G Plus Vol 7 Issue 40

@guwahatiplus | /c/gplusguwahati www.guwahatiplus.com

INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 40 Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020 Price `10 Kaziranga wildlife casualty lower this year, claims Parimal Suklabaidya

COVID Care Centers in Guwahati City

Oximeter: the new essential?

Centre Spread Pages 08-09

PG 05

PG 02

Ad hoc inflated electricity bills add

to financial woes of Guwahatians

Fate of 1600 youths selected for FTs uncertain as NRC process in limbo G Plus News @guwahatiplus

1

PG No - 06

Pristine Bharalu River turns into

Guwahati’s most prominent drain

PG No - 07

,600 youths who had appeared for written and computer examinations for ministerial staff of Grades 3 and 4 level for 200 upcoming new foreigners tribunals in Assam are today uncertain about their fates. The exams were held rather hurriedly and even the results were announced quickly thereafter. But ever since the results were published last year the government has not communicated anything further on the status of their appointments or dates of joining.

A candidate who had passed the exams, talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “On 11th August 2019 we sat for the written exam. On 30th August we passed the written exams and the practical computer exams were conducted on 31st August, 1st September and 2nd September respectively. The final results were published on 19th September 2019 and 1,600 of the candidates got selected.” He further added that according to the job advertisement for the posts, the selected list remains valid for appointment from the date of announcement of results for one year or till the date of the next advertisement for the same post, whichever is earlier.

As the results were announced on 19th September 2019, according to the advertisement, the result will remain valid for appointment only till 19th September 2020.

The candidates have, many a time, written to the chief minister

and all the prominent ministers in the cabinet but they have not received any replies. Because the process of examination and the results were announced very promptly many candidates had left other career options and some had even resigned from their earlier jobs. As the last day when those results would remain valid is approaching, the candidates are jittery and uncertain about their future. The candidates even contributed and donated Rs 60,000 in Arogya Nidhi – the fund created by way of donations for combating Covid-19 pandemic.

A candidate talking to G Plus alleged, “Though we are still uncertain about our jobs, 221 members appointed as members for the foreigners tribunals are withdrawing full salary without doing any work.”

Well, today not only the fate of these 1,600 youths of Assam but the fate of Assam government’s ambitious plan of setting up 200 foreigners’ tribunals hangs in balance even after the appointment of the tribunal members and premises taken on rent.

Official sources said the state government was waiting for the National Register of Citizens office to start issuing “rejection slips” to those whose applications for inclusion of names in the NRC were rejected.

State National Register of Citizens coordinator, Hitesh Dev Sarma, talking to G Plus said, “The rejection slips have not yet been issued because of the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic.”

The state was under extended lockdown since March 25, 2020 and the NRC final list was published on 31st August 2019. Yet the rejection slips have not been sent. The process may further take some time as sources in NRC headquarters said that it has been proposed by many to recheck the rejection orders. It is also not clear that post the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, what changes will be made in NRC final list or how will the Hindu minorities who came to Assam before 2014 will get added to the list. The process remains in limbo.

PG No - 03

2 Lead Story Snippets GU Student Arrested for Fake Flood Relief Post on Social Media

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Kaziranga wildlife casualty lower this year, claims Parimal Suklabaidya G Plus News @guwahatiplus

A

Gauhati University (GU) student has been arrested on a false and fabricated appeal in the name of Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal to the people to donate money for flood relief.

The Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Assam and Guwahati City police initiated immediate steps to apprehend the miscreant.

The accused 23-year-old Dipjyoti Gogoi, a post-graduate student of Mass Communication and Journalism of the university has been handed over to Guwahati police and is now in judicial custody for fourteen days.

Through the said fraudulent post, the culprit tried to mislead common people and to malign the image of the government.

The culprit has been apprehended and a case has been registered (Crime Branch PS case No.11/20 U/S 419/420/34 IPC read with Sec 66 C of IT Act).

The case is under investigation

N

ot denying the fact that during the annual floods in Assam, wildlife of the state is affected, especially in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Forest, the state forest and environment minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, talking to G Plus, claimed that this year the causality is less as compared to previous years.

“The third phase of flood is ongoing in Kaziranga and till now (23rd July 6 pm) 116 wildlife deaths have been reported whereas last year there were 263 wildlife deaths reported in Kaziranga,” said Suklabaidya.

The minister added that the state government, since 2016, is trying to resolve all the issues of Kaziranga and rhino poaching being one of the most difficult issues is almost resolved as the national park has recorded a significant drop in the number of rhinos that have been poached since 2017. Talking about the floods the minister said that after taking many precautions and strict vigilance the number of wildlife casualties has also decreased during floods and

in coming days it will further decrease.

“It is not 100% resolved but we are trying our best,” said the minister.

The forest department has created 33 highlands in the reserve forest so that during floods the animals can take shelter there.

He also said that out of 116 deaths this year around 80 cases are because of floods and the others are for various reasons like old age, animal-animal conflict and many such factors.

As most of the forest The rhino that died of old age after straying on to the highway to escape the floods at KNP area in Assam gets mostly encroached, the for vigilance; as part of forest products, the minister minister said that in Kaziranga the technology intensive said that while the issue is not strict eviction drive was surveillance, drones and 100% resolved, action has been carried out and very less area is advanced patrolling vehicles taken against many officials. encroached as of now. were provided to forest officials He said, “The revenue of forest There is only a 14 square in Kaziranga today. 1,100 posts department has increased from kilometre area in Kaziranga have also been advertised Rs 100 crores to Rs 250 crores which is encroached out of the for personnel in the forest and it was possible only after total 1,059 square kilometre area department to be appointed things were put in place and which includes the national park in various capacities and the royalty for forest products were and the tiger reserve forest. minister claims that in a few legally paid.”

As has been reported that years all the issues of Kaziranga Modern surveillance many forest officials are involved and other forests in Assam will technology was added and in corruption which helps the be resolved. enhanced in Kaziranga encroachers and smugglers of

Guwahati’s own ‘Sonu Soods’ offering yeoman service in helping the stranded get home Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

W

hen India entered a nation-wide lockdown owing to coronavirus, many migrant labourers and tourists were left stranded with no place to stay and no food to eat.

Seeing the plight of people stranded in various parts of Assam, a group of friends decided to pool in their resources and help them. The aim was that everyone should have a roof over their heads and food to eat.

These social workers have been silently working ever since the first lockdown was

implemented on March 24, and have sent thousands of stranded persons back to their homes in various districts of Assam as well as outside the state.

As the word started spreading, these young men were termed ‘Guwahati’s own Sonu Soods’ by many on social media.

“We started working ever since the first lockdown was implemented. I noticed that many NGOs were working to help migrant labourers but they were facing issues in obtaining travel permissions and arranging for their stay. So I contacted some of my friends and relatives who could help in the process. Soon, we formed a group and started providing all necessary help to the stranded

persons. At the beginning, we were only providing shelter and food. However, we noticed many wanted to go back home but were stuck due to financial difficulties. In the month of April, we had contacted the DC office and started arranging for vehicles to send them home,” informed Vijay Sharma, a resident of Athgaon, who was one of the team members.

The group comprised many social workers including Vijay Sharma who helped with the travel permissions, Dinesh Pareek who arranged for stay at various Bhawans, Arvind Pareek, Ramesh Pareek, Amit Pareek and Rajkumar Sharma who arranged for monetary help, food supply and other services.

They sent buses as well as private vehicles to various states including Tripura, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu to help thousands of people reach their homes.

The vehicles were sanitized and the stranded persons underwent temperature screening before beginning any home-bound journey. All arrangements for the journey were also made by the team – packed food, water and fruits were arranged for all to stay healthy as they embarked on the journey.

Their endeavour of not letting anyone sleep on an empty stomach during the lockdown

is still continuing.

As the government of Assam continues the cycle of LockUnlock (down), they have been actively looking out for people who get stranded in the process.

Their efforts have been recognized by many individuals and social organizations for spreading positivity through field work during these difficult times and being Covid-warriors.

They have also received certificates of appreciation from organizations such as Marwari Yuva Manch (Great Warrior Recognition).

“It gives us immense happiness that we could be of help at the right time and we shall continue our service,” expressed Vijay Sharma, speaking to G Plus.

In The News

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

3

Covid-19 Update: Over 20,000 patients cured, 8,019 active cases in Assam Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

A

total of 1,047 cases of coronavirus were reported on July 23 in Assam. However, a whopping 1,349 patients of coronavirus were also discharged from various healthcare centers of Assam on the same day, making the total number of cured patients cross the 20,000 mark.

“In moments like these, such information - we crossed 20,000 cured patients mark - bring cheers... Kudos to all who made this possible,” wrote state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Twitter, announcing the figures.

He added that for the second day in a row (July 22 and July 23), Assam’s discharge figures were higher than new cases recorded.

With this, the total number of cases in Assam as of July 24 stands at 28,791 with 8,019 active cases.

While 20,699 persons have been cured and discharged, 70 deaths have been recorded till date in the state. Further, 3 persons have migrated to other states.

As Assam continues to register approximately 1,000 new cases every day since the last two weeks, the Assam government has been strengthening its fight against Covid-19.

“Upgrading our medical facilities & infra have been on top of our priority in our fight against #COVID19. Regular monitoring too has been a key and I must compliment officials for being on their toes,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

As testing forms the backbone of a robust strategy to deal with Covid-19, the Assam government has so far conducted 7,23,287 tests in the state. The positivity

Fate of 1600 youths selected for FTs uncertain as NRC process in limbo From Page No - 01

G

Plus

Janasanyog No. 1293/20

talked to one of the top officials of the home department in Dispur to understand the status of the 200 foreigners’ tribunals (FTs) for which 1,600 ministerial staff were selected but not appointed. The official expressed ignorance about the 1,600 selected candidates but regarding the 200 FTs he said, “The locations are identified and we are planning to start them after the rejection slips are issued to the people whose names are not there in the NRC list. The rejection slips have not yet been issued.”

The top bureaucrat also said that the members are working on the pending cases.

Many other officers in the home department and also in the chief minister’s office were unaware about the status of the appointment of the 1,600 ministerial candidates.

The chief secretary of Assam did not give a clear answer but said that he is aware that the chief minister has instructed all the departments to speed up the appointment process and the chief secretary thinks that the 1,600 candidates will be appointed soon.

But as the NRC process still remains in limbo the fate of the 1,600 candidates also remains uncertain as unless the rejection slips are issued the 200 new foreigners’ tribunal will not start functioning.

If the new FTs are not functional, where these 1,600 candidates will be accommodated remains a big question.

Around 1.9 million of 33 million applicants were excluded from the final NRC draft published on August 31, 2019. Each was supposed to be given a “rejection order” with the reasons for exclusion.

After 31st August 2019 the NRC process seems to have stalled and around 1.9 million people are uncertain about their citizenship fates.

rate currently stands at 5.25%.

Assam government has also started plasma therapy and has been setting up new Covid-19 care centers to cope with the increasing number of cases.

The work for setting up of new care centers is on-going at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management & Technology in Azara and in Mirza.

Rising Covid-19 cases in jails force Assam govt to consider releasing 376 inmates

The government of Assam will release 376 inmates from various state prisons to decongest the jails after 535 prisoners tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease.

Of all the prisoners to be released, 111 are from the Central

Jail in Guwahati while the remaining are from Karimganj, North Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Diphu and Udalguri.

Authorities have been releasing prisoners at regular intervals as per the direction of the Supreme Court.

So far, a total of 6,801 prisoners have already been released from across the state which includes 6,671 under-trials released on bails and personal bonds.

In addition, a 200-bed COVID Care Center has been set up inside Guwahati Central Jail to treat asymptomatic prisoners and another facility of this kind is being set up at the Nagaon Special Jail.

Further, as of July 23, a total of 1,036 Assam police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus.

While 730 have recovered, three have succumbed to the virus.

Others continue to fight for their lives.

Total number of coronavirus cases in Assam stands at 28,791.

Over 20,000 persons have been cured and discharged.

Assam government steps up vigil, tests over 7 lakh people for Covid-19.

The positivity rate in Assam stands at a mere 5.25%.

376 inmates to be released from Assam jails amid coronavirus scare.

1,036 police personnel test positive for Covid-19.

4 Health

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

EXPLAINED

Convalescent Plasma Therapy for Treatment of COVID-19 Patients G Plus News @guwahatiplus

What is Convalescent Plasma Therapy?

Plasma is the yellowish liquid that makes up half of the blood’s volume. After a viral infection, plasma contains antibodies which can be used to help fight infection.

Plasma houses the antibodies and hence has to be extracted from the blood of recovered patients. This remaining blood is then pumped back into the donor.

Plasma therapy involves using antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat those critically affected by the virus.

The therapy is based on the premise that the specific antibodies produced by the patient who has recovered from COVID-19 will have the ability to target and fight the novel corona virus in the current patient.

Plasma therapy is expected

to be a game-changer and until fresh data emerges, outcomes of donating convalescent plasma remain supportive. However, once an infection has progressed to a point where it can damage an organ, it is still uncertain as to what extent the therapy will work on such complications.

Is plasma therapy an approved method of treatment?

A June 25 advisory on blood transfusion by the National Blood Transfusion Council under the Ministry of Health had cautioned against the use of plasma therapy as routine treatment. Clinical studies to ascertain the efficacy of the therapy are still ongoing.

Indian government guidelines make it clear that the use of the therapy is “based on limited available evidence”.

Who can donate plasma?

All those people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus between the age of

18 and 60 years who weigh over 50 kgs, can donate plasma after 14 days of having recovered from the disease.

Women who have just delivered, people with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, weakened lungs and cancer cannot donate plasma.

How much plasma is collected from the donor?

Depending on the weight of the donor, the bank collects 500 ml of plasma.

Each plasma donation can be used to treat 2 patients.

Is the process safe?

Extensive medical checks are done to ensure no harm both to the donor or the recipient. The donated blood is also checked to exclude risks of it having any other disease-causing agents such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, etc.

A recent study by

A plasma donor at GMCH; Photo from tweet of HB Sarma immunologists from the John Hopkins University however, have pointed out risks associated with the therapy as blood transfusion could lead to inadvertent infection which can be transferred to a patient.

The therapy could also fails

for some patients and result in an enhanced form of the infection which a condition is called the ‘antibody dependent enhancement’, suppressing the body’s natural immune response leaving a COVID-19 patient more vulnerable to re-infection.

Guwahati cab operators in tight spot despite ‘Unlock’ Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus

W

ith the new strategy undertaken by the Assam government to bring the economy back on track, the eased lockdown termed as ‘Unlock’ has helped traders as well as commercial establishments to see a semblance of hope.

However, the same is not the case with Guwahati’s cab drivers – a profession that was thriving not too long back in time helping a lot of families to keep their heads above the surging waters of poverty.

“The government has announced ‘Unlock’ but do you think we are making any money at all? No, we hardly get any passengers the entire day,” said an Ola cab driver.

Speaking to G Plus, Santosh Saha (name changed) said, “I came out of my house at 5:30 in the morning in search of passengers but it’s now (9:00 AM) that I have got my first

passenger.”

The cab drivers in the city allegedly are in dire straits, even more, today despite the state government giving them the green signal to hit the streets and resume services.

It is to be mentioned that because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic people are apprehensive about boarding cabs and public transport for the fear of transmission of the disease – a fear that is always lurking in the minds.

“It’s only Rs. 100-120 that we take back home at the end of the day. I think even beggars earn more nowadays. But what to do? Can’t sit idle at home,” said an Uber driver.

The cab drivers registered with the Ola/Uber have to pay a royalty of 20-25 percent to the aggregator company and along with that also comes maintenance and fuel charges which again are completely borne by the cab drivers.

With the prices of petrol and diesel going up and with special ride offers from the app-based cab service

being offered to customers, the drivers are truly in a tight spot when it comes to plying their cabs.

Not all is well with the biketaxi service operators either as they have been restricted to extending their services to only female passengers.

With this directive coming up from the state government of allowing only female passengers on bike-taxis the probability of getting a passenger has become much lesser as female passengers hardly book biketaxis.

Speaking to G Plus, a Rapido (Bike-taxi) provider said, “Earlier it was good and we used to earn minimum Rs. 500

Representative Image a day but now it’s only Rs. 5080.”

Rajib Deka who plies his bike under Rapido said that ‘Unlock’ has not helped them at all. Further, he said that if the government thinks that not allowing a male passenger

on a bike/scooter can stop COVID-19, then it is baseless.

Although guidelines are in place, the plight of the city cab drivers continues to be woeful and their livelihoods are at stake especially now with the stringent Unlock guidelines.

Health

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

5

Oximeter: the new essential?

With unregulated prices, are all oximeters trustworthy? Is it actually necessary to have one?

Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

Shops charging unregulated prices, bargaining recommended.

Oximeters are mostly ‘Made in China, Marketed in India’ products.

Must have instrument for Covid patients.

Which are the brands to choose from?

What to consider before buying an oximeter?

A

fter masks, alcoholbased sanitizers and disinfectants, now the combat against the Covid pandemic makes it mandatory for people to buy an ‘OXIMETER’ even if one has to make a rush for it.

And like any other commodity that is highly in demand, people are now complaining about its unregulated prices. Customers have been reporting about shops charging ad hoc, unlabelled prices, ranging anywhere from Rs. 600 to Rs. 5000.

Sashanka Barbaruah, who has recently procured an oximeter, posted on his social media account, “Normally a pulse oximeter costs Rs. 1500.

Yesterday, my neighbourhood pharmacist came to me to sell one of these at Rs. 3999. He was trying hard to persuade with fear appeal. I smiled and replied that we already bought one for Rs. 1800.” Barbaruah went on to appeal to his friends to bargain before buying one.

Similar stories were narrated by many other customers who were not happy with the prices

A branded oximeter available in Guwahati market they paid for an item that is today virtually mandated to be in every household of every city.

Why has it suddenly turned into an essential commodity?

After the state government provided Covid positive patients the option of staying at home rather than getting admitted into a hospital, the instrument called ‘pulse oximeter’ began to gain prominence. The health minister’s recommendation of keeping an oximeter in every household which have people under quarantine or isolation has led to a sudden increase in the demand of the instrument.

What is an oximeter?

The pulse oximeter is a small, lightweight medical equipment or device used to monitor the amount of oxygen a human body carries. The non-invasive equipment attaches painlessly to the fingertip, sending two wavelengths of light through the finger to measure the pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in the physical system.

Given the numerous brands available in the market and the range of pricing, G Plus took to the city’s medical instrument market to collect details on this much-in-demand product.

Brands available in Guwahati with prices Medtech at Rs. 4500 MRP

Zebronics at Rs. 4500 MRP Sara+Care at Rs. 3499 MRP Naulakha at Rs. 1500 Easy Life at Rs. 1500 Biolab at Rs. 950 Pulse Oximeter at Rs. 600 Dr. Odin at Rs. 600 Amongst the above mentioned brands, Biolab is a ‘Made in Germany’ product, while the rest are all manufactured in China.

Further, Zebronics and Medtech are among the few brands that have labelled MRPs and come with warranty. Reportedly, the rest all are generic products that neither have proper labelling nor any warranty period.

As reported by medical equipment distributors of Panbazar, almost all oximeters are manufactured in China but are marketed by Indian companies, many of which choose not to display the ‘Made in China’ tag.

Given its generic nature, there is also no fixed pricing of the products.

Apart from the retail market of

A generic oximeter available in Guwahati market Guwahati, oximeters of different brands and ranges are also available on different shopping sites.

What are generic brands?

Generic brands of consumer products are distinguished by the absence of a brand name; instead they are identified solely by product characteristics and by plain, usually black-andwhite packaging. Generally, they imitate more expensive branded products, competing on price.

They are similar to “store brand” or “private label” products sold under a brand particular to the merchant, but typically priced lower and thereby perceived to be of lower quality.

Is oximeter actually necessary for every household?

Dr. Amal Chandra Kataky, Director of Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute, speaking to G Plus said, “The oximeter is a simple device. It will be effective only when a person is symptomatic, say he or she is having difficulty in breathing and the oxygen saturation is low. But a normal healthy person, despite checking his pulses and oxygen level on the device two to three times

a day. will not find anything.

I don’t think it is necessary for every other person to have an oximeter at home and do regular testing. This will only add to the panic.”

“But I recommend that a Covid positive person, staying under home quarantine or in isolation, must have the device to keep track of the vitals. Even then I would advice such patients to get hospitalised rather than take chances staying at home.

Otherwise I don’t see any necessity to procure the same for healthy patients as it would not serve the purpose,” Dr. Kataky added.

Bikramananda Choudhury, Secretary of Assam Drug Dealers’ Association mentioned to G Plus that many shops have been selling the product apart from proper licensed medical equipment dealers, given the surge in demand. Their prices are unregulated. “I urge people to invest in the proper authentic products as it is a question of one’s health.”

Dealers have also pointed out that, they are unaware as to whether a license for selling the oximeter is necessary, as many shops are selling the same despite it being a medical equipment.

Also, the readings of the large number of generic products sold in the market are questionable.

Specially-Abled Child Brutally Beaten by Police in Guwahati, Top Cop Assures Action

I

n a shocking incident, a specially-abled child was brutally beaten by the police in the Bharalumukh area of Guwahati on July 23.

The video was posted by his father (Palash Chaliha) in which he was said, “Why Bharalumukh police beat my special child without any reason?”

In the video which went viral on social media, the child could be seen on a bed with marks of assault on his back.

The victim’s father, in the video, said that post 6 PM on July 23 he along with his speciallyabled child went out to buy medicines on a bike.

Without any justification, the

cops hit the child with a baton from behind resulting in serious injury.

“Why did you hit us, what have we done?” asked the victim’s father. To this, the cops replied saying, “We will put both of you behind bars.”

Meanwhile, ADGP (L&O), Assam, Gyanendra Pratap Singh,

taking to his Twitter handle wrote, “Reference Facebook post of Sri Palash Chaliha regarding policeman beating up Sri Chaliha’s child, who also happens to be a special child, please rest assured action would be taken against the erring policeman. No compromise on such issues.”

6 City

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Ad hoc inflated electricity bills add to financial woes of Guwahatians Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

City residents complain of high electricity bills Customers say meterreadings were not taken APDCL admits irregularities in billing Says some bills were inflated due as warning Bills to be adjusted by next month

A

mid the Covid pandemic and the successive lockdowns ever since March last, citizens of Guwahati today are an apprehensive lot.

Compared to other districts of the state, Guwahatians are dealing with massive spikes in the number of Covid positive cases resulting in further lockdowns and currently an uneasy Unlock thereby leading to financial troubles in almost every household.

What have added to this economic onslaught are the electricity bills generated during this period of lockdown, mostly for the month of July.

Many citizens were found raising the issue on various social media platforms and many others have found themselves identifying with the problem.

Nipen Bora (name changed), a resident of Kahilipara said, “When I saw the electricity bill for this month, I was shocked to see such a high figure. I have a commercial connection as there are many shops in the complex. But ever since the lockdown started in March they were all closed.

Some did open for a few days but then again, many shops and business have not opened due to the night curfew and other irregularity issues.

Given this, how are such high bills being generated?”

“I had not given much

thought to the previous bills.

But when I checked the meter reading for this month, it was not even close to what was mentioned in the bill.

The previous month’s meter reading was 6647 kilowatt hour (KWh) and for this month, that is for the period from 1st June to 1st July, the meter reading shown on the bill was 6821 KWh. Now this is 174 KWh added. The bill amount was Rs. 1,819. But when I checked the meter, it was not even close to the reading mentioned in the bill.

So I filled a complaint online on the APDCL website,” Bora added.

He continued, “After the complaint was raised, a new bill was generated, and the new meter reading was 6739 KWh and the bill amount got lowered to Rs. 1,191. There was a difference of Rs. 628.”

Like Nipen Bora, many other have raised a similar concern.

Duke Das, a resident of Bharalumukh, informed that there have been irregularities in collecting the meter readings for the lockdown period. “The person coming to collect our meter reading every month did not come last month. There were also lapses earlier in the beginning of the lockdown. But my bill is high compared to other months. I have spoken with many of my friends and relatives residing in other parts of Guwahati and even they have agreed with me,” he said.

Many people have noticed major differences in the electricity charges and the sudden rise during the lockdown period. While a few concerned have raised the issue, many Guwahatians have not ascribing it to the lockdown and the summer season.

“I got a big bill for the last couple of months, but thought it was due to the regular usage of air-conditioners and fans, etc. Also due to complete lockdown all family members are at home using all electrical appliances. But when my friend called up regarding the issue, I gave it a proper thought. I think it’s a bit more than the actual reading,” said an office-goer from Uzan Bazar.

It has been found that while a few do keep track of their monthly electricity bills, many people also tend to overlook the visits made by the electricity board meter readers to collect meter readings and the differences in their electricity bills.

The payments are made as per the bill without any questions being asked.

However, this trust on the electricity board the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) – is now being questioned. The nodal agency has been procuring ad hoc amounts from the citizens of Guwahati.

G Plus reached out to APDCL officials with the query of the citizens.

Priyom Dutta, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of APDCL said, “We were not able to collect the meter readings for the last month in a few areas of Guwahati due to the lockdown. So we have generated the bills for July on estimated readings over the previous months. But there is also another issue. Many people have been constantly asked to change and upgrade their meters as their old meters do not provide the actual reading and the bills calculated are usually much less than the actual usage.

They are being under-billed.

For those people who have been constantly ignoring our pleas we have charged them a bill inflated by 10 percent.

This is like a warning for them to change their meters.”

When asked whether a notice of changing the meters

A sample of an ad hoc bill generated by APDCL and charged to a customer has ever been served on the customers, Dutta said that no such notice was ever sent. “We have also set up complaint desks at every sub-division.

So customers who feel their bills are inappropriate can get it corrected.”

However, the customers with inflated bills including Nipen Bora denied having received any warning for changing their electricity meters.

Rather, Duke Das informed that all his meters and other necessary requirements of electrical usage had been upgraded just a year or two ago.

Bhargav Kalita, Assistant Manager of APDCL said, “Due to complete lockdown being announced in Guwahati at the beginning of July, when the readings are taken, our designated meter-readers could not visit the consumers’ premises.

Although the

linemen are on emergency duties, the bills were made centrally taking an average of the previous months. But we would like to inform that for those customers who have received a higher bill, their amount will be adjusted with the next bill. Also, this is the same for customers who have paid less. They can expect a higher billing amount in the coming month. We will adjust all accounts then.”

“We will do the necessary adjustments by next month.

But if customers wish to complain they may do at the various helpdesks provided at the sub-divisions and at Bijulee Bhawan (APDCL headquarters), Paltan Bazar.

Online complaints can be raised at ‘feedback.apdcl@ gmail.com’ or ‘support@ apdcl.in”, informed Abhijit Sarma Barua, Chief General Manager (CR) of APDCL.

Concern

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

7

Pristine Bharalu River turns into Guwahati’s most prominent drain ‘Bharalu not a river, it is a drain,’ say residents of Santipur, Kumarpara, Bharalumukh and nearby localities Rifa Deka @dekarifa

T

he accumulation of garbage in the Bharalu River that flows through the heart of Guwahati has made life difficult for those residing on its banks. The Bharalu River was once a river so clear that old residents of the locality recall swimming in it apart from going fishing on its banks. But today, the river is in a deplorably pathetic condition.

Residents blame both the authorities and some apathetic citizens with their care-a-damn attitude, who throw their trash liberally into the river.

“This lively river of yesteryears can today be termed as a dying river. Some of us, instead of paying Rs 30 per month for household garbage clearance, prefer to dump the same into this river. Perhaps this saving of Re 1 per day is something to gloat over. The government needs to give this dying river its careful consideration. But then, no point blaming the government alone, the citizens also need to sensitive,” said a resident of Shantipur area in Guwahati.

“All the water that gets logged in Athgaon, Kedar Road, Santipur and the garbage accumulated thereof that cannot be dumped into the river get dumped into our garbage system. We people throw our plastics into the drains. It would be prudent of the government to take some action against this,” he added.

A Guwahatian highlighted another problem plaguing residents near the Harayana Bhawan locality saying that there are two dustbins located there that are perennially overflowing. All the garbage of the area is collected in these dustbins and they are not cleared regularly. “Otherwise, we’d have been relieved to that extent,” he said.

“Ever since the prolonged lockdowns have been implemented for combating Covid, a massive vegetable market operates every Sunday on the Rohini Kumar Choudhury Road which flanks the Bharalu River. Some 500 vendors operate from the market and all the garbage that is thus created is dumped into the Bharalu River,” said a resident of Kumarpara.

“The remnants are also swept into the river the next morning by the designated cleaners and sweepers from the municipal authority. Actually they should carry it away but they don’t and when you tell them anything they say that they have no system of carrying it away and they have no other option but to dump it into the river,” he added, explaining the problems faced by residents of the locality with the hope that the government would now take some action.

“One of the primary problems that we are facing as residents of this area is that there are a lot of fumes which are released.

The river might as well be called as a sewerage drain. Looking at the kind of waste that is being released it very harmful, not just for us but for the entire

A portion of the dirty Bharalu River | G Plus photo ecosystem. I especially have an old grandmother at home and it is very dangerous for vulnerable people like her,” said Dikshita Mahanta, a resident of Shantipur.

“All garbage and sewage ultimately goes into the Brahmaputra River which is the lifeline of the state. So we should all be concerned about it,” said Dikshita. “Mosquitoes are another problem we residents face, although entire Guwahati city faces this problem. The stagnant water here along with the trash is a breeding ground of mosquitoes,” she added.

Round Table India digitally inaugurates its newly built four classroom block in Guwahati

R

ound Table India (RTI), an NGO which is a part of Round Table International organization, inaugurated a newly built four classroom block at Anandram Senior Basic School at Dol Gobindo, Gauripur, Amingaon on July 19.

These classrooms were built under the Freedom Through Education (FTE), a national project of the NGO under which a total of 7,141 classrooms have been built so far in India impacting 7.86 million children.

The classroom was built with

the support of United India Insurance Co. Ltd. and was initiated by one of the local wings of the NGO namely Guwahati Metro Round Table.

This initiative will benefit around 250 children from the underprivileged families of the locality.

The project was inaugurated

To find out more, G Plus got in touch with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) who said that the responsibility of keeping the Bharalu River clean was that of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).

When G Plus got in touch with the Additional Commissioner of GMC, Dwijen Singh, he appreciated the concern of responsible citizens who raised the issue with authorities and gave reassurances of passing on the issue to the concerned Divisional Officer.

Assam Flood Situation Very Grim, Death Toll at 93

W

virtually by Tr. Robin Agarwala, Area Chairman, in presence of the Principal of the School and other members of the NGO.

G Plus also got in touch with the Divisional Officer of the area to find out why the river was in such a dire condition to which his response was that the responsibility of keeping the river clean was that of the Water Resource Division.

After an episode of ‘passing the buck’, when G Plus finally got in touch with the Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Debajyoti Hazarika, he gave assurance that the organization would look into the issue and try to help solve the problem of residents.

ith another four lives lost in the floods of Assam, the death toll in the same has risen to 93.

Assam’s flood situation worsened further in the last 24 hours affecting over 2 lakh more people taking the total number of affected people to over 28 lakhs.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report, 2,634 villages under 74

revenue circles in 26 districts along with above 1.19 lakh hectares of crop land are submerged as on July 23.

With continuous downpour Brahmaputra River in Jorhat, Sonitpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri districts is still flowing above danger level mark.

At present, above 47,000 people are taking shelter in 286 relief camps across the state.

8 Centre Spread Sarusajai

Covid Care Center:

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Kalapahar

Covid Care Center:

Total beds: 208

Total beds: 126

Beds occupied: 197

Beds occupied: 55

185 more beds ready to be occupied which will be ready latest by July 25

Sufficient equipment and man power

People are admitted for a period of 10 days and discharged once tested negative

IIT-Guwahati

Covid Care Center: Total beds: 855 Beds occupied: 590 Beds Vacant : 261 134 patients admitted today 590 patients currently undergoing treatment 1626 cumulative number of patients hospitalized till date 986 cumulative number of patients discharged till date.

Maniram Dewan Covid Care Center, Betkuchi:

Patanjali

Covid Care Center , Mirza: Total beds: 300 Beds occupied: 272 Doctors on duty: 9 Nurses on duty: 9 Lab Technicians on duty: 3

Rifa Deka @dekarifa

Pharmacist on duty: 8 Cleaners on Duty: 34 PPE kits available: 405 N95 masks: 140 1032 cumulative number of patients hospitalized till date 729 cumulative number of patients discharged till date.

(LMPE)

Covid Care Center, Sonapur:

Total beds: 445

Total beds: 178

Beds occupied: 245

Beds occupied: 2

Available: 190

The Center was earlier for prisoners only 2 prisoners yet to be discharged post which the centre will be open for general public 198 cumulative numbers of patients hospitalized till date excluding 2 prisoners currently admitted.

On July 22, the state health minister, Himanta that the government is currently developing m to tackle the rising number of positive cases. T cater to 5,000 pat Sl No. 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Name of COVID Care Center Khanapara CCC Maniram Dewan CCC, Betkuchi Patanjali CCC, Mirza IIT-Guwahati CCC Sarusajai CCC, Lokhara Havells CCC, Changsari Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LMPE) CCC, Sonapur Assam Don Bosco University CCC, Sonapur Kalapahar Covid Center Jalukbari Government Ayurvedic College Covid Hospital

Total B 934 445 300 855 208 500 178 365 126 110

Centre Spread

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Assam Don Bosco University, Sonapur:

Total beds: 110

Beds occupied: 321

Beds occupied: 71

9 doctors on duty will complete their shifts on July 25 and quarantine themselves in Spring Valley Resort from July 26

Sufficient PPE kits and N95 masks in stock

Havells

Covid Care Center, Changsari: Total Beds: 500 Beds occupied: above 450

a Biswa Sarma, in a press interaction had said many more COVID Care Centres (CCC) in the city The city hospitals and COVID care centres can tients at present.

Beds Occupied

Beds

634

Beds Vacant

Beds Not Occupiable

300 (25 reserved)

245

220

-

272 590

28 261

4

197

11

-

450

50

-

2

176

-

321

44

-

55

71

-

71

39

-

Covid Hospital:

Total beds: 365

Next batch of doctors yet to be allotted

Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

Jalukbari Govt.

Ayurvedic College

Sufficient PPE kits and N95 masks in stock

Khanapara

Covid Care Centre: Total beds: 934 Beds occupied: 634 300 beds vacant of which 25 are reserved for Police Personnel More than 2,000 people have been discharged from the center so far

By 2nd of August, 10,000 more beds will be made available across Guwahati city as per the State Health Ministry Upcoming Covid Care Centres: Nehru Stadium Palasbari Covid Care Center Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Girijanada Choudury Institute of Management and Technology Royal Global School Delhi Public School Kaziranga School Amingoan Covid Care Center (opposite DC office)

9

10 G Talk E

D

I

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020 T

O

R

I

A

L

Battle now, bicker later

L

et’s take a look at some words that have become rather commonplace in today’s contextual parlance: Doctors, Nurses, Ambulance drivers, Health workers, Sweepers, Cleaners, Swab collectors, PPE kits, Isolation centres, Quarantine centres, Oximeter, Testing, Health officials, Virologists, Positive, active and cured cases and finally the heath minister at the helm.

Now let’s attach some figures to some of these to understand their current status. Doctors (700), Isolation and quarantine centres (30 in Guwahati alone), Beds (15,000 in Guwahati), Testing (7,00,000 in all of Assam), Virologists (no idea how many), Positive, active and cured cases (30,000, 8,000 currently, and 21,000 respectively), Projection (67,000 peaking in midSeptember), Health workers and Officials (no idea truly) and finally the health minister (1).

What we have is an extremely well-oiled health machinery in the state that is fighting an unseen enemy that has thrown up a death percentage of 0.2% - perhaps the lowest in the country. The sheer magnitude of the battle that has been long and tiresome since April last is clear and yet the machinery cannot afford to be worn down yet.

And yet - a large section of Guwahatians are clearly apathetic to the huge danger lurking around every corner; they just

don’t seem to see reason enough to exercise caution. Despite the repeated bombardments on various media about observing basic safety protocol, this section of ‘COVIDIOTs’ has shown only apathy much to the frustration of the saner section. In such a situation, the prolonged, tireless upkeep of motivation levels of the above-mentioned frontline warriors led by the health minister is truly admirable. To just be operating a health machinery of such complexity with so many vertical cogs is no mean feat in itself. To keep up the motivation levels of each such vertical and each individual therein over such a prolonged period with no end of the battle in sight yet, and with a death rate among the lowest in the country, is mind-boggling to say the least.

In this context, it is but natural that some oversight, misses are bound to occur when the burden is so heavy and these warriors so sleep and rest deprived.

Capitalizing on such lapses, criticizing them to the point of triggering a demoralizing effect on the state’s health machinery, at this point, is clearly unwarranted.

Winning this monumental, unprecedented battle is the top priority, the bickering can come later!

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Weekend Lockdowns should be the New Normal

W

e agree that the post COVID world will require us to be extremely adaptive to change.

The masks, the sanitizers and the Namaste are all a part of what we call ‘the new normal.’

However, in the case of Guwahati, there’s a weekend lockdown in place, at least for the time being. But this brings to light a culture that is yet to make its way into this city, or this region. Most advanced countries in the west such as US or Europe or even in the fareast Australia, weekends are considered a ‘lockdown from work.’

Corporate offices, agencies, service providers tend to remain offline and reply with a generic, “Out of Office/ let’s connect on Monday” message.

While there are a lot of arguments why this could or could not work for Guwahati or other Tier-II cities, I think this presents an opportunity and cities like Guwahati could adapt to this change.

Service providers stay open on weekends because

the clients stay open. More so because there is someone more hungry and willing to work the weekend at lower rates. As long as this continues, entrepreneurs will continue to be insecure about losing out work and thus, people work six (tired) days a week instead of five (productive) days.

To reemphasize, there would be a lot of factors to consider, but this could be something that entrepreneurs and business owners in the post-COVID times may consider adapting to. Let’s look at improving the quality of working days instead of stretching out the week in hopes of getting something more done.

Although news, media, healthcare, police and other essential services would not fall into this, modifications to their working days would go a long way in improving productivity and lifestyle.

Our weekends would also include Instagram posts of detox drinks, kale salad and brunches.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Assam floods:

O pinion

Gaurav Prakash Pathak

Pragmatic solutions needed

“

Assam Floods: 85 dead, over 70 lakh people displaced”, “Nine rhinos among over 100 animals deaths in Assam’s Kaziranga during floods.” Such news headlines have become the usual occurrence every year. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries have been flowing above the danger mark for a couple of weeks now. The recurring floods in Assam have

become a routine fragment of the Indian consciousness.

Since India’s achievements, we, Indians, can boast about our many accomplishments, but only if we could say the same about solving the persistent annual season of floods in Assam. More than 2 million hectares of land in Assam is affected every year due to the floods in addition to the loss in excess of Rs 200 crores annually.

Apart from this, more than 85% of the Kaziranga National Park remains under water during these floods, which leads to the deaths of hundreds of animals including the famed and soon to be extinct one-horned rhino. Since independence, the state has lost 8% of its land mass to soil erosion, which has caused irreversible social and ecological losses to its people.

Despite the fact that 26 out of 33 districts are submerged, there has been negligible reporting by the news channels and newspapers on the tragedy. The local media have been reporting on the difficulties faced by the people in the flood-affected areas, but the national media has been mostly indifferent. The ‘significant’ news headline about the Bachchans’ health report was

making the headlines at the peak of the disaster in Assam, which further cemented the apathy of the national media houses in Mumbai and Delhi. While the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) channel was reporting on the plight of the people of Assam, the Indian news channels were still content in running a cursory headline on the calamity.

In my opinion, both the central as well as state governments, ever since our independence, have not conducted any proper research on the issue of floods in the state, which devastates the livelihoods of the populace. The state drowns every year, around the same time, and yet after more than 70 years since independence, we are satisfied with makeshift and band-aid policies. It has been rightly highlighted in the “Mission Flood Control Guwahati”- a programme of the Assam Government that “the unplanned expansion of the city… has led to severe encroachments in the wetlands, low lying areas, hills and shrinkage of forest cover.

The denuded hills and loss of wetlands lead to artificial floods”.

Despite recognising one of the issues at hand, there has not been any profound discussion among the relevant parties. The go-to measure for the governments to control and prevent the floods has been constructing embankments on the river - which according to numerous water management specialists are just temporary measures for short term mitigation of the problem. The government has also considered digging up the river bed to make the river deeper, which however has been firmly rejected by the relevant experts as they believe, “more silt will take its place the following year” making the expenses incurred in the project pointless. Personally, I believe it is necessary to bring in India’s neighbours in the East to the table to discuss the issue of the floods in the state of Assam. Focusing on the floods only when it hits the state will not lead us to any longterm solutions to the problem.

rKudos to the state government

A

We can consider the model of “Flood-Plain Zones” employed in the United States, which divides the vulnerable areas into various zones based on which certain activities are restricted in those zones such as construction, farming, felling, etc.

We can consider the model of “Flood-Plain Zones” employed in the United States, which divides the vulnerable areas into various zones based on which certain activities are restricted in those zones such as construction, farming, felling, etc.

Nevertheless, until some concrete steps are taken at administrative ranks, the people in the state of Assam are helplessly reliant on its local people and NGOs. Public figures like Adil Hussain and Abhineet Mishra, through their dedication and commitment to the people of Assam, have inspired the youth of the state to come out and lend a hand to the affected population.

A special appreciation to the BTS Army, 2013 Batch of Don Bosco School (Guwahati) and Dimpu Baruah for their diligent and energetic efforts in such times of misfortunes.

(The author is pursuing his Masters of Law from Queen Mary University of London. The views expressed in the article are his own.)

Letter to the Editor

note of thanks goes to the Assam Government and Himanta Biswa Sarma for providing free treatment and free food facilities for the corona positive patients. Whereas in other states the corona patients have to buy their medicines and food with money from their own pockets, the corona patients in Assam have to spend nothing and are getting every treatment for free. But the Central Government should definitely look in to these matters and provide enough money to the Assam government so that they can continue their good work and will be motivated to offer more such free-of-cost services. It will be totally wrong to say that the central government doesn’t looks into the matters of northeast at all but this is a crucial time when the central government should hold its hand for the Assam government to come out of this struggling situation. Because “Together We Stand.”

Neha Singh, Tezpur

In Focus

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

11

The Positive side of the Pandemic The author writes and elaborates on ways to remain positive in these times of the Covid-19 pandemic and spread the good cheer while observing all safety protocols and being wise about the same.

“

I am positive!” exclaimed a friend of mine over phone. Instinct taking hold, I reeled back in panic even as I asked in haste, “How come? What? When?”

“Oh, don’t worry…”

My bemused friend corrected me quickly, “I mean I’m positive about my new business venture.

There is a peculiarly funny tendency to easily accept things that are pessimistic.

In fact, humans tend to be more sceptical by nature than readily accept anything.

I wasn’t talking about Corona! I’m still negative as far as the virus is concerned!”

Well, that’s the irony of how things are nowadays in the world of Covid-19. The word “positive” has a negative vibe about it and, equally and hilariously, the word “negative” has a positive ring to it!

Coming to the point, let

me assure you all that: “Corona Virus will soon end completely this year. That’s the simple truth of it. Believe me, our lives will bounce back to normalcy. It sure will.”

Now, I’m pretty sure many of you must have rolled your eyes or even gave a mocking smirk when you read the above lines. This is probably how your mind responded: Representative Image “Yeah yeah, why not? As if he knows better than the being sceptical or cynical has doctors!” been hardwired into us.

“Oh, is it? Show me the proof, This gives rise to several boy!” questions: Should we stay “These writers will write optimistic all the time and anything! Give them a bull, they ignore the reality? Is being will make bull****!” sceptical really bad for us? Being But then indeed, few of you ‘realistically optimistic’ is what must have thought, “That’s one could strive for. This means: really an optimistic notion. How Accepting what is: This is to upbeat!” accept the present reality around I’m not blaming anyone. us. For example: Yes, the world is That is how most of us respond in a state of pandemic right now. nowadays. Believe me, there However, while accepting this is a peculiarly funny tendency fact we must abstain ourselves to easily accept things that are from exaggerating (for example: pessimistic but be in much doubt the world will end soon or other when things are really going such nonsense!). optimistic. In fact, humans tend Having Hope: After accepting to be more sceptical by nature the reality, cling on to the branch than readily accept anything. And of hope. Have hope that despite in the present era of fake news, the worst of situations, the best unreliability and corruption,

can happen. You can cling on to this fact: the recovery rate of Covid-19 cases is way much higher than the mortality rate. The vaccine/ medicine is on the way.

Take Action: Be alert.

Take the right action.

Sanitize properly, stay fit, have immunity boosters, avoid organizing any reckless gatherings or social functions, etc. And lend a helping hand (Not literally; maintain social distance) as much as you can.

While being realistically optimistic, these are things one should be mindful of: Stop being condescending. It’s quite an unpopular trait. Avoid dim-witted statements like, “How’s your job? I heard your company has fired many?” or “You must be feeling sad because your wedding got postponed. Isn’t it?” or “The number of corona cases in your area is far more than in our area! How come?” Such offensive, opinionated statements will leave a really bad taste in the person.

Show some care.

When we are talking to our relatives or friends, we tend to discuss much about Corona or about those recent suicides or imminent wars, right? The rising

Saurav Somani cases, the immediate case in our neighborhood, and so on. In fact, we tend to enjoy it. Morbidly!

Avoid such discussions. The media is already griping with such facts. Instead, discuss something different. New ideas, hobbies, good deeds, etc. At the end, the conversation should leave you and the listener with a more pleasant state of mind.

Cut off the news hours. I agree, we must stay updated, but staying constantly being exposed to news about the pandemic, etc may make you painfully paranoid.

Instead, watch inspiring shows, read good books. Pump yourself with positive vibes.

All in all, every crisis is a coin with two sides: being overly pessimistic and realistically optimistic. The good news is that we can flip this coin and even choose the side. How wonderful, isn’t it? So guys, choose wisely!

(The author is a chartered accountant by profession and a writer from heart. He has authored two books till date. The views expressed in the article are his own)

Government’s work is God’s work

T

he above lines are inscribed on the ‘Vidhana Soudha,’ the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka located in Bangaluru.

Before even going through the piece, I am sure a lot of you would be leaving ‘laugh’ or ‘angry’ reactions right after reading the headline. I don’t blame you for this, because perceptions are such that nowadays anything related to the government is viewed with scepticism and taken with a pinch of salt! That anyone who is working on government assignments or contracts is looked upon with as a person of questionable intent is a given. This is because the general view is that government work almost always means a scam!

Now what exactly do people understand by the word “scam?”

In context of government assignments, a scam means largely these three things – 1) a contract procured by using contacts and favouritism, 2) a contract where the rates

quoted are abnormally higher than standard market rates and 3) a contract wherein work is either incomplete or under-delivered and yet full payments are disbursed.

Whenever a contractor, agency or any individual for that matter, indulges in any of the above mentioned practices, it is safe to contend that it is a scam. However, this does not necessarily mean that it happens only with government assignments; it can happen in private organisations as well.

But then why is only government work looked upon with so much suspicion?

While I don’t deny that unscrupulous contractors and agencies do exist and scams do happen, the presumption that all government assignments and work are scams is highly judgmental. A majority of these assignments and contracts can safely be assumed to be legit and processed with all due scrutiny and defined processes. Without trying to sound defensive, I am inclined to write and say

The presumption that all government assignments and work are scams is highly judgmental. this because of late, almost all government jobs are being viewed with immense cynicism.

Of course, various factors have played their part in this.

Though the actual reason of the Vidhan Soudha inscription is unknown to me, I believe it means to say that almost all government work is for the people and hence when you work for the people, it’s akin to working for God. Although it is a much inspired thought, the people certainly don’t feel so as I had mentioned before.

But I think it is time, we change this perception. I agree it is not easy because with so many reports and news of multi-crore scams happening right under the

authorities’ noses, it is difficult to accept that anything is legit at all. However, it is not wise and I would rather say unjust to quite a few of those who genuinely undertake these projects with an aim to serve the public. And not just that, such projects create employment opportunities and feed a number of families.

On top of that, sometimes, there is also a lack of competent agencies, merit and personnel as well and hence in many cases, it also seems like a particular contractor ends up bagging a majority of the assignments.

But isn’t that case for us in our daily lives as well – we keep visiting a particular doctor every time because we trust his work, diagnosis and treatment.

Similarly it is the same with the government as well. Assam is an example here, where there are not too many options that the government can turn to and this too raises eyebrows and ultimately fingers start being pointed.

Of course, since all money that goes into such projects is public

Koushik Hazarika money, people are bound to get angry on hearing about scams but this does not hold true in all instances. There are people who even go out of the way to overdeliver and such malice does not help or encourage them. In turn, it puts them off and this definitely affects the overall output.

So maybe, this needs to change and we all need to reconsider how we think and feel. Of course, being inquisitive has never harmed anyone and the society’s watchdogs are already there to raise alarms, but maybe we can be a little more considerate in judging someone at the drop of a hat!

12 Lifestyle

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Some Tantrik Remedies T he southwest portion of the house or a plot belongs to the owner.

Any Vaastu defect in this area will directly affect the owner. It also has secondary effects on the spouse and the eldest child. Southwest is ruled by the planet Rahu and it is also called Nairuthi. The planet Rahu is supposed to have a voracious appetite and if allowed, it eats up everything! A defective southwest must be corrected at first. Some of the major defects in southwest include well, septic tank or a depression, gates or doors and openings, extensions or cuts.

Besides Vaastu correction, pundits have suggested the following tantrik measures to counter the evil effects of Rahu: Taking a bath in sacred rivers or tanks.

Wearing a square silver plate on the body.

Keeping sugar or suanf in a small red bag under the pillow while sleeping.

Donate cooked masoor dal

or red lentils to Harijans.

Donate radish to needy people.

Throw raw coal to a flowing river.

Throw barley or wheat in good quantity to a flowing river or canal having clean water.

Eat in the kitchen when the kitchen fire is still burning.

Some easy Vaastu techniques It is mainly energy exchange which makes or breaks relationships. The energy of the objects can be used to improve relationships to a great extent.

Colours, shapes, texture of the objects play a major role in enhancing a person’s mood or even bringing down one’s spirits.

1. A Tulsi plant is a must in every household. Tulsi is popularly known as holy Basil. Tulsi is not just beneficial for health reasons but it also absorbs shar (negative and depressing) energy gives which are emitted due to stress

and anxiety levels.

2. The Puja ghar must not be cluttered. Quite often we make the mistake of bringing in as many idols as we can, depending on the belief systems we develop from time to time.

But as a Vaastu expert I would like to share that puja ghar must have fewer or very less idols so that a person’s concentration is not deviated.

A cluttered puja ghar affects the quality of thoughts causing a depressed state of mind.

3.

The Cactus plants should not be kept in the house. Cactus plants may look good and people consider placing them in their rooms to increase the face value of the room. But Vaastu disapproves milky plants like cactus or rubber plant. It is believed that their

plants emit poison arrows or negative energy.

4. The washroom door must not open towards bedroom.

In no case should the bed be placed right in front of

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

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

the bed of the couple.

Energy generated by the washroom is not positive. If possible try a glass door or a thick curtain if possible as a Vaastu correction.

Effective ways to manage work and work-outs from home

I

t has been over months now that people have been working from home because of the lockdown and to ensure safety from the COVID-19 pandemic. It won’t come as a surprise if working from home becomes the norm in a post-COVID world. It is a fact that this process of working from home has turned everyone’s routine upside down. Thus we have to make certain changes in our lifestyles too!

Changes due to working from home

Many people are unable to meet their work deadlines which are impacting their overall performance level.

Because of the entirely new set up, a lot of people are getting stressed as this is beyond their comfort zone.

A majority of the population has become too lazy to work on time.

People end up spending more time working and mess their sleep routine. The cycle of disturbed routine goes on to the

Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee

next day as well.

Easy tips to strike a work-life balance

Here are some effective ways in which you can keep your work-life balance under control in the current situation: 1. Start your day at the same time every day. This means both the wake-up time and the time to start our work. Get ready early to feel energetic.

2. Sitting for work at such a place where you will feel fresh or simply choose a favourite corner of the house which will make you feel like working.

3. Schedule your resting & eating break before starting work.

4. One can simplify this by eating meals at the same time what one used to maintain at the workplace.

5. You may set a two-hour alarm on your phone & get up from the place and take a walk inside the house for two minutes.

This will help to increase your step counts easily and will make you feel fresh.

6. Avoiding doing household

work “Ghar ka Kam” in the middle of working hours.

7. Finish your work every day at the same time or just shut down your dashboard & create that work-life balance.

8. Keeping some healthy snack options ready. Choosing options simply like roasted home-made snacks: puffed rice and chana (or) poha and chana (or) puffed jowar/bajra with chana or khakhra or mixed nuts trail or frozen yoghurt. Well, one may simply choose to have a fruit with chana or nuts or buttermilk or milk as per the availability 9. If you are the one who cooks, then make sure that you pre-plan your day in terms of planning the meal options to be cooked for the next day. Trying to arrange those ingredients a day before making the dish,

this will bring in more free time and it will reduce the stress of thinking what to cook and arrange ingredients for the same while you work.

About physical exercises Nowadays, being at home one’s physical activities are gradually becoming less and the motivation is also lacking.

Thus you can try some simple exercises at home without going outside to stay strong and fit.

1. Push up.

2. Push up and rotation.

3. Step up onto chair.

4. Water bottle exercises: Weight lifters can use water bottles as dumbbell and practice at home.

5. Wall sits: With the back flat against the wall, arms straight, try to sit as if sitting on a chair

and hold yourself for 30-60 secs or more if possible. Slowly and gradually increase the holding time.

6. Staircase workout: Start climbing stairs as if you are jogging, then come back down but keep your knees soft. Repeat for 3-4 times.

8. Surya namaskar.

9. Balancing table pose: Start with a kneel down position, while breathing, lift your left arm and adjacent right leg parallel to the floor and exhale, hold for 30 secs. Repeat with the other hand and leg. Do this for 5-7 repetitions on each side.

9.

Floor sweeping and mopping.

10.

Treadmill, dancing, yogasana and pranayama.

Thus one can make their stay home days healthy, fit and active in these ways.

Lastly, but the most important point is to be strict with yourself to follow these tips to get a work-life balance in your life and enjoy the phase of being at home all day.

Feature

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Covid-19 testing: Protocol VS Practice R ight from the beginning of the pandemic, experts have been saying, there needs to be extensive testing to gauge the spread of the virus. And by extensive they mean combing the population through. But what does that mean for a country as densely populate as India, which has only recently begun going digital with most of its public service apparatus. And what does it mean for the developing cities in the developing states of an everdeveloping nation? It roughly translates to havoc, mass paranoia and gross mismanagement of state resources.

In spite of being accredited by central boards and agencies such as NABL and ICMR, laboratories in government run facilities continue to skirt guidelines and take short cuts.

Consequently, the numbers that states in India are reporting of the Covid-19 cases are far off from the true value.

Now, the tests that the country’s medical council has advised and encouraged to be used include the Standard Q Covid-19 Ag detection assay, and the RT-PCR test, or TruNAAT, or CBNAAT. There exists a third test for antibody testing, but that is for recovering patients, not as a means of identifying fresh cases. The following is a discussion on the science behind the two pertinent tests.

The former of the two tests is a rapid chromatography based immunoassay. This means that the principle is based on a qualitative determination for the presence or absence of viral antigen. The detection kit is specific for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens, but it has low sensitivity, meaning it might not be able to detect viral antigen below a certain concentration range. This is why the guidelines say, and I quote, “Suspected individuals who test negative for COVID-19 by rapid antigen test should be definitely tested sequentially by RT-PCR to rule out infection, whereas a positive test should be considered as a true positive and does not need

13

Donna Barman prior to performing the assay.

A false negative result may occur if inadequate numbers of organisms are present in the specimen due to improper collection, transport or handling.

This assay doesn’t provide control over quality of sample collected.

Representative Image

Program for running the PCR reaction

reconfirmation by RT-PCR test.”[1] Hence, the need for the RTPCR based test as a confirmatory measure.

RT-PCR does not detect the viral particle, it does you one better.

It detects the presence of viral nucleic acid and then amplifies it for better measure. This confirms that viral genetic material is present in the sample and hence the individual. PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction, as it uses an enzyme called DNA polymerase to makes copies of the minute templates of viral nucliec acid. And RT here stands for Reverse Transcription, because the viral genetic material is RNA and it is transcribed or converted into

DNA form to make it accessible by the enzymes at work. The reverse formation of DNA from RNA is based on the Central Dogma of molecular biology which states that: Moreover, the process is called a chain reaction because the template once detected and amplified, in turn becomes the template for the next set of reactions. The end result is a copy number of 2 raised to the power n, where n is the number of cycles that the reaction runs. This means with every cycle, the concentration of viral genetic material becomes twice as much as it was previously.

This makes the end product easy to quantify in later steps.

To prepare the reaction mixture, a cocktail of enzymes and buffers needs to be accurately mixed. And this means, being very sure of the minute quantities of ingredients going into the tubes. Since all the reagents are added in microlitres, errors in reagent addition can give inaccurate results.

Analysts ought to be well-trained, competent and confident with their pipette handling to generate accurate results.

Now that we’ve established how the test works, it needs to be kept in mind that the testing itself isn’t flawless. This is not to say that the detection kits aren’t doing their jobs.

What this means is that there are certain limitations to these tests which the regulatory bodies have also wisely included in their SOPs.

Limitations

Analysts should be trained and familiar with testing procedures and interpretation of results

Citations:

In the current times, the job of collecting, transferring and handling samples is being delegated to any and all government operatives and staff members. Needless to say, individuals who have little to no knowledge about the sensitivity and care that biological sample management requires have not been following all the directives spelled out by the guidelines. And the repercussion is affecting the test results and hence the overall picture.

In spite of being accredited by central boards and agencies such as NABL and ICMR, laboratories in government run facilities continue to skirt guidelines and take short cuts. That’s no news, to be honest.

What is news, however, is that the numbers that states in India are reporting of the Covid-19 cases are far off from the true value.

If the numbers cannot be trusted, then there is no telling how long states in India will be left with the burden of managing Covid-19 cases. Of course, Indian citizens are well aware that rigging the actual number of cases is beneficial to a few top authorities.

But if the masses stop believing in the validity of the numbers themselves, fewer people will take the disease seriously. And therein lies the fear that while the rest of the world gets over the pandemic, some countries and states will continue to be burdened by the disease and the lockdowns for far longer.

(The author is a biotechnologist who completed her M.Tech from NIT-Dgp in 2018. The views expressed in the article are her own)

1. Advisory on Use of Rapid Antigen Detection Test for COVID-19 Dated: 14th June 2020, ICMR 2. Standard Operating Procedure No: MPX 6.7, Dated 7th April 2020, ICMR

14 Guest Column

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Strategic Planning the need of the hour A s announced by the government of Assam and going by various media reports, a new ordinance has been proposed by the state for expeditious industrialization of the state in line with Gujarat and Rajasthan. There is no doubt that in order to take advantage of the recent stimulus announced by the central government, our state has to move fast to catch up. The

Several MNCs operating from China have started either closing down their shutters or are on look out for other developing countries as prospective alternative locations to operate from. It is the most opportune time for India to be ready with the strategies to attract these companies to come and set up their operations in different states. finance minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman, has emphasized the need for growth of MSME sectors in India and assured that maximum benefit from the central subsidy schemes through banks and financial institutions would be pumped into this sector as a large number of people get engaged in it. The ongoing controversy regarding the origin of COVID-19 virus in China and the controversial role played by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the beginning has antagonized many first world countries. In fact, countries like USA have stopped giving financial assistance to WHO. To add fuel to the fire, the great betrayal by the Communist Party of China and Chinese Army in Eastern Ladakh border has led

Jayanta Madhav Barua

Representative Image of the now defunct paper mill at Jagiroad, Assam which abounds a huge parcel of land to a serious face-off between India and China. The whole world is watching the developments with cautious eyes and China has come under a thick cloud of suspicion from the entire world. Several MNCs operating from China have started either closing down their shutters or are on look out for other developing countries like India, Taiwan, Vietnam etc as prospective alternative locations to operate from.

Under these circumstances, it is the most opportune time for India to be ready with the strategies to attract these companies to come and set up their operations in different states. Assam should take full advantage of this opportune moment with support from the local people as well as the central government. This in turn will directly and indirectly generate lot of employment and business opportunities for the local youths.

The question which comes to our mind is, are we ready in Assam with our strategic plans in hand like UP, Gujarat etc? MSME sector has to grow. There is no need to say that without land, proper infrastructure and working environment no industries can ever grow. Indigenous people of Assam are suffering from a great sense of insecurity due to lack

of employment avenues, influx of unauthorized people from across the border and grabbing of land from the villagers through unscrupulous means. Alternative sources of engagement in sectors like farming, pisciculture, livestock, agriculture, horticulture etc are gaining ground at a slow but definite pace in the state but it will need some time to come up to be a proper organized sector.

Many self help groups and local entrepreneurs are coming up in rural areas which were not properly explored till the other day. It is heartening to note that small tea growers have become a big source of employment in upper Assam. In fact, 55% of Assam tea is produced by the local small growers who did not even have their presence till a few years back. The government of India is also trying to promote northeast as a hub for organic cultivation.

In a nutshell, the importance of agricultural sector has been felt by the indigenous people now who were not too aware till the other day. Under this atmosphere of transition and transformation the local government has to take very cautious and strategic moves for protection and better utilization of the land owned by the indigenous cultivators

Lighter and faster

Scan the QR code

Get the G Plus app

in the state. In this context the following few steps are suggested for consideration by the popularly elected government in Assam.

1. Immediate survey and assessment of land already allotted to various sick industries in the state which are lying unutilized for years. To quote a few instances Ashok Paper Mills, Jogighopa (closed down years ago) is in possession of more than 2000 (two thousand) bighas of land lying unutilized at present. Similarly, Jagiroad Cotton Mill, Dergaon Cooperative Sugar Mill, Hindustan Paper Mill Ltd at Jagiroad and Cachar apart from APOL, Rangia and many other sick industries under the government and the cooperative sector are in possession of huge quantity of land. These are only a few instances of unused land allotted for specific purposes.

The tax payers in the state have every right to ask the government about the action plan for future utilization of these public properties.

2. The Industries and the Revenue departments have to work hand-in-hand in a time bound manner to get the exact quantity of such unused land on top most priority. A land bank in Assam is the need of

Have a story to tell? Be a Citizen Journalist Get in touch with us, Contact/WhatsApp

8486002318/8486002320

the hour where the local gram panchayats and the district administrations can be made stakeholders along with a few local prominent citizens. This bank will serve as a buffer for the immediate need of land to the entrepreneurs for small and medium scale industries under a strict monitoring system.

It will open up new business avenues in Assam keeping the agricultural land intact for the rural sectors to develop.

3. The HS Brahma Commission was formed with a good intention by the state government but reasons for absolute silence on the report seems mysterious to everybody. People of Assam must be made aware of the government’s stand on the same which will give transparency to the administrative system.

4.

The Biplop Sharma Committee Report on Assam Accord Clause VI has to be made public and implemented as has been promised time and again.

5. Anything to do with the land rights of the indigenous people has to be very transparently dealt with and thoroughly discussed and debated in the public domain instead of trying to impose some preconceived ideas through an ordinance route.

The state industry minister’s recent announcement about the protection of land rights to the indigenous people through certain modifications in the proposed ordinance is a welcome move in this direction.

Without a strategic approach and implementation plan, any hasty and unplanned move will only lead to utter confusion and doubts in the minds of the voters about the intention of the popularly elected government and it will not yield any fruitful results.

(The author is a widely travelled freelance writer, motivational speaker and a mechanical engineer. He can be reached at jayanta.barua09@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own)

News This Week

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week

1

Centre to release Rs. 346 Cr to tackle Assam floods

The Centre will soon release Rs 346 crores as an initial amount for handling the flood situation in Assam.

“To effectively manage the relief and rehabilitation works, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry assured that an amount of Rs 346 crore will be released immediately from his ministry to the Assam government as the first installment under the Flood Management Programme (FMP),” said Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Currently the Brahmaputra River is flowing above the danger mark at Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Goalpara, Dhubri, Jorhat, Numaligarh, Karimganj, Dhubri, Nagaon and Barpeta affecting around 26.3 lakh people in over 2,525 villages across 26 districts of Assam.

2

7-day complete lockdown begins in Manipur

The Manipur government has announced a one week complete lockdown in the state due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Taking to his twitter the Chief Minister of Manipur, N Biren Singh wrote, “In view of the current COVID-19 situation in Manipur, the emergency State cabinet meeting has decided to impose total lockdown for 7 days starting from 02:00 pm of July 23, 2020 which might be extended further for 7 more days. I appeal all to abide by lockdown guidelines.” As on July 24 Manipur has 2060 COVID positive cases of which 1428 have recovered from the virus.

3

IPL to be held from September 19 in UAE

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finalised the rescheduled dates for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). IPL will be held from September 19 to November 8 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), pending government approval. “In consultation with various stakeholders, we have decided on the same window considering various aspects required. The governing council will be formally convened once we get a formal response from the government, which we hope will happen early next week,” Brijesh Patel, Chairman, IPL Governing Council, told the media on July 24. The games are likely to start at 2.00 pm in UAE (3.30 pm IST).

4

UP journalist shot dead in front of his daughters

A scribe, Vikram Joshi from Uttar Pradesh, was shot in the head in front of his two daughters in Ghaziabad, near Delhi on July 21. The journalist was attacked near his home when he was travelling on a motorcycle with two of his daughters when a group of men assaulted him and open fired at him around 10:30 pm. The entire incident was captured on CCTV footage where the attackers could be seen dragging Joshi towards a car and thrashing him. Vikram was taken to a nearby hospital and his condition was critical. The incident raised a lot of questions regarding the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh as leaders from the opposition and many other political leaders attacked the Yogi Adityanath government.

5

Centre warns against use of N-95 masks with valved respirator

The Centre has written to all states and union territories warning against the use of N-95 masks with valved respirator by people, saying these don’t prevent the virus from spreading out and are “detrimental” to the measures adopted for its containment. The Director-General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, in a letter to the Principal Secretaries of health and medical education of states, said it has been observed that there is “inappropriate use” of N-95 masks, particularly those with the valved respirator, by the public other than designated health workers.

6

15

PM Modi to attend Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan along with 150 invitees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5. Not more than 200 people including 150 invitees will be present at the event to ensure social distancing. Before laying the foundation stone, the Prime Minister will offer prayers at the temple. Special arrangements are being made for the Bhumi Pujan of the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Soil and water from Sangam, (confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers) will be taken to Ayodhya for the Bhumi Pujan by leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The group is also planning to appeal to all followers of Hinduism to light lamps in their homes on the eve of the Bhumi Pujan.

7

Flipkart launches ‘Flipkart wholesale’

Flipkart Group has launched “Flipkart Wholesale” aimed at transforming the kirana ecosystem in the country. As part of this, the group has bought out 100% in Walmart India. “With the launch of Flipkart Wholesale, we will now extend our capabilities across technology, logistics and finance to small businesses across the country. The acquisition of Walmart India adds a strong talent pool with deep expertise in the wholesale business that will strengthen our position to address the needs of kiranas and MSMEs uniquely,” Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer, Flipkart Group, said. Flipkart Wholesale will launch its operations in August 2020 and will pilot services for the grocery and fashion categories.

8

Govt allows permanent commission to women officers in Indian Army

Paving the way for empowering Women Officers in the Indian Army, the Union Ministry of Defence has issued the formal government sanction letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers.

The order mentions about grant of permanent commission to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Women Officers in all ten streams of the Indian Army i.e Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC). The Selection Board will be scheduled as soon as all affected SSC women officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation.

9

’Aatma Nirbhar’ Bharat, social distancing to be theme of Independence Day

‘Atmanirbharta’ and social distancing will be the theme of Independence Day celebrations this year in India. The Ministry of Home Affairs shared a detailed advisory to states about how celebrations can be held at state capital, district headquarters, sub-divisions and panchayat-levels. The advisory says, “It would be appropriate that the theme of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ is suitably spread and publicised amongst the masses through various activities/messages in the functions and in social media during independence day celebrations.”

10

COVID-19: COVAXIN’s Phase-I trial commences in AIIMS, New Delhi

Phase-I of human clinical trial of India’s first indigenously-developed vaccine against coronavirus, Covaxin, began at the Delhi AIIMS on July 24. The first dose of the injection was given to a man in his early 30s.

As per reports the first volunteer, a resident of Delhi, was screened two days ago and all his health parameters were found to be within the normal range. He also did not have any co-morbid conditions. No immediate sideeffects have been observed so far and the volunteer was kept under observation for two hours. Further, he will be monitored for the next seven days. AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of Covaxin.

16 Catching Up

| Jul 25- Jul 31, 2020

Talk Of The tOWN

PIC OF THE

Art of the week

WEEK

#STUDENTLIFEINASSAM | Art: Rifa Deka

Artist: Deb Gohain | Commemorating Kargil Day, 26th July

Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

Guwahati’s oldest bungalow: Saraswati House

D

o you recall seeing this old house in Guwahati?

It was located right next to Panbazar Girls’ Higher Secondary School. You will not find this house anymore as it was demolished in 2018.

But the still standing centuries-old Cannonball Tree (Couroupitaguianensis) on the premises reminds one of the glorious history of the family and the ancestral home that was once there.

The property belongs to the renowned Saraswati family. The house was built by Dr. Radha Kishore Saraswati in 1898.

Apart from being a physician, Dr. Saraswati was also a successful businessman. He was a Bengali trader who owned the Radha Kishore Saraswati & Company. The company was the first to popularize Assam’s Muga, Endi and Pat silk outside the state, by displaying these in various exhibitions. Dr. Saraswati

was awarded a gold medal in this regard.

Dr. Radha Kishore was conferred the “Saraswati” title by the British Empire for his outstanding contribution to society.

The house P.C.: Arijit Choudhury was the oldest inhabited bungalow in Guwahati, until it was pulled America, is reportedly the first in down in 2018 to make way for a the entire northeast. new construction. The structure The family also set up the first of the house was strong Allopathic Pharmacy of Assam, enough to withstand the great opposite to Shaikh Brothers in earthquakes that hit Assam over Panbazar, where the Union Bank the ce nturie s. The ance stral of India is presently located. house boasted of ceramic door The Saraswati family owned knobs and handles, intricately the Woodland Tea Estate that designed cast-iron grill railings spread from the present Santipur and timber eaves detailing. The Hill to Fatasil Hill area. The tea magnificent Cannonball Tree, estate was closed down before a native of Central and South the World War I in the mid 1920s.

Seeking help for flood’s sake! | Photo: Surajit Sharma

BJP MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan, Arjun Ram Meghwal, launched ‘Bhabhi Ji’ crisps (papad) claiming that the food item will help in the formation of antibodies to fight the coronavirus. A video of the launch went viral on social media.

In the video, the union minister was seen holding two packets of the papad and saying, “Under the Atmanirbhar India campaign, a papad manufacturer has come up with this product that will help in the formation of antibodies to fight the coronavirus. We congratulate this firm for coming up with this initiative under the Atmanirbhar India campaign.”

A BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, Rameshwar Sharma made it to the headlines with his statement that the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya would end the coronavirus pandemic. Sharma was quoted saying, “He had reincarnated for the welfare of mankind and to kill demons at that time. As soon as the construction of Ram Temple begins the destruction of the COVID pandemic will begin too.”

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali.

Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641