTA PG 02

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan unsuccessful in city, feel Guwahatians PG 07

81.2% feel Guwahati lacks sports infrastructure for training and practice

84% Guwahatians don’t have faith in public healthcare: Survey PG 09

25000 BJP, RSS & AGP members join Pravin Togadia’s AHP in Assam

File photo of Barsapara Stadium

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ven though the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has more than often touted Guwahati as the “Sports Capital of India”, the residents of the city, however, do not find the sports infrastructure to be adequate. This was revealed in a survey conducted by G Plus – Let’s Talk Guwahati – in which, more than 10,000 people from around 100 locations of the city were asked about various issues pertaining to the city. When asked if Guwahati’s sports infrastructure justifies it to be dubbed “Sports Capital of India”, 81.2 per cent were not too impressed. This comprises 32.2 per cent of the respondents who said that the infrastructure is not adequate enough while the rest 56 per cent were of the opinion that the infrastructure needs more improvement. Only 11.8 per cent

of the respondents find the sports infrastructure adequate. This doesn’t come as a shock as the city has only one or two infrastructural facilities for a particular sport that fall short in catering to the sports enthusiasts here. While sporting disciplines like football and cricket have three to four places for practice and coaching, disciplines like table tennis, athletics and swimming do not have enough facilities. “The city does not have adequate infrastructure for indoor games. In fact, the concept that indoor sports need proper infrastructure such as synthetic mats and specific equipment for specific sporting disciplines besides just a concrete building was acknowledged by the state government after the South Asian Games in 2016. It still has a long way to go,” said Nagen Bongjung, general secretary of United Karate-do Association of Assam. n

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G Plus News

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Lead Story Snippets

ST/SC benefits can be availed only in home states: Supreme Court

he Supreme Court of India on Thursday held that people belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST) community can avail the benefits of reservation for government jobs only in their home states and not in any other state. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi unanimously held that a person belonging to Scheduled Caste in one state cannot be deemed to be a Scheduled Caste in other states, where he has migrated for the purpose of employment or education. The court noted that a particular community is notified as SC/ST in relation to a state and that concept would become “nugatory” if migrated population from other states is brought within its ambit. While five judges were unanimous in their view that reservation benefits should be restricted to SCs and STs only in their home states, Justice Banumathi disagreed on the issue of allowing the quota benefits to people who migrated to union territories.

15 child monks from Assam sexually abused in Bihar; Buddhist monk held

s many as 15 child monks from Assam were allegedly physically and sexually abused by a Buddhist monk in Bodh Gaya in Bihar. The victims were produced before a judicial magistrate on Thursday to record their statements under the relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The incident came to light after the children had complained against the monk to their guardians. The prime accused, identified a Bhante Sanghpriya, aka Sujoy, has been taken into custody by the police. Bhante is the superintendent of Prajna Jyoti Buddhist Novice School and Meditation Centre. According to police officials, the victims were sexually abused by the monk, physically assaulted and mistreated. The victims belonged to the age group of 6-12 years. All the children have been relocated to Assam Bhawan.

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Experts call for stricter implementation of COPTA Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ealth experts in Guwahati have called for implementation of stringent measures to control tobacco consumption in the city as well as the state after a recent survey revealed an increase in tobacco consumption in Assam. According to the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS2) released by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MHFW), the state has shown a significant rise of almost 9% in tobacco consumption from 39.3% in the last survey held in 2009-10 to 48.2% in the recent survey. Further, the GATS2 survey revealed that 62.9% men, 32.9% of women and 48.2% of all adults in Assam either consume tobacco by smoking or consume smokeless tobacco (zarda, khaini). On the other hand, it has shown an overall reduction in tobacco consumption at the national level. Experts have called it an ‘alarming situation’ and have called for better implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production,

the state has shown a significant rise of almost 9% in tobacco consumption from 39.3% in the last survey held in 2009-10 to 48.2% in the recent survey.

Tobacco products being displayed at a roadside shop in Guwahati | G Plus Photo Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA). Talking to G Plus, Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) said, “The foremost thing that should be done is to strictly implement all the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. For this, district administration needs to play a very important role.” He added that all sections of the society will have to be actively involved for its proper implementation. “Such an increase in tobacco consumption means people are consuming some form of tobacco product which results in death of several patients every year. If this continues, it will create serious health hazard to the people of Assam – not only of cancer but also cardio vascular diseases and chronic respiratory disease; even tuberculosis will increase,” Dr

Kataki added. Further, experts say that taking proactive measures cannot only be the prerogative of the district administration but massive large scale awareness is also required for tobacco control in which all conscientious citizens in the state will have to play an important role including the NGOs and other people working in various fields of public health. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA) which was enacted in 2003, prohibits sale of any tobacco products or cigarette to anyone below 18 years of age and in an area within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institution. It also prohibits smoking in public places. In Assam, 25.3% of men, 0.8% of women and 13.3% of all adults

currently smoke tobacco. 50.5% of men and 32.5% of women and 41.7% of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco. Additionally, the mean age at initiation of tobacco use has increased from 18.1 years in GATS1 to 18.5 years in GATS2. “The ascent in tobacco consumption in Assam is an indicator that the government needs to strengthen tobacco control efforts and people need more awareness on the health and financial burden that tobacco use brings with it,” said advocate Ajoy Hazarika, secretary of Consumer Legal Protection Forum. Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute officials had earlier met Governor Jagdish Mukhi and urged him to intensify tobacco control initiatives in the state. They have also appealed to the Governor to undertake an initiative to make all the education institutes of the state tobacco-free zones. n

Sale of tobacco outside schools

t least 46% Guwahatians feel that minors have easy access to tobacco and alcohol in the city without any regulations to keep a check on this. This was revealed during a month-long survey conducted by G Plus titled ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ in which a sample size close to 10,000 citizens took part through

an online as well as offline medium from different parts of the city. On the other hand, only 29.4% respondents felt that there are some regulations put in place by the district authorities to check easy availability of tobacco and alcohol. Further, 23.8% respondents remained neutral and voted for the ‘can’t say’ option. “There are plenty of stalls and

roadside shops selling tobacco and gutka on the roads right outside schools and some older students can be seen buying these products,” said a parent of a class 6 student studying in a private school in Pan Bazar. On the other hand, expressing her concern over the matter, chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Protection of

Child Rights (ASCPCR), Sunita Changkakoti, termed the issue as a “serious concern” and said that there is a need for proper monitoring to check the sale of pan masala and other tobacco products to minors. She added that the ASCPCR conducts talks with school authorities in the city from time to time and flags this issue. n

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

City Snippets

Too much mental pressure from ‘certain people’ made me go wrong in 200m race: Hima

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Guwahatians can now register complaints with police via mobile app Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

T T

he mental and emotional pressures that sportspersons in this nation face are nothing new. With every feat they achieve, the society puts more and more expectation pressure on them, and anything less than the ‘best’ is deemed poor. Hima Das, the star sprinter from Assam, has become a victim of such pressure recently. In the unfortunate incident that happened at the Asian Games on Tuesday, wherein Hima was announced ‘disqualified’, the athlete took to social media and published a video. Hima, in the video, could be seen acknowledging the people of Assam for their immense support towards her. But, at the same time, she expressed discontent over ‘certain people’ from Assam for putting tremendous mental pressure on her through various comments and posts on social media. However, in the video, the athlete refrained from taking the names of the persons in question. “I was under pressure. A few people from Assam, in particular, were putting so much pressure on me that it made me do wrong. I openly accept that on this video,” said Hima. Hima along with her coaches have requested all the people of the region to keep supporting her and the budding sportspersons and not make any controversy in connection with their achievements and failures.

Veteran Assamese actor Guna Mahanta passes away

ssam’s eminent actor Guna Mahanta passed away on Monday, 27th August, at the age of 70, after suffering from a heart disease. The actor breathed his last at his Nagaon residence. He had acted in many popular Assamese films like Kanyadaan, Adhinayak,Ujonir Dujoni Gabhoru etc.

he Crime & Criminals Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) Assam, on August 11, launched a mobile application for ease of availability of services to the citizens of the state. Currently, the mobile app has been released for online submission of complaints by citizens. The CCTNS application is currently available solely on the web portal and is only supported on Android phones. The application is yet to be launched on the Google Play Store and might further be launched for iOS operating system. The citizen portal aims to act as a nexus between citizens and Assam Police. The e-services available in the citizen portal enable citizens to submit online requests for various services from the police department through online system. The portal also has the facility to track and monitor online requests submitted to Assam police. CCTNS Assam is also planning to develop other modules such as tenant verification, employee verification, domestic help verification, procession request, protest/strike request, event performance request, foreigner registration and vehicle inquiry on the mobile platform for further ease of service accessibility. Currently, the citizen portal has

File photo of Bharalumukh Police Station (L), CCTNS mobile app screenshots (R) the above mentioned e-services launched for pilot study. Speaking to G Plus about the mobile application, Special Deputy General of Police (DGP), Anil Kumar Jha said, “We have created the services for the public and expect them to utilize these services to their full potential. It’s the beginning of a new journey and we want cooperation from all. My request to the public is that if you have any feedback, please let us know.” He further added that

the cyber cell is striving for improvement so that if the citizens wish to avail more services than those available already, officials will try to incorporate them into the application. Further, if there are any complaints regarding the application, feedbacks from the public will be taken into consideration. Once a user downloads the CCTNS mobile application, the first step is to log in. Then, in order to register a complaint, they need to select the designated police

station and submit the details of the incident. The complaint then reaches the dashboard of the officer-in-charge of the respective police station and he is expected to immediately pursue the matter and take action as per the requirement of the complaint. If after investigation the police find that the complaint needs to be converted into a first information report (FIR), the complainant would be contacted and called to the police station for his signature. n

Assam police mulls launching lost-and-found property module

Lack of manpower continues to pose challenges

s on August 31, 2018, a total of ten citizen centric services are available for general public on the CCTNS portal. As a way ahead, the Assam police is planning to launch Lost and Found property module for the citizens, informed a source at the CCTNS. This module will enable citizens to submit the lost and found of property items to the police. The citizen will receive an acknowledgement in the form of SMS as well as PDF in their login account upon successful submission of request. Further, the mobile application that has currently been launched only for online registration of complaints is also expected to incorporate other citizen services which are already available in citizen portal website. The state is also planning

to develop arms license module which will be integrated with e-District application on real time basis. The request will be submitted to District Superintendent of Police and subsequently to police stations for submission of time bound police verification report. Assam Police is also planning to launch online digital platform for submission of time bound Accident Information report (Form-54) by police to Motor Accident Claim Tribunal court. The portal will enable interdepartment communication for submission of various types of requisitions and reports between the stakeholders police, transport, forensic science laboratory (FSL), court and hospitals. This will enable digital record keeping and migration to online platform to improve the efficiency and transparency. n

ith the aim to lower the footfall in the police stations, Assam Police started the online complaint registering facility through Crime & Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) recently. While the portal has received a total 11 complaints, officials at the cyber cell informed G Plus that not a single case has been disposed yet citing lack of manpower as the reason behind the same. “We are continually working towards solving cases efficiently but we are faced with many challenges. Due to lack of manpower and the ever-increasing work load on police, the process of solving crimes has been getting slower,” a highly placed source at the CCTNS told G Plus. Assam police launched the CCTNS portal on January 1, 2016 without the complaint registration

facility being open to the public. When the portal was launched, services like tenant verification, domestic help verification/employee verification, character certificate verification, requests for protest or strike, requests for procession and requests for event performances were accepted by the public online. There were some connectivity issues earlier but at present most of the police stations across the state are connected by internet. As for Guwahati, all the police stations are connected and the public here can easily register complaints online, claimed a source at the CCTNS. While on one hand, the CCTNS personnel under special DGP Anil Kumar Jha, did not leave a single stone unturned to create an effective CCTNS system, on the other, citizens aren’t using the services adequately due to lack of awareness. n

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Aadhar card demand for CBSE registration hassles city parents He added that around 25% students already possess the cards but those who are yet to get their children enrolled for Aadhar are in a fix and are trying to get the process started at the earliest. Further, the Aadhar enrolment process in Assam was stated to begin full-fledged from

People in queue to submit their Adhar Card forms in the city | G Plus Photo

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

t a time when nationwide debates are taking place on the necessity of Aadhar card and the potential misuse of personal data, some CBSE-affiliated schools in the city have asked the students to enrol themselves for Aadhar to get them registered for board examinations. Parents of class 10 and 12 students of some of the CBSE schools of Guwahati have been intimated by the school authorities to get their wards’ Aadhar cards made for CBSE registration. “We have not made it mandatory for the parents to enrol their children for Aadhar cards but last year the CBSE had issued a circular mandating that copies of Aadhar card should be submitted for every child for registration. Since very few students had their Aadhar cards made till then, we mentioned the phone numbers and email addresses of the students which was accepted by the CBSE,” informed Sangeeta Deka, examination in-charge at Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School. She added that this year they have asked the parents to apply for the cards so that if the CBSE makes the Aadhar cards compulsory this time, they won’t face any trouble later on. “We have asked the parents to apply for Aadhar card to be on the safe side,” Deka informed. Aadhaar is a unique 12-digit identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the government of India to every citizen of the country. But on the other hand, some

parents are facing a tough time while trying to get the Aadhar cards made. Rohit Sarawgi, a city resident and parent of class 10 students told G Plus, “My daughters are in class 10 and they will be appearing for their matriculation examination in March next year. However I am not being able to get the cards made because my bank has not started the Aadhar enrolment process as yet.”

CBSE schools in Guwahati ask students to get their Aadhar cards made for board examination registration Last year CBSE asked for Aadhar copies for board registration Have asked parents to enrol for Aadhar to be on the safe side: School authorities Some parents are facing a tough time trying for Aadhar enrolment Aadhar enrolment in Assam was stated to begin full-fledged from the last week of August A few public sector banks and post offices have been acting as enrolment centres for some time There will be 10 zones in the state and number of enrolment centres will be increased if required

the last week of August. However, a few public sector banks and post offices have been acting as enrolment centres for some time now. There will be 10 zones in the state and if required, the number of Aadhar enrolment centres will be increased from

the present 1,241 centres. People can visit these centres with the necessary documents and get themselves enrolled for the 12-digit unique identification number. State government will be entrusted with the verification of documents during the Aadhar enrolment process. n

Survey Special Snippets

Major Leetul Gogoi found ‘guilty’ in Srinagar hotel case; to face court martial

court of inquiry on Monday held Major Leetul Gogoi guilty in a Srinagar hotel incident case, wherein he was briefly detained by the police after being seen with a local woman, and issued orders to initiate disciplinary action against him. Major Gogoi was detained on May 23 after a fight with the staff of a Srinagar hotel where he was allegedly trying to check in with an 18-year-old woman. According to reports, a room had been booked online for him at the hotel. The Army is now set to court martial Major Leetul Gogoi, who was briefly detained by the J&K Police after an altercation when he tried to enter a hotel in Srinagar with a young Kashmiri woman in May this year. The Army, on Monday, said that orders have now been issued to initiate disciplinary action against Major Gogoi. The punishment to the officer can range from a severe reprimand to summary dismissal from service.

Indian Super League 2018: NorthEast United FC to face FC Goa as first opponent

he fixture list of the 2018/19 Indian Super League is out and a series of exciting matches seem to be coming your way! NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) will face FC Goa in their opening match at NEUFC’s home ground at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati. NorthEast United have also announced the signing of a new forward, Juan Cruz Mascia. The Uruguayan was a star at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup and has now linked up with NEUFC ahead of the 2018/19 season. NorthEast United will be hoping for a change in fortunes as the 2018/19 season approaches. So far, the side from North-East is the only one of the original eight who is yet to finish in a playoff spot. However, with new manager, Eelco Schattorie at the helm, NEUFC will feel that this is the year they break the jinx. The Indian Super League is one of the two premier football leagues in India, the other being the I-League. However, despite I-League’s history, ISL has been far more appealing to the audience due to its extravagance.

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Infrastructure good for mega sporting events, not enough for training Continued from page » 1

here’s no denying the fact that after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014 and then in the state in 2016, the city saw an unprecedented surge in national and international sporting events here. However, since most of the sporting facilities have to be maintained as per the international standards, it is not possible to allow training in the same, which leave the would-be sportspersons and youths still struggling with dearth of spaces. While the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex at Sarusajai, being the only international standard football stadium in the northeast, is confined to hosting those matches, the ACA Cricket Stadium at Barsapara, too, has so far been

confined to hosting Ranji Trophy and other national and international cricket events. The field in the Nehru Stadium that earlier used to host both cricket and football matches has also been refurbished into a football field where the state leagues are being held now. Hence, the city, barring the NFR football field at Maligaon, IOCL field at Noonmati which are mostly confined to its respective authorities, the city doesn’t have many open fields that allow players to practice. The same goes for cricket as there are only a few fields such as Latasil field and the Judge’s field. Meanwhile, for indoor sports, the young sportsmen are confined to the Deshbkakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium at the RG Baruah Stadium Complex only as the

LNIPE indoor stadium, which is of a better quality, cannot be used by city youths due to its distance from the city. The Sarusajai Stadium indoor facilities, on the other hand, are again being maintained for international events. “The city is not converting into a sports capital, but a destination for hosting international matches, which are two different things. Hosting these tournaments has brought the city national and international focus, but it has not helped in developing sports in the city. That needs adequate infrastructure for training, conducting local matches, to create a competitive environment for the players which still need a lot of work in the state,” said Rakesh Gupta, a resident of Ulubari. After a long drought of eight years since the National Games

in 2007, which can also be credited for most of the sports infrastructure in the city, Guwahati hosted the South Asian Games in 2016, and thus began a surge of international and national sporting events. It was during the inauguration of the Games when the then union minister of state for sports and youth affairs, now, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had first announced about making the city a “Sports Capital of India”. This followed three major International sporting events – nine matches of FIFA Under-17 World Cup, a T20 match between India and Australia and the AIBA World Youth Women’s Boxing Championship – in 2017. This year, Sarusajai Stadium hosted the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships. The city also hosts the male adult football franchise, Indian Super League every year. n

Inadequate local sporting competitions main reason for lack of player emergence

he sports associations in the city have allegedly failed to conduct adequate local sporting tournaments, a reason why the city is lacking in producing enough promising sports people. While the Sports Authority of India has been elementary in finding talents like Hima Das and training them here at the authority’s infrastructure at Paltan Bazar in the city, there still are not enough school level and state level tournaments being organized by the sports associations. Assam has a state sports association affiliated to its national parent body for almost every sport with its head office

bearers at Guwahati and a district association for the Kamrup district affiliated under it. “But, when it comes to conducting tournaments, they are not very regular about it. The directorate has set up a fixed number of inter district matches and inter school matches which the associations have to conduct, but often, citing lack of funds, the associations do not hold those. That’s why the directors have also invited private clubs and sports organisers to conduct the same, at least in school levels. But more such tournaments need to be held to create a competitive environment in the city and the state,” Lakhya Konwar, Member Secretary of the State Level

Lighter and faster

Locals playing cricket at Latasil ground without any infrastructure | G Plus Photo Advisory Committee for Students and Youth Welfare, said. Sajjad Zaheer Hussain, former Ranji player and a member of the Association of Cricketers for Assam said, “Forget about interschool tournaments, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) had not been able to conduct district matches regularly. In a governing body meeting last year, the ACA had asked the district association

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to vouch in with funds which will be reimbursed later, but none could cough up any.” “International matches are especially helpful if the state holds local matches before and after the international match so that the players remain excited about it. With no follow up action, merely holding an international match will not suffice,” Hussain added. n

Survey Special

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan unsuccessful in city, feel Guwahatians Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

t least 52% Guwahati residents feel that Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been unsuccessful in the city. This was revealed during a month-long survey conducted by G Plus titled ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ using both online and offline mediums in which over 10,000 respondents took part.

When asked “Do you think Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been successful in Guwahati?” 52.6% of the respondents said that according to them, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been highly unsuccessful in the city. Further, 28.6% said that it has been somewhat successful but still has a long way to go. A mere 18.8% of the respondents said that the campaign has been successful. At a time when the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led state as well as national government is laying a lot of emphasis on the

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, citizens of Guwahati expressed discontent over the steps being taken by the administration towards achieving its goals. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, smaller towns and rural areas and make the country OpenDefecation-Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019. In response to another question, “Which steps are vital for making Guwahati cleaner?” the most sought after solution was

Charges for garbage collection as allotted by the GMC SL No.

Category

User charges (Rs per month)

Households

Flats in apartments (each flat)

Govt quarters (each quarter)

Roadside vendors

Coaching centers

100

Hotels with food and lodging (per room)

100

Small restaurants

200

Clubs and gyms

300

Government and private offices

500

Cinema halls (small and big)

1500 and 2500

Marriage halls

Schools and colleges (non residential and residential)

3000

Big fast food chains (Dominos, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc)

5000

Hotels below 5 star

4500

5 star hotels

8000

500 and 5000

Irregular garbage collection still a menace

hile officials at the GMC continue to implement new initiatives to curb the problem of garbage, over 62% Guwahatians informed G Plus during the recently conducted survey that garbage collection is irregular in their locality. Responding to the question, “How often is garbage collected from your house?” a discouraging 37.6% of the total sample size said that garbage is regularly collected (on a daily basis) from their respective houses. Out of the remaining 62.4% respondents, 30.6% said that garbage is collected once in two days, 19.1% said that it’s collected once in a week,

8.4% said that it’s collected fortnightly while 4.3% replied by saying that garbage is never collected from their houses. There are a total of 58 NGOs currently working in tandem with the GMC that are responsible for collection of garbage from the various wards across the city. Speaking to G Plus about the performance of the NGOs, Manojit Bujarbaruah said, “Among the NGOs, some are working efficiently while others are average and a few are not taking their work seriously at all. We, at GMC, have identified 11 such NGOs whose performances have been really bad and we’re taking strict action against them. Not only are they being penalized,

their contracts will also being terminated if they do not start functioning properly.” “Once I asked my garbage collector about his irregularity and clumsy attitude in collecting our garbage. He said that he had been directed to clean four localities and it’s not possible for him to come and pick garbage from each household every single day. In this case, I feel that the subcontractors are looting money hand-in-glove along with the GMC officials. This is a serious issue which citizens across the city are facing and it’s growing with every passing day,” Wasim Habib, a resident of Machkhowa informed. Manojit Bujarbaruah

Roadside garbage dump in a city road | G Plus Photo that the administration should take proactive steps to sensitize citizens; 22.5% respondents opted for this response. Further, 12.7% said that more litter bins need to be installed in the city, 12.1% said that citizens should be penalized for littering and 8.7% said that commercial establishments should be mandated to keep their immediate surroundings clean. A whopping 44.1% responded by saying all of the above steps must be taken. “I believe that the government is trying to channelize our money for the betterment of the society but the locals continue to feel that nothing is being done onground. The prime reason behind Swachh Bharat Abhiyan being unsuccessful is the carelessness of the citizens of Guwahati, as everyone wants to keep their premises clean but not their surroundings,” Vikash Sharma, a resident of Bharalumukh told G Plus. In a move to curb with the ever-growing problem of waste and its disposal, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) recently launched an awareness

told G Plus that there are many problems prevailing in the city, one of which is the unwillingness of the citizens to pay their garbage collectors. He elaborated by saying that many a time, NGOs have complained to the GMC that people refuse to pay them – be it households or traders. Sometimes, they even refuse to give their garbage to the NGOs just to avoid paying them for the services. “Guwahatians are not cooperative, they do not participate in programs actively,” he said. When asked about the timings allotted to the NGOs for sweeping and cleaning of the streets, he informed that the timing is 5:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Elaborating on the same, he added, “In Guwahati, there are lots of security issues. While in

campaign in the city with the aim to promote waste segregation at source. The GMC, in a positive step, also formed a special unit Swachh Guwahati Squad - which will act to stop littering, urinating and spitting in public places. This squad will also be checking on those who throw garbage at public places. The offenders will also be penalized if found guilty, under the GMC Act. Speaking to G Plus about the awareness campaign, Manojit Bujarbaruah, executive engineer of GMC said, “The initiative has been taken to educate the citizens of Guwahati about waste segregation and waste disposal. Our aim is to sensitize them in order to gain their support in moving towards a cleaner and greener Guwahati.” Additionally, a highly placed source in GMC told G Plus that Guwahati will receive 400 more litter bins before Durga Puja this year. These dustbins will be installed across all major commercial areas. He further added that GMC is procuring more equipment for garbage collection and vehicles for waste segregation. n

many advanced cities, cleaning and sweeping is done during late night hours, the same cannot be implemented in Guwahati due to lack of streetlights and police patrolling. Most sweepers complain of rash driving at night and female sweepers also complain of drunken men behaving in unruly manner, making them feel unsafe. So, we have to allow the cleaning to happen during morning hours.” In the same vein, Utpal Sharma Baruah, Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist, Conservancy Cell of GMC said, “It is practically not possible for our people to be present at all places at all times. It is the citizens that need to be accountable for their actions. They need to act as responsible citizens and refrain from littering the roads.” n

Cover Story Snippets

Illegal coal trucks from Meghalaya seized in Guwahati

olice has seized four coalladen trucks from Beltola on Thursday. The trucks had been kept hidden for some time. Two trucks had been seized on Wednesday by the police. The Beltola police have started an investigation on the incident but have not been able to arrest anyone. Most of the coal in Guwahati is essentially from coal mines of Meghalaya and is illegally transported and supplied to Bihar and West Bengal. The coal-laden trucks have to travel through Guwahati and are mostly overloaded and operate in connivance with the transport department and the police of both Meghalaya and Assam.

SEBA to print matriculation admit cards

n order to weed out errors and minimise the correction period in admit cards, the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) is taking a new initiative. It has decided to print the admit cards itself and not to give the printing work to outside vendors. From 2020, students can obtain these SEBA-printed admit cards. The advantage of this initiative is, errors can be addressed and corrected within a week, said Ramesh Chandra Jain, Chairman SEBA. This would greatly benefit the students, as the admit cards at present, are printed in Kolkata and the waiting time to get errors corrected range from two to three months. This step was taken to provide the students with error and hassle free admit cards, said the Chairman. Moreover, in order to weed out spelling errors in names and surnames that occur during class 9 registration, which then get included in the matriculation admit cards, SEBA will be introducing double check list: Check List 1 and Check List 2.

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

25000 BJP, RSS & AGP... Continued from page » 1

he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be jolted by hearing that many members of their party are joining Pravin Togadia’s newly-formed Hindu organisation Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP). A top Guwahati-based leader of AHP talking to G Plus in condition of anonymity said, “25000 members of BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Asom Gana Parishad have joined our organisation.” The leader also revealed that out of these 25000 members

around 12000 are from BJP, and rest are from RSS and AGP. G Plus had reported two weeks back that two prominent BJP leaders would join Pravin Togadia’s political party in October after it is launched. The source in AHP said that the talks are on and there are possibilities that the leaders join the party after its launch in October. One is a sitting member of legislative assembly and one is a member of parliament. G Plus had also reported that 90% Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal members resigned to back Pravin Togadia. The source in AHP revealed that till now 2 lakh people have joined AHP in Assam.

Togadia used to make comments against the central government, the RSS and BJP wanted him to step down. Accordingly, in the last presidential election of VHP, with a political conspiracy hatched by RSS and BJP, Justice VS Kokje won the election to the post. Raghav lost to retired judge and former Himachal Pradesh governor VS Kokje by a twothirds margin, in what was being seen as a statement of the Sangh Parivar’s support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been at the receiving end of Togadia’s relentless attacks. Kokje got 131 of 192 votes polled despite Togadia throwing his weight behind Reddy. n

The fissure between VHP, Bjrang Dal, BJP and RSS members started joining AHP after former VHP strongman, Pravin Togadia, quit the organisation few months ago. It is alleged that a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)backed revolt saw Togadia’s close associate, Raghav Reddy, lose the election for the post of president. A Guwahati-based VHP member said, “Togadia was the international working president of VHP since the last 6 years and Raghav Reddy was the national president. Because of the hard work of these two persons, BJP is in power in the state and the country today.” According to him, because

2000 from Assam to participate in a rally to Ayodhya

000 Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) members from Assam will participate in a rally from Lucknow to Ayodhya to gather support for Ram Mandir. A source in AHP said, “5 lakh people will march from Lucknow to Ayodhya on October

20 to gather support for the Ram Mandir movement and there will be 2000 participants from Assam.” The source revealed that AHP has started a signature campaign wherein 10 crore families in India will be visited and 20 crore people will sign the memorandum against the Narendra Modi government.

not happen, so these signature campaigns and the rally from Lucknow to Ayodhya will create pressure on the government. The source further revealed that Togadia will announce a political party in October which will contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls against the BJP and its allies. n

Talking about Assam, the source said, “In Assam AHP will visit 3 lakh families and 15 lakh people will sign the memorandum.” He revealed that the Narendra Modi government before 2014 Lok Sabha elections had promised that after coming to power they would build the Ram Mandir, which did

Snippets Maligaon terrorised by bikeborne snatcher gang, loot Rs 1.90 lakhs from lady

aligoan is reeling under the terror of bike-borne robbers who have been successfully targeting female victims. On Tuesday, two bike-borne miscreants snatched a gold chain from a lady after showing her a pistol. Again on Wednesday, in an

incident of daring daylight robbery, two bike-borne attackers snatched a bag containing Rs. 1.90 lakhs from one Yang Kaima. The victim had withdrawn the money from the local State Bank of India branch and was heading towards her home on an e-rickshaw when the bikers attacked her near the Jalukbari Police station. Though an FIR has been lodged no arrests have been made so far. This brings to memory an incident from last month when an elderly railway employee was

left high and dry as the bike borne assailants snatched Rs 40,000 from her outside NF Railway headquarters. These incidents have sent shock waves among Maligaon residents who blame the police for being lenient. “It’s just a matter of time when someone loses a life or gets severely injured while trying to foil the attempts of these bikers to bring back the senses of Guwahati West District Police. We are just waiting for something bad to happen,” said Rajesh Das, a Maligaon resident.

Notorious drug mafioso arrested in Guwahati

n a major breakthrough, the officials of Jalukbari Police Outpost arrested one Mominur Rahman Borbhuyan (35), a notorious drug kingpin. The police arrested him from 7th Mile near Jalukbari, while he was sneaking into the city in a car from the airport.

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Storm

31°/26° C

32°/26° C

SATURDAY Storm

32°/26° C

Survey Special

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

84% Guwahatians don’t have faith in public healthcare: Survey

Snippets Traffic policeman battered in Basishta Chariali

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

t least 84% Guwahati residents do not have faith in government hospitals and prefer going to private hospitals or clinics for treatment, as per the results of a recent survey called ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ conducted by G Plus. Around 10,000 people participated in the month-long survey undertaken at different localities of the city through online as well as offline mediums. At a time when the state government is laying a lot of emphasis on improving the overall medical facilities and infrastructure in Assam, it still has a long way to go to gain the trust of a majority of the population in public healthcare.

t seems there is no fear for the law in the city. In yet another incident of a traffic policeman being hit, one Majirul Haque was arrested by the Basishta Police on Monday, for allegedly hitting a traffic cop on duty. The on-duty traffic personnel, Sahid Laskar Ahmed, sustained injuries in his face and body by the perpetrator Majirul. Last month, an on-duty traffic constable was manhandled by a group of Magic drivers near Ganesh Mandir, Ganeshguri.

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital | G Plus Photo

Where do you usually go for treatment? Public Hospital

15.7%

Private Hospital

73.3%

Outside the state

11%

According to the results of the survey, 73.3% respondents said that they preferred to get themselves or their family members treated at private hospitals. Further, 11% of the population said they usually favour going out of the state for medical treatment. On the other hand, a mere 15.7% of the participants said that they preferred to go to government hospitals. The government hospitals in the city remain overburdened with an ever increasing number of patients going to them for

treatment not only from Kamrup (Metro) but from all over the state. To add to this, staff shortage and lack of adequate infrastructure in several government-run hospitals prove to be major impediments in providing quality care to patients. These factors often lead people to opt for moving out of the state for treatment if they can afford it, say experts. “I recently went to a government hospital for an eye-related problem but was left disappointed with the overall conditions. The hygiene

standards are not up to the mark in a majority of the government hospitals and the doctors and nurses often display a laidback attitude when treating patients,” Meenu Gohain, a resident of Bhangagarh told G Plus. Further, another resident informed that if the ailment is of a serious nature and needs immediate attention, then he prefers going to private hospitals. “Emergency services in government hospitals need improvement as they often do not have the resources to handle emergency cases,” he said. n

Medical negligence cases, past experiences to blame

xperts working in the field blame past experiences of the patients which result in them refraining from approaching government hospitals. “Many people have told us that they had to go through harrowing times while seeking treatment at government hospitals. This ranged from the behaviour of the nurses and the doctors to the quality of treatment provided there,” said Banashree, a member of Helpline Healthcare Society - a Guwahati-based NGO working in the healthcare sector for the past 15 years. Additionally, increasing number of medical negligence cases being registered in the city against government as well as private hospital authorities are forcing people to seek treatment

outside the state for critical ailments. In a recent case, a pregnant woman died a few hours after she was admitted to Goenka Nursing Home for delivery, allegedly due to high dose of anaesthesia. Further, the Kamrup (Metro) District Consumer Disputes Redressal forum (DCDRF) officials informed G Plus that they receive several cases related to medical negligence in a month. The cases range from wrong diagnosis of diseases to negligence in medical services. Officials of the DCDRF informed that such cases of medical negligence have become very frequent with at least three to four cases being filed with the consumer forum every month. In another case, a woman filed a case against a city-based private

hospital after her father passed away after being admitted for a week in the hospital. Member of DCDRF, Archana Deka, informed that the complainant’s father was suffering from jaundice and had stopped responding to treatment before he passed away. She alleged improper diagnosis and negligence on the part of hospital authorities and filed a case with the DCDRF. Deka said that hearing of the case is still on and a judgment yet to be delivered. On the other hand, the state government is taking measures to improve the overall health scenario of Assam. These include setting up of AIIMS in the state for which the long-pending construction work is finally set to begin from October. Authorities informed that the

primary level works are in process and the survey has already been completed; the construction work will begin in full swing from October. Further, the government is also looking to develop the infrastructure of the existing hospitals including Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) among others. Authorities informed that they are planning to augment the capacity of the existing hospitals as their workload is increasing day by day. “We are looking to improve the infrastructure, equipment and manpower for the existing hospitals,” informed director of medical education, Anup Kumar Barman. n

Water leakage floods baggage screening area of LGBI Airport

water leakage video in the baggage screening area of Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport, after the heavy downpour on Monday evening, has been captured by a passenger, which is doing the rounds on social media. The video shows water flowing through the ceiling of the newly constructed wing of the Guwahati Airport. BK Tailong, Director of LGBI Airport, speaking to G Plus said, “Construction was going on in the particular area, and the shower was quite a heavy one, which led to water rushing through the ceilings. No operation process was hampered due to this. We have repaired the ceiling within last night only.” Namita Konwar from Guwahati, talking to G Plus said, “I am a regular traveller. For all these years, I have seen the airport in a shabby condition only. Considering that the affected wing in the video is just a few months old, the whole thing indicates a poor quality of construction. The ministry should set up an inquiry soon.”

Ward Watch

Snippets Baby feeding rooms now in Guwahati Railway Station

ew mothers travelling in trains, to and from Guwahati, will now find a dedicated space for breastfeeding at the Guwahati Railway Station. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has facilitated three Baby Feeding Rooms at the Guwahati Railway Station. The move has been welcomed by everyone and has brought a sense of relief to new mothers. The newly-constructed rooms have already become operational. They have all the basic facilities that a mother needs to feed her baby. The facility is currently available only at the Guwahati Railway Station under NFR, informed officials. However, the authorities are planning to construct such rooms in all the railway stations in the northeast.

Massive fire breaks out at Ulubari

big fire at BK Kakoti Road in Ulubari is reported to have broken out on Thursday morning. The fire was caused allegedly because of three cylinder blasts as per the first ground reports from people in the vicinity. The Fire & Emergency Services Department rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after a long fire-fight. A mechanic shop and a provision store were completely gutted by the fire. It is alleged that a lot of lubricant material was also in the area and literally added fuel to the fire. The location of the fire was near Nitu Furnitures, close to Ulubari Chariali. The actual reason of fire is yet to be ascertained and the amount of damage is yet to be known.

New 100 rupee notes now available in Guwahati

he Reserve Bank of India has issued new Rs 100 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (new) series, bearing the signature of Dr Urjit R Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. The new denomination has the motif of “Rani Ki Vav” on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage.

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

GMC Garbage shed brings more woes than help for Chabipool residents Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he Chabipool area that has already been suffering from foul stench and insect infestation due to the sewage-borne Borsola Beel, now, has a new menace to deal with – the recently-built solid waste disposal shed. The garbage shed that is being used as a transit point where the NGOs dump the solid wastes collected from the neighbouring wards, often gets overburdened adding discomfort to the already stinky Chabipool area that stretches through area A of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Ward number 14 and area C of Ward 9. The wastes from the sheds are being shifted to the Boragaon dumping grounds in regular intervals. “The shed often gets overburdened with garbage before

the GMC officials could come to take it away. It takes just 2-3 days for the accumulated garbage to overspill as it is collected from at least 7-8 neighbouring wards. The GMC people come to clear it after 4-5 days which makes our lives hell,” Paragmoni Das, a resident, said. Another, Anupam Nath, said, “The garbage gets decomposed in the shed. It spills over on the road. Not only the foul stench but after the shed was built, there has been increased pest infestation and the population of rats has increased in our area. This could have been avoided had the shed been properly managed.” There is also a plastic processing unit next to the shed, which the residents alleged is being used for dumping with no processing works whatsoever. “It was supposed to be a processing unit where the

Cleaning underway at Borsola Beel | G Plus Photo recyclable plastics were to be separated from the garbage and recycled. However, it has also been converted into a dumping area where all sorts of wastes

are dumped without any proper segregation. Rag pickers pick up bottles from here, but rest of the waste remains dumped there,” Das said. n

Development of Borsola Beel a distant dream

Residents blame former councillor’s apathy for their misery

he development of Borsola Beel that stretches over 25 acres of area in the Ward 9 and 14 of the city has been pending for over a decade. The project to develop the same was taken up by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority but saw no progress. Later with the selection of Guwahati to be developed as a Smart City under the Smart City Mission in 2016, it came under the ambit of Guwahati Smart City Limited a special purpose vehicle for the Central and state government. However, after two years, only progress the project saw was the completion of its detailed project report (DPR). According to the DPR, the water of the beel would be cleaned and its grounds would be strengthened. A sewage treatment plant having a capacity of 15 million litres daily would be set up, new bridges, walkways along the bridges, and other beautification works on the banks are some of

the works to be done. “We have only heard talks and seen DPRs so far, while the condition of the Beel is degrading with each passing day. The foul stench around has made living here almost impossible. We are embarrassed to invite anybody to our house now. We have lost faith in the authorities now. We will only believe when some real work will be done,” said a resident Kangkan Bora. Due to improper management of solid waste and absence of sewerage network, this Beel has become a dumping ground. Quality of water is very poor. Unchecked growth of algae has taken over the lake surface. “Due to the beel, this area is also infested by mosquitoes which have made this place prone to vector-borne diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis and Dengue. Pollution in the beel has increased so much that even the ground water is affected due to the same,” said Satyen Kalita. n

he residents said that they have informed the councillor several times regarding the mismanagement of the solid waste disposal shed and the deteriorating condition of the Borsola Beel, but no initiative has been taken so far. “People of the Chabipool area had at least four to five times approached me regarding the shed and the problem they are facing. I have informed the councillor multiple times regarding the same. Every time, she assured that she will take up the matter but, nothing happened,” Rupali Mukherjee, the area member of 14A, where the shed is located, said. The former councillor, Ashima Bordoloi, on the other hand, in her defence said that she had informed GMC regarding the problem the people are facing due to the shed and have also appeased the GSCL, but her pleas were not addressed. “When I told GMC about the

shed, I was told that there is some trouble with the transferring of the garbage from the shed which will be sorted shortly. But, it never happened. I had also informed the GMDA about the beel and a project was taken as a part to conserving all the water bodies in and around the city. But, before GMDA could execute the same, CGSL was formed and they have taken it up as part of its area-based development projects. CGSL is beyond my jurisdiction,” Bordoloi said. Bordoloi was a congress councillor of Ward 14 till last month when the GMC council completed its 5-year term. She alleged that her requests were not paid any heed as she is from the opposition party. “The area member of 14 A is a BJP member, but she, too, could not get this done. I am from the opposition and am trying from my side, but probably because I am from the opposition my requests were not paid any attention,” Bordoloi further added. n

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Four months on, pvt school fees regulatory committee still not formed Even after a bill to regulate the fees charged by private schools and institutions was passed by the state assembly in April, the state govt is yet to act on it usually have no other option,” said Sanket Bhuyan, parent of a class 5 student of a private school in the city. Before introducing the bill in the Assam assembly, state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in his statement said, “As there is pressing demand from various individual guardians of the students and the association for fixation of fees, it has been decided to constitute fee regulatory and fee revision committees to fix the maximum fees.”

The officials are yet to take any concrete measures even after four months to implement the government’s plans regarding arbitrary fees being charged by private schools.

File photo of students in a city school

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he state government is yet to formulate the committee for private school fees regulation as per the bill passed by the state assembly in April to regulate fees of private schools. While the introduction of the bill was largely hailed as a positive step towards regulating private school fees, the government has failed to act on it even after four months. The Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2018 was introduced in the state assembly on April 2 after the government had decided to keep a check on the fees charged by private schools of the state. The bill seeks to make

provisions for fixation of fees in all non-government educational institutes of the state. However, the officials are yet to take any concrete measures even after four months to implement the government’s plans regarding arbitrary fees being charged by private schools. According to the bill, the government was supposed to constitute one or more fee regulatory committee which would be headed by a chairperson. The committees were entrusted with the responsibility to determine the fee structure for any course or standard in a nongovernment school. They would also decide on the maximum fees which the private schools would be able to charge the students. On the other hand, Santana Chetia, joint secretary of the secondary education department, informed G Plus that the

formation of the committee is under process. Commenting on the tasks which will be undertaken by the committee, Chetia said, “Guidelines will be drafted and policy will be formed by the committee members and it will take some time.” Further, the Assam NonGovernment Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Bill also provides for penalties of up to Rs 10 lakhs and even withdrawal of registration for violators. Meanwhile, the parents of children studying in private schools in the city are agitated over the schools charging fees as per their whims. “Almost every year the school authorities increase the fees of some or the other component citing different reasons and the parents have to oblige since they

Additionally, the bill mentioned that the regulatory committee would consist of a chairperson who will be a retired district or sessions judge or an official of all India service or Indian police service. Other members would include a chartered accountant, civil engineer, an academician and a representative of the institute. Further, secretary of the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council and Board of Secondary Education would also be part of the committee. n

Snippets Alok Kumar appointed as new CS of Assam; reshuffle announced in Dispur

lok Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Assam. He will take charge after the current Chief Secretary, TY Das retires on 31st August. Sources in Dispur revealed that the announcement is likely to be made on Tuesday evening. Alok Kumar, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was previously also the Secretary of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the country’s top anti-corruption body. Additionally, Kumar Sanjay Krishna has been appointed as the new Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Political Department and Rajiv Kumar Bora have been appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary of Finance and Hill Areas Department.

Urmila Narzary from Handique Girls’ College bags best intern award at G Plus

rmila Narzary from Handique Girls’ College bagged the Best Intern Award in the month-long campaign ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ conducted by G Plus. ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ was the biggest ever Guwahati survey, which was carried out by more than 30 interns from different educational institutions of Guwahati. The interns conducted an on-ground survey by meeting citizens of Guwahati to find out the woes and major concerns of the city. In the process, Urmila emerged as the winner with the highest number of action and engagement. Urmila was awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a Certificate of Excellence. Urmila is a student of 3rd Sem, B.Sc, Zoology, at Handique Girls College.

Private school owners unhappy with bill

n the other hand, private school owners have strongly opposed the bill. Condemning the step by the government, president of All Assam Private Schools Association (AAPSA), Pankaj Das, told G Plus that the government has no reason to interfere in the workings of privately-owned schools and the authorities must allow the market to control the fee. “Fixing

of maximum fees will kill private schools. People should be allowed to pay for quality education according to their paying capacities,” he said. Further, a principal of a citybased school said on the condition of anonymity that the government must first focus on improving the quality of education and infrastructure in government schools so that more parents are motivated to enrol their children

in these schools. Additionally, Uttam Teron, an education activist from Guwahati, feels that a slight amount of regulation is required for some schools which charge excessive money. “However, running a private school is also a big challenge as the owners have to take several things into consideration like paying adequate salary to the teachers, rent, maintenance and

taxes apart from other costs.” Recently, the Delhi government, after receiving several complaints, had issued notices to 195 private schools earlier this year asking them to roll back their ‘arbitrary’ fee hike. As per recent reports, following the government’s intervention, around 128 privately-owned schools of the city have decided to roll back their fee hikes, bringing a sense of relief to the parents. n

Scan the QR code G et the G Plus app

Survey Special

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

GSCL falters in addressing key issues of Guwahati, reveals survey Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and a subsidiary company with equal stakes of the central and state governments to execute the Smart City Mission in Guwahati, has failed to address the key issues of the city. Guwahati, the most populated and largest city in the northeast, was among the 20 cities selected in the first phase to be developed as a Smart City under the Smart Cities Mission in 2016, but has been missing deadlines since inception. So, when the then Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, M Venkaiah Naidu in April 2017, after reviewing the progress report had termed the progress “tardy”, the residents of the city were not too surprised nor amused.

Not much has changed a year and four months later despite a change in stalk from Naidu to Hardeep Singh Puri, as was evident from the Ministry’s tweet on August 26 that blamed the city’s “unique geographic & demographic conditions” behind the sluggish execution of the projects under

We are patriots with or without a tall flag, but we are not comfortable and safe in the city without an integrated traffic management system or a foolproof flash flood solution. Basab Goswami, Resident

the Smart City Mission. But, when Guwahati people were asked which among the nine most-hyped projects under Smart City Mission - development of Borsola Beel, development of Bharalu River, development of Mora Bharalu River, Brahmaputra river-front development project, conservation and restoration of Deepor Beel, construction of National Flag at Gandhi Mandap, integrated traffic management system, installation of 30 drinking water ATMs and 30 public toilets and conversion of all the streetlight posts into solar smart poles – they opined that developing Bharalu River was the most important project and setting up the National Flag as the least important. This was revealed in a survey – Let’s Talk Guwahati – conducted by G Plus in which more than 10,000 people from about 100 locations of the city were asked about these nine hyped projects under the Mission and a majority of 40

per cent of the total respondents voted for developing Bharalu River and only 21.4 per cent of the total respondents voted for the National Flag installation. As part of the Rs 2.9 crore worth project to refurbish the Gandhi Mandap into a tourist spot, the GSCL has set up a 310-feet tall pole to hoist a 120’ X 80’ National Flag atop Sarania Hill here on August 15 – the first visible completed project under the mission. Meanwhile, a total of Rs 5.58 crore has been sanctioned so far for the development of Bharalu River even as the 7.8 km stretch of the river from Jonali Bridge to Bharalumukh still remains a far cry. The most important aspects of the project are construction of a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with capacity of 85.5 million litres daily (MLD) near Ulubari fish feed farm, a new bridge at Jonali, dismantling of the existing wooden bridge and construction of RCC Bridge with pathways and utility corridor, new pedestrian bridges,

retaining walls/embankments all along the banks up to Bharalumukh pumping station, walkway over the river along its banks, children play area, public toilets, drinking water points etc. “It is a matter of pride and patriotism that we now have the country’s third tallest flag, but this should not have been the first priority of the government especially when it is suffering from real problems such as landslides, water logging, lack of electricity, traffic jam etc. Those needed to be solved first and thereafter the rest could have been taken up,” Beauty Das, a resident of Anil Nagar, one of the most flood prone areas of the city, said. Another resident, Basab Goswami said, “We are patriots with or without a tall flag, but we are not comfortable and safe in the city without an integrated traffic management system or a foolproof flash flood solution. Those are the issues that needed to be taken care of.” n

Which of these projects will help Guwahati as a Smart City?

Only 11 out of 24 projects taken up: MoHUA

he Union Ministry of the Housing & Urban Affairs had informed that out of the 24 sanctioned projects amounting to Rs 3,012 crore under the Smart City Mission, in two years, the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) has begun work on only five projects while six others have been tendered. “Guwahati has a sanction for 24 projects amounting to Rs 3,012 crore under the Smart Cities Mission. Funds, amounting to Rs 196 crore have been released by government of India, and an amount of Rs 190 crore has been transferred by the state government to the special purpose vehicle

(SPV). GSCL has invited tenders for 5 projects amounting to Rs 513 crore while 6 projects worth Rs 25 crore have either been partially or fully completed,” a tweet from the verified account of the MoHUA informed. The GSCL had divided the projects into three major parts based on the area of its implementation namely, pan-city projects with three projects in it, area-based development (ABD) projects with five projects in it and three more in the category of other projects. This aside, it has also taken up a project to have a Geographic Information System mapping of the city for policy making for the various official departments.

The GSCL has taken up the Borsola Beel development project at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore, Mora Bharalu banks development at a cost of Rs 4.88 crore, development of Bharulu River at a cost of Rs 5.58 crore; Brahmaputra Riverfront development at a cost of Rs 8.26 crores; conservation of Deepor Beel Project at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore that are part of the ADB projects. Of the other project list, it took the setting up of 20 water ATMs at a cost of Rs 2.09 crore, 20 bio-toilets, refurbishing the Gandhi Mandap at Rs 2.9 crore. Of the Pan City projects, the SPV has taken up the Smart Pole with City Optical Fibre Project at a cost of Rs 66.15 crore in which, 46

smart poles capable of providing light, WiFi, night-time CCTV surveillance etc will be installed. However, except for the Pan City projects, the rest were supposed to be completed by May this year. About the delay, MoHUA in its tweet said, “Due to unique geographic & demographic conditions, execution of projects in the North-East States face challenges like availability of resources, including professionals at a competitive price, complexity in management due to multiple stakeholders & land issues. Due to these challenges, projects have to be tendered out multiple times before a vendor is selected.” n

The SPV has taken up the Smart Pole with City Optical Fibre Project at a cost of Rs 66.15 crore in which, 46 smart poles capable of providing light, WiFi, night-time CCTV surveillance etc will be installed.

Survey Special

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Citizens press for completion of projects outside the GSCL ambit

hough the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) has taken up 11 projects, the residents of Guwahati feel that a few projects taken up earlier – which are outside the ambit of Smart City – require more attention. This was revealed when responses on a set of two surveys 1) Most important Smart City projects and 2) Most important projects that would make Guwahati smart – of the ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’, a city-wide survey with more than 10,000

respondents from 100 locations were compared. While regarding the smart city projects, 60 per cent of the total respondents have responded, when asked on what project would make the city smart, more than 80 per cent had responded. “Most of the projects taken up in smart city do not address the perennial problems of the city. The smart city projects are very futuristic and we will be benefitted by those, but these are not addressing to the most perennial problems of the city,” Mandira Das, a resident of Ulubari said. The respondents were asked about six such projects – 1) smart technology-driven public transportation system 2) metro rail connectivity 3) speedy identification and smart conversion of vending zones 4) stress on renewable sources of energy like solar power, bio-fuel 5) riverfront development into

recreational promenade and 6) entire city to have free WiFi access – that are outside the ambit of Smart City project. The respondents found these projects very crucial to make Guwahati smart. More than 57.7 per cent of the respondents were in favour of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s ambitious railbased Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) project that did not see much progress after the BJP took over in 2016. The detailed project report for first phase that was completed by 2016 was presented in the Assam Assembly for approval where it was recast for more changes. A total of 61.4 Km with four corridors – Dharapur to Narangi (elevated), M. G. Road to Khanapara (Underground), Jalukbari to Khanapara (Elevated) and ISBT to Paltan Bazar (Elevated) – was planned. The cabinet had asked to introduce

changes such as extension of Dharapur- Narangi to Guwahati Airport, Metro connection for North Guwahati and the AIIMS site at Changsari, and should be connected with all major points such as Airport, Guwahati Railway Station, Kamakhya

Most of the projects taken up in smart city do not address the perennial problems of the city. The smart city projects are very futuristic and we will be benefitted by those, but these are not addressing to the most perennial problems of the city Mandira Das, A resident of Ulubari

Railway Station, Kamakhya Temple, Gauhati University, Pandu Ghat etc. “We are not hopeful that it would be completed in the next 3 years, but the MRTS is a project that will make Guwahati a metropolitan in its real sense,” Prabin Kalita, a resident said. A total of 47 per cent of the respondents have also voted for a smart technology-driven public transportation system. “In the name of public transportation, we only have buses and share taxis. That also does not cover the entire city. There should be a smart integrated solution to that through technology-based monitoring,” said Bikash Kalita, a resident of Betkuchi. Stress on renewable sources of energy like solar power, biofuel received 35.9 per cent of the votes while, 25.6 respondents said that the riverfront needs to be developed into recreational promenade and 21.5 per cent said that the entire city should have free Wi-Fi access. Also, as per the Smart City, the GSCL has taken up a project to put 46 poles throughout the city that will serve as electricity and Wi-Fi zones, but that will not cover the entire city. n

G Talk

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Deciphering the MoHUA tweets

am not really surprised at the recent tweets of the union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) classifying Guwahati, along with other NE regions, as unique in its geographical and demographic conditions. In fact, it could well have added the governmental and administrative uniqueness too. Development is all about construction usually and each component of the smart city development requires construction work to be done more or less. Given this fact, the tendency of the government to treat construction materials that mainly include stone chips, sand etc, as contraband and often consider its trade as illegal thereby pushing its prices up obviously derails any tendering process with contractors becoming wary of quoting rates. Today, it has become difficult for local contractors to quote firm rates when it comes to construction work simply because of the extreme uncertainty that seems to dog the material supply chain. There is simply no guarantee that quoted rates given at one point in time would remain firm until the completion of a particular work. To top this, government work contracts usually don’t have the cushion of a price escalation clause that could act as a buffer for a contrac-

tor should prices of materials go haywire during the course of the developmental work. The delays in the Smart City Mission were always inevitable and the tweets of the MoHUA are nothing short of amusing even as they are indicative of knowledge deficiency with regard to the northeast region and its “geographic and demographic conditions” on the part of the ministry. If I am to be sarcastic, it is part of our culture to be slow and deadlines are made to be missed. And terming availability of resources to be a huge challenge doesn’t alter the fact that successive state governments have done nothing to change the scenario whereby the ease-ofdoing business index shows a sharp improvement. Resourceful companies from outside have been guilty of delays and missed deadlines and examples of the same are plenty. Remember the Gauhati High Court tunnel? Well, the Pune-based company that got the contract has again missed its deadline slated for today. What the MoHUA tweets were intended for is beyond my comprehension but for the fact that the current dispensation just loves playing around on social media. Swapnil Bharali Editor

‘Server Down’ at Janata Bhawan

he Janata Bhawan is the nerve-centre of all government operations in the state. All major government functionaries operate out of here. Any visit to the Secretariat starts with the basic obstacle of making an entry and being frisked. Citizens visiting the secretariat are required to make an online pass/e-pass. However, it is only upon your visit that you find out that the ‘servers are down’ and so the e-pass is not valid. Of course, you then queue up in what is generally a long line. This is not just a one-two day rare occurrence. The e-pass system has been plagued by the ‘server down’ problem for almost the past 4 months. This of course reflects poorly on the entire set up. Why introduce something if you can’t maintain the operations behind it. How difficult is it really? Sometime in the past year, the Assam Secretariat had decided to make certain improvements in the e-pass system for visitors. They aimed to replace the paper slip with an SMS based entry where visitors were to display their valid ID Cards/ID Proof with the SMS at the time of entry. However, 2 years have passed and we’re still leaving paper trails behind. I mean people at the Secretariat should know better than to leave paper trails behind. Added to this, there was also a concept for an exit code to be given to the visitors which was to be showed by the visitor during the exit, failing which they could be barred from visiting the Secretariat. However, none of this is in place and we’re still in a paper driven format. As a provision, the e-pass system needs to be sorted out immediately. If the aim was to ease public woes, this is definitely going the other way.

Sidharth Bedi Varma

Rationalizing the reservation policy

t’s a conspicuous fact known to one and all that the perspectives and characterization of education follow a basic policy, which is to engender the sense of being schooled and skilled in the mind of individuals. However, in reality, the cycle of education brings forward a series of events starting from the point where a normal individual adopts the vitals of education in order to be knowledgeable and skilled and ends at that particular point where he is capable of rendering some kind of service to the nation. In fact, like a nation wants an individual to bestow his or her service for the nation’s development, in the same way it also remains the dream of any individual to give his or her sweat and soul so as to help the country climb the ladder of success. But the sad fact is that in this rational ratio between an individual and his country, a particular constitutional mandate termed as the “Reservation Policy” is acting as a big hindrance. The background of reservation system in India has a direct connection to the caste system, which is prevalent in India since time immemorial. The recondite as well as the glorious Indian history narrates many accounts from where we can clearly perceive the fact that during the ancient times, there was a distinct division between the higher castes and the lower castes, where most of the time people of the lower castes were deprived from luxury and opportunity. Hence, to reduce the polarization between the castes and to bring the scenario to equilibrium the framers of the Indian Constitution laid emphasis on the concepts of equality. Article 15 of the Indian Constitution clearly mentioned the fact that there won’t be any discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth and Article 16 further added the perspectives of equality of opportunity in matters of public employment. However, if we carefully analyze, we find that the reservation policy that the government adopted years ago, had a direction connection to Clause 4 of Article 15; that particular clause gave powers to the state or the government to

implement laws for the benefits of the backward classes. In fact, the reservation policy of education in India so started when, in 1954, the Ministry of Education suggested that 20 percent of the seats should be reserved for the SC and ST candidates in educational institutions, with a provision to relax the minimum qualifying marks for admission by 5 percent wherever required. Further in 1982, it was specified that 15 percent and 7.5 percent of vacancies in public sector and government-aided educational

The author throws up some logical pointers as to why the age-old reservation policy of India stands irrelevant and out of sync with the modern times

institutions respectively should be reserved for SC and ST candidates. And even though this particular reservation policy might have been really necessary 60 years ago on the grounds that the lower caste people were deprived from basic resources, necessities and luxuries, in the present context, it looks rather unreasonable today as most of the people belonging to the backward classes enjoy opportunities, luxuries and privileges equally as any other general person. So, by continuing with the reservation policy even in the modern era, the government, somewhere down the line, is itself violating Article 15 and Article 16 of the Indian Constitution. Furthermore, in the present era, if the conscious government really thinks that people from the backward classes are deprived from basic necessities and resources, then they should really do something substantial for them by providing them quality education, books and all other stuffs rather than adopting the reserva-

rAddress the city’s water logging

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

tion policy. However if opposite is the case, then it directly means depriving some of the meritorious individuals who not only score higher percentage of marks than the reserved categories of individuals, but also have the potential to provide significant inputs for the development of the nation. Added to this, because of this reservation policy, the predicaments of educated unemployed have also increased in India. So the question that arises out of this is: Why can’t the rational India be logical enough to abolish the reservation system? Moreover, even though Article 335 of the Indian Constitution says that the claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be given due importance, the Article also directs the government to consider the claims without disturbing the efficiency of administration. But currently most of the individuals in India are raising questions over the efficiency of the administration for continuing with the old reservation policy without effective amendments. This entire deliberation of reservation policy in India has once again come into focus, especially after the news of reserved category of students failing to secure the minimum qualifying marks required to obtain a seat for MPhil or PhD under Delhi University. And this not only raises a question on the capacities of certain reserved category of students but also on the silent attitude of the Parliament of India, when the talk comes about changing the reservation policy. Hence it’s high time for the Parliament of India to enforce the 102nd amendment of the Constitution, with a motive to bring logical reformations in the reservation policy, without disturbing the sentiments of any individual. n

Letter to the Editor

ater logging is a perennial problem of the city. A smart shower for 20 minutes and the roads get inundated with the city thrown out of gear. On the other hand, we call Guwahati a smart city and the gateway to the northeast. It is growing at a considerable pace but unfortunately without proper planning. Haphazard growth had taken place leading to inconvenience and poor quality of life for the residents and those who come to conduct business. The roads are getting narrower with growing private vehicles. A master plan needs to be drawn up properly to develop new areas with adequate parking, wide roads, markets and drainage facilities. The present drains are more like boxes rather than drains because its surface is flat. On the flat surface, accumulation starts faster and the flow of water gets restricted for which excess water comes out submerging roads and low lying areas. The midterm and long term plan is the need of the hour, which is to be started in the right earnest and elevated roads need to be put in place urgently in certain areas. Krishno K Borooah, Kharghuli, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Dr Jaya Choudhury Social Entrepreneur

nown for her works in the field of teaching and research on traditional Assamese jewellery, Dr Jaya Choudhury is a multifaceted personality hailing from the city of Guwahati, Assam. She recently completed her PhD on the topic ‘A Study on Commercial Viability on Traditional Assamese Jewellery Units’ from Gauhati University. Jaya, who quit her job as the head of the department of management at Asian Institute of Management and Technology (AIMT) to complete her research, was recently bestowed with the role of Chief Advisor of Nikhil Assam Swarna Silpi Samiti (NASSS), one of the oldest jewellery associations of the state. Jaya also received the Jaycee Manavtha Rathna Puraskar for her immense contribution towards social cause on the occasion of World Women’s Day 2017 by Junior Chambers International, Guwahati. Born in Guwahati to renowned elephant hunter and wildlife photographer Dinesh Choudhury and Kalpana Choudhury, Jaya started her

schooling from Air Force School, Jorhat at the age of three. After studying there for a year, she moved back to Guwahati where she completed her matriculation from TC Girls’ Higher Secondary School. Jaya, who was always interested in knowing about the business environment, went on to study commerce from Gauhati Commerce College (GCC). While pursuing BCom, she simultaneously cleared Chartered Accountancy (Foundation) examination which allowed her to pursue Chartered Accountancy Intermediate course simultaneously along with BCom. Further, Jaya did her post graduation in Commerce from GCC, Bachelor in Education (BEd) from Gauhati University and MPhil in Commerce from Vinayaka Missions University. Inspired by her dad, Jaya decided to pursue a career in the field of education. Starting a full time career in teaching Accountancy and Finance in 2000, she spent the next 13 years teaching in various reputed colleges of the city including Pragjyotish College and Asian Institute of Management and

Technology. She has also worked as a visiting faculty at North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM), Assam Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship to name a few. “While in class 10, I was fortunate to learn Mathematics from my father for a few months, who with his amazing teaching style, could transform my poor marks in Mathematics into letter marks in my matriculation exam. He has been my inspiration in the field of teaching,” recalled Jaya while speaking to G Plus. It’s been over four years since Jaya quit her teaching job and embarked on the entrepreneurial journey. Not only has she started her own venture, she has also initiated the procedure for issuance of a police guideline to safeguard jewellery artisans in investigation of jewellery theft cases. Additionally, she led a team of traditional Assamese jewellery artisans to participate in India

International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi in the years 2013 and 2014. She also organised an awareness camp on Geographical Indication (GI) at Ranthali, Nagaon in 2013 for spreading awareness of GI on traditional Assamese jewellery and coordinated a workshop conducted by Renate Golz, a German goldsmith, on traditional Assamese jewellery. Speaking to G Plus about starting her journey as an entrepreneur, Jaya said, “My initial journey as an entrepreneur in traditional Assamese jewellery industry started with an objective to fulfil a research question of testing the commercial viability of units that deals with traditional Assamese jewellery

items. This activity helped me in knowing about the costing methods as well as the pricing policies adopted by the artisans for the various Assamese jewellery products and so began the journey.” Her association with the grassroots level artisans of Assam’s handicraft sector led to the start of Integrated Community Development – an association for undertaking various activities for development of different communities. Jaya is of the opinion that social media has brought in a new revolution in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. “Social media is extremely effective as a communication and marketing tool that allows entrepreneurs widen their customer base by enhancing their contacts with suppliers and clients. Technological innovation has also done wonders in the field of entrepreneurship - with just a little device in hand and an innovative idea, every second person can be an entrepreneur in the present time,” said Jaya. To all the women who aspire to become entrepreneurs, Jaya has a word of advice, “Get involved in a work that you actually care about. To make a significant impact in the entrepreneurial field, you need to move out of your comfort zones as womanhood can never be an impediment in the way of choosing the path of entrepreneurship.”

The Hima Das statue controversy On 28th August, Assam state minister, Keshab Mahanta, announced that a statue of Hima Das would be erected at her native village, Kandhulimari near Dhing in Assam’s Nagaon district. The announcement faced more brickbats than bouquets: Ajit Kumar Mahanta The current government has no sense. She needs to prepare for the biggest leap like the Olympic Games. Does the government even realise what mental make-up besides physical fitness is needed for that kind of a preparation? Stop destroying her with these cheap gimmicks. Assam commoners are sore with your failures on flood. Preparedness, worst ever road conditions and so many others, save yourself with those performances if you want to remain in circulation. You were not voted for these celebration gimmicks. God please help Hima and Assam! Ðeëp J Gogoi She had done well in IAAF U20 because there wasn’t any social media or pressure of expectation. But now in Asian Games, we are expecting so much from her, pressurizing her to get us a gold! Let Hima race for herself, not for our sake. She will definitely do some more miracles. Building statues is stupid and won’t bring anything to the nation. And about the statue part, all these political parties know only about their own publicity. Why don’t they develop sports culture rather than propagandize their party? Gautam Deka I just wish she doesn’t return to Assam to do such a stupid thing as she will be lost in this political mileage game and surely all such stupid activities will affect her performance in the coming days. All politicians please have patience. There is hell lot of time to run your political campaigns. Politicians are never able to do anything outstanding to ensure that their state/country shines globally. Now, when someone is trying hard to do that, they unable to digest the same.

Manisha Khaund Das Support her to pursue her talent with all the facilities she needs to improve her talent right now. Constructing statues will do no good for her but pave her downfall only. Grow up and do the needful and not showbiz. Statues are just toilets for birds. Vivekanand Baggchi Making a statue in the name of Hima Das is not a good idea at this moment. Instead invest the money on her preparation and future competitions and infrastructure. Attention should be given so that more Himas come out of Assam. She is very young and so she should be handled with care and maturity. She has a long way to go! Jyotishman Saikia This is not why I supported the BJP government in Assam. I feel the government should rather have taken an initiative of providing her proper training equipment and accessories. Also, a big prize money athletics meet should be held every year in Assam as a national event so that our athletes can compete and nurture their skills and also get cash awards so that it can be a benefit them and their families. Hrishiraj Rabha Build a statue after she wins a Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Don’t think that day is very far. As of now, invest more on sports institutes and academies. Sponsor her to train abroad; it’s a big accomplishment on behalf of her support staff, no doubt. But I am afraid sports infrastructure for athletics (specifically track & field) in India isn’t enough for the Olympics.

Feature

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Very excited to bring Pinkathon back to Guwahati: Milind Soman

n Guwahati to promote the fourth edition of Pinkathon, a run to raise awareness surrounding breast cancer, supermodel and actor Milind Soman gets candid with G Plus, talking about the importance of fitness – physical, mental and emotional. “I’m very excited to bring Pinkathon to Guwahati for the fourth time. I am confident that the city and its people will support us and help us make this run a humongous success,” says Milind, the founder of Pinkathon.

Why focus on running? Over the past decade, Milind Soman has established himself as India’s running sensation, and rightly so. Known as the ironman of India, Milind ditched the whole idea of gym a long time ago. He follows a non-gym routine, using no machineries at all, and follows a strict diet that includes lots of milk, fruits and vegetables. At 53, Milind has the body to die for! His secret? Running, push-ups and sometimes pull-ups. “Well, the thing is that gyms employ isolation technique, which means that you’re

focusing on one body part at a time. But while running the entire body is charged up and energized. I believe that full body movements and training is better and more sustainable,” said Milind.

Milind’s tip for beginners If you want to begin your journey towards fitness with running, remember that you should start very slow. You may not have run for many years and your muscles may not be

that strong - so start with running for short distances and at slow pace. Slowly, increase the distance and the speed. Make sure that you don’t feel any discomfort.

Mental health more important than physical Milind, who has been getting younger with age, emphasizes on the importance of mental and emotional health along with physical health. “Mental health is much more important than physical health,” he believes. The more regular you are in exercising, the more beneficial it is for your mind and body.

The idea behind Pinkathon In its seventh year, Pinkathon is currently spread across 100 cities in 10 countries. There are over 1,00,000 women who have participated in the multi-city event, belonging to all age groups and different walks of life. Milind is of the belief that Indian women need to become aware about the benefits of fitness. They need to be able to get out

and run, which doesn’t happen enough due to various cultural reasons. He says, “Run in sarees, salwar kameez, burkhas, mekhela chadors or whatever attire you deem fit, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re running and staying fit!”

Women empowerment at the heart of Pinkathon Women empowerment is a significant issue, one that many want to contribute towards but only some find a way to. Speaking about the significance of women empowerment, Milind said, “A healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women. The first step in empowerment is taking control of your own health, respecting yourself and understanding and celebrating the value you bring to your family and society.” “Usually women ignore their health condition and are more concerned about their families. The objective of Pinkathon is to make women aware

about their personal health. We are committed to encourage progress of women and help them move forward in life. Pinkathon is to boost confidence of women and strengthen the belief that women can do wonders,” he added.

Milind’s view on the fitness culture of Guwahati Like any growing city, Guwahati is very fast paced compared to the rest of the towns of Assam. I think that the people here have lost their connection with health, fitness and natural lifestyle because of the tremendous pressure of growing with the city. I feel that Guwahatians need to find their connection with themselves and their bodies – know what is good for your minds and learn to

take care of your mind and body together.

Pinkathon Guwahati 2018 The fourth edition of Pinkathon Guwahati is all set to be flagged off from the Khanapara Veterinary Ground on 30th September. The run, created with the objective of spreading awareness about women’s health related issues (breast cancer in particular), aims to encourage women to adopt health and fitness in their daily lifestyles by means of running. Regarded as India’s biggest women’s run, participation of over 6,000 women can be expected in the multi-category run. The online registration for the same is currently open. Announcing the details of Pinkathon Guwahati 2018, at Hotel Novotel on Monday, Pinkathon founder and former supermodel, Milind Soman, said that the event has carved a

niche of being more than a marathon. “While we conduct Pinkathon once a year in all the key cities, it is now being seen as the seed of change. It’s a movement that is carried forward by a growing community of empowered women across India through the year. These women share a belief that a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women,” Soman said. The event was also attended by 103-year-old Indian runner Mann Kaur, visually impaired Dolly Rajbongshi, cancer survivor Jasmine Kibriya, Dr Roselin Bora from Apollo Hospitals and founder of UTSAH NGO, Miguel Das Queah, among other eminent personalities. n

Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

Trotter

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

French town bans swimming over lovelorn dolphin’s ‘sexual behaviours’ toward humans

eople eager to spend the waning days of summer frolicking in the waters near a coastal town in France might want to rethink their plans. It isn’t safe, according to local officials, who recently banned swimming and diving in the area. But the danger threatening visitors to the beaches of Landevennec isn’t a vicious rip current or a shark - it’s a lonely “lovelorn” male bottlenose dolphin nicknamed Zafar. For months, Zafar has been known in the Bay of Brest for his unabashed playfulness, even allowing people to hold on to his dorsal fin as he takes them for rides. But the dolphin’s interest in humans now appears to be driven by the need for company of an intimate nature. “He is in heat,” one marine mammal expert said. Reportedly, Zafar has been seen trying to rub up against swimmers and boats or kayaks. In other instances, the dolphin prevented a female swimmer from returning to shore (she was later rescued by boat) and lifted another woman out of the water with his nose. While his name translates to “victory,” Zafar’s

adding that this is when “strange behaviours can come about.” No one has been injured by Zafar yet, a fact that has motivated locals. The ban serves to protect Zafar from an unfortunate fate common to solitary dolphins: untimely death at the hands of humans. Based on the description of Zafar’s behaviour, it appears the dolphin is already at a “very high level of habituation” and that authorities have stepped in at the right time. By staying away, people can do their part to help save him. (Source: ndtv)

Man cuts off nose and ears to look like a living skull

man with a love of skeletons has cut off his nose so he can look like a skull. Tattoo artist Kalaca Skull, whose real name is Eric Yeiner Hincapie Ramirez, has spent two years undergoing extreme body modifications in his quest to change his face. He has put up with a host of gruesome and painful procedures including one to remove the lower half

Thief demands money and some donuts ‘please’

A various attempts to satisfy his needs have not only fallen short, but prompted Landevennec’s mayor, Roger Lars, to issue a bylaw banning swimming and diving near the village’s shoreline whenever Zafar is seen in the area, a local daily reported. Visitors and locals, Lars said, were becoming “frightened” by Zafar’s behavior. “The dolphin is wanting, needing, yearning social contact from cohorts and that need isn’t fulfilled, so it can try different dolphin behaviours towards humans to try and get that social fulfilment,” a lead researcher with Dolphin Research Australia said,

of his nose and another to take his ears off. But it doesn’t stop there. The heavily tattooed artist has had his tongue split in half and tattooed a blue-grey colour, and had skull features, including black eye-sockets on his tattooed on his face. Kalaca Skull, 22, was the first person in Colombia to opt to have his nose and ears voluntarily removed, prompting a media storm in the country. He has

also shaved his head to reveal hundreds of painful head tattoos and piercings. His efforts to transform his appearance and the spooky results started after his mother’s death. The young man said he was always fascinated by skulls as a child but refrained from anybody mutilation while his mother was alive as she wouldn’t have given him the green light. Kalaca said that he feels “very attached to skulls.” “Body modifications are a personal decision and should not be judged. It is like judging a woman for getting breast or buttock implants. For me, a skull is like my sister, a part of my family really. I feel very attached to them,” he said. He even has more plans for further modifications to make him look even more like a skull in the future. But despite his terrifying appearance attracting stares in public and making strangers uncomfortable, Kalaca insists he is a “normal” person who just happens to look “different”. “I just feel good the way I am,” he said. (Source: mirror.co)

thief in Florida, USA, was after more than just money; he also wanted some sweet treats to go with the cash. According to a Facebook post by the Gainesville Police Department, the 45-year-old man entered a Krispy Kreme store and demanded $10 and $20 bills from the cash register and some donuts. However, the robbery at the popular donut chain was not successful. “The clerk was shocked and didn’t respond and then the robber repeated the same demand. The clerk summoned another employee and the robber made the same demands again. Both female clerks alerted the male clerk from the rear of the business who told the person to leave,” wrote the police department on

their Facebook post. He then fled the establishment on foot and was found and arrested by police officers shortly after that. Fortunately, nobody was injured during the whole incident. The man later admitted to the police that he had demanded money and he wanted donuts from the “secret menu.” The story left many on Facebook amused, collecting dozens of comments and hundreds of reactions. “I don’t believe in rewarding stupidity or bad behaviour, but I would have gotten the guy a donut before taking him to jail. It could have been worse. He could have gone to McDonalds,” joked one commenter. “This would-be robber isn’t guilty of completely bad decision making. I mean, he DID ask for donuts in addition to the cash,” said another. The man will now serve time at the county jail. Back in November, a thief who broke into a house in Scotland was arrested after he fell asleep while eating a pie and a bag of Doritos. (Source: ndtv)

Austrian man tries to take horse on a train

hotos of a man aboard a train went viral recently due to his unusual travelling companion: a horse. The man reportedly tried to board two trains in the state of Styria with his horse named Frieda. But train conductors refused to continue the journey with Frieda aboard. Photos of the young man holding Frieda surrounded by laughing passengers were shared on Twitter and retweeted by state rail company, OeBB. “We hope this will stay a one-off,” OeBB spokeswoman Julianne Pamme was quoted by Austrian news agency APA as

saying, adding that horses could be dangerous, for example if the train had to break suddenly. OeBB guidelines stipulate that small, harmless animals in closed and secure containers, as well as dogs on leashes and wearing muzzles can be taken on trains. (Source: indiatimes)

Gurdwara opens doors to allow Muslim man to pray

Sikh temple has been praised for opening its doors to let a Muslim man pray when he allegedly couldn’t find a mosque. The man was spotted in Gurdwara Sahib Bercham Ipoh in Malaysia praying while Sikh hymns were being sung on the microphone. The video, taken from the front of the Sikh temple hall, shows the Muslim man in a blue t-shirt

praying towards Mecca during the hymns. Despite a history of animosity between the religions, no one appears to interrupt him as he carries out his namaz (prayers) near the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Scripture). The heartwarming footage was made public after a group called “Sikh Inside” shared it earlier this week. They wrote: “A Muslim brother spotted doing Namaz (prayer) in Gurdwara Sahib Bercham Ipoh. Probably he couldn’t find a mosque and dropped by Gurdwara to complete his Namaz. ‘Powerful, God is One’. The inspiring video, which has already been viewed more than 45,000 times on Facebook and Twitter, has been praised by thousands and proves that Love always prevails. (Source: mirror)

Review

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi Director: Amar Kaushik

T e w Movi vie e R

Stree

he story of this horror-comedy goes like this - The old-fashioned town of Chanderi, every year gets haunted by a unique prodigy. The spirit of an angry woman, simply referred to as Stree, stalks men and calls out to them when they’re alone during the four nights of a particular festive period. Every home in this haunted town has “O Stree kal aanaa (O Woman, come tomorrow)” written on its walls with red ink created with special ingredients meant to keep evil away. The vengeful ghost is very literate and civil - the woman even as a wild spirit, does not believe in using force and waits for the consent of her victims before abducting them. She whispers a man’s name and as soon as he turns around, the man vanishes without a trace.

Chanderi town’s wonder-boy Bicky (Rajkummar Rao) falls in love with a mystifying girl (Shraddha Kapoor) who also appears only during these four days of the festive season. Her vanishing act gets his friends suspicious and they start believing that she could be the Stree haunting the town for so many years. Horror comedies are a rare offering in Hindi cinema and in that respect Stree pretty much lives up to the expectations. The funniest character in the film is of Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), a bookshop owner and Mr Know-it-all, who guides Bicky and his friends on how to deal with Stree. Rajkummar’s performance is just as good. He handles the many shades of comedy, horror and romance very smoothly. Shraddha Kapoor does a fine job of maintaining an air of mystery as well. n

Starring: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda, Binnu Dhillon Director: Navaniat Singh

he third film in the franchise of Yamla Pagla Deewana with a new director Navaniat Singh does nothing new to impress or engage the audience. Throw in some Punjab, some stereotypical racist jokes, filler songs, some dishoom-dishoom and voila! You get Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se. With a sloppy storyline and characters reduced to little caricatures, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se falls flat on its face. The only saving charm is probably Salman Khan’s cameo before the end-credits and the Rafta Rafta medley, but by the time those scenes come, the ship has already sunk. Coming to the acts, it’s disheartening to watch such evergreen veteran actors like Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha being subjected to such a ridicu-

he Nokia 6.1 Plus, which was launched in China back in May as the Nokia X6, is a part of the Android One initiative and runs a stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo. It features a 19:9 display, a dual camera setup at the rear, and a glass and metal design. It is priced at Rs. 15,999 and it goes on sale in India on August 30.

Design:

The Nokia 6.1 Plus features glass on the front and back, with an aluminium frame for rigidity. Due to the tall aspect ratio and curved edges, the smartphone is compact and pocketable. However, one-handed use is quite difficult. It is available in three colour options - Gloss White, Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Black. The smooth glass back looks attractive and classy but picks up a lot of smudges and fingerprints. It is also incredibly slippery - a case is recommended to give you a decent grip. There's a single loudspeaker

lous storyline. Dharmendra does bring in some grace to the film, but it slowly loses its gleam too; blame it on the amateur writing and direction? Sunny Deol does what he does best. But where’s the dialoguebaazi, Mr Director? Bobby Deol sounds more like a kid with raging hormones. Kriti Kharbanda looks pretty, but hardly gets a chance to showcase her acting skills. We’d have to conclude saying Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se is nothing more than yawn-fest. While it feels good to see the Deols reunite on-screen, the trio is let down by the awful storyline and a sloppier direction. Nonetheless, the movie is still getting a lot of support from other Bollywood celebrities; let’s say out of respect for the veteran Dharmendra. The industry sure sticks around for each other. n

Nokia 6.1 Plus

next to the USB Type-C port at the bottom, which delivers loud and clear audio.

Specifications and display:

Nokia 6.1 Plus is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, which includes a 3,060mAh battery, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage that can be expanded using a microSD card (up to 400 GB). This phone supports dual SIMs (Nano) and both can simultaneously latch onto 4G networks. The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a 5.8inch full-HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9 and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection against scratches. The display is

Cinepolis

Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir

Christian Basti

Se 02:00 PM, 05:00 PM, 08:00 PM

09435025808 Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir

Grande Cines

Se 08:45 AM, 11:35 AM, 12:30 PM,

Paltan Bazar

02:45 PM, 05:55 PM, 09:05 PM

09854017771

Gold 09:15 AM, 03:40 PM

Stree 10:30 AM, 01:00 PM,

Stree 09:25 AM, 12:00 PM, 03:00

03:30 PM, 06:00 PM, 08:45 PM

PM, 06:00 PM, 06:55 PM, 08:55 PM

Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi

Se 11:30 AM, 05:30 PM, 08:30 PM

09:30 AM, 06:10 PM Searching, English 12:35 PM, 09:15 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet

Satyameva Jayate 03:05 PM

08800900009

Alpha, English, 3D 09:50 PM

Stree 09:35 AM, 03:35 PM, 06:30 PM, 09:20 PM

Anuradha Cineplex

Gold 12:20 PM

Noonmati

Happy Phirr Bhag

0361 2656968 Stree 11:00 AM, 05:00 PM

e w Movi vie Re

Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se

Yamla Pagla Deewana

Phir Se 03:30 PM, 09:15 PM

Phir Se 02:00 PM, 08:15 PM

Satyameva Jayate 06:20 PM

Gold Cinema

Galleria Cinemas

Paltan Bazaar

HUB

09854066166

09706989143

Stree 11:00 AM, 02:15

Genius 09:30 AM, 05:50 PM

PM, 05:15 PM, 08:15 PM

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi

Leelar Pora Lailaloi,

12:15 PM, 09:00 PM

Assamese 11:15 AM

Gold 02:55 PM

bright and punchy, and has good viewing angles. Colours are vivid and outdoor legibility is decent.

such as the recently launched Asphalt 9, and taking a couple of photos and selfies.

Performance, software, and battery life:

Cameras:

The Nokia 6.1 Plus delivers a smooth and consistent user experience— from basic dayto-day tasks such as browsing the Web and using social media applications, to intensive workloads — without any issues. Games like Asphalt 9 also run quite smoothly, with no stutters or dropped frames. It runs on stock Android 8.1 and HMD Global has promised updates to Android Pie as well as Android Q, as and when they are released. In a HD video loop battery test, the Nokia 6.1 Plus easily gets through a 12-hour day with medium to heavy use, with around 20 percent left in the tank. The usage involving around an hour or two of navigation using Google Maps, frequent use of social media applications, games

Jayegi 12:30 PM

The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a 16-megapixel primary alongside a 5-megapixel monochrome secondary camera. There is also a dual-LED flash at the back. Portrait shots are quite impressive with good edge detection and smooth gradients between the subject and the background. During the day, the rear camera performs quite well. Images have a good amount of detail, colours however appear slightly washed out regardless of lighting conditions. Low-light performance on the other hand is a bit of a mixed bag.

Verdict:

The Nokia 6.1 Plus offers great performance, clean and fluid software, a punchy and vibrant display, and the promise of timely updates. With a sleek glass-backed design, compact

dimensions, and a 19:9 display, the Nokia 6.1 Plus addresses most of the shortcomings of the Nokia 6.1, which was launched earlier on in the year. It is also priced much more aggressively. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Papon sings multi-lingual rock song for ‘III Smoking Barrels’

ll music lovers are in for a treat as the makers of India’s first truly multilingual film ‘III Smoking Barrels’ had roped in popular singer Angarag Papon Mahanta to sing a rock song for the film. The song titled ‘Yeh Tishnagi’ is a rock and contemporary Bollywood style song which has been composed and sung by Papon. What’s even more exciting is that the versatile singer has sung the number in both Hindi and Assamese. The lyrics for the Hindi version have been penned by Vaibhav Modi while the lyrics for the Assamese version titled ‘Uttorbihin’ have been written by Rajdweep, the popular storyteller-cum-lyricistcum-journalist from Assam. Talking about the song, writerdirector Sanjib Dey said, “‘Yeh Tishnagi’ is a very special song. We got Papon to sing the song because he is not just an extremely talented singer but also because he connects with the northeast as much as the rest of the country. He brings a certain rustic touch and range and has beautifully rendered his vocals to the song. It was a great experience collaborating with him.” In the same vein, Papon said, “It was an enriching experience singing the same song in Hindi and Assamese. It is my earnest hope that stories from the northeast, through songs and films, are enjoyed by the rest of the country. I hope the audiences find a

connection to both the versions and equally love the song.” ‘III Smoking Barrels’ which has been shot on a grand visual scale beautifully intertwines three issues that beset the Northeast India, namely, children involved in armed conflicts, drug addiction and abuse which is a big threat to Indian youth and animal poaching and the necessity of wild life conservation with each one of them exploring a different stage of human life.

nternationally acclaimed actor Adil Hussain’s new film Love Sonia is making waves even before its release. The trailer of the film, which also marks Tabrez Noorani’s first film as a director, was launched recently in Guwahati. Love Sonia is about a girl and her journey to rescue her sister. Seventeen-year-old Sonia (Mrunal Thakur) travels to Mumbai from her village to rescue her sister Preeti (Riya Sisodiya) and gets caught up in the sinister world of human trafficking and prostitution. Sonia’s journey takes her across India, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. The film boasts of a stellar star cast of national and international actors including Mrunal Thakur, Adil Hussain, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Anupam Kher and Demi Moore. Assam’s Adil Hussain plays the unfortunate father of Sonia and Preeti. The film has received standing ovations globally for its story about

human trafficking. It also won the Best Indie Film Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2018. Noorani has previously been associated with films like Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty and Slumdog

International Short and Documentary Film Festival to be held in Nagaon

Adil Hussain’s Love Sonia deals with human trafficking Millionaire. Noorani, along with Ted Caplan and Alkesh Vaja, have written Love Sonia. The Hindi dialogue is by Ritesh Shah. The film is scheduled to release on September 14.

ore than 60 films from around the globe will be screened at the 1st Nagaon International Short and Documentary Film Festival (NISDFF), which will be held in Nagaon on September 8 and 9. Organised by the Cinemalay, an organisation working for promotion of quality cinemas in the rural areas, the festival will open with Sakina Rashid’s short film “Fish in a Bowl.” Films from Australia, Italy, Germany, United States of America, Russia, Poland, Israel, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Taiwan, among others, will be screened during the twoday festival. Several critically acclaimed international short films and documentaries from across 20 countries including The Dream Deli (Israel), Mountain Monks (Germany), Draft (Russia), Moving Canvas (Bangladesh) and Brave Bunch Children of Warsaw Uprising (Poland) will also be screened at the festival.

In the Northeast section, Manipur’s award winning filmmaker Meena Longjam’s “Autodriver,” Johnson Rajkumar’s “Fireflies,” Adhiraj Kashyap’s “Brocken Spectre,” Deepak Kumar’s “Guardians of Pakke” and Uddipta Dutta’s “Victims of Old Wives Tale” will be screened. Festival director Khanjan Kishore Nath said there will be six competitive sections at the festival—International Short Films, International Documentary Films, Rest of India Documentary Films, Northeast Short Films and Northeast Documentary Films. “This is probably the first time a festival in the region has competition in all the section. The objective behind the festival is to motivate aspiring youngsters of the region to get into the field of visual media. The idea is to create an atmosphere where they can experience quality cinemas and develop networks with filmmakers, actors and other professionals involved in moving making,” Nath said.

Fun

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Horoscope of the week This week begins with Moon in Pisces in your 10th House. Major planets, Jupiter and Saturn, both have an aspect over the Moon. This alignment indicates a relaxed mood. You will want to spend some time enjoying a few days of solitude, staying away from the hustle and bustle of workplace.

You might feel a little low and tired at the beginning of the week. You may even think of visiting a far-away religious place in order to calm your disturbed mind. However, this is just for a day. Full of steam, you will soon be roaring to do something different at work. Well, things may not always happen the way you want them to, so take it easy and keep calm.

“The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest”- this famous quote fits you to the T right now. Life has been pretty full on for you during the past few weeks and you will begin this week relaxing and enjoying the little pleasures of life. You can now heave a sigh of relief as Sun, your ruling planet, is now free of any hostile negative influences.

Sun now moves through your Sign. This is an encouraging astral indication, which will work in your favour. You will be saved from unnecessary expenses, and there will be spring in your step. Your personality will shine, and you shall feel more attractive. Keen on enhancing your financial prospects, you will work harder with your head held higher.

With not much happening, despite your best efforts, you may decide to spend some quiet time alone, as the week begins. The day may also have some friendly meetings or creative classes on agenda. Go ahead! Get in touch with your inner self and look for some insights, based on your intuition and gut feeling, suggests Ganesha.

Over the last weekend, Sun entered Virgo - your 11th House. Your social and friendly relations and gain-making avenues take the centre-stage. On Monday, though, you may not be in a mood to work much. Well, if you really can’t do much – why not enjoy a day of quiet rest and pleasure you’re your family? Notable financial gains – especially from the ongoing activities – are likely.

Over the last weekend, mighty Sun shifted to Virgo – your 10th House. Limelight falls on your work and professional zone. You will be more confident and raring to go. Anyway, not much has been happening on your family front – and this may have pushed you to work and business. In fact, you may be feeling glum, over a petty tiff at home, where you may have been blamed wrongly.

After having a good time with your loved ones last weekend, you might find it a little difficult to get back to work. Wishing you had planned a longer holiday with them, you shall be in no mood to go to office. With no negative influence over it, Sun is now going to make things better for you. There might not be any big change as such but even then you will feel relieved.

Whether you are frustrated in a job or getting over a break-up isn’t it so much easier when you have your family to support you? As you realize this ultimate truth, you will want to spend time with your loved ones at the beginning of the week and may even skip office. When back to work, at job you may be given a challenging task to work upon.

You may be out on a trip or enjoying a quiet moment alone or with your beloved, as the week begins. Is Monday a holiday? At least, in your mind – it is! Take this time to get in touch with your intuitive faculties, as they will help you calm down and reduce the stress – of the last few weeks, says Ganesha.

Doctor’s Associates Inc is the parent organization of which popular fast food chain?

Sanjher Pidim (1935) saw the singing debut of which singer from the Northeast?

Uwe Hohn is the coach of which Panipat born Asian Games gold

medallist?

By what name is Prince Igor Myshkin better known in the

world of literature?

Name this Canadian circus act coming to India at the

end of the year. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Doonesbury By Garry Trudeau

curio-city

9 4 9 2 7 7 7 6 2 1 2 8 3 44 6 2 5 8 57 6 8 8 9 2 3 7 Thu 30-Aug-2018 Daily Sudoku: 4

5 4 7

68 3 5 19 4 1 7 37 2

9 4 2 61 5 4 medium 5 9

Daily Sudoku: Fri 24-Aug-2018

easy

2 last 8 1week 4 3 solution 7 9 6 5 6 3 5 9 2 8 1 4 7 7 8 46 95 72 5 1 16 38 42 93 5 4 31 53 97 1 7 94 82 68 26 8 9 4 6 2 1 2 6 3 8 35 57 19 74 8 9 73 44 86 2 6 79 23 55 11 9 2 5 1 6 9 1 4 8 5 43 76 37 82 3 5 57 61 38 7 9 22 64 91 48 2 3 84 78 29 6 4 61 15 73 59 5 Sudoku: 7 Thu 3 30-Aug-2018 9 1 8 4 2 medium 6 Daily 2 6 1 4 7 5 9 8 3 Daily Sudoku: Fri 24-Aug-2018

easy

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week 1. Berinj, from which the word Biriyani is derived 2. Subway 3. Sachin Dev Burman 4. Neeraj Chopra 5. Dostoevsky’s Idiot 6. Cirque de Soleil

What is the Persian word for rice?

1 4

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city 1

Sudoku

The position of Moon, along with other planets, will see you in a relaxed mood – for the first few days of the week. Realising that there’s not much merit in banging your head on a wall – you shall finally decide to take it easy. Though, it’s not always a good thing to do, it’s okay to momentarily give up for now. You will be relaxed and inclined to enjoy.

The full Moon rises on Sunday. It will be placed in Pisces in your 12th House. This position of Moon signifies a change in your mood – maybe excessive emotions, but for the sake of purging. Enjoying life to the fullest may also be your primary motto, so much so that you may even skip work, just to do things that make you happy.

sudoriferous adjective [soo-duh-rif-er-uh s] bearing or secreting sweat.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Internal-combustion engine that mounts at stern of small boat (8,5) 8 Watering place (3) 9 Principal church of a diocese (9) 10 Not to be trusted (8) 11 Immediately following (4) 13 Sire (6) 14 In the direction of (6) 16 Action (4) 17 Bright colour with a yellow tinge — eager pen (anag) (3,5) 20 Tend (4,5) 21 Deciduous tree (3) 22 Having too many people (13)

1 Watering place (5) 2 Sausages baked in batter (4-2-3-4) 3 Busy (8) 4 Moving in a circle (6) 5 Bearing (4) 6 Horse-riding competition (5-3,5) 7 Told (7) 12 Comic verse (8) 13 Opera by Beethoven (7) 15 Be quiet! (4,2) 18 Called (5) 19 Source of illumination (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Vaastu and your car

Teen addiction and the Iceland model

his may sound funny but energies of the earth act on nonliving things also. Energy is available in various forms like kinetic energy, potential energy, Earth’s gravitational energy, solar energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, sound energy etc which influence everything. A vehicle is also subjected to these energies and if they are not in harmony with nature, it can have all sorts of problems. Generally, the problems faced with a vehicle is frequent breakdown, accidents, thefts, fire accidents, under utilisation resulting in wear and tear of certain parts. A car should get the best energy besides fuel and maintenance to give optimum results. Vaastu plays a big role in this. A car is exposed to the energies of the earth maximum when it is parked. Some Dos and Don’ts of parking are given here.

The garage should be located in Northwest. Park the car facing North or East only. There should be plenty of space to walk around in the garage after parking the vehicle. The garage should not be cramped.

The floor of the garage should slope towards East or North. The floor of the garage should slope from South to North or from West to East. The entrance of the garage is best located in North or East. The height of garage entrance should be less than main gate of the house. The colours of the walls of the garage should be white, cream, yellow or light pastel.

Avoid these:

Do not park the car facing West or South. This may cause fire hazards. Never locate the garage in Northeast as it will lead to blockage of the Northeast. But parking in the basement at Northeast is okay.

to very less usage of vehicle requiring more repairs. The walls of the garage should not touch the compound wall. Do not keep inflammable items in garage. It is common sense. Do not keep trash or dust bins in the garage. They generate negative energy which might affect the vehicle. A simple Vaastu test A new born baby, until it becomes aware of its surroundings, is highly sensitive to the bio energy around it. If you take a baby to a house and it starts crying, you can be certain that the Vaastu of the house is not right!

A garage in Southwest leads

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

ast week’s G Plus Survey – Let’s Talk Guwahati – was on the easy availability of addictive substances to minors and how to restrict access to them. Restricting access will always be only partially effective. If there is a demand, the market will meet it. A teenage brain is a learning machine. IQs can jump in teenage with the right stimulation. The downside of having a primed-up, ready-to-go brain is that it also vulnerable to learning not-so-good things, such as addiction. The teen brain is super-sensitive to rewards in the form of new experiences. Interesting thing is that the ‘high’ that the brain experiences, is the same whether it is from substance abuse or from playing football or a game of chess. The Iceland model Iceland has been running a remarkably successful project since the last 20 years that reduced teen alcohol addiction by 42%, cannabis use from 17% to 7%, and smoking from 23% to 3%. Participating in organised activities three or four times a week, spending time with parents during the week, being cared for at school, and not being

outdoors at night – all brought down teen addiction. How did Iceland do it? They exploited brain chemistry to work in their favour and gave teens alternative sources of getting ‘high’ facilities to practice sports, music, dance, arts, etc. It was illegal for a minor to be out in the late evening unless accompanied by an adult. Social isolation sustains addiction; a national body for parental organisations was created to improve the involvement of parents in their teens’ lives. My experience with Guwahati schools is that, generally, parents are very engaged in their child’s activities in junior or middle school. Thereafter engagement drops significantly. What can I do as a parent? Get educated about how a teen brain works to help you understand your teen better. Find out your teen’s natural high. This will be different for every teen; for some it may be sports or martial arts, for others it may be debates or maths or social activism. You can’t do the above if you don’t stay involved in your teen’s life. This is the key. What can schools do? Schools already provide alternative highs. So, engage and collaborate with parents. Formalise the use of support plans for students at risk, with specific responsibilities for parents as well as the school. Bornali Borah Family Counsellor, Parent Coach and Mediator. Email: bornali.borah@ gmail.com

All you needed to know about HAIR EXTENSIONS!

se of hair extensions is the sneakiest yet easiest way to get the ‘tresses’ of your dreams. You can get lengthy, chunkier, voluminous hair of any colour and length in minutes with the use of hair extensions. No wonder they’ve become so trendy and readily available in so many variants, due to the rapidly evolving fashion and fad. Use of Hair Extensions is the latest trend in the Hair & Beauty Industry all over the world. If you’re not using it, you’re pretty much living in a bubble. When you take a weft, it looks like a tiny dress of hair attached together at the top, which is free flowing at the “bottom. There are different techniques of achieving it: by a collective fusion, strand by strand, or by pre-tipping hair, depending on the type of variant you own. Following are some popular variants of hair extensions 1. Clip-ins are one of the variants where clips stitched with human hair are available and those extensions may simply be clipped onto your hair.

The most popular way of doing it is through bonding. It is the simplest technique where you just have to apply some bonding adhesive onto the weft, on the section of your extended hair. You need to push and clasp it with an adhesive at the base of your natural hair so that you have parallely divided them to get rid of any glue suds. Once it’s done, you must take proper care of it. Periodically rinsing, conditioning and masking

2. Mini-Links are the variants where your own hair will be divided into small sections with a tool that looks like a knitting needle, and then the pre-tipped hair will be put inside the link and clutched tightly.

3. Seamless Tape-ons are another searing new variant of applying hair extensions. The technique to put them on is easy to perform, you just have to pull the backing of the hair extension and adhesives can be added if you want, for it to last several months.

must be your ultimate mantra. But also do take a note that you must not rinse your hair for 2 to 3 days after the extensions’ application. Hair Extension Do’s and Don’ts: It is suggested that you either keep your hair plated or tie them in a flexible scrunch while sleeping. Try to steer clear of swimming or riding bikes, to shield your hair and the extensions from getting tangled. Your extensions should last up to 3 months, and then you can remove them using a hair adhesive dissolver and a pair of scissors. You just have to apply the hair adhesive dissolver to the base of the extension until it begins loosening up. If they’re stitchedon extensions just cut the thread that is stitched onto your natural hair and finish the removal process followed by some shampooing and deep conditioning. So now women, without further ado, let’s quickly add some thickness, volume & length to those beautiful manes and enter the world of Rapunzel.

Vasundhara Jalan

Buzz

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

Sanitation awareness campaign at city school

il India Ltd and Delhi Alumni Association of Assam (DAAA) came together to jointly participate in a sanitation awareness campaign among adolescent girls at Panbazar Girls Higher Secondary School in Guwahati on Thursday, August 30. The day-long event started at the school’s premises at

10.45 am. The adolescent girls’ personal hygiene project is part of Oil India’s Swachh Bharat Pakhwada (Cleanliness Fortnight) program – a company initiative for the government-led Swachh Bharat Mission. Oil India employees and DAAA volunteers met students of the school to discuss the importance of menstrual and personal hygiene and how to

cope with these issues and simultaneously an interactive session was held by Dr Dipankar Bhattacharjee, Deputy General Manager- Medical Services, Oil India Ltd in regard to health & hygiene. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bhattacharjee said, “Better the health, better the productivity.” He further added, “Regular physical exercises can prevent breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer.” Thereafter, Krishna Hazarika Rao, Chief Manager, Oil India Limited handed over the hygiene kits to the principal customarily. Oil India distributed more than 300 hygiene kits to the students of Class VII to Class XII. As part of the day-long event, the company took the initiative to clean the school toilets and school playground. This was followed by DAAA’s “Mission 100 Inspired Schools” campaign consisting of an all women team from DAAA comprising educationists, entrepreneurs, policewomen, independent filmmakers, sportswomen, etc. n

Assam Physical Society to organise Physics Olympiad

or the second consecutive year, the Physics Olympiad examination of Assam Physical Society (APS) will be held on October 28 this year, at nine centres all over the state for the students of 10th and 12th

standards. So far, the APS has received consent from the following centres, namely, Bajali College, BH College, Mangaldoi College, Nabajyoti College, Nalbari College, Pandu College, Pub-Kamrup College, Rangia College and

Tihu College. The successful candidates will be rewarded with special prizes and citations and the top 20 per cent of the successful candidates will be felicitated and selected to visit the national l evel institutions. n

Student development program at KCDCC

he career guidance and placement cell of KC Das Commerce College organised a student development programme in collaboration with the IBS Business School of ICFAI on

August 25, Saturday. The programme started at 11 AM at the college campus. During the programme, the co-ordinator of the career and guidance cell, Dr Bhababhuti Sarma welcomed the participants and the resource person. Dr

“P

others. The organisers urged the visitors to be the catalysts for bringing in a photography revolution in the lives of the people of Assam.

he 3rd Professor Umesh Ch Goswami Memorial Lecture was organised at the Physics Lecture Gallery of Gauhati University on August 25, Saturday. Inaugurating the memorial lecture, outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Dr Mridul Hazarika, talked about his long association with Late Goswami. Prof (Dr) Subhash Khanna, Dean, Swagat Academy of Medical Sciences and an internationally reputed laparoscopic surgeon, delivered the memorial lecture on the “Recent emerging trends in surgery for improving healthcare.” During his hour-long lecture, Professor Subhash Khanna

highlighted how the modern approach to surgeries has changed the entire healthcare system. He further discussed the aspects of painless, bloodless and robotic surgeries for curing many diseases that need surgical interventions. Dr Anil Kumar Goswami, eminent scientist and elder brother of late Prof Umesh Ch Goswami, also addressed the gathering and spoke briefly in the meeting. Dr Balendra Kumar Das, president of the organising committee, welcomed the gathering and Amrita Goswami, daughter of late Prof Goswami, delivered the vote of thanks. n

Handique Girls’ College organized state level debate competition

Hrishikesh Baruah, principal of the college, inaugurated the programme. Abhishek Kundu, Regional Manager, East and Northeast, IBS Business School marketing team, was the resource person in the programme. n

National level photography exhibition held in city ohor” - the annual photography exhibition and award event of the Photography Club of Assam (PCA) - was held at the Gauhati Artists’ Guild on August 24, Friday. The prime motto of the exhibition was “Protest, Promote and Preserve.” The 3-day-long photography exhibition was inaugurated by noted wildlife photographer Dinesh Choudhury and witnessed participation of more than 65 photographers from across the state. The inauguration of Pohor also saw attendance of renowned photographers Sanjib Gohain Baruah, Leela Dutta and Mukideep Kalita among

Memorial lecture organised at GU

The exhibition was attended by photography enthusiasts in large numbers who praised the works of the artists. n

he 20th All Assam Sarat Chandra Goswami Memorial Inter College Debate Competition organized by Handique Girls’ College, Guwahati was successfully held on 25th August 2018 at Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture, Guwahati. The competition was held in a distinctive manner where 28 debaters from all across Assam debated in preliminary round, which was followed by the grand finale where selected 12 competed amongst themselves. The inaugural session conducted by Dr. Srutimala Duara started with lighting lamp and floral tribute to Sarat Chandra Goswami, followed by

welcome address by Principal of the college Dr Utpal Dutta. The meeting Presided over by Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta of Gauhati University hosted Nilay Dutta, senior advocate and Advocate General of Arunachal Pradesh as Chief Guest and Speaker of the debate competition. The competition saw fierce debate on the topics ‘Privatisation of Heritage sites is necessary for development of tourism sector in India’ and ‘India today needs its own model of Nationalism’. While Cotton University was adjudged the best team, National Law University and Judicial Academy got runners up trophy. At individual level, Anansha Borthakur got the Best debater award. n

Events

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018

ssamese designer Sanjukta Dutta’s show at Lakme Fashion Week started off with models sauntering down the ramp showcasing her dramatic and colourful collection “Aboor” and concluded with veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini walking down the ramp with daughter Esha Deol. Hema Malini looked elegant in a blue and red mekhela chadar while Esha Deol looked like a newlywed bride in a bright red and ivory lehenga.

September 1, Saturday Social Saturday ft. Evan The Socialite 8PM onwards September 1, Saturday Shamiyana Shanivaar Dicey’s Garden 7PM onwards September 1, Saturday Breezer Vivid Shuffle ft. DJ Sa & DJ Big Deal

Event: Lakme Fashion Week 2018 Date: August 26, Sunday Venue: St Regis Hotel, Mumbai

Retro Town 9PM onwards September 1, Photo Credit: TheBlueyes

Veteran actress Hema Malini and Esha Deol looked resplendent as the showstopper for Designer Sanjukta Dutta.

Saturday Bonjovi Tribute Night Happy & High Restaurant 7:30PM onwards September 1, Saturday

Event: Innayat the Band ft. Rannvijay Live Date: August 25, Saturday Venue: Underdoggs Sports Bar

Groove Addict Live Club V 8PM onwards September 1, Saturday Gen Next Club Nights ft. Espy NYX, Hotel Palacio 7PM onwards September 1, Saturday Sensational Saturday ft. DJ Shannon Dunkin Oza 7PM onwards September 1, Saturday

Event: Rhythm Feat. Nishant and DJ James (resident) Date: August 25, Saturday Venue: Retro Town

Event: Big Bollywood Night ft. DJ Vishal and DJ Rik Date: August 25, Saturday Venue: Dunkin Oza

In The Loop ft. Audio Units Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon at a store launch in Guwahati on Friday, August 31

Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards

Catching Up

G PLUS | Sep 01 - Sep 07, 2018