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Vol. 1
ET CAPSULES 1839 posts for medical and paramedical staff approved Itanagar, Jul 14: The State Govt. has approved a proposal by the health department for post creation of 1839 medical and paramedical staff in a phased manner during a high power technical committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary on 21 April, 2015 and other 675 posts were recommended for creation. It will be put up to the cabinet for approval, said Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Rajesh Tacho in a written reply to the starred question raised by leader of opposition MLA, Tamiyo Taga today. The reply which was circulated to all the legislators also stated that only 59% of sub-centres are non-functional due to various reasons like most of the sub-centres were created under tremendous pressure from public and local MLAs besides due to non-fulfillment of the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India for creation of subcentre. Tamiyo Taga alleged that 90% of medical subcentres in the interior areas of Arunachal Pradesh are lying defunct.
Massive drive against illicit liquor Golaghat, Jul 14: Following strict instructions by Golaghat Deputy Commissioner, Anwar Ul Haq, the Excise Department has recently launched a massive drive against illicit and country made liquor hubs in the tea garden and its surrounding areas of the district. The excise department has raided in total 36 areas and has registered 199 cases under Assam Excise Act. During the raids, 1125 litres of illicit liquor, 124 equipment and other related stuff were seized by the Excise officials. (Correspondent)
Phatik Hazarika awarded Golaghat, Jul 14: Lakshmipriya Kakati Child Literature Trust Award has been given to Laureate Phatik Hazarika by Golaghat Shakha Sahitya Sabha on 12 July at the Amateur Theatre Society Auditorium. An award ceremony was organised under the aegis of Golaghat Shakha Sahitya Sabha's President Bela Goswami with renowned writer Dr. Malini taking part as chief guest. Laureate Phatik Hazarika has greatly contributed in the field of children literature. As part of the Lakshmipriya Kakati Child Literature Trust Award, he was given a cash amount of ten thousand rupees, certificate, safura and gamocha. (Correspondent)
Road accident, 3 injured
Issue 43
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Pottery is an art which also serves as a source of livelihood for the ‘Kumar’s’ a community in Majuli. This pottery art that mostly entails making of household utensils out of clay formed along the banks of the river Brahmaputra is on the
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Avik Chakraborty Dibrugarh, Jul 14
ET Correspondent Guwahati, Jul 14
BJP National president Amit Shah today sounded the poll bugle for the Assam assembly election slated to be held in April next year, and promised to wipe out Congress from the state. Shah arrived at Guwahati today, where he was given a rousing welcome at the Guwahati airport. Contd. on Page 4
They are referred to as ‘gods’ by the common man; but it seems that ‘these gods’ have either closed their eyes or ‘turned their back’ upon the pathetic condition of the poor lying here and there inside the Assam Medical College and Hospitals (AMCH), the oldest medical education institution of the region. In its July 13 edition ‘The Eastern Today’ Union Sports Minister Sarabananda Sonowal felicitates BJP National President, Shri Amit Shah on the occasion of BJPâ•™s review meeting on Maha Sampark Abhiyan of all northeastern states at Machkhowa ITA centre in Guwahati. Pic - UB Photos
BRO proves its mettle by reinstating 2 bridges at interior Walong-Kibitho road Bishnu Rana & Dinesh Goyal Walong, Jul 14
The versatile Border Road Organisation (BRO) executed a praiseworthy job and proved its mettle once again to reinstate Shetali & Mangla Bridge near Walong in Anjaw district on 13th July. Both the crucial Bridges connecting WalongKibitho with Hawai headquarters were dedicated to service of nation by Nyabin Ete DC Anjaw amidst UC Mehta Chief Engineer Project UDAYAT, Colonel C Rajshekhar Commandant 48 BRTF, OC 116 RCC/1444 BCC, Army & BRO officials and other local public. “200 feet Bailey Bridge
over Shetali Nallah and 50 meters PSC Girder Bridge were completely whacked by flash flood on 8th June 2015
that brought the areas to a standstill and created panic like scenario. Contd. on Page 3
Water Supply Bill 2015 passed in Arunachal Assembly ET Correspondent Itanagar, Jul 14
The sixth day of the fifth session of the sixth legislative assembly of Arunachal Pradesh concluded with the passing of the Arunachal Pradesh Water Supply Bill 2015 by voice vote. Bomdila BJP MLA, Japu Deru however protested and opposed the bill based on one criteria; there has been an increase in the charges for the new water supply connection from the existing Rs. 2000 to Rs. 5000, the revised rates which will be implemented after the enforcement of the Act. The bill in fact is a
reproduction of the existing Arunachal Pradesh Water Supply Act 2000. Minister of PHED (Public Health Engineering Department) and Water Supply, Takam Pario in a written statement to the house said the APWS Act 2000 enacted by the State Legislative Assembly was not comprehensive enough, in as much as, the act contained only 12 sections and one form which is not applicable in view of the changing times. Therefore, the minister said it has been felt expedient that a comprehensive law, providing adequate provisions encompassing all aspects to regulate water supply, includ-
United Organizations of Arunachal Pradesh to stage protest near the Assembly Complex
Continuing to press on their long uncompromising demand of resignation of Chief Minister, Nabam Tuki and his council of ministers, the United Organizations of Arunachal Pradesh (UOAP) has decided to organize a peaceful protest termed as “Jail Bharo Andholan” near the legislative assembly tomorrow in the morning hours. The group also demanded from the Governor in its memorandum submitted last month for a CBI inquiry into the alleged financial mis-
management which runs up to Rs. 6911.55 Cr. The group has given a seven-day ultimatum to the Governor and the same has expired and now leaving them with the option of staging a democratic movement. Chairman Toko Obi said that UOAP is purely non-political. He clarified after a few reporters asked him if any politician or opposition party like the BJP has backed them up to organize protest rallies. The chairman including other members firmly denied that their group is affiliated to any political party whatsoever. Contd. on Page 3
ing levy of tariff on consumption of water by replacing the said Act should be enacted. Learned MLAs like Gabriel D Wangsu, P.D. Sona and Nikh Kamin welcomed the bill and fully supported it. Sona said the bill is a water tight bill and very comprehensive. Sona suggested for outsourcing the system of bill collection to avoid leakage of funds which happened due to lackadaisical attitude of the individuals who sit at the payment counter.
Contd. on Page 3
verge of extinction. The Kumar’s community, that lives on the banks or the river bed of the Brahmaputra once the waters recede, has been adversely impacted by major floods and soil erosion. Every year, the great Brahmaputra washes away their homes. During summers, when floods hit Majuli, these
people have to live in highlands or boats. During this time of the year, they are forced to halt their pottery work and engage in other jobs for their livelihood. Mostly, the women of this community make the raw pots. Contd. on Page 2
Contd. on Page 4
Meiyappan, Kundra banned for life; CSK, RR for 2 yrs ET Bureau Mumbai, Jul 14
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the Indian Premier League for two years for betting activities of their key officials, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, during the 2013 season of cash-rich Twenty20 cricket tournament. The punishment was handed down by a Supreme Court-appointed three-member committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India Rajendra Mal Lodha, which held that the betting activities of Meiyappan, considered the face of Chennai Super Kings, and Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, brought the game of cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL into disrepute.The committee also imposed life suspensions on Meiyappan and Kundra being involved in any cricket matches conducted by the BCCI. Contd. on Page 4
ET Correspondent Digboi, Jul 14
Following the sensational news circulated today in an Assamese local daily and telecast on a private electronic channel regarding the joining of Gautam Dhanowar, an active INC member from Digboi, joing the BJP, Rameswar Dhanowar, the father, who has been the congress MLA from Digboi, strongly repudiated the news terming it as "politically designed in view of the forthcoming election in 2016"
PUNISHMENT AND ITS BASIS "Players will not be attached to a franchisee which has been suspended. We thought that if cricket is bigger than individuals then financial loss to players and franchises is not of significance," The Supreme Court-appointed three-member committee held that the betting activities of Meiyappan, considered the face of Chennai Super Kings, and Kundra, coowner of Rajasthan Royals, brought the game of cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL into disrepute. India Cements argued that they have done a lot to grow the game of cricket. But it was considered to be a mitigating factor.
Meiyappan has been declared ineligible for participation in the sport of cricket as explained in the anti-corruption code for a maximum period of five years under article 2.2.1. He has been suspended for life from activities as explained in article 7.5 under level 4. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the Indian Premier League for two years for betting activities of their key officials, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, during the 2013 season.
He has been suspended for life from being involved in any type of cricket matches under section 6, rule 4.2. Exactly the same punishment for Kundra, husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, have been read out. Jaipur IPL franchise claimed it is highly celebrated as a nursery of players. But three of its players have been accused of alleged spot-fixing. This shows that all is not well in their handling of affairs.
Terrorist Victim Families Ulfa guns down Justice Forum alleges businessman, neglect by Govt. daughter in Tinsukia Prasanta Saha Tinsukia, Jul 14
A four member group of suspected Ulfa (Ind) cadres shot dead a small tea grower Nandalal Shah, 70 yrs and his daughter Kajal Shah, 17 yrs, at their own residence at Bijuliban Philobari under Philobari police station in up-
Dhanowar family is Congress by blood, how can my son join BJP, remarks Ramesh Dhanowar
Pottery of Majuli: On the verge of extinction Rituraj Phukan Jorhat, Jul 14
Price -
Amit Shah lands in Adamant behavior of AMCH authority Guwahati, sounds poll bugle haunts the poor from getting basic treatment for Assam assembly election
ET Correspondent Itanagar, Jul 14
Demow, Jul 14: A road accident took place at National Highway 37 in Demow Rajabari last night. According to sources, the driver of one Maruti Zen As-04C-3949 coming from Moran to Sivasagar lost control and rammed onto both a tree and a Hero Activa As-04N-4204. The rider of the Activa and the driver of the car Pranjal Singh and Jiten Borah respectively were seriously injured. The local people rushed them to Demow Adarsha Hospital. And later on, the injured people were referred to AMC, Dibrugarh.(Correspondent)
Dibrugarh, Wednesday, July 15, 2015
per Assam Tinsukia district at around 8.30 pm today. While Shah, died on the spot, Kajal died on her way to hospital. Sources said that Shah's wife and his son also sustained bullet injuries and has been rushed to AMCH in Dibrugarh. Police said that Shah had received an extortion note from the Ulfa (Ind) some days back.
3 die in Lakhimpur due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrom ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Jul 13
ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Jul 14
rum, said “Apart from a few intellectual, socially conscious persons and media persons, no political leader, Nationalistic Organization has played a satisfactory role in order to give these people justice rehabilitation or compensation. If someone becomes vocal in this regard, then they remain dumb in fear of losing their selfish interest. Due to this humiliating neglect, the central government stands far away from these unfortunate victims.” Regarding the issue, the Chief Secretary alleged that some of political leaders confederate with the terrorist organizations on account of achieving their own benefits.
With the news of the death of a person due to Japanese Encephalitis in Teok of Jorhat District, it is being assumed that the State Health department is ill equipped to deal with this fatal ailment although lakhs of rupees have been invested during the past years for this purpose. The news has concerned the people of Lakhimpur too with the dreaded disease posing a serious threat in the district. Contd. on Page 4
“During the last three decades, the Congress and AGP Governments of Assam have comprehensively neglected those people who died, got oppressed and became disabled for life by the misdeeds of several terrorist organizations including ULFA of the state. These Governments have also stood far away from humanity neglecting these people”. This serious complaint was today made by the Terrorist Victim Families Justice Forum. Holding a press conference in North Lakhimpur Press Club, Brojen Hazarika, the Chief Secretary of the Fo-
Students, teachers in Manipur demand disturbance free education
Sri Lanka, China conclude joint Army exercise
Students and teachers took out a massive rally demanding a disturbance free edu-
Sri Lanka and China recently concluded a
In India, unemployment data are more useful to historians than economists. While China
OP-ED
REGION
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EDITORIAL
Cobain and Janis Joplin. Now, a biopic on the late Amy Winehouse again raises the issue of unwanted fame and substance abuse and how it pushes artistes over the edge, says Amrita Madhukalya.
cation zone in Imphal. Under the banner of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), more than 10,000 students, teachers and other staff of nearly two hundred schools and colleges of Manipur came out on the roads.
joint army exercise at the Special Forces (SF) Training School at Maduruoya, Sri Lanka Army said in a statement.
is joining the US and Brazil in moving toward monthly figures to take the pulse of their economies, the latest jobs numbers in India are at least a year old.
and further added "an attempt is being made for the past few months to malign my political image and harm my family status on various fronts." "I have become a potential political asset for the Congress in Assam and have held the tricolour intact for 6 consecutive terms in my constituency, and as such to defile my name the rumours of my son joining BJP has been plotted politically," added Rameswar Dhanowar expressing shock at the unexpected development. Contd. on Page 4
The overdose effect: Dissecting the 'drugs and music' cliche Drugs and music are a cliché tied together by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt
Contd. on Page 4
India Jobs Data That Economists Can Use
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DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Assam Govt for inclusion of original inhabitants in NRC based on Citizenship Act 1955, Rule 1955 ET Correspondent Guwahati, Jul 14: The Assam Government has advocated inclusion of the original inhabitants based on the Citizenship Act 1955, Rule 2003 in the ongoing updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Government has submitted an additional affidavit to the Supreme Court of India requesting it to bring in changes in the modalities of the NRC exercise for unconditional inclusion of all the Scheduled Tribes (STs) both Hills and Plains and other six ethnic communities namely Morans, Motoks, Chutias, TaiAhoms, KochRajbonghis and tea tribes.
Moreover, based on the caste certificates issued by the competent authority, the SCs, OBCs, MOBCs, the persons and their ancestors residing in Assam for more than 100 years should automatically find their names in the ongoing updation of the NRC. Besides, any genuine Indian citizen who came to Assam after 1971 must be included in the NRC. Further, the State Government has recommended for extending the timeframe for submission of NRC application, supply of additional computers along with operators, simplification of the NRC procedure and house to house visit by the officials for completion.
Pottery of Majuli: On the verge of extinction Contd. from Page 1
The men of the Kumar's dig out the clay mud from the river bed from 30-40 ft deep. Once the raw pots are made, the pots are burnt to harden them. And then the men of the Kumar’s take these pots for trade through the river path. “We sell our pots both in retail and wholesale,” said one of the Kumar’s villagers. He also added that “we sell our household utensils, that is pottery, for around two thousand rupees for every 100 pots.” This clay art or the pottery is now on the verge of extinction. The government did not take any steps to preserve this pottery art, a section of the people said. “We are living a very hard life,” said one of the aged village women. “The Govt. did not give anything to us to live a better life. During floods, we face many difficulties in earning our livelihood. Our houses go under water. We have to live in our boats or high lands.” She added. “Many of us have now left this profession as it is not a sufficient source of income for us now. Moreover the clay mud, using which we used to make the pottery is now rarely found. This also forced us to leave this profession,” the aged women lamented. There are around 1000 people inhabitants in ‘Salmora’ the flood affected area of Majuli, where the Kumar's community village is situated. The people can be categorised as below poverty line (BPL). “I am living a very hard life” - as one of the widow villagers said. “My husband died by getting drowned in floods three years back. Now I and my 7-year-old boy, live in this hut.” The woman said as she pointed towards the deserted hut. “As there is no male member in the house, it is not possible for me to bring clay mud from the river bed. And as my son is still very young, it is not possible for us to go for trading either. So, I have to collect the clay from other villagers and make raw pots. For that I get 150 rupees for every 100 pots. It takes 1 week to make 100 pots, if the weather is suitable. So by the month end I get only 500 to 600 rupees, which is not sufficient for us to survive. We do not have land for cultivation
either.” She added. Meanwhile, the govt. is all set to stop the digging of clay mud from the river bed, as it is one of the main causes of soil erosion. “The Kumar’s community digs the river bed in search of clay mud around 30-40 feet deep. This causes massive soil erosion in the area.” One of the Govt. officials said. “We are trying our level best to let the people of Kumar’s to live a better life. But some are adamant about their decisions.” The officer added. Incidentally, Majuli has been working to bag the World Heritage Site tag. To this end, all the arts and culture of the river island has to be highlighted as well as promoted, and the pottery art of Kumar’s is one of the most important arts and culture besides being one of the tourist attractions. Now, with the pottery of the Kumar’s being on the verge of extinction on account of flood, soil erosion, decrease of clay mud and many other factors, the situation presents a difficult picture altogether. Meanwhile, the govt. has been alleged not to have taken any initiative to preserve the rare art.
AASAA founder president Justin Lakra no more ET Correspondent Guwahati, Jul 14: The All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA) deeply condoled the death of its founder president Justin Lakra (45), who died this morning at GNRC hospi-
tal, Guwahati. Lakra who was suffering from multi organ disorder since the last six months had his treatment in AIIMS, New Delhi after which he was admitted to GNRC, Guwahati where he had his treatment for two
months. His death is a irreparable loss to the society. AASAA will have its flag at halfmast in all AASAA offices across the state for seven days with lighting of lamps for the departed soul. His funeral will take
List Of Phone Numbers Of Nursing Homes
place tomorrow at his residence of Gossiagaon. Justin Lakra founded AASAA in 2nd July, 1996 after the ethnic violence between Adivasis and Bodos. Since then, he build a strong leadership from Dhubri in lower
Assam to Sadiya in Tinsukia in upper Assam until he retired in 2008 as president. Lakra, born in 2nd October, 1970 at Soraibil village of Gossaigaon subdivision under Kokrajhar district completed his graduation from Sankardev college, Shillong.
ASTRO FOR YOU
Tinsukia City Hospital & Research Centre Category: General Hospital Hospital Address: Gnb Road Near Bujhuri-786125, Assam Pin Code :786125 Phone Number :0374-2333349 Fax :0374-2350026/2339974
Dr.Bawaris Nursing Home Jeevan Jyoti Nursing Home Category: General Hospital Category: General Hospital Hospital Address: Parvathiya Road Hospital Address: Parbatia,Opp Hindi Girls High School-786125, Assam Tinsukia-786125, Assam Pin Code :786125 Pin Code :786125 Phone Number :(0374)2339756 Phone Number :0374-2336319 Fax :0374-2335334 Fax :0374-2350131
Pinewood Hospital Category: General Hospital Hospital Address: Subothoni Road Moniam Dewan Nagra-786125 Pin Code :786125 Phone Number :0374-2300730 Fax :0374-2339730
Help-Line APST BUS SERVICE Ph: 0360-2212338, 0360-2351490 NIGHT SERVICES Name of Routes Departure Distance(km) Bus Fare 1) Itanagar- Shillong ( Daily service) 5:00 pm 510 460/2) Itanagar-Nyapin(Mon, Thu, Sat) 2:00 pm 325 400/3) Itanagar- Aalo (Daily service) 2:30 pm 325 350/4) Itanagar-Daporijo (Daily service from Nlg)12:00 noon 432 470/5) Itanagar - Yingkiong (Alternate day) 01.00 pm 436 550/6) Itanagar - Seppa (Alternate day) 12:00 noon 385 420/7) Itanagar - Khonsa (Sun, mon, wed, thur) 1:00 pm 677 620/8) Itanagar - Namsai (Daily service) 1:00 pm 655 580/9) Itanagar - Koloriang (Alternate day) 2.30 pm 334 400/DAY SERVICE 10) Itanagar - Guwahati (Daily service) 6.00 am 395 350/11) Itanagar - Pasighat (Daily service) 6.00 am 270 250/12) Itanagar - Tirbin (Mon, thu & sat) 5.30 am 328 330/13) Itanagar - Bomdila (Daily except Fri) 6.00 am 346 320/14) Itanagar - Aalo (Daily service) 5.30 am 325 350/15) Itanagar - Sagalee (Sun, Tues & Thur ) 7.30 am 121 135/16) Itanagar - Pakke Kessang (Mon, Wed & Fri)7.00 am 160 200/17) Itanagar-Mengio (sun, tue &Thur) 6.00 am 198 230/18)Itanagar-Kimin/ H-Camp (Daily except Sat)12.00 noon 94 80/19) Itanagar-Gerukhamukh (Daily except Fri)12.00 noon 134 120/20) Itanagar- Balijan (Daily except Sun) 12.30 pm 105 105/21) Itanagar - Sonajuly (Daily except Sun) 01.00 pm 70 80/22) Itanagar - Jote (Daily except Sun) 07.00 am & 01.00 pm 22 30/23) Itanagar- Lakhimpur (Daily Service) 3.30 pm 64 70/-
Bordoloi Avenue, Paltan Bazar, Dibrugarh - 786005 Phone Numbers: 0373 - 2302219, 2302225
G M Hospital
Shrishti Hospital & Research Centre Paltan Bazar, Dibrugarh - 786 005 Phone: 0373 - 2300024, 2302099
Archana Trauma & Orthopaedics Hospital
Brahmaputra Diagnostics & Hospital
Paltan Bazar, Dibrugarh - 786 005 Phone: 0373 - 2302100, 2302099
Assam Medical College
Marwari Arogya Bhawan Hospital Paltan Bazar, Dibrugarh Phone: 0373 - 2302872, 2302051
Graham Bazar, A.T. Road Dibrugarh Phone: 0373 - 2322547
Jalan Nagar, Dibrugarh - 786 002 List of Phones numbers: Emergency Room : 0373 - 2300627 Labour Room: 0373 - 2300022 Drug Deaddiction Centre: 0373 - 2302952 Community Medicine: 0373 - 2302994 RIA Centre: 0373 - 2302093
Sanjivani Diagnostic & Hospital
Dr. Pawan Bajaj's Skin Clinic
Aastha Hospital
Paltan Bazar, Dibrugarh Phone: 0373 - 2303448, 2303458, 2301904
Sankardev Hospital Mancotta Road, Chowkidinghee Dibrugarh Phone: 0373 - 2327717, 2327715, 2326960
Your highly competitive nature will push you to perform better and better. You don't even know what being second best means. Getting in touch with like-minded people will only make your resolve stronger. Your desire to be the best will make you take interest in everything that can help you improve. You may even study new subjects. Your efforts will bear fruits. Today you may have to take certain financial decisions at home as well as at work. If you are in-charge of a certain project, you will trust the judgement of those working on it, mostly because they have been hand-picked by you. Motivating people through your own actions is one way; the other is to let your words do the talking. Both are equally effective. With a bit of help from the stars today, it is your words that shall hold more weight than your actions, as you make optimum use of your presentation skills. It seems like a good idea to keep an open mind and learn new things that will go a long way in improving your communication skills. It is quite possible that you will love financial challenges that are thrown at you, as they whet your appetite for success. You will come up with innovative ideas and improved methods of problem-solving. Trivialities should be the least of your concerns today. Do not let the small things faze you out. Remember that it is the overall picture that matters, and not one small stroke of the brush. Bear this is mind, since you may come under some pressure from subordinates at your workplace. Just remember to consider all possibilities before making any decisions. Also, take time to relax and maybe even meditate. Work pressure will keep on mounting today. But you shall handle it with great style, all thanks to your patience. But keep a watch on the radar and learn how to spot stress early and then act on it as quickly as you can. Cupid has strung his bow and aimed an arrow at you. Love's labour will easily aid you to woo a young, tender heart. But don't be swept away by easy prospects and guard your reputation at all costs. It will be one of those mundane days with nothing remarkable happening on any front. But don't be disheartened; planetary movements indicate there may be a change coming soon, most likely a good one. So, perk up and look forward to tomorrow. Your ideas are bang on target today! Everything you touch turns into gold. You have it in you to make it big, and the time is now. When the going gets tough, the tough get going - you've heard this before, now it's time for some action.
PRASAR BHARATI (India's Public Service Broadcaster) ALL INDIA RADIO : DIBRUGARH (M.W.529.1m/KHz567 F.M. 101.30 MHz)
AMC Road, Jalan Nagar Dibrugarh - 786 005
Near Indian AirLines City Office Paltan Bazar Dibrugarh - 786 005 Phone Numbers: 0373 - 2303476
There is every possibility that you will enjoy a good rapport with people around you. You will think with your stomach today, craving for delicacies. Such a feeling might be because of repressed hunger. Something refreshingly different might be on the cards today.
Stabbing with a pen is so much more satisfying than slicing with a sword. With these lofty ideals in mind, you will launch an assault upon your unsuspecting prey with your lethal presentation skills, eliciting cries of sheer ecstasy and tremendous applause. Don't get carried away though.
List of hospitals in Dibrugarh with contact details & phone numbers, Assam Aditya Diagnostics & Hospitals
The day may start with a dilemma, but that's exactly how your skills will come into play. As evening approaches, you will be applauded for your outstanding performance.
Paltan Bazar, Opposite Aditya Hospital Dibrugarh
Dr Damani's Nursing Home Near Circuit House, Dibrugarh Phone: 0373 - 2300928, 2302873
Phone No.-03732325456 E-mail -dibrugarh@air.org.in Facebook Page-All India Radio Dibrugarh Programme Highlights 15-7-15 (WEDNESDAY)
5-35 A.M-Bhaktigeeti(Devotional Songs) 6-10 A.M-Swasthya Charcha (Health Programme) 6-15 A.M-Hindi Language Lesson 7-15 A.M-Aajir Dinto (Morning Information Service) 7-30 A.M-Geetanjali(Assamese Modern Song) 8-35 A.M-Surar Panchoi(Composite Programme of Assamese Film Songs) 9-05 A.M- Antara(Composite Programme of Hindi Film Songs) 12-05 P.M-Surar Satsori 1-10 P.M-Troops Programme 2-00 P.M-Khetir Diha 2-30 P.M-Western Music Programme 3-45 P.M-Programme in Miju Mishmi 4-05 P.M-Programme in Khamti 4-25 P.M-Programme in Wancho 4-45 P.M-News for Arunachal Pradesh 5-00 P.M-Programme in Idu 5-20 P.M-Programme in Tangsa 5-40 P.M-Programme in Nocte 7-15 P.M-"Karpumpuli" 7-35 P.M-Ujjwal Bhabishyat 7-45 P.M-Parikrama 8-15 P.M-Talk in English Sd-/H.O.P
PAGE 3
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Training and awareness programme on bamboo and its application held ET Correspondent Itanagar, Jul 14: A training and awareness programme on bamboo and its application was held today which was organized by the CBTC, Guwahati, SFRI, Itanagar and in collaboration with the All Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Association (AAPEDA), was supported by the North East Council Shillong at Sangdupota. The main objectives of the training programme was to sensitize the unemployed youths, artisans, farmers and entrepreneurs on bamboo related activities and income generation using latest innovation and technologies.
The training programme was graced by the CCF & Director SFRI cum Member Secretary, APSPB, SBDMB, N Tam wherein he encouraged the farmers and en-
Chopper from Itanagar enroute Guwahati makes emergency landing Itanagar, Jul 14: Pawan Hans MI 172, VTPHG, Helicopter with 19 passengers and 5 crew members onboard took off from Naharlagun Helipad at 0840 hrs on July 14, 2015 (Monday) for Guwahati after ascertaining technical fitness of the aircraft and the weather clearance from the ATC Tezpur, Jorhat and Guwahati. It is reported that after flying about 30 minutes the aircraft encountered very bad weather condition enroute and the pilots instead of taking any risk made a precautionary landing on a well carpeted village link road at a place called Tetunbari in Sonitpur dis-
trict of Assam. The aircraft halted there for 1 hour 45 minutes watching weather condition. It took off from there at 1055 Hrs and landed back at Naharlagun Helipad at 1135 Hrs with all the passengers and crew members safe as the weather condition enroute Guwahati was not improving. The Secretary, Civil Aviation, Government of Arunachal Pradesh has ordered the Director Civil Aviation, Naharlagun to carry out an inquiry into the matter immediately for ascertaining the cause of the incident and fixing accountability if any discrepancy is found. (DIPRO)
Bandh affects normal life in Demow ET Correspondent Demow, Jul 14: All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation staged a 12 hour Assam Bandh on Tuesday from 5 am to 5 pm demanding inclusion of all Hindu Bengali people in the ongoing NRC update process. Educational institutions, banks, business establishment, circle office, Block Office remained closed in Demow. The protesters staged demonstration against the Tarun Gogoi led-con-
gress government and central government by burning tyres on National Highway 37 at Desang Rajabari. According to sources, no major untoward incident occurred except in Demow area under the Demow police station. On the other hand private vehicles were kept on the road. At morning times Demow police arrested two supporters Rabindra Ghosh and Apu Dey. Later on, they were released at 5 pm in the evening.
trepreneurs to avail themselves of the training that was being imparted. At least more than fifty volunteers participated in the programme. Qualified people like scientist and
nodal officer, R K Taj, scientist and botanist, L R Bhuyan, assistant manager CBTC, P K Mandal and CBTC Guwahati P Mali were also present at the programme.
DC inaugurates Smart Classroom for children at Seppa Seppa, Jul 14: The East Kameng DC Sandeep Kumar Singh inaugurated smart classroom for children under SSA scheme in collaboration with IL & FS education & Technology Service Ltd. at DPO Office, Seppa today. DC Sandeep Kumar Singh advised the students to adopt positive use of technology whether it be computer, TV, mobile, etc. He said that with the existing system of teaching and learning in combination with the use of technology will help a lot in enhancing the knowledge of the students. He is looking forward to preparing a schedule for establishment of Smart Classroom in each and every school in East Kameng. ADC Pooja Jain was delighted to see such smart classroom introduced in
Youth are the future and the real strength of any Nation or State: Governor Itanagar, Jul 14: The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri JP Rajkhowa has greeted the youth of the State on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, whom he said are the hopes and aspirations not only of the people of Arunachal Pradesh but of India as a whole, for a better Present and a better Tomorrow, which would be built through development, promotion and acquisition of skills only. The Governor expressed hope that the Day will facilitate in highlighting the importance of investing in youth through skills development in all the areas which have growing demand but deficient sup-
plies and in all new upcoming areas in the fast emerging digitalized global scenario. He also wished that celebration of the Day would promote sustained, inclusive and more equitable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, particularly the youth. The Governor in his message on the occasion said that youth are the future and the real strength of any Nation or State. At present, the youth in the age-group of 15 to 24 years makes up 20.8 % of the total population of the State, while most productive age-group of 15 to 35 years makes up 39.2 % of the State’s population.
For a bright and prosperous future for every Arunachalee and for the State as a whole, the people of the State have to ensure inclusive and quality education and instil required knowledge and skills and also the spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth, as the problem of employment as well as equitable development could be achieved through enterprise development in all potential areas such as agri-horticulture, handloom & handicrafts, integrated farming practices with focus on poultry, piggery, yak farming, mithun raising, dairy farming, pisiculture, winery, etc. besides tourism, trade &
Corruption in rural development schemes in Lakhimpur Social Auditor’s report reveals public representative taking advantage of poor beneficiaries under IAY ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Jul 14: A section of the Gaon Panchayat (GP) level public representatives of Lakhimpur District have gotten involved in massive corruption with regard to the implementation of “Indira Avash Yojona” (IAY). They have taken bribes to the tune of Rs. 10000-12000 from the beneficiaries in case of allotment of a house under the scheme. This humiliating truth came to light through a report read out by Debajyoti Hazarika, the Project Director (PD) of Lakhimpur DRDA in a Mass Conference held in the Conference Hall of the DC office of the District. The report
was submitted by the Social Auditors of the District exposing the massive corruption of District Rural Development Department. It is here to be noted the Conference was held by Lakhimpur DC Debeswar Malakar in the presence of the Public Representatives of 81 GPs of the District. The Social Auditors not only quoted this misdeed of the Public Representatives but also warned them and advised them to not engage in corruption in future. The PD too, while reading out the report warned them against it. The DC took this issue in a serious way. He remarked, “The lodging of FIR against
the corrupted persons is the only option unless such complaints stop coming to light”. He added that he has had at least fifty thousand complaints on different misuse of fund that occurred in the District. He expressed zero tolerance against the corrupted and favoured severe disciplinary actions if someone takes bribe from the poor beneficiaries of IAY. It is to be noted that the BDO’s of nine Development Blocks of the District, the Junior Engineers, Accountants, GP Secretaries along with the GP Public representatives were presents in the meeting. The issue has provoked much reaction in the District.
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the district and urged education department to put it into best use for the students. She advised the students to maintain discipline for success in life. DDSE Kata Rangmo informed that the education department has initiated lots of good programmes
Wangsu stressed on the source of the water. He strongly advised the department to protect the catchment areas that have been entrusted to the forest department or the village administration. He also emphasized on the portable drinking water besides water treatment for purification. Bordumsa MLA Nikh Kamin appreciated the bill, said that it is not a copied bill from the internet but ‘it is a well drafted bill which will serve for the welfare and good health of the people in the State’. He advo-
cated that there must be no compensation whatsoever in any water related construction carried out by the department. On the other hand, Ziro MLA of BJP opposed the water tariff revised in the bill. He said, “First you need to know whether there is enough source and stock before marketing your resources.” He like Wangsu underscored the importance and protection of catchment areas. He asked the govt. to include the Water Management Committee to be part of the bill and protection of catchment areas to be incorporated in the annual state budget. Wangsu also advised that the meter system for new water connection
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technology up-gradation, research & development. The Day also coincides with the formal launching of the National Skill Development Mission by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. He expressed confidence that the youth based initiative of the Government of India will immensely help in developing knowledge, skills and promoting entrepreneurship among the youth. He also believes that a number of Skill Development and Training Centres would come up in the State in the near future, directly under the Central Government and also in joint partnership of the Central and the State Governments. (PRO)
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BRO proves its mettle by reinstating 2 bridges at interior Walong-Kibitho road Contd. from Page 1 Despite all the challenges, united and proactive effort on the part of Project UDAYAK/48 BRTF/116 RCC/1444 BCC reinstated the surface communication bringing smiles on the faces of the Army and the people of this hinterland. Meanwhile, these Bridges were built under harsh climatic conditions with carrying of materials posing several challenges, informed Colonel C Rajshekar Commandant 48 BRTF Dimbe. While lauding the entire team, UC Mehta CE disclosed that the BRO since its inception has been working under tough climatic conditions and yet providing commendable services. Highlighting the battered nature of the
river, the CE said the river had ripped apart the entire Bridge structure completely due to cloud burst or flash flood. “The BRO unlike the mainstream road builders, that receive Rs 6 to 7 crores 1 Km road, unfortunately received Rs 1 to 1 ½ crore of funding. In spite of this, our officials and labour have worked round the clock to provide good/uninterrupted surface communication in such a remote border pocket,” he elaborated. DC also in his short speech overwhelmed by the dedication and sincerity shown by the organisation to re-establish the bridges in a short time bringing respite to both Armed Forces and local people, he further promised to stand in favour and assist in need to maintain the road com-
munication smooth. “Indomitable task of the officials and labour working into 24x7 hours despite all odds deserves accolades for facilitating smooth road services in such far-flung border areas,” the DC appreciated. The strategically located Bridges bordering China are vital for deployment of Armed Forces, socio-economic development and making available local administrative services in the interior border areas. The Class 9th specification of road connecting inner pocket of Anjaw bordering China is in a fragile geographical condition posing innumerable challenges. However the BRO's inspired gesture has always boosted the morale of the Armed Forces deployed in the border and local populace of the district.
United Organizations of Arunachal Pradesh to stage protest near the Assembly Complex Contd. from Page 1 Meanwhile, in the written statement circulated to the press, the group had mentioned that the State Govt. is blaming the BJP led Govt. at the Centre for financial crisis. The statement says,
“...furthermore the incumbent state govt. is publicly making a statement that the BJP led Govt. at the centre has not released funds against the centrally sponsored schemes which is a lie because the annual outlay is fixed, and sector wise and scheme wise
provisions have already been released according to the plan.” The group has urged like-minded people, other unions, civil societies and well wishers to join the peaceful protest. They said, “We want to bring it back the lost glory of Arunachal Pradesh.”
PAGE 4
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
KAAC reels under administrative crisis Sushanta Roy Diphu, Jul 14: Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council with its mammoth administrative structure of 30 transferred departments and more than five non-transferred sectors, with a physical area of 10434 square kilometres under its jurisdiction is allegedly reeling under administrative crisis. Practically the predicaments begin with the release of the incumbent Principal Secretary of the KAAC, Moloy Bora, a senior Assam Administrative Service cadre officer by the Council authority last month and appointment of Mrs. Binapani
Deuri ACS serving as Jt. Secretary in KAAC to oversee the KAAC affairs. The ousted Principal Secretary Moloy Bora failing to swallow his elimination filed a case in Guwahati High court seeking remedy and received a stay order from the Guwahati High Court; meanwhile based on the proposal of the KAAC authority, Assam government has appointed Mrs. Jayasree Daulagaphu a senior IAS officer for the post. It may be mentioned here that Mrs. Daulagaphu was transferred from KAAC during the last parliamentary election after about 20 years of service in
Dhanowar family is Congress by blood, how can my son join BJP, remarks Ramesh Dhanowar
Meritorious students feted by press fraternity in Digboi
Contd. from Page 1 Meanwhile, terming himself as "of the congress, by the congress and for the congress," Gautam Dhanowar apart from calling himself a victim of a political plot at the hands of miscreants, said that an FIR has been lodged at Digboi Police Station citing himself to be a victim of cyber crime who did not send any message regarding his joining the BJP. Meanwhile, a case no 195/15 has been registered u/s 120 B, 417 IPC, R/W sec. 66 D of IT Act. However, inspector Khurshid Ali said that investigation to this effect is being carried out and the source of the the controversial news would be located soon and the miscreants would be booked as per existing law of the land.
Laxman Sharma Digboi, Jul 14: The press fraternity at Digboi accorded warm wishes and felicitated twelve economically challenged meritorious students of various schools in Digboi for their outstanding performance in HSLC and HSSLC examination for the session 2014-15 recently during a programme organized at the AOD Gooden Jubilee Complex under the presidentship of Amitava Gogoi, a journalist of an electronic media, in Digboi. The programme which was anchored by Arup Kalita, a senior journalist assisted by Raju Hazarika of Dy 365, was attended by a host of dignitaries including Ashok Sharma, Congress leader,
Karbi Anglong across various government posts. Question arises whether Mrs. Daulagaphu can join the post of Principal Secretary until Moloy Bora hands over the charge in accordance with the judicial regulations. As of today, three deputed administrative officers of Assam government are in the middle of a row visa-vis the coveted post only to be faced with legal hurdles. Meanwhile due to alleged deficiency in the top bureaucracy, the persevering trait of the work culture of KAAC seems to have eroded, and this very fact the present Chief Executive Member
Awadesh Sahi, social worker, Pallav Sarmah, senior journalist of Digboi all of whom accorded a warm felicitation to the deserving students with an Assamese Phulam Gamuccha, a letter of appreciation and a language dictionary book. Addressing the students and the gathering, Pallav Sarmah a senior journalist at a print media congratulated the students and appreciated their efforts which set examples for others to follow despite facing financial challenges and similar other adverse situations by being a determined student and shining academically. Meanwhile the other speakers also encouraged the successful candidates of Digboi and advised
of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuliram Ronghang is allegedly finding it hard to accept although he is all for speedy implementation of developmental schemes and generation of self-reliant earnings utilizing government resources to the optimum level. Whatever may be the consequence of the quandary, for the greater interest of the people of this hilly autonomous district whose entire economy is dependent on the effective and well-organized functioning of this local self administrative setup, the need of the hour is an end to this bureaucratic tangle.
them to keep the midnight oil burning in the same spirit and land in their cherished destination making their parents, teachers and well wishers proud. Being inspired at the achievement, a local businessman Raju Phukon voluntarily extended his help in taking care of two economically stranded students, Bhim Chetry of Lakhipather and Miss Madira Sonowal of Bhimpather, financially, in terms of books and uniforms requirements, etc. while they pursue their further studies. The confident looking students expressed their gratitude to the organizing committee for boosting their morale which would go a long way in helping them realise their academic ambitions.
Amit Shah lands in Guwahati, sounds poll bugle for Assam assembly election Contd. from Page 1 Immediately from the airport he was taken to a meeting of the party at Pragjyoti ITA where there was a public meeting of the party, which was attended by several stalwarts of the party. “We are confident of wiping out the Congress rule next year, and then there will be development, peace and prosperity in the state. Only the BJP can assure that,” thundered Shah at the meeting. Shah today took stock
of party activities, especially on the progress of the Maha Sampark Abhiyan (mass contact mission), and organizational preparedness ahead of next year's assembly election. In the evening Shah held a closed door meeting with senior party leaders, and according to sources, there was discussion regarding people from different walks of the society joining the saffron party ahead of the 2016 assembly election in the state. During the daylong
trip, Shah reviewed party activities in the other northeastern states. The party's in-charge for the northeast met Shah. Shah also went into a huddle with senior party leaders, MPs, MLAs and also BJP incharge of all the states in the North East. "Reviewing the progress of the Maha Sampark Abhiyan in the northeast is one of the prime agendas of Shah's visit. With less than a year left for the assembly election in Assam, he will take stock of organiza-
tional matters," a senior BJP leader said. Recently, the state BJP reviewed the progress of the Maha Sampark Abhiyan that will see BJP mobilize around 25 lakh members, many of whom joined the party through its cellphone 'missed call' service launched after the Lok Sabha election. Shah left for Delhi in the evening. This is Shah's second visit to Assam (the first was in April) since taking charge as party president earlier this year.
Terrorist Victim Families Justice Forum alleges neglect by Govt. Contd. from Page 1 He added that the forum has denied meeting with the Chief Minister of Assam for five times in a year as the latter has no compassion for the families who were victimized by terrorists. On the contrary, he said, the government has been encouraging terrorism forwarding Rs. 200000 or more to the each terrorist in the name of their rehabilitation. Despite shedding crocodiles tear,
neither Congress Party nor AGP and their MLAs have uttered a single word with regard to the security and rehabilitation of terrorist victims and their families, he further added. The forum regretted that the Govt of Jammu Kashmir has taken necessary steps for the security and welfare of the victims but the Govt of Assam has been totally neutral on the issue. Further the forum demanded security and rehabilitation of the terrorist victims’ families and ex-
pressed that it would proceed to the court and National Human Rights Commission seeking justice. The Forum also demanded to ascertain prevention of killing of every kind through the law, to ensure right of living, to ensure trial of all killings, to ascertain punishment to the killers according to law, to rehabilitate the terrorist victims and their families, to create an environment so that every mother can teach their children to hate terrorism.
Radhananda Bora, the President, Dambarudhar Gogoi, the Vice President, Borjen Hazarika, the Chief Secretary Premodhor Saikia, the Assistant Secretary, Bhavani Baruah and Prabhat Borah, the two Organizing Secretaries of the Forum were present in the press conference. It is to be noted that the wellwishers can contact the Forum through Brojen Hazarika over 9957123671, Bhavani Baruah over 9854301415 an Premdhor Saikia over 9854444922.
3 die in Lakhimpur due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrom Contd. from Page 1 In this regard, it is known that a total of three persons lost their lives due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrom (AES) in the district since April. Out of them
two were Aklima Begum (6) C/O Omar Ali, Balijan Borchola and Biju Saikia (35), Moricha Pathar, Bihpuria. Meanwhile, a total of 18 persons have been undergoing medical treatment suffering from
AES across different hospitals of the District. It is to be noted that the Lakhimpur AASU expressed great concern over the issue. The union today called on the Joint Director of the Lakhimpur District
Health Services and submitted a memorandum to him. The union demanded him to take necessary action in order to prevent and root out Japanase Encephalitis, Malaria, Tyfoyed, Dengue, etc. in the district.
12-hr Bandh call by Bengali Federation peaceful in Sonari ET Correspondent Sonari, Jul 14: The 12hr bandh call given by the All Assam Bengali Students’ Youth Federation evoked near total response in Sonari in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district. The bandh call was given by the organization demanding inclusion of the names of the hindu Bengalis of Assam in the NRC without any conditions and certain other demands. All commercial establishments of the town remained closed during the bandh and vehicles were off the roads. No untoward incident has been reported from Sonari or other parts of Charaideo sub division.
Three members of the organization Sanjoy Ghosh, Diplu Dey and Robin
Paul were held up by the police this morning as they tried to block traffic
by burning tryes on the road. However, they were released in the evening.
Adamant behavior of AMCH authority haunts the poor from getting basic treatment Contd. from Page 1 had carried out an exclusive and lead report with pictures about a middle aged women who was left lying right infront of the Principal’s office writhing in pain and crying for some kind of medical attention. Sources said that the woman is still lying at the same position and crying for medical attention. “Indeed, there are several other mentally disturbed patients suffering from various ailments who are seen roaming in and around the campus. However, neither the authorities
of the medical college nor the doctors show any sympathetic or care towards them”, Amrit Hazarika, a local resident said. Sources said that the main reason for this is the arrogant attitude of the administration, particularly, the Principal Atindra Adhikari, who refuse to provide treatment to the poor and the needy. When this correspondent contacted Adhikari about these cases he denied the allegations as ‘baseless’. “I have passed over the area, but didn’t see anyone lying in the ground,’’ Adhikari said. What Adhikari did not say is about the picture which does not or cannot
lie. “AMCH is one of the reputed medical institutions in the entire northeast but recently it has witnessed severe allegations of negligence shown from their side towards the poor and the needy patients. The poor patients who come with a lot of hope and expectations are often misbehaved by either by a section of doctors or para medical staff”, Pradip Talukdar, a retired teacher said. A Post Graduate doctor said, “If the patient has no attendant we cannot take his or her responsibility and admit them. There are certain rules which we have to follow”. What the young PG
might have forgotten is that there is no rule above humanity. Another problem which the poor patients are facing is acute shortage of medicines. “We have to buy the medicine from outside, whenever, we ask for medicines they flatly refuse and ask us to buy from outside, even if they give us medicine they ask for money”, said Bablu Binjerwar, a victim. The million dollar question which arises now is that when will the mentality of these doctors change? When will these poor patients get proper and humanitarian service from the doctors whom they consider as gods? Only time will say.
Meiyappan, Kundra banned for life; CSK, RR for 2 yrs Contd. from Page 1 "He (Meiyappan) is declared ineligible for participation in the sport of cricket as explained in the anti-corruption code for a maximum period of five years under article 2.2.1. “Two: He is suspended for life from activities as explained in article 7.5 under level 4. “And three: he is suspended for life from being involved in any type of cricket matches under section 6, rule 4.2. The above sanctions commence from the date of this order," said Justice Lodha while reading out the verdict at a packed press conference. He then read out exactly the same punishment for Kundra, husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. "India Cements argued that they have done a lot to grow the game of cricket. But it cannot be a mitigating factor because they as franchise owners did not punish Gurunath, who was clearly identified as a team official, after he was found guilty of betting. It was only the BCCI who suspended Gurunath from participating in cricket," Justice Lodha said. "Jaipur IPL claims it is highly celebrated as a nursery of players. But three of its players have been accused of alleged spot-fixing. This shows that all is not well in their handling of affairs. The position of Raj Kundra with the Rajasthan Royals franchise - part owner and team official means his actions brought the game, BCCI and IPL into disrepute," he added. The committee was constituted by the Supreme Court in January, with its terms of reference being to announce the quantum of
punishment against Meiyappan, Kundra and the two franchisees -- India Cements Ltd, owner of Chennai Super Kings and Jaipur IPL, owner of Rajasthan Royals. The panel was asked whether they have contemplated action against IPL COO Sundar Raman, who was also accused of wrongdoing. Justice Lodha said it will be some time before his fate is decided. "About Sundar Raman, we examined the material about him and we believe it requires further investigation. Vivek Priyadarshi has been appointed by the Supreme Court to look into it and he is examining the matter, we are awaiting his report. After that we will decide what will be the action," he said. The committee said its observations with respect to the much-talked about conflict of interest in the BCCI would be given after completing interactions with various stakeholders of the game. "Conflict of interest questions have been raised, once we complete the process of interacting with all the stakeholders, we will take a view on that. That exercise is not complete. This order is confined to determining the quantum of punishment to the two individuals and the franchises," he said."We have interacted with 40-45 people, we are yet to meet a few others. Once that is done we will decide what guidelines are to be given. Our idea is to get inputs from all stakeholders. It is not confined to cricket administrators and politicians," he added. He also refused to comment on the criminal cases pending against the suspended officials, saying, "No aspect touching criminal liability has been decided by us."
On whether the two franchisees would be allowed to participate in case there is a change in ownership, Justice Lodha said that aspect is for the BCCI to decide. "This question was brought to us. But the BCCI has to take a call and whatever the legal course is there, it is available. You must appreciate that we cannot address every aspect of the matter," he said. Asked whether the committee took a considered view of the impact this ruling will have on the players attached with the two suspended franchises, Justice Lodha said the game is bigger than individuals. "Players will not be attached to a franchisee which has been suspended. We thought that if cricket is bigger than individuals then financial loss to players and franchises is not of significance," he said. The IPL spot-fixing scandal rocked Indian cricket in 2013 and the Delhi Police arrested Rajasthan Royals cricketers Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila for allegedly indulging in betting and spot-fixing during that edition. This was followed by revelations that Meiyappan was also involved in the scandal along with Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra. Meiyappan was eventually arrested on May 24 on charges of cheating, fraud and forgery. The storm triggered by the shocking developments prompted the IPL Governing Council to appoint a three-member probe panel, including two former High Court judges, to investigate the allegations against Meiyappan and Kundra. The panel gave a clean chit to the duo despite the police's firm assertion that they were involved in the
scandal. This was followed by the unrecognised Cricket Association of Bihar filing a PIL in the Bombay high court which ruled that the BCCI's probe panel was constituted illegally and there was disparity in the evidence collected by it. Thereafter, the Supreme Court issued notices to Srinivasan, BCCI, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals when the Board appealed against the Bombay high court's ruling. In September that year, the BCCI slapped life bans on Sreesanth and Chavan even as the Board's disciplinary committee continues to hold back a decision on Chandila. In October, the Supreme Court formed a three-member committee to investigate the scandal afresh within four months. The panel comprises former high court judge Mukul Mudgal, senior advocate and additional solicitor general L Nageshwar Rao and Assam Cricket Association member Nilay Dutta. The Mudgal panel concluded that there was evidence of wrongdoing against Meiyappan and Kundra. It went on to give the apex court a sealed envelope which had the names of cricketers and administrators allegedly involved in the scam. However, the committee ruled that Srinivasan was not involved in either spot-fixing or betting but stated that he knew of an IPL player's involvement and chose to turn a blind eye to it. The Supreme Court then appointed a new three-member panel, headed by Justice Lodha, to decide punishment for Meiyappan and Kundra and their respective franchises declaring that the verdict "shall be final and binding upon the BCCI and the parties concerned".
Students, teachers in Manipur demand disturbance free education
1/3rd recruitment to J'khand police to be reserved for women: DGP Ranchi, Jul 14: Jharkhand police chief DK Pandey on Monday said one/third of the recruitment in the state police department would be reserved for women. Over 17,000 personnel,
mostly for the post of sub-inspector and constable, would be filled up by the year end and one/third of them would be reserved for women, the DGP told reporters here. (Agencies)
Bengal Govt settles pending land issue with ICVT
PAGE 5
REGION
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Imphal, Jul 14: Students and teachers took out a massive rally demanding a disturbance free education zone in Imphal. Under the banner of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), more than 10,000 students, teachers and other staff of nearly two hundred schools and colleges of Manipur came out on the roads. They participated in a mass rally from Thangmeiband Athletic Union ground to Iboyaima Shumang leela Shanglen in Imphal, demanding to make education 'a disturbance free zone'. The rally was followed by a public meeting. "Most of the education institutes and teachers
have been facing various kinds of problems from the various sections of militant groups and civil society organizations. One of the major problems which is being faced by the teachers and educational institutes is the monetary demands by underground organization. Bandhs, blockades, politicization, and corruption are the major hindrances which are interrupting education," said Angamba Meitei, President, Desam. Over the years, there have been frequent attempts to disrupt the functioning of educational institutes in the state. Insurgents not only demand money, but threaten teachers by throwing grenades and fir-
"Most of the education institutes and teachers have been facing various kinds of problems from the various sections of militant groups and civil society organizations. One of the major problems which is being faced by the teachers and educational institutes is the monetary demands by underground organization. Bandhs, blockades, politicization, and corruption are the major hindrances which are interrupting education," said Angamba Meitei, President, Desam.
ing at schools. Besides, frequent blockades and strikes have ensured that schools remain closed for days and weeks. "The reason we have come here today is to make education disturbance free zone and I believe it will be very effective seeing the crowd.
It's a good cause. The reason why we want this is because as a teacher I have faced lot of problems in the schools. Even though I want to teach properly, due to bandhs and blockades I face problems," Tamphasana Devi, teacher. "Even though we want to learn properly, we don't get a chance to do so. Even if we don't know something and want to ask the teachers, we face problems," Tarun, student. Youth in the Northeast aspire for a better life and are tired of insurgent activities that have slowed down growth in the region. They want these outfits to give up violence so that they can move forward on the path of development. (ANI)
Misuse of electoral machinery in 'Badh Chala Bihar' alleges BJP Kolkata, Jul 14: West Bengal Government on Monday went for an outof-court settlement in a long-pending land issue with the Indian Craft Village Trust (ICVT). Following a meeting between ICVT Managing Trustee Rajiv Gujral and state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Finance and Industry Minister Amit Mitra at state secretariat 'Nabanna' on Monday, ICVT and the state government agreed to settle the issue out of court. "Following this settlement, there will be an exchange of 18.11-acres of land under the possession of ICVT with a new seven-acre plot of land in New Town," Hakim said. "With this, the 20-
year-long stalemate over the land, which went up to Supreme Court, has come to an end after successful persuasion by the Mamata Banerjee Government," he added. The 18.11-acre plot near Milan Mela (Festival Ground) on EM Bypass was allotted to ICVT under the Left Front Government led by Jyoti Basu. Later, the B u d d h a d e b Bhattacharjee Government expressed a desire to take it back and use it for a government project. However, ICVT refused to return the plot and went to court, Hakim said. Now, on this new piece of land in New Town, ICVT will develop a crafts village. (Agencies)
Patna, Jul 14: The BJP on Tuesday said a scam was brewing in 'Badh Chala Bihar' (BCB) campaign launched by the state government and alleged that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was misusing government machinery for electoral purposes. The saffron party, which is staking its claim to power in the coming Assembly elections in September-October this year, also demanded that Kumar should make public all the documents related to this campaign. BCB was launched by Kumar on June 9 this year amid much fanfare and is supposed to ensure public participa-
tion in drafting development policies and produce a 'Bihar@2025' vision document. Highlighting the issue, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters about how the plan-expenditure budget of IPRD showed a quantum jump to Rs 90 crore in election year 2015-16 in comparison to Rs 18.64 crore in 2014-15. This used to be around Rs 7 crore for three financial years from 2011 to 2014. "The IPRD in its booklet mentions a 'special publicity campaign' which indicates to BCB. Surprisingly, the
February 17 this year with a capital of just Rs 1 lakh. "It should be probed how this startup company without any experience was allotted a work of several crores. There is no transparency in the campaign and its allotwork allotment of this campaign has not been done according to government rules of governance (and) smells of mix-up and wrong doing," Modi said. Modi added that work for this campaign has been allotted to a Noida-based firm 'Citizens Alliance Private Limited' which was registered under the Companies Act on
Darjeeling tea gets a hard time from Nepal, demands faltering Darjeeling, Jul 14: Nepal, which borders Darjeeling, is giving serious competition to some major tea growers, who were already in dire straits. "The situation for Darjeeling tea is very bad. Exports are down and in the domestic market, Tatas and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) are not operating that much on Darjeeling, with the infiltration of Nepal tea in India. There is less demand for Darjeeling," says Goodricke managing director and chief executive officer A N Singh. Auction prices reflect this demand scenario. As of June-end, Darjeeling tea was Rs 350.86 a kg, compared to Rs 373.66 a kg last year. "Tata Global Beverages (TGB) has pared its usage of Darjeeling to a fourth. HUL was not a very big buyer of Darjeeling but they, too, have reduced buying to half," says a top official of Duncans. A TGB spokesperson says, however, that the company has been one of the leading buyers of Darjeeing tea, which it sources for the Tata Tea Gold blend. J Thomas & Company, one of the largest and oldest tea auctioneers, says the buying pattern of companies fluctuates by need. "It is not restricted by origin," says chairman and managing director Krishan Katyal. Also, buy-
THE FALTERING EFFECTS There is less demand for Darjeeling. As of June-end, Darjeeling tea was Rs 350.86 a kg, compared to Rs 373.66 a kg last year.
The situation for Darjeeling tea is very bad. Exports are down and in the domestic market, Tatas and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) are not operating that much on Darjeeling, with the infiltration of Nepal tea in India.
Tata Global Beverages (TGB) has pared its usage of Darjeeling to a fourth. HUL was not a very big buyer of Darjeeling but they, too, have reduced buying to half," says a top official of Chairman Duncans. and managing director
Krishan Katyal explains, "Climatic conditions are not very different and young teas have their advantages. For one, they are brighter. But Darjeeling teas have a pedigree. The uniqueness during quality cropping periods are unmatchable."
ers could stay away from auctions and resort to private sales. That said, what exactly is making the cheap teas from Nepal pass off as what is considered to be among the most exquisite of teas?
Nepal is a relatively new entrant. So, the soil is virgin and the teas are young. "Climatic conditions are not very different and young teas have their advantages. For one, they are brighter. But
Darjeeling teas have a pedigree. The uniqueness during quality cropping periods are unmatchable," Katyal explains. "There is an initial flavouring in Nepal teas that are very similar to
Darjeeling but it is not longlasting. Not everyone is looking for a very lasting flavour," the Duncans official adds. The price for the lasting flavour is steep; the teas from Nepal are about half the price. According to Tea Board of India data, as of 2013-14, imports from Nepal were 10.44 million kg versus total imports of 19.23 mn kg. The switch to Nepal teas is only one of the many problems affecting Darjeeling teas. "Darjeeling teas have a very high cost of production, while yields are low," says Katyal. Darjeeling produces around 8.5 million kg or roughly 0.7 per cent of India's total production. What has further added to local producers' problems is the euro's depreciation. Last year, when export contracts were sealed, the euro was 84 to a rupee. This year, at first flush (the season from mid-March to May, it was at 69. Buyers are obviously not compensating. "Demand in Germany, the main buyer of first flush, is low," says Singh. Traditionally, Darjeeling teas have been largely dependent on export. "Right now, we are banking on Bengalis, for their love of Darjeeling teas," the Duncans official says, in lighter vein.(Agencies)
Concert held to raise funds for Nepal earthquake victims in Manipur Imphal, July 14: A music concert was organised in Imphal where many musicians came forward to raise funds for Nepal earthquake victims and gave enthralling performances. 'Magnitude', a concert was organised at Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre, Palace Compound. The main objective of the concert was to raise funds for reconstruction and rehabilitation of earthquake victims in Nepal. The concert was
organised by the Disaster Relief Committee Manipur (DRT) in collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society. "We were closely coordinating with the indigenous movement and campaign in Nepal and with the youth movement in Nepal and they invited us, they welcomed us and we worked together, we went together to some of the most remote areas at the foothills of mount Everest and we gave relief there .After coming back
we realized after we had a consultation with them that it is not enough to give relief but they need a long term support for the people who suffer from disaster," said L. Devabrata Roy, Chairman of Disaster Relief Committee. Guru Rewben Mashangva, the father of Naga Blues enthralled the audience with his energetic performance. 'Pebet', a young folk music band also rocked the staged with their special songs. "I want to be
part of this concert because this cause is for the Nepal victim so this is what I want to contribute as a human being life is just one time so I came here to be part of this program," said Guru Rewben Mashangva, folk singer. Phoenix, one of the oldest rock bands of Manipur also performed at the concert. And later, Jayenta, who is also popularly known as 'TAPTA' pulled the crowd by his amazing performance. "Music has
always been an integral part of any kind of unity irrespective of any race, caste, creed and sex. I firmly believe that music unites us all and it is the one medium that has always been in important role for us," said Lien, singer. Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake on April 25 that killed over 8,000 people, injured thousands and rendered many homeless. Event like this is a good initiative to help the people in need. (ANI)
ment. Kumar should make public all documents related to it as it could be a ploy to route government funds through it for the expenditure of ruling JD(U) in its election campaign," Modi said. "We want Kumar to make public all
information regarding entire expenditure involved in the campaign, when tenders for it were floated, which companies came, how was the work allotted and what was the criteria and process for work allotment," he added.(Agencies)
Severe search operations continue to trace the abducted policemen
Raipur, Jul 14: The Chhattisgarh Police is making hectic efforts to trace six police officials abducted by a group of armed Naxals from the insurgency-hit Bijapur district. "Earlier there was information that four assistant constables were kidnapped by Maoists from Kutru police station area last evening, but later abduction of two 'Gopniya Sainik' (secret informers) was also reported late last night," Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela told a news agency. The police and paramilitary forces have launched a massive combing operation in the area to trace the abducted personnel, he said. "Efforts are on to trace the location of kidnapped jawans and to ascertain
the motive behind the abduction. However, so far no demand has been made by Maoists against their release," the ASP said. As per preliminary investigation, the rebels were reportedly conducting a checking of passenger buses and other vehicles en-route to Kutru from Bijapur last evening. Four of the jawans were travelling in a bus while two others were on a motorcycle to Kutru from Bijapur town when they were stopped in a dense forested patch near Saknapalli village. On identifying them as police personnel, the Naxals abducted them, he said. The kidnapped personnel have been identified as Jaidev Yadav, Mangal Sodhi and Raju Tela, all posted at Kutru police station, Rama Majji, deployed at
Bedre police station, and two secret informers, also of assistant constable rank, Michha Hunga and Jaylal, he added. "The police jawans had travelled to Bijapur without informing their seniors. We don't allow jawans to travel freely without enough security cover and precaution in Naxal-affected zones," Bijapur Superintendent of Police KL Dhurva had yesterday said. Bijapur's Kutru region is considered one of the strong bastions of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Bastar region. During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the armed rebels had ambushed a polling party on April 12 near Ketulnar village under Kutru police station limits when they were returning to their fold after polling, killing six of them and injuring as many others. (Agencies)
Savio's autopsy report to be submitted shortly Tura, Jul 14: The doctor who conducted the autopsy on the slain GNLA militant leader Savio Ch Marak will submit the final report of the postmortem to the State government shortly. Terming the post-mortem report as confidential, the doctor on Monday said that recent comments attributed to her was taken before the conclusion of the post-mortem. It may be mentioned that the doctor, while ruling out any foul play, had recently indicated that Savio's death was from bullet wounds and not torture as was being claimed by some on social media networks. Ops launched to rescue sports officer: Mean-
while, police is clueless about the whereabouts of the sports officer of Baghmara K M Sharma, who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Saturday evening while travelling from the district headquarters in South Garo Hills towards Tura. A massive combing operation has been launched by West Garo Hills police to rescue Sharma. A group of armed men waylaid the sports officer's vehicle on the Kherapara road and took him away at gunpoint. Hours after the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly called up the wife of the victim in Tura and demanded a sum of Rs 50 lakh for his safe return. The kidnappers,
despite asking for ransom, did not mention as to which group they belonged to. Of late, the road from Kherapara to Tura has been witness to several cases of abduction, attacks and extortion by militant groups and criminal gangs. Given its proximity to Chokpot and the nearby Nokrek mountain range, several groups are active, taking advantage of the dense forest cover and the isolated road that has multiple routes into different villages. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has appealed to the abductors to release Sharma unharmed and unconditionally. (Agencies)
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
India-Pakistan joint statement "is an accurate reflection of the spirit": Sources New Delhi, Jul 14: India is going to work with Pakistan according to the joint statement issued after the Narendra Modi-Nawaz Sharif meeting in Ufa, in Russia, and "will not judge by the airwaves" of what Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said in Islamabad, sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the India-Pakistan joint statement "is an accurate reflection of the spirit" of the Modi-Sharif meeting in Ufa. The one-hour meeting in Ufa was "about how to go about talking to each other in a high-level focused way", the sources said. The joint statement was formulated by both the foreign secretaries - India's S
Australia urges UN support for tribunal to prosecute MH17 perpetrators London, Jul 14 : Australia has called on the United Nations Security Council to support the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute those involved in the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in conflict-torn east Ukraine last year. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said setting up a tribunal would send a clear message that the international community will not tolerate acts that threaten world peace and security by endangering civil aviation. The statement came a week after Malaysia, which is a part of the UNSC until 2016, distributed a draft resolution on the tribunal, which has been proposed jointly by Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ukraine. However, the move has been dismissed by Russia, which is a veto-wielding permanent member on the 15-member council and can block the proposal if it is put to vote. The aircraft was shot using a surface-to-air missile over a year ago, killing all 298 onboard. (ANI)
ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES Ø India is going to work with Pakistan Ø Both the Prime Ministers came to the meeting "with a fairly positive intent".
ØIt will not judge by the airwaves of what Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said in Islamabad Jaishankar and Pakistan's Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary and "captures the main points of the meeting" and "reasonably, accurately re-
ØThe one-hour meeting in Ufa was "about how to go about talking to each other in a high-level focused way". flects the substance of the meeting", sources said. The statement, read out to the press in Ufa, was shown to Modi and National Security
ØSartaj Aziz's statements have "not in any way affected what was agreed upon" in Ufa Advisor Ajit Doval before being read out, and likewise taken by the Pakistani foreign secretary to be approved by his higher-ups,
Amritsar, Jul 14: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who presided over the 108th annual convocation of the Khalsa College here, on Tuesday said that the country's future lies in quality education. He said the emerging world is world of ideas and added that education shapes the minds and generates ideas for the progress of the human race. The Finance Minister, who awarded the post-graduate degrees to 226 students and gold medals to other 50 students, said that quality education is must to enable the students to compete with the emerging competitive world. He said after agriculture and industry, the focus
must now be on the 'soft competency'. "There is world's largest transport company which does not own even a single vehicle. There are biggest online which does not even have a single store. In the coming times, the banks and stores would be available only online," Jaitley said while speaking on the occasion. "Our education system must focus on the future needs of the country and how we can make it to join the comity of the developed nations," he added. Talking about Punjab, Jaitley said that the border state had faced numerous challenges and they were aware of its peculiar problems, including the
need for more infrastructure and industrial growth. He added that the Centre was committed to help the state government to overcome the problems. Jaitley lauded the heritage architectural building of the college and said he has not seen building of an educational
AAP questions BJP's intention, claims Kejriwal will bring 'acche din' in Delhi New Delhi, Jul 14: Delhi's Law Minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday said that the voters would not give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) another chance if they fail to bring 'achhe din' in the remaining four years and claimed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Government has brought change in Delhi in 100 days. Mishra questioned the BJP's intention over party chief Amit Shah's remark that it will take 25 years to bring 'achhe din'. "We have brought change in Delhi in 100 days. We have reduced corruption and brought down the water and electricity bill as well as brought change in education. If one has the intention to work then a year is enough. Amit Shah ji and the BJP have four years.
The voters would not give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) another chance if they fail to bring 'achhe din' in the remaining four years - says Law Minister Kapil Mishra They can do whatever they wish in these four years as the voters would not give another opportunity," Mishra told . "Otherwise, Arvind Kejriwal will show the change in five years as we know how to bring 'achhe din'," he added. Shah had earlier said that the BJP will take 25 years to deliver 'achhe din' which was prom-
ised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP chief, however, stated that Prime Minister Modi-led government could reduce inflation, ensure secure borders, make a strong foreign policy, achieve economic development, provide jobs and remove poverty in its first five-year rule. (ANI)
65.1 billion in economic assistance and Israel got USD 65 billion over the period. Indian economic aid covered various sectors and programs, including child survival and health, development assistance, HIV/ AIDS initiatives, migration and refugee assistance, food aid, and narcotics control. The United Kingdom occupied the third slot on the list at USD 63.6 billion and was followed by Egypt and Pakistan at USD 59.6 billion and 44.4 billion respectively. (ANI)
the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly through a Calling Attention notice, Fadnavis said the prosecution will build a strong case in which capital punishment will be sought for the accused. Nine police personnel and four excise officials in the Malwani area of Mumbai have been suspended for their alleged involvement in the case. Fadnavis said more than 80 per cent methanol was found in the spurious liquor seized from the ac-
institution of its kind throughout the world. He appreciated Khalsa College's contribution to the society by imparting quality education. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was present on the occasion, stated that the Centre is aware of the various problems being faced by Punjab and the need to address those as he also batted for quality education and peace and harmony in the state. Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Vijay Sampla, Khalsa College Governing Council president Satyajit Singh Majithia, Secretary Rajinder
Mohan Singh Chhina, Principal Dr. Mehal Sing and Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma were also present during the academic function. The Khalsa College, which is an 'A' Grade College under CGPA by National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), was recently adjudged as Heritage College by the University Grants Commission. The students from M.Sc. (Maths, Physics, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, IT); MA (Economics, English, Political Science, Punjabi) and M.Com were given degrees during the convocation. (ANI)
Bahraini human rights activist granted pardon, freed from jail London, Jul 14: Bahraini human rights campaigner Nabeel Rajab has been granted an official pardon from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa after serving three months of his six-month jail term. The king was prompted to act because of fears over Rajab's health. Rajab was taken into custody in April
and charged with insulting public institutions on Twitter. In May, an appeals court had upheld the six-month prison sentence he had received. The activist is a member of the island's Shia majority and has served several jail terms since setting up the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights in 2002. (ANI)
Rajahmundry, Jul 14: The death toll of the Pushkaralu ghat stampede in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday rose to 29. The tragedy took place during the 'Maha Pushkaralu' festival. Officials fear that the death toll is likely to rise as some of the injured are in a serious condition. The Andhra Pradesh state government
cused. "This means that the spurious liquor owner was deliberately selling poison," he said, adding, search for some more accused was still on. To crack down on illicit breweries, the government has decided that police and excise officials whose passive involvement is proved will be dismissed from service while those directly involved will be made co-accused, he said. The Chief Minister said that the government has helped 70 fami-
lies out of the 104 dead on humanitarian grounds and the remaining families will also be provided assistance. "We are being criticised for giving assistance to those who consume illicit liquor. But we are helping the families on humanitarian grounds because they have lost their sole bread winner," he said. Fadnavis also said that women will be included in the sensitisation programme against illicit liquor trade. (Agencies)
has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the incident. Senior politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vicepresident Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the tragic stampede. (ANI)
Three 'Xinjiang terrorists' shot dead by Chinese police in Shenyang London, Jul 14: Three armed men in China's northeastern Shenyang city have been shot dead by police, who claimed they were Xinjiang terrorists. The raid took place on Monday, wherein a woman was also injured. China's Xinjiang province is home to a significant Muslim Uighur population. The province has seen several clashes and public attacks in recent years, which police have attributed to terrorists. (ANI)
Rahul Gandhi expresses shock over the Pushkaralu ghat stampede New Delhi, Jul 14: Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed shock over the tragic stampede that occurred at the Pushkaralu ghat in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. At least 16 people have died and around 25 injured in the Rajahmundry stampede. The tragedy took place during the ' Maha Pushkaralu' festival. Officials fear that the death toll is likely to rise as some of the injured are in a serious condition. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has instructed the officials to monitor the relief work. As per reports, Naidu is reviewing the situation from the control room set up at the venue. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives in the tragedy. (ANI)
'Draft nuclear deal calls for access to all Iranian sites' Vienna, Jul 14: UN inspectors would have access to all suspect Iranian sites, including military ones, under a draft nuclear deal that six major powers and Iran are working to finalize on Tuesday, a diplomatic source said. The foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States met for about an hour just after midnight as they struggled to complete the agreement, which has been under negotiation for more than 20 months. An agreement, if one can be reached, could mark a watershed in Tehran's relations with Western nations, which
suspect that Iran has used its civil nuclear programme as a cover to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran denies this. Among the biggest sticking points in the past week has been Iran's insistence that a United Nations Security Council arms embargo and ban on its ballistic missile programme dating from 2006 be lifted immediately if an agreement is reached. Russia, which sells weapons to Iran, has publicly supported Tehran on the issue. It was not clear how those issues would be finessed in any final agreement. Other problematic issues include ac-
cess for inspectors to military sites in Iran, explanations from Tehran of past activity that might have been aimed at developing a nuclear weapon and the overall speed of sanctions relief. The diplomatic source said that if the deal is agreed, a U.N. Security Council resolution on it would ideally be adopted in July and steps to be taken by both sides - including Iranian limitations on its nuclear programme and relief from sanctions on Iran would be implemented in the first half of 2016. The information from the source was preliminary and subject
CBI raid on Teesta office, residence on basis of MHA complaint
More than 80 per cent methanol was found in the spurious liquor seized from the accused: Fadnavis Mumbai, Jul 14: All the accused in the last month's Mumbai hooch tragedy in which 104 people were killed have been booked under IPC section 302 (murder) and the case will be tried in fast-track court, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. "We will request the High Court to try the case on fast track with dayto-day hearing," Fadnavis said. Replying to a discussion on the hooch tragedy in
their National Security Advisors and the meeting of the DG Border Security Force with the DG Pakistan Rangers and between their Directors General of Military Operations. According to the sources, what Aziz said in Islamabad does not concern India. "We have to judge on what they said to us," the informed sources added. To a question whether Kashmir was discussed at the Ufa meeting, the source said that "broadly the contours of Kashmir - in a way" was discussed at Ufa. "We want to do things (begin work on the agreed points) sooner than rather than later," the sources added. (Agencies)
India's future lies in quality education, says Jaitley
India biggest recipient of US economic aid over 1946-2012 period: USAID London, Jul 14: India received the largest amount of economic aid from the United States between 1946 and 2012, while Israel got the greatest quantity of military assistance from the country, according to data compiled by USAID. Israel also surpassed India in receiving the greatest total foreign assistance from the U.S. over the 66-year period, at USD 199 billion, reported the Dawn. The data, which is inflation adjusted, showed that India received a total of USD
said the sources. The statement was jointly formed by the two foreign secretaries just after the meeting, and "the idea that it is not true and accurate means that both (foreign secretaries) are misleading", the sources added. Both the Prime Ministers came to the meeting "with a fairly positive intent", which was preceded by their phone calls to each other with regard to the Yemen evacuation, the Nepal earthquake and the Ramadan greetings extended by Modi. The sources said that Sartaj Aziz's statements have "not in any way affected what was agreed upon" in Ufa and both sides would begin work on a meeting between
Rajahmundry stampede: Death toll rises to 29 (update)
New Delhi, Jul 14: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that the agency conducted a raid at activist Teesta Setalvad's office and residence on the basis of a complaint received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), adding that all the accused in the case should cooperate with the investigation "Case has been registered against the Mumbai based companies and its directors under certain sections of the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Case has been registered on the basis of the complaint which has been received from the MHA who had done a detailed inquiry on the issue," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad told ANI. "On Tuesday searches have been conducted on the basis of the search warrant which has
been obtained from the court following the due process of law. All the accused, including Ms Teesta should cooperate with the investigation and any of her allegations will be certainly looked into during the investigation," she added. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier raided the residence
and office of activist Teesta Setalvad, who has been accused of illegally receiving funds from abroad. The investigating agency had earlier registered a case against Setalvad for allegedly receiving funds from foreign entities without prior permission from the government. (ANI)
to change because it was based on a draft of the nuclear deal that was not the final version and that could be amended before final approval by Iran and the six powers. The plan agreed by the IAEA and Iran includes one visit to the Parchin military site as well as possible interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists, the source noted. The marathon nuclear negotiations, which have been going for more than two weeks in Vienna, missed a midnight deadline on Monday to reach a final deal, but diplomats from all sides said they hoped for a breakthrough in the coming hours. (Agencies) Armed miscreants looted Rs 4.8 lakh from a petrol pum : Hajipur Hajipur, Jul 14: Armed miscreants looted Rs 4.8 lakh from a petrol pump owned by former state minister Veena Shahi in Vaishali district of Bihar on Tuesday morning, the police said. Vaishali Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Kumar said the incident happened at the petrol pump located along National Highway 77 under Bhagwanpur police station in the district. "Five criminals armed with pistols approached the cash counter of the petrol pump on two motorcycles. They looted Rs 4.8 lakh and fled on their bikes," Kumar said. The SP added that the petrol pump manager informed about the loot to the police, which reached there quickly and inspected the place of occurrence. Raids are being conducted to trace and arrest the criminals.(Agencies)
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
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NEIGHBOURS
Sri Lanka, China conclude joint Army exercise US asks China to Colombo, Jul 14: Sri Lanka and China recently concluded a joint army exercise at the Special Forces (SF) Training School at Maduruoya, Sri Lanka Army said in a statement.The 2nd joint exercise 'Exercise-Silk Route 2015' between Sri Lanka Army and People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China concluded Monday during a closing ceremony at the Special Forces Training School at Maduruoya.Together with the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva as the Guest of Honour, Yi Xianliang, China's Ambassador to Sri Lanka participated in the closing cer-
emony as the Chief Guest, the statement said.Exercise
2 Policemen Shot Dead in Pakistan's Quetta Karachi, Jul 14: In a third such incident, two policemen were shot dead in Quetta city in the restive Balochistan province of Pakistan, police have said.Police officials said the two cops were killed while on duty in Quetta's Satellite Town area late last evening."Sub inspectors Fazalur Rehman and Hafeezullah were patrolling on a motorcycle when attacked just before Iftaar by armed men," a police offi-
cial said. Rehman was killed on the spot, while Hafeezullah succumbed to the injuries on way to the hospital.The assailants escaped unhurt from the scene.This is the third incident in Quetta in recent times when armed men have targeted on duty policemen.In the two earlier incidents eight policemen were killed and till now there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks. (Agencies)
Gas leak in Jessore fish processing unit kills one Dhaka, Jul 14: A man has died and another became badly sick after inhaling leaked Ammonia gas at a fish processing factory in Khaldar Road area in the district town.The strong bad smell gas is crucial for fish processing system as well as making ice.The sorrowful incident took place around 9am today that claimed the life of Akter Hossain, 45, from Kamalpur upazila of Satkhira district while Jessore Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Mohammad Ibrahim got admitted to the district hospital with severe respiratory problem.When contacted, Mosa Fish Processing Centre Managing Director Basir Uddin Ahmed Sagor said his unit's some workers in-
cluding Akter entered Ammonia gas plant room to observe the situation. At one stage, gas from the plant started leaking leaving Akter dead instantly while the rest left the spot promptly sensing the possible danger.Being informed, fire fighters from local station rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. During the move, Ibrahim became sick after inhalingleaked gas. Jessore Fire Service and Civil Defence Assistant Director Porimal Chandra Kumar said opening the compressor nut and bolt led the leakage of the liquid gas. Kotwali police station SI Tuhinuzzaman said they recovered the body and sent it to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital for autopsy. (Agencies)
Nafea, govt talks underway Kathmandu, Jul 14: A meeting between government and Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) officials is underway at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Singha Durbar. The Nafea have been protesting against the government decision to provide free visa and free air ticket to the workers visiting the Gulf countries and Malaysia saying that the government's decision was taken in haste and without consulting foreign employment entrepreneurs. Nafea coordinator Kumud Khanal and members Saroj Pokherel, Kiran Kishore Ghimire, Pragyan Neupane, Naresh Gelal, among others, and Labour Minister Tek Bahadur Gurung, Labour Secretary Bhola Shiwakoti and representatives of the Labour ministry's foreign employment division and the Department of For-
eign Employment are present in the meeting.Earlier, most of the recruiting agencies had pressed the Ministry of Labour and Employment to take concerned stakeholders into confidence before enforcing the new provision. The government decision, taken in an effort to prevent economic exploitation of workers in the name of recruitment fees, came into effect on July 6. Migrant workers going to Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait will benefit from the provision. Some 3.5 million Nepali migrant workers are employed in these countries. However, recruiting agencies argue that the new provision is "immature" as most of the amount taken from migrants goes to accredited agents in labour receiving countries and layers of grassroots agents working in Nepal. (Agencies)
- Silk Route - 2015,' Organized by Directorate of
Training at the Army Headquarters, was conducted
under three phases. Phase 1 was held June 22-28 at the Commando Regiment (CR) Training School at UvaKudaoya and Phase 2 was held at the Regimental Headquarters, Ganemulla from June 28-July 5. Phase 3 was held from July 5 - July 13 at Special Forces Training School at Maduruoya.The training focused largely on weapon handling, VVIP protection study, live firing, lane firing, sniper firing, body protection drills, backup vehicle movement and training, body protection formation, ambush drills, reconnaissance techniques, skill firing, special mission planning, combat tracking techniques, situation training exercise, jungle warfare and basic battle
skills, vehicle ambush drills, aircraft and building option training, etc. The Chinese Army group was led by Lieutenant Colonel Qi Qiang of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and comprised 43 PLA personnel. A similar number from the Sri Lanka Army's Commando Regiment and Special Forces took part in the Exercise. The first stage of the 'Exercise - Silk Route - 2015' was conducted in China from March 29 April 17 with the participation of 42 Commandos and Special Force soldiers from Sri Lanka. The joint training exercise was a result of successful negotiations held between Sri Lankan and Chinese Armies. (Agencies)
Myanmar navy rescues 102 boat people Yangon, Jul 14: The Myanmar navy has rescued more than a hundred Bangladeshi boat people from an islet near the country's southernmost region, an official report said on today. They were left on the small islet in early June and the Myanmar navy is searching the area for more such people, who will be sent back to their country of origin. While some migrants are Bangladeshis escaping poverty at home, many are members of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslim minorities who live in the country's Rakhine state. Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya as citizens, and denies it discriminates against them or that they are fleeing persecution. It does not call them Rohingya but
refer to them as Bengalis, indicating they are from Bangladesh. Last month, Myanmar had sent back the first batch of 187 Bangladeshi "boat people" out of the 200 rescued on May 21 off Myanmar's
Rakhine coast after citizenship verification. The citizenship verification on the second batch of 733 people, rescued on May 29 at sea near Pyapon Township has also been completed .Investigation by the Myanmar
government found that some of the "boat people" had fallen victim to human trafficking rings and crime syndicates after receiving offers of work in Thailand and Malaysia from illegal job brokers.(Agencies)
Myanmar president undecided about seeking second term Yangon, Jul 14: Myanmar President Thein Sein has not yet decided whether to pursue a second term but will base his decision on how the ruling party fares in parliamentary elections later this year, his office said today. The president's office denied a news report that quoted an anonymous official as saying Thein Sein would not run in November's parliamentary elections due to health concerns."The president has already said that he will decide whether to run for a second term or not based on the wishes of the people and election results," Zaw Htay, the director of the president's office, told media, adding that his stance remains unchanged."It all depends on circumstances,"
Myanmar President Thein Sein has not yet decided whether to pursue a second term but will base his decision on how the ruling party fares in parliamentary elections later this year Zaw Htay said. Thein Sein has repeatedly said he would seek a second term if that is what the people of Myanmar want, meaning if his ruling party gets a majority of votes in the elections and wins the opportunity to choose the country's next president.The official also noted that to "run for president" Thein Sein doesn't even have to contest
for a parliamentary seat. The winning political party can choose a president from among its newly elected lawmakers or from its nonelected party members. A former military commander, Thein Sein ran for parliament in 2010 elections, when the ruling party won a majority. He won a seat, which he had to give up after being named president.
Zaw Htay also said the president is "in good health."The upcoming polls will be the second general election since Myanmar ended a halfcentury of brutal military rule and handed power to a nominally civilian government in 2011.The opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, boycotted the 2010 polls, which they said were not free and fair. But Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is contesting this time around and is expected to see heavy gains against the ruling party. Analysts say that Thein Sein has been reluctant to announce if he will seek a second term because of concerns about the opposition's popularity, and will wait to commit until he sees election results. (Agencies)
probe death of Tibetan Lama
Washington, Jul 14: The US has asked China to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of a Tibetan Lama in a Chinese prison.Expressing concern over the death of Tibetan Lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, who died in prison 13 years into serving a sentence, the US said it hopes that "Chinese authorities will investigate and make public the circumstances surrounding his death." "We are saddened to learn that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama who has been a political prisoner since 2002, has died in prison. We express our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and supporters," said State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said. The US had consistently urged China to release Rinpoche, most recently out of concern for his health, Kirby said in a statement. Rinpoche was arrested in 2002 for an April 3, 2002, blast in Chengdu city that injured three people. He was sentenced to death on charges of crimes of terror and incitement of separatism a few months later. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 2005, and later to 20 years' imprisonment."We urge Chinese authorities to return his body to his family or to his monastery so that customary religious rituals can be properly performed," Kirby said."I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, the Tibetan monk who died Sunday in Chuandong prison in Chengdu. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and community," said Andrew Bennett, Canada's Ambassador for Religious Freedom, in a separate statement issued in Ottawa."Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was widely regarded for his spiritual leadership and his tireless work in providing religious, health and social services to Tibetan nomads," he said."This is a time for mourning so that all may mark his death with dignity and respect. I respectfully request that Chinese officials return the body of this revered person to his family and that Buddhist traditions be respected," Bennett said. Rinpoche was born in 1950 in Sichuan. He stayed in India from 1982 to 1987 to study under the Dalai Lama .(Agencies)
China: Man undergoes surgery to look like Kim Beijing, Jul 14: An eccentric Chinese man has gone under the knife to look like North Korean dictator Kim Jong UN. Wang Lei is the spitting image of 32-year-old Kim and even dresses in the dictator's trademark grey suit. Wang is said to have gone under the knife to enhance his likeness .He was filmed in Nanjing, capital of China's Jiangsu Province, after bumping into a fellow plastic surgery lover - and they bonded over their mutual love of surgery. Wang
walked side by side with Liu Zixuan, an actress, after they met at a plastic surgery clinic where she went for a check-up following breast enlargement, mirror.co.uk reported. The unlikely pair attracted crowds as they were surrounded by photographers, TV crews and reporters. However Wang, dressed in the trademark grey suit favored by Kim, and sporting the same middle parting, took it in his stride, waving and posing for pictures. (Agencies)
Forkan Razakar verdict Thursday Dhaka, Jul 14: The International Crimes Tribunal 2 has fixed Thursday for pronouncing the verdict in the war crimes case against razakar leader Forkan Mallik from Mirzaganj of Patuakhali. The three-member tribunal headed by its Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan set the date today morning .On June 14, the tribunal kept the case for verdict (as CAV or Curia Advisari Vult) after recording arguments of the prosecution and the defence.
The 63-year-old razakar commander is facing five charges of crimes against humanity he had committed during the 1971 Liberation War in Mirzaganj upazila. The charges include murder, rape, abduction and forced conversion. He was indicted on December 18 last year. Fourteen prosecution witnesses testified at the tribunal while four gave depositions in favor of the accused. The Detective Branch of police arrested Forkan from Rupatali Bus
Stand in Barisal on June 25 last year. He was later shown arrested in the war crimes case.According to the first charge, razakars led by Forkan and the Pakistani Army personnel apprehended Hafiz Uddin Khalifa and Awami League leader Abdul Kader Jomader on August 12, 1971. They were kept confined and later killed. The same day, the collaborators held Dr Debendra Nath Sarker from his house and shot him dead. Forkan
bayoneted Bibha Rani Nath to death when she attempted to save her husband. Forkan is charged with forceful conversion of Ramani Kundu, Shyam Sundar Kundu and Sunil Kundu three brothers from Subidkhali Bazar under Mirzaganj - on August 15 at a razakar camp.The third charge says on August 17, the accused and his accomplices held Golapi Rani Saha from the house of Ram Krishna Saha at Subidkhali and raped her at a place
named Jugibari. Therazakars then abandoned the woman in unconscious condition near her house. She died the following day. Forkan and his associates in the razakar force raped two women after abduction from the house of Lalit Karmakar at Subidkhali on August 20. The victims were left in front of the house the next day. The family was later forced to leave the village for India. As per the fifth charge, Forkan shot dead Hatem Ali at Kakarbunia and detained
his daughter Aleya Begum on August 22. The accused and his cohorts accompanied by the Pakistani Army attacked Kakarbunia Bazar and opened indiscriminate fire on the people killing Sanad Jumar Halder. They also killed Elemuddin the same day. Aleya was taken to Patuakhali Circuit House and kept in a room along with 20-25 other young girls. The Pakistan Army men and Forkan repeatedly raped Aleya. (Agencies)
'5,600 landslides occurred until July' Kathmandu, Jul 14: Around 5,600 landslides occurred in the country until June end, including the new landslips triggered by the Great Earthquake on April 25 and subsequent aftershocks.As part of the Earthquake without Frontiers (EWF) Project, a group of earth scientists with a long track record in integrated earthquake science along with social scientists, an updated inventory from the earthquakes was prepared. The map that was last updated on June 30 found
that major or disruptive landslides is limited to a zone that runs East to West, approximately parallel to the transition between the Lesser and High Himalayas including Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, Ramechhap and Kavre.The area of landslides triggered by the 7.6 magnitude Dolakha earthquake on May 15 overlaps with the eastern end of the area affected by landslides in the Gorkha earthquake on April 25.Locations that suffered
from high intensity landslides following the Dolakha quake also suffered from widespread landslips in the Gorkha quake. They must thus be viewed as places at high risk of failure during the monsoon season, according to the report.The report further found that there have been numerous reports of cracked grounds in the affected areas. It recommends establishing simple monitoring of the existing cracks and establishes if cracks are widening or if movement of the
slope has ceased. It added that the concerned authorities should treat the areas that exhibit continued or accelerating movement with extreme caution.Families at high risk of landslides in several VDCs in Gorkha, the epicentre of the Great Earthquake of April 25, have been relocated to safer locations.With an initiation of the District Disaster Relief Committee, 1,749 households from 10 VDCs in the district have been relocated. Local Development Officer
Premraj Giri said they have moved the risky settlements of Kerauja, Lapu, Khanigaun, Gumda and Sirdibash including other areas to safer zones. The settlements were deemed risky following an inspection of the government team. Around 917 families are, however, yet to be relocated from the risky areas. Locals of Barpak, Simjung, Kharibot, Ghyachhok and Kerabari have also started to relocate. The committee has estimated a total cost of around Rs 47.8
million to construct temporary infrastructures in the relocating areas. But some locals are not optimistic on the idea of moving. "It is difficult for us to stay there for three months, only to move again" said Ranchit BK of Muchhok.Likewise, 150 families of Kashigaun and Manbu, 119 families of Dhorat, Chhapgaun, Paple, Aanga, Salleri, Debal and 202 families of Saurpani, Ranchok, Simbu and Kebara have been recommended for relocation in the next phase. (Agencies)
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DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
It's natural for a major public project to be subjected to scrutiny
India Jobs Data That Economists Can Use
NE region eagerly awaits successful and timely completion of Bogibeel Bridge Bogibeel Bridge is the country's longest rail-cum-road bridge. While the foundation stone was laid by former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on April 22, 2002 it was originally scheduled to be inaugurated in 2009. But it is now facing numerous challenges that have slowed the progress of work. Slated to be the lifeline of the Northeast, this 4.94 km bridge will facilitate connectivity between the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra in the eastern region of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The project also comprise construction of a 74 km rail link that will connect the existing rail network and 29.5 km of road link as NH-52 B from south bank to north bank. While the projected date of completion of the bridge is furthermore extended to June, 2017, the estimated cost incurred would be Rs. 4996.19 crore. In the city of Dibrugarh of Assam, it rains eight months a year. So any kind of construction activity, especially on the Brahmaputra river makes it a tough challenge. As often witnessed, the river makes it difficult with regard to construction of piers during the rainy season. Besides this, the project has been faced with unceremonious delays. The project was granted National Status and it was supposed to have been completed in six years. But due to lack of funds and minimal attention given by the government, no work was done till 2007. And then, the rise in the cost of cement and steel contributed to the challenges posed with regard to execution of the project. Even early floods in the river restricts the working season to a very short period of approximately five months, from November to March only. Another major challenge is transportation as it demands huge mobilisation of equipment for execution of the massive work of the project across river channels of 600m to 900m width from both the banks. The bridge was to have a total of 39 girders of 125 metres and two girders of 33 metre span in the bridge. The first and second girders of Bogibeel bridge were already launched. And the fabrication of eight girders has been completed while fabrication of further eight girders is in progress and moreover 10 girders are also being planned to be launched. Also the bridge will have 42 piers out of which 37 piers have been completed. Situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh, the bridge will connect north and south of the Brahmaputra river in the eastern region of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The border of Arunachal Pradesh is just over 20 km from the northern bank where the rail link will connect two existing railway networks running at south bank and north bank of the river. It will start from Chaulkhowa station and Moranhat station at south bank and join them between Sisibargaon station and Siripani station of Rangiya-Murkongselek section of the north bank. The bridge will also be of strategic importance for the country as it will provide quick movement between the two states and can also be useful to counter measure any threat from China, which borders Arunachal. In the meantime, however, cracks have been detected in some pillars of the under-construction Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra in Tinsukia District of Assam, putting a huge question mark over the quality of work being done by the Navayug Engineering Company, which is constructing the bridge. It seems that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is not taking the matter seriously. Various organisations are expressing serious doubts over the durability of the bridge.
Ministers have shown the will to have important Bills passed Fruitful Arunachal Budget session in terms of the number of Bills introduced in the Legislative Assembly Several important Bills have been introduced in the ongoing Arunachal Budget session. Arunachal Education Amendment Bill, passed on July 7, is aimed at rationalizing transfer and posting of teachers. This move of the state government is being viewed as an important step to improve the quality of education in the state. Through the bill, the education department is looking to serve the common interest of the people. However, the proposal to deal with the attitude of certain teachers who refuse to be posted in places other than the district headquarters, by stopping payment is a matter of concern. It has also been pointed out that government teachers posted in rural areas appoint substitutes with themselves staying in the district headquarters. These apparently are not good signs as far as the education scenario of the state is concerned. Despite these challenges, there is a need for a holistic approach so as to effectively deal with these issues. Meanwhile, it would take political will to make the defunct schools functional and ensure that mid-day meals are served. In addition, three other important government bills were introduced as well. The state research minister introduced the Arunachal Pradesh Heritage Bill, 2015. The bill would have provisions for conservation and protection of heritage sites including buildings, artefacts, structures, areas, streets and precincts of historic, cultural or environmental significance and sites of scenic beauty. It would also have provisions for conservation and protection of areas of environment sensitivity and related matters. The Public Works Department (PWD) minister introduced the Arunachal Pradesh State Road (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015 in order to consolidate laws relating to scientific planning and development of road network and connectivity. The bill would deal with systematic regulation of road development by providing an impetus to safe custody and maintenance of assets in the state for all round economic development and welfare of the people. The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister introduced the Arunachal Pradesh Water Supply Bill, 2015 to regulate water supply including levy of reasonable tariff on consumption of piped water supply in the state. The state government mooted several schemes for the welfare of the labourers in the state. The state government approved the revision of monetary ceilings of statutory financial assistance to the workers employed in building and construction work. Also as per the revised rates, the maternity benefit for labourers has been fixed at Rs. 1,000, disability pension at Rs. 1,000 per month, advance for purchase of construction of house at Rs. 100,000, tools loan at Rs.15,000, funeral assistance at Rs.1,000, accidental death benefit to the tune of Rs.100,000. Also, medical assistance up to Rs.15,000 in normal case and up to Rs. 25,000 in case of accident would be provided besides education assistance which would cover total education fees or as may be decided by the Arunachal Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (APBOCWWB). Marriage assistance to the tune of Rs. 10,000 has also been fixed by the state government.
Pranjal Kumar Phukan In India, unemployment data are more useful to historians than economists. While China is joining the US and Brazil in moving toward monthly figures to take the pulse of their economies, the latest jobs numbers in India are at least a year old. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is now weighing a proposal to start work on a quarterly report. "That's something that would aid significantly, particularly in an economy where you know that domestic demand remains the key driver," said Shubhada Rao, an economist at Yes Bank Ltd. "The entire crux of the matter is how accurate is the measurement, and for India, we have some way to go." A quarterly release would be another step in the modernization of India's economic policy making. A new consumer price index, an inflation target for the central bank and gross domestic product calculations that meet global standards are all bringing India into
the 21st century. More frequent jobs data would assist central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan in gauging slack in the economy. It will also help assess Modi's pledge to add jobs for millions of youth about to enter one of the world's largest labor markets, a promise that propelled him to a sweeping election win last year. Right now proxy indicators suggest a weak jobs market. A Manpowergroup Inc. survey in the three months ending June showed that hiring plans fell from last year. While private Indian companies plan to hire more in the coming year, levels have moderated to 8 percent compared with the global average of 17 percent, according to a Markit survey published Monday. "Indians are very good at drawing inferences from proxy variables," said Rao, who is based in Mumbai. "I have yet to come to that comfort where I can just look at annual data and say employment is good, bad or
ugly." Inefficient data collection and widespread informal employment make it tough to measure workers in India. Sources are scattered, with seven federal agencies publishing reports, according to a 2014 analysis by the Statistics Ministry. Its latest benchmark report, published every five years, surveyed more than 100,000 households and 450,000 people. It pegged the jobless rate at anywhere from 2.2 percent to 5.6 percent depending on four statistical approaches. More recent findings, published in January using data obtained between January and July 2014, estimate unemployment at 4.9 percent. That's from the Ministry of Labour, which started in 2010 to publish yearly assessments to better gauge the impact of the global financial crisis. The CIA's World Fact book lists India's unemployment at 8.6 percent for 2014, the highest rate in Asia, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The lack of dependable jobs numbers adds to the haze that faces the central bank. While the new GDP data are more in line with the rest of the world, historical figures are still lacking, making it difficult to explain how India suddenly became the world's fastestgrowing major economy. The central bank would "explicitly" include employment in its policy
statements "if we had a good series," Rajan said in February. Quarterly numbers may start by December, Deputy Governor Urjit Patel added. The Finance Ministry is evaluating a proposal from the Statistics Ministry to add 170 permanent and as many as 400 contract workers to conduct the quarterly survey, according to Pronob Sen, who heads a commission that coordinates statistics-related policies. He wants them to start as early as Oct. 1. "This kind of work is extremely resource-intensive," Sen said in an interview last month in New Delhi. A year of data is needed before analysis and
publication, he added. The Finance Ministry declined to answer emailed questions. More than 90 percent of India's workers are unregistered, complicating any efforts to track unemployment. While India's surveys aim to record everyone looking for a job, many more probably slip through the cracks. That's a trait common to many developing economies in Asia, which tend to publish "pretty poor" labor data, said Ed Teather, a Singapore-based economist at UBS Group AG. Thailand's official unemployment rate stands below 1 percent. In China, where it barely fluctuates,
the government is now working on turning its quarterly report into a more exhaustive monthly one, with 15,000 surveyors due to start canvassing the country in July. "China is probably at the stage where you got a lot more people in the formal sector," Teather said. "So data would be easier to collect in a meaningful way." (Author is Rotarian, Chartered Engineer and Regional General Secretary- CaSI - A Global certification body head-quartered at New York, USA. He can be reached at Pranjal_xlri@yahoo.com)
Reality Check: India Needs to Take Central Asia Seriously India's approach to Central Asia needs to be much more cohesive Harsh V. Pant Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Central Asia last week to enhance India's linkages with the region at a time when major powers are competing for influence in the five nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Russia has made its determination to restore some of its historic influence over its former Soviet empire clear, but it is China that is making a real splash in the region. Though Russia and China are planning to enhance their engagement in Central Asia and have decided to coordinate their policies in the region, Beijing's economic transformation of the lands west of its restive Xinjiang province has gathered pace in the last decade. With China spending billions of dollars on infrastructure and energy projects to link up the disjointed region, it has emerged as the main trad-
ing partner of four of the five Central Asian countries that gained independence from Moscow in 1991. Unlike China which shares a border with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, India's transit to the region lies through Pakistan and Afghanistan, limiting India's reach. Yet India's growing interests in Central Asia are well-recognized. There is a growing convergence between the United States' and India's interests in the region, especially their reluctance to see the region fall under the exclusive influence of Russia or China. India was worried in the 1990s when Russian influence in Central Asia weakened substantially with the commensurate rise in China's influence. This negatively impacted Indian threat perceptions which stabilized only after the growing U.S. presence in the region since 2001. India's ties with the regional states are growing. India views itself as a stabilizer and security pro-
vider in Central Asia and, with its growing economic clout, an attractive economic power for regional states. India's interest in securing reliable energy supplies and trade through Central Asia remains substantial. Besides oil and gas, energy-hungry India is eyeing imports of uranium from both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. India has long wanted to play a larger role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and has been seeking support from individual member states for quite some time. India was admitted as an observer at the 2005 Astana Summit along with Iran and Pakistan. Though the 2010 Tashkent Summit lifted the moratorium on new membership, India's role in the grouping has remained a marginal one. With Russian backing, India, along with Pakistan, will be granted full membership of the SCO next year. Against this backdrop, Indian strategy has focused
on developing strong bilateral partnerships in the region. With Uzbekistan, India has signed a pact on the import of over 2,000 tonnes of uranium much like the one India just signed with Kazakhstan. India is also exploring with Uzbekistan the possibility of extending the Friendship Railway Bridge to Herat in western Afghanistan. The requirements of energy security also postulate a continuing positive relationship with Moscow and friendly ties with all the Central Asian states. India must create firm ties among the energy exporting states of Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and, if possible, Turkmenistan But India has so far failed to invest the diplomatic capital that the region demands. India tried to open an air facility in Ayni, Tajikistan, in 2002, to guard against growing instability in the region though nothing much happened on that front. And in 2010 the Tajik government
officially made it clear that Russia is the only country likely to use the airbase in the future. This happened despite India spending around $70 million between 2002 and 2010 to renovate the Ayni base, extending the Ayni runway to 3,200 meters as well as installing state-of-the-art navigational and air defense equipment there. Meanwhile, China managed to win the competition for the Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan and the Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan. The muchhyped Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, which is supposed to transport gas from Turkmenistan across Afghanistan and Pakistan to India, is yet to get off the ground. With a strategic approach towards Central Asia, China has made significant headway in the region with $10 billion in grants and aid to SCO members and developing regional linkages between Central Asia and its west-
ern regions. China's trade with the Central Asian region crossed the $50 billion mark in 2013 whereas trade between Central Asia and India struggled to hit a paltry $2 billion. India's lack of direct overland access to the region due to Pakistan's reluctance in allowing Indian goods to pass through its territory has constrained Delhi's trade interests from growing in the Central Asian region and consequently, trade with the region remains far below potential. India's much touted International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), aimed at expanding India's trade and investment links with Central Asia, remains a work in progress. It is time New Delhi gives the region the attention it deserves. Otherwise, soon China will be able to claim the region as another of its backyards, and India will have to struggle to make it relevant despite its longstanding cultural links.
Dreadful sanitation in India
Sir, Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, says building toilets is a priority over temples. His finance minister, Arun Jaitley, used this month's budget to set a goal of ending defecating in the open by 2019. That will be 150 years since the birth of Mohandas Gandhi, who said good sanitation was more important than indepen-
dence. Ending open defecation would bring immense benefits. Some 130m households lack toilets. More than 72% of rural people relieve themselves behind bushes, in fields or by roadsides. The share is barely shrinking. Of the 1 billion people in the world who have no toilet, India accounts for nearly 600m. A broader matter concerned here is public health. Open defecation is disastrous when practised by groups in close contact with each other. Because India's population is huge, growing rapidly and densely settled, it is impossible even in rural areas to keep human faeces from crops, wells, food and children's hands. Ingested bacteria and worms spread diseases, especially of the intestine. They cause enteropathy, a chronic illness that prevents the body from absorbing calories and nutrients. That helps to explain why, in spite of rising incomes and better diets, rates of child malnourishment in India do not improve faster. Also that the mere availability of government-built latrines will not end open defecation for decades yet. What is needed instead are public campaigns, in schools and in the media, to explain the health and economic benefits of using toilets and of better hygiene. Also it was found that only a quarter of rural householders understood that washing hands helps prevent diarrhoea. Yours etc. Sneha Saikia Duliajan
Corrigendum The article by Indra Kumar Bhujel published on dated 13 July, the formula should have been appeared as an + bn = cn, but instead it got published as an + bn = cn. In convienienc is regretted
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The overdose effect: Dissecting the 'drugs and music' cliche Drugs and music are a clichĂŠ tied together by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin. Now, a biopic on the late Amy Winehouse again raises the issue of unwanted fame and substance abuse and how it pushes artistes over the edge, says Amrita Madhukalya "Pot, hash, opium, psychedelics, speedballs, magic mushrooms, black beauties, LSD, heroin, cocaine, crack, freebase, morphine, China white ... ," parrots rock legend Dave Mustaine in a telling moment in Vh1's Behind the Music Special episode on Megadeth. He's talking about the drugs he has experimented with in a furyfilled career spanning over two decades. As he lists the names, his bandmate Dave Ellefson is shown saying, "It's shocking to me that we are still around." 'Drugs and music' is a clichĂŠ that spawned thousands of conspiracy theories, studies and books. Why else do we have the legend of the '27 Club'? Mustaine and Ellefson, however, are lucky; they lived to tell the tale. Others were not. A new Amy Winehouse biopic, Amy, that hit theatres this week, looks at the troubled times of the beehive-sporting crooner who never really took to fame that well. Director Asif Kapadia, whose biopic is a collage of footage over the years along with interviews, paints the tragic life of a much-hounded star, who, grappling with the lethal demons of fame and addiction, succumbed by overdosing on a deadly cocktail of alcohol and drugs. Early this year, Brett Morgen's documentary on
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, Montage of Heck, too, treaded a similar path. Cobain, who pulled the trigger in his bathroom, had a lengthy past of drugs and alcohol. A loner with a troubled childhood, Cobain started with pot in the early 1980s. Winehouse, as the biopic suggests, also had a troubled childhood, battling with bulimia and body issues. In a telling moment from the documentary, she is seen prophesying to an interviewer, "I don't think I'm gonna be famous. I would probably go mad." The phenomenon is not new. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison all succumbed to drug abuse. Shillong-based blues legend and Soulmate frontman Rudy Wallang says the pressures on musicians in the West is disturbing. "Indian musicians mostly stick to marijuana and alcohol. In the West, the pressures are huge - you need to be on the top of your game, you need to deliver a powerpacked performance, and then there are expectations of fans and recording labels," says Rudy. Indian bands are booked for a few days in a month, while Western bands are on the road touring for months on end. He adds that recording labels, too, pile a lot of expectations on the star. "It's all about the money. No one wanted to accept Amy for the ordinary girl that she was. The label will want her to be in the news, and stars tend to resort to alcohol, or cocaine, or heroin, or whatever suits their fancy. Stars with money try to fill up that emptiness with substance." Subir Malik of Parikrama says the keen eye on these stars makes them vulner-
able. "Whether one is in the hospital, vacationing or at a funeral, the paparazzi hounds them. Look at Michael Jackson's life. How many would survive that?" Malik says Indian musicians may be far from that scrutiny, but film stars are not. "Some celebs feel trapped. It's tragic what happened to Robin Williams. Some oth-
ers resort to drastic means to carry on with the attention. It breeds insecurity. I mean, who would want to walk around in a meat dress like Lady Gaga does?" Maybe the link is in the notion that drugs enhance creativity, says Dr Pratima Murthy, professor of psychiatry at the Centre for Deaddiction Medicine at
NIMHANS, Bangalore. She feels people predisposed to mental problems, like Winehouse, are usually easy prey. "Initially, substance might be exhilarating. Problems come when one's faculties are tricked into believing everyone has a threshold." Substance abuse is known to damage the brain's neu-
Learning the 'E' way Pooja Bhula "In just ten months, learnsocial.com has made it to the list of India's top 5,000 e-learning sites, which is "no mean feat," says Yuvraj K Sharma, an e-learning expert. He finds that "the website matches up to what's available and its low bounce-off rate indicates that people are finding it useful". At present, the top e-learning portals include: khanacademy.org for school students; coursera.org and edx.org that offer a wide and eclectic range of courses for students as well as professionals; lynda.com and udacity.com that are focused on career upgradation. What's Working Broad appeal: With 291 IT courses, 213 business-related, 47 academic, 22 focused on languages (ranging from English, German and Russian to Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese), 71 on arts and creativity, 47 dedicated to exam preparations (GMAT, SAT, GRE, IELTS, CMA, CFA, etc.) and about 144 courses offering diverse options ranging from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and health to communication and disaster management, learnsocial.com has lots to offer. Live and self-paced learning options: These allow both interaction and peerto-peer learning with the live option, and convenience with the self-paced option. Live classes can be problematic if the numbers are great and if there are technology lapses, but learnsocial's average batch size of 15 students (max. 25) seems reasonable. Both options permit life-long ac-
cess to the course videos and material. Well planned course objectives and curriculum: These let you whet the course well before you decide. The curriculum also mentions tests or project reports to be done at the end of each module and/or course. User-friendly: The website is not only easy to navigate, but also has a live chat for queries. In addition, there are user reviews of each course by students. These facilities provided by learnsocail, are typical of some of the best sites in the business. Refund in seven days: If you don't like the course, the instructor, or you simply can't attend the course, all you have to do is write an email and request for a refund, which is processed immediately. edx.org also has a refund policy. What's Not Working Expensive courses: Like several top websites, learnsocial offers both free and inexpensive courses. But there are expensive ones too. Given the Indian market, highly priced courses can be a problem,
especially considering that a large bulk of courses on other websites are free, unless one opts for a certification. Lack of academic support: The absence of tie-ups with colleges and universities of repute may deter those looking for courses or educational brands to boast of, on their resume. No demos and inadequate instructor information: Students would want to see videos of testimonials by students, as well as demo lessons by instructors, to get a feel of online learning. User reviews are not enough; it is also crucial to have space for thriving discussion forums. The site is not consistent with regard to the type and amount of detail it gives out about each instructor. Founder of learnsocial.com, Raju Vanapala says, "We will soon provide learners with course ratings, the number of dropouts from a particular course, details of instructors (not only in terms of their experience, but also how well they engage with students, whether they complete courses on time, etc.), and the kind of infra-
structure available. We're also trying to bring some colleges onboard." While convenience has always drawn people to e-learning, the opportunity to learn from top-notch universities worldwide (which one may be unable to attend) could turn out to be a greater draw. The question is, will these courses remain mere tutorials or will they be able to provide professional qualifications? "The knowledge you can get is of the same level or better than that in traditional education systems. Online courses have much more acceptance in the West, but are gaining acceptance here too, as employers realise their value and accept the fact that given our fast-paced lives, not everyone can take a break to pursue offline courses," says Yuvraj. Tips: Right Course, Right E-destination Define your purpose: Are you pursuing a hobby or trying to advance your career? Is the online course going to play the role of tuitions, which you would otherwise take up in addition to school or college classes? Defining your
purpose will help you decide how reputable the source of knowledge must be, whether a certificate matters and so on. Compare courses With several websites offering the same or similar courses, as well as the availability of offline education, it is essential to evaluate the content and curriculum to ensure you pick the course that best suits your needs. Verify information Check the reputation of the portal by reading user reviews and articles as well as various rankings. Also read up about the instructor's background, with reference to skills, popularity, education and online teaching experienceas mentioned on the course website as well as by looking up other work (research papers, authored books, educational videos, etc.) by him or her. Consider duration, flexibility and cost Before investing in a course, you must make sure that you're getting value for your money and also that you have chosen the right format (live, fixed or self-paced sessions) as well as the right duration (based on the amount of time you can spare). Do a test run Before paying for a course from an unknown or lessrecognised website, first try a free course to whet the teaching style, delivery as per promise, etc. Don't go by appearance Avoid judging e-learning as a medium or even a web portal merely on the basis of appearance. Some really good content may not be packaged well and some really well-packaged courses may not have good content.
rons and cause cognitive decline over a sustained period. It can also be extremely dangerous in cases of inadequate ventilation, especially in raves and parties, says Murthy. "A person can die of asphyxiation in this situation. It is best to head to a professional instead of resorting to substance as stimulants or cop-
ing strategies." Being in the limelight is a two-edged sword. Monica Dogra of Shaa'ir and Func will attest to that. Recently, she came under a lot of flak online for asking fans to crowdfund a video on the LGBTQ community (ketto.org/shiver). Some took offence to the Rs50 lakh she was asking for, while others did not like that she termed it a 'high art project'. Some also felt her project will not help the community at all. There have been days recently, Dogra says, when she's been too shy to walk down the street. "The pressures of fame can affect different people in unique ways. It empowers some and for others, the quality in them that is vulnerable is exposed, (leaving them) desiring love, which can remain open without a closure. Some fall into an abyss and never return. I've dealt with a lot myself, I can only imagine what a Grammy-winning artist may have faced," says Dogra. Substance abuse can also come with the disturbing baggage of having to deal with unwanted fame, says percussionist Amit Kilam of Indian Ocean. He says that the high moral ground people tend to take when it comes to drug abuse is almost as punishing. "It's almost as if we have made up our minds from our high moral pedestals that drugs are a crutch. Artistes usually don't look for a crutch or a support. They do it because inherently, artistes tend to try new things. Unfortunately some get caught and it leads to a lot of turmoil." In his view, alcohol and smoking may not be considered taboo,
but their effects are bad, maybe worse. "Even a coffee addiction is just as bad, but there is no social stigma there." Any talk of unwanted fame is incomplete without the role of the viewer, and our obsessive voyeurism. There is a chilling montage in Amy of various videos of the paparazzi hounding Winehouse, juxtaposed with scenes of her falling on stage. It's uncomfortable viewing. We may blame the fallen star all we want, but we cannot deny the part we play in that downfall. 1. Supreme Court Judgment: In a welcome judgment, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that an unwed mother could have the sole guardianship of a child. The court was hearing a petition filed by a mother who wanted to make her son her nominee in all her savings and insurance policies but was asked to declare the father's name or get a guardianship/adoption certificate. The mother argued that she had known the father for only two months and that the father did not know anything about the child. The judgment was not without its problematic aspects. For instance the 20 page judgement also says that "Avowedly, the mother is best suited to care for her offspring, so aptly and comprehensively conveyed in Hindi by the word 'mamta'," thus almost making it seem that guardianship is the sole 'duty' of a woman. However, this judgment is likely to help those working to remove the stigma attached to unwed mothers and children born out of wedlock.
The Month That Was For Women In India: Victorious And On Top Of The World Abhishek Jha It might sound patriarchal to express surprise at women achieving feats that have hitherto been uncharted by them. However, it is an achievement if these barriers are broken because it is societal norms and pressures that have kept women from achievements that have been hogged by men alone. There were moments in the past week when this barrier breaking was reasserted through some spectacular achievements for women in India. Here we present five of them that made news: 1. UPSC Results: The results of the Civil Services Exam were declared on the 4th of this month. The top three places were occupied by women. Four of the top five candidates are women. The topper, Delhi's Ira Singhal, who is differently abled had passed the IRS exam in 2010 but had been refused posting by revenue department and the DoPT. However, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot, said on Wednesday this week that she could be the brand ambassador for the programmes of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The Minister also felicitated her on Monday in Delhi. 2. Hockey: With their 1-0 victory over Japan last Saturday, India's women's hockey team finished fifth in the World Hockey League, thus keeping their hope of qualifying for the Rio Olympics alive. "Our target was to qualify for Olympics and we are still in contention. All the players played to their strengths. We played against some of
the higher ranked teams which gave us insights on our shortcomings. We will work on them to improve our game play and be ready for our Olympic dream," Ritu Rani, captain of the team said after returning to India on Monday. 3. Cricket: The Indian Women's Cricket Team won a five match ODI series against New Zealand 3-2 after defeating them in the deciding final match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The BCCI announced a Rs 21 lakh reward for the team after its victory on Wednesday. Another achievement was made as Indian captain Mithali Raj became the second batter in women's cricket to pass the 5,000 runs mark in ODIs. The only other batter who has achieved this feat is England's Charlotte Edwards. 4. Mountaineering: Twin sisters Tashi and Nancy Malik became the fastest South Asians to complete the Explorers' Grand Slam on July 3 when they climbed the 5895 metres high Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The Grand Slam requires one to
climb the highest peaks in all the seven continent and reaching both the poles on skis. "We are happy to add another moment of pride and glory for the Indian girl child. For now we are focused on raising the bar of performance so that the girls can claim their rightful place of dignity and respect in our society," Tashi reportedly said. 5. Tennis: Sania Mirza won her first women's doubles Grand Slam title when she and Martina Hingis defeated the Russian duo of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina on Saturday in Wimbledon. Mirza has won three Grand Slam titles before, albeit in mixed doubles' tournaments. Wimbledon is considered the most prestigious of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Mirza, in her earlier wins, has already covered the other three turfs. Such trespassing is not unknown to women in India, who regularly surprise patriarchs with their actions. We hope that this trespassing becomes a norm soon and there are no patriarchs to surprise.
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DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Mallya fined Rs 10 lakh for abusing process of law
New Delhi, Jul 14: The Supreme Court's recent order allowing criminal proceedings against Vijay Mallya for defying repeated Enforcement Directorate summons for personal appearance in a case of alleged FERA violation and imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on him for abusing the process of law. A bench of Justices J Chelameswar and Adarsh Kumar Goel disapproved of Mallya's noncompliance of ED orders and made it clear that howsoever rich and influential a person might be, law would take its course with-
out being influenced. Mallya had in his letter to ED justified his non-appearance saying he had a very busy schedule and asked the agency to fix a "mutually convenient date" to appear before it. The court took strong exception to the content of the letter and rapped Mallya for evading the order. "From the tenor of the letter, it appears that it was not a case of mere seeking accommodation by the appellant but requiring date to be fixed by his convenience. Such stand by a person facing allegation of serious
nature could hardly be appreciated. Obviously, the enormous money power makes him believe that the state should adjust its affairs to suit his commercial convenience," Justice Goel said. The ED chief enforcement officer had asked Mallya to appear as chairman of United Breweries Ltd for entering into an agreement and paying a British Company in 1995 for advertising the 'Kingfisher' brand name on racing cars during Formula-I world championships for 1996, 1997 and 1998 without RBI approval. Mallya
failed to appear on four occasions between 1999 and 2000. The agency then filed a complaint on March 8, 2000 under Section 56 of the now-defunct FERA and the trial court framed charges against him. He challenged it in the Delhi High Court which refused to grant him relief. The SC also refused to show leniency though the agency had absolved him in a 1995 transaction case. "Exonerating such an accused, who successfully evades the process of law and commits an independent offence on the ground that he is found to be not guilty of the substantive offence would be destructive of law and order, apart from being against public interest. Such an exposition of law would encourage unscrupulous elements in society to defy the authority conferred upon public servants to enforce the law," the bench said. "The fact that the adjudicating officer chose to drop proceedings against the appellant doesn't absolve the appellant of the criminal liability incurred by him by virtue of the operation of Section 40 read with Section 56 of the Act. The offence under Section 56 read with Section 40 of the Act is an independent offence," the court said. (Agencies)
Nadella brings into limelight Microsoft's future bold ambitions Orlando, Jul 14: Underscoring three bold ambitions for Microsoft, the tech giant's India-born CEO Satya Nadella said the company will focus on personal computing, reinvention of productivity and business process and building an intelligent cloud platform. Nadella, 47, was addressing over 12,000 Microsoft partners, senior company executives, technology experts and analysts during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2015 at the sprawling Orange County Convention Centre here in the US state of Florida. Noting that Microsoft is focused on helping its customers achieve "greatness through digital technology,"
Nadella, who took over as the third CEO in the history of the tech giant in February last year, gave the audience a glimpse of the mission and "sense of purpose" driving the company going forward. Listing the three "bold ambitions" for Microsoft, Nadella, said one ambition is personal computing, which is "the very core of our company." "Windows 10 is going to usher in this new era of more personal computing. We couldn't be more excited, three weeks away from launch. It is not just the technology but what Windows means for this ecosystem is what is driving us," Nadella said in his keynote address at the conference. He added that
Windows 10 is going to run on everything from phones to tablets to surface hubs as well as to the HoloLens, Microsoft's first fully untethered, seethrough holographic computer. He said through Windows 10, there will be "one unifying platform, one unifying experience" and "that to me is the clear differentiator of what Winsdows stands for". He said Windows 10 will enable users to interact with it in the "most natural way" and they will be able to speak to it touch it and use it seamlessly in their personal and professional lives. "The natural interaction is going to be a unique capability of this one operating system. We will
also lead the way in the management and security of windows devices," he said. Highlighting the second ambition for the company, Nadella said it will be the reinvention of productivity and business process. "Central to this ambition is the reinvention of even the category definition of business process and productivity. We don't think of these things as separate things anymore. We want to bring together everything that is related to core creation, communication, collaboration in business process and blend them together," he said. The other ambition that the company is focused on is building an intelligent cloud. (Agencies)
Retail inflation pushed to new heights in June Higher food prices leads to higher retail inflation Mumbai, Jul 14: Retail inflation accelerated to an eight-month high in June on the back of higher food prices, dashing hopes of a cut in interest rates. Data released by the Central Statistics Office on Monday showed inflation measured by the consumer price index (CPI) rose 5.4% in June compared to 5% in May as food prices climbed. Inflation in urban areas was 4.6% in June, while in rural areas it was 6%. Several food items displayed price pressures with pulses rising 22.2%. Milk and milk products rose 7.2%, while meat and fish shot up
nearly 7% year-on-year in June, highlighting the build-up of price pressures in the food segment. Overall food inflation stood at 5.7%. Economists said despite the sharp month-onmonth rise in food inflation, the build-up in food prices in the current fiscal remains lower than that up to June 2014. A favourable base effect and the recent softening of crude oil prices are expected to dampen the headline CPI print for July 2015, they said. "..Nevertheless, this may not be adequate to prompt a reduction in the repo rate in the August 2015 policy review,
FOOD INFLATION GOES THROUGH THE ROOF Data released by the Central Statistics Office showed inflation measured by the consumer price index (CPI) rose 5.4% in June compared to 5% in May as food prices climbed. Inflation in urban areas was 4.6% in June, while in rural areas it was 6%. Several food items displayed price pressures with pulses rising 22.2%. Milk and milk products rose 7.2%, while meat and fish shot up nearly 7% year-on-year in June, highlighting the build-up of price pressures in the food segment. Overall food inflation stood at 5.7%. Higher protein inflation - 9.7% in June compared with 8.2% in May - was behind the food inflation pick-up. Inflation in pulses crossed 22% in June.
if the trend in rainfall and sowing in the remainder of July turns out to be unfavourable," said Aditi Nayar, senior economist at ratings agency ICRA. Economists said the distribution of monsoon rains needs to be watched and the increase in protein prices was a concern. "Higher protein inflation - 9.7% in June compared with 8.2% in May - was behind the food inflation pick-up. Inflation in pulses crossed 22% in June as production has suffered largely due to
weak monsoon last year and damage to crop from unseasonal rains this year," ratings agency Crisil said in a note. "We go by Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast of 12% deficient rainfall, but assume the distribution remains normal, and that the government undertakes proactive steps to contain food inflation. We therefore expect CPI inflation at 5.8% in 2015-16, down from 6% in 201415," the agency said. (Agencies)
GM India recalls 1.55 lakh cars Second-largest car recall after Ford's Nashik, Jul 14: General Motors has recalled 1.55 lakh cars in India over a potential safety issue. This is the second-largest car recall in India after Ford's 1.66 lakh units in September 2013. GM India said the recall will cover Chevrolet Spark, Beat minis and the Enjoy MPV, the vehicles with a remote keyless entry accessory. These are manufactured between 2007 and 2014. The latest exercise follows another call back in 2013 by GM India when 1.14 lakh units of Tavera MPV were recalled to fix emission and other regulatory issues. The issue had sparked off a debate across the auto industry over customer safety and saw the initiation of an inquiry against the company by an official committee, which had accused the company of engaging in a "corporate fraud" in the handling of the issue. "GM India has been made aware of some isolated cases where some Chevrolet Spark, Beat and Enjoy vehicles were fitted
with a faulty accessory," the company said, adding that the vehicles "could experience damage due to inappropriate routing." The company claimed that the remote keyless entry accessory "meets all the relevant regulatory standards". "GM India will contact all affected customers to correct the fitting of the remote keyless entry accessory free of charge. If a customer has
any concerns regarding the performance of their remote keyless entry accessory, we ask them to visit their nearest Chevrolet dealer for a free inspection," it added. Vehicle recalls are not seen as a positive exercise in India with car companies fearing an adverse impact on demand after they call back vehicles to fix defects. While the government had been con-
sidering to make call backs mandatory, it is yet to become a reality. Maruti, Tata Motors, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mahindra & Mahindra have also called back vehicles earlier. Recently, many of the Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan had to call back many vehicles across the globe over problems with Takata airbag. (Agencies)
Ahmedabad, Jul 14: The city-based Mansukhani family, one of the two promoter groups of Onida brand of electronics products, has picked up a 30% stake in Wow Express, a six-month old logistics company that was founded to cater exclusively to the fast growing e-commerce sector. Tamarind Family Private Trust, which is owned by the
Mansukhanis, has made a Rs 3.2 crore ($500,000) seed investment in Wow Express, valuing the company at about Rs 9 crore. Vijay Mansukhani, one of the co-founders of Mirc Electronics that owns the Onida brand, will join the board of the company which has been promoted by three logistics industry veterans. Started in January this year, Wow Express has
tied up with known names in the e-commerce space like Paytm.com, rediff.com and Fashionandyou.com, in addition to a host of other e-commerce start ups. Through its network of branches in Mumbai, Thane, Delhi NCR, Ahmadabad, Surat and Jaipur, the company is currently processing in excess of 1 lakh parcels per month. "The plan is to be present
in about 12 cities by December this year and in about 50 locations by the end of 2016," Sandeep Padoshi, one of the cofounders said. Along with Padoshi, the other founders of the company are Jayesh Kamat and Mazhar Faruqi, who among themselves have worked for global logistics majors like DHL, UPS, TNT and Singapore Post. (Agencies)
10-digit EVC for e-filing of returns brings relief for taxpayers Onida co-promoter picks up 30% stake in Wow Express
Bengaluru, Jul 14: In a relief to taxpayers, the government recently put in place a new system of e-filing of returns using a 10-digit electronic verification code (EVC) or one-time password (OTP) that can be generated using net banking, ATMs, Aadhaar, your registered mobile as well as the income tax department's website. This is expected to put an end to the practice of sending paper acknowledgement to the tax department's office in Bengaluru. The rules notified by the income tax department stipulated a cap of Rs 5 lakh (total income) for EVCs generated via a taxpayer's regis-
tered e-mail ID and mobile number and also said this can be done only in cases where there is no refund claim. In such cases, the code can be generated through the e-filing website and will be sent to the registered mail ID as well as the mobile number. "This option may be further restricted to assessees based on other risk criteria that may be determined from time to time. EVCs generated through this e-filing mode can be used to verify the assessee's return," the three-page notification said. The other options, however do not put any limit on the income for filing returns using EVCs. In case of those
opting for the net banking route, the tax department said that specified banks registered with it provide direct access to the e-filing site. "Banks will be providing such facilities to their account holders whose bank accounts have a vali-
dated PAN as well as knowyour-customer (KYC)," it said. So, those opting for this window would be able to generate the EVC after they are redirected to the e-filing site. Banks will also give an option to generate the code at ATMs. (Agencies)
SEBI fixes Futures & Options contracts rate Mumbai, Jul 14: To insulate retail investors from excessive speculation through the derivatives route, the Sebi specified that from late October all futures & options (F&O) contracts should have a minimum value of Rs 5 lakh and a maximum of Rs 10 lakh. Since through F&O trades investors can leverage the amount of money they have to bet on a stock or an index, often small investors fall prey to such temptations and lose
money. The decision is expected to bring down daily trading volumes on the bourses too and hurt brokerage incomes also, market players said. The move also comes within a year of NSE reducing the nifty lot size to 25 from 50 which in turn had reduced the contract size from around Rs 4 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Sebi also said that the lot size for all stock derivatives contracts should be at least 50 and thereafter a multiple of 25. However, if the
value of a lot of 50 stocks is more than Rs 10 lakh, then the minimum lot size could be 10 and thereafter a multiple of 5. "For index derivatives, the lot size (in units of underlying) shall be fixed as a multiple of 5, provided the lot size is not less than 10," a Sebi release said. For example, if the sensex is at Rs 28,000, a contract on the index will have a minimum value of Rs 5.6 lakh with a lot size of 20, that is 28,000 X 20, while at nifty level of
8,500, the minimum value will be Rs 5.1 lakh with a lot size of 60. According to Kamal Poddar, MD, Choice Group, the increase in contract size will prevent retail investors from speculating in the equity derivative segment that have off-late seen a substantial rise in average daily turnover. "Effective October 2015 expiry, volumes will certainly take a hit in this segment initially," Poddar said. (Agencies)
India ranks second biggest loser of rich citizens Noida, Jul 14: India has the second highest millionaire outflow, or number of Indian HNWIs (high networth individuals) moving out of the country, reveals a new report from New World Wealth, a global wealth sector information consulting services firm. According to the report, the number of rich people changing domicile has increased dramatically since the turn of the century. Over the last 14 years (2000-14), India saw
61,000 HNWIs leave the country. It was second only to China, which witnessed 91,000 millionaires move out. The top five destinations for Indian millionaires were the UK, US, Australia, UAE and Singapore, in that order, says Andrew Amoils, head of research, New World Wealth. The major reasons for most global millionaires to immigrate include turmoil in their home country, security concerns and pursuit of better education
prospects for their children. For Indians, the biggest draws have been standard of living and tax saving. "The UK, Australia and the USA appeal to people due to language, standard of living, schooling and security. The UAE and Singapore also have a low tax structure," points out Amoils. While these HNWIs have made homes elsewhere, it hasn't been verified if they are holding more than one passport. "We have not checked them
individually. They may hold 2-3 passports. We looked at where they were living in 2000 and where they were in 2014," says Amoils. For the world's millionaires who migrated in this time period, the top eight countries of choice were: UK, US, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, UAE, Canada and Turkey. The UK was the top beneficiary of HNWIs from abroad, most of who came from Europe, Russia, China and India. (Agencies)
"The spirit was different from our point of view because we weren't fussed about trying to start any battles."
DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
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James Anderson
All-round India thrash Zimbabwe by 83 runs; complete whitewash Harare: An excellent allround show from India ensured a 3-0 whitewash against Zimbabwe, winning the third and final ODI at Harare by 83 runs. Stuart Binny took three wickets though he ought to have ended with five as Zimbabwe were cleaned out for 193 in their chase of 277. Zimbabwe crawled at the start, scoring only 16 in the first five and a half overs, with Hamilton Masakadza taking 24 balls to make 7. Regis Chakabva and Chamu Chibhabha then added 70 for the second wicket to give some hope to the hosts. However, from 86 for 1 they could add only 107 for the remaining nine wickets. Binny was able to find some help from the pitch, and could have ended up with his second ODI
fifer but for a dropped catch and a wicket off a no-ball. Richmond Mutumbami was out lbw for 22, Chamu Chibhabha holed out to Kedar Jadhav for 82, and Malcolm Waller was out caught at slip by Ajinka Rahane for 5. Binny's second ODI fifer was thwarted when Murali Vijay dropped Chibhabha on 71, while Binny himself was to blame when he had Waller edge to slip off a no-ball when on 0. Harbhajan Singh found himself on a hat-trick when he had Sikandar Raza bowled for 13 and Graeme Creamer offer Rahane a catch first ball, but Prosper Utseya dead-batted the hat-trick ball. Mohit Sharma and Akshar Patel took two wickets apiece, and Vijay took his maiden ODI scalp when he dismissed the ever-
2 India were in dire need for a stable partnership. Robin Uthappa, promoted up to No. 3 in Ambati Rayudu's absence, played a positive innings. However, No. 4 batsman Manoj Tiwary went into a shell and took 33 balls to score his 10 runs. He was finally out caught and bowled off Utseya, having slowed down India's run rate to less than four runs per over. Uthappa was soon after, getting a leading edge off Hamilton Masakadza's bowling and getting caught by Chigumbura at covers. However, at 82 for 4 India were in danger of folding up early yet again but debutant Pandey and Kedar saved India the blushes with their partnership. Kedar was lucky, when he was dropped by
dangerous Elton Chigumbura for 10. Earlier, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav put on a memorable 144-run stand to boost India to a commanding 277 for 5. Pandey scored his maiden ODI half-century, becoming the 12th Indian batsman to reach the landmark on debut. Kedar was the star though, scoring a tremendous 105 not out. In keeping with the tone of the series, India lost a bunch of wickets before enjoying a productive stand. Openers Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay put on 25 before Rahane drove one from Neville Madziva straight to Prosper Utseya for 15. Vijay was soon back in the hut as well, playing away from the body off Madziva only to snick behind to Richmond Mutumbami. At 33 for
US draw with Panama in Gold Cup, Haiti through to quarters Kansas City: The United States recovered from a poor first half and earned a 1-1 draw against Panama on Monday that kept the Central Americans from clinching an automatic spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals. In a physical, testy, battle at Sporting Park in Kansas City, the Americans overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit when Michael Bradley slotted home from close range in the 54th minute. The unbeaten Americans had already clinched their spot in the quarter-finals from Group A before the match. Haiti, meanwhile, advanced to the knockout phase by beating Honduras 1-0 courtesy of a Duckens Nazon goal. Panama, who drew all three of their games at the tournament to finish on three points, will now have to wait to see if they can qualify as one of the two best third-placed teams. The Central Americans came out inspired on
Monday, looking for their first win and Luis Tejada appeared to have given them the lead in the 10th minute only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Panama did finally strike in the 34th minute when Blas Perez finished off a
Father 'less optimistic' about Bianchi recovering Nice: The father of French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi says he is "less optimistic" that his son will recover from the severe head injuries he suffered in a Japanese Grand Prix crash last October. Bianchi, 25, has been in a coma since the accident at Suzuka and is now in hospital in Nice, near his parents' home in the south of France. "In general, progress needs to be made in the first six months," Philippe Bianchi said on Monday. "And now it's been nine months and Jules has still not woken up and there is no significant progress. "As time goes by, it makes me less optimistic than
I might have been two or three months after the accident when one might have hoped for a better outcome," he added. Bianchi, who crashed his Marussia into a recovery tractor in wet conditions and fading light, suffered the most serious F1 race injury since Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna died at Imola in 1994. Bianchi's father said in May the family had not given up hope of a miracle but recognised they had to be prepared for the worst. "It's hard to get up in the morning while telling yourself that you're not sure whether your son is going to live and every day is like that," said Philippe Bianchi. (Agencies)
Satnam scores as Dallas Mavericks lose again Las Vegas: Satnam Singh made his second consecutive appearance for Dallas Mavericks as they ended up on the losing side against Portland Trail Blazers in the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Dallas Mavericks lost 80-93. Satnam played 12 minutes, totalling four points and two rebounds. In his first game, against the Pelicans, he had four points, three rebounds and one assist. Firstround pick Justin Anderson went 2-9 from the field in 32 minutes, totalling five points. Third-year Blazers guard Allen Crabbe, who was selected 63rd overall in the 2013 draft, scored a teamhigh 24 points on 9-of-13 field goal shooting and 3-of4 from 3-point range. Tim Frazier, the 2014 NBA Development League MVP and Rookie of the Year, added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and five rebounds for Portland. The formerly undrafted guard out of Penn State had also had a game-high eight assists and grabbed five rebounds. Nineteen-year-old forward Noah Vonleh, selected ninth overall in the
2014 draft, scored 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 5-of7 from the free throw line to go with seven rebounds. Portland had a 48-32 advantage at the half and led by as much as 21 with just under four minutes to play. With the game well out-of-reach in the fourth quarter, third-year Mavericks forward Dwight Powell scored 12 of his game-high 25 points in the final period to go with a game-high eight rebounds. The 23-year-old Stanford alumnus was 7-of-16 from the field, 4-of-12 from 3point range and 7-of-10 from the free throw line for Dallas. (Agencies)
pass from Tejada. The US struck back early in the second half as Alejandro Bedoya played a great ball into the box to Bradley who finished. The match had several testy moments with three Panamanians receiving
yellow cards. "It's always tricky when you have one team who has advanced and another team playing for everything," Bradley said. "At the end of the day we'll take our points and move on," he added. (Agencies)
Beaten Aussies refused post-match beers with England London: A sore and defeated Australia turned down an invitation from England to share a postmatch beer after the tourists' humbling loss in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff, paceman James Anderson said. Captain Alastair Cook was rebuffed by Australia skipper Clarke after England's 169-run win on Saturday, though the match was played in good spirit. Anderson said England and New Zealand had shared a drink after each hardfought match of their drawn Test series earlier in the summer and Cook had wanted to continue the ritual with Clarke's team. "It was Cooky's idea and he went and asked them after the game," Anderson told British media. "We were all happy to do it. I don't know why they didn't come in. Maybe they wanted to carry on doing things their way. You'll have to ask them. It's their prerogative. We had a beer with the New Zealand team after both Tests and
we found it an enjoyable thing to do after a hard Test. It didn't matter whether we won or lost, we did it and it's something we want to carry on doing." Win, lose or draw, Australia and England once shared a drink after the final day's play of
manian felt his players may have lost their competitive edge by being too friendly with their opponents and since, the teams have generally held off mixing with each other until the end of a series. In contrast to the tetchy 2013/14 series in
middle, the Cardiff Test passed without incident. "The spirit was different from our point of view because we weren't fussed about trying to start any battles," Anderson said. "We were really focussed on what we were going to do
each Test but Ricky Ponting put paid to the tradition after his team lost the 2005 series. The hard-bitten Tas-
Australia, where the hosts won 5-0 and both teams engaged in some heated exchanges out in the
and when you rack up runs generally the opposition are quiet whoever you're playing against." (Agencies)
Can City-bound Sterling do justice ? Manchester: Manchester City are about to find out whether Raheem Sterling has the ability to justify his enormous price tag or is just another over-rated young English footballer motivated purely by his bank balance. City are investing 49 million pounds ($76.2 million) on the fleetfooted and tricky forward in the hope that he can provide the sparkle to bring the Premier League trophy back to the Etihad Stadium. Sterling, 20, will become the the most expensive English player ever when he completes his move from Liverpool, the club where he made his name before controversially rejecting a new contract. Liverpool have first-hand experience of the pitfalls of splashing out big money on unproven young English players. In 2011 they paid Newcastle United 35 million pounds for striker Andy Carroll but sold him to West Ham United for less than half the price two years later. City finished eight points be-
hind Premier League champions Chelsea last season and manager Manuel Pellegrini knew he had an ageing group of
players. Sterling's arrival will inject energy and youthful exuberance to a squad with an average age of around 29. The England
winger, who signed for Liverpool as a 15-year-old from Queens Park Rangers in 2010, can operate on the right, left or down the
middle and will give City the option of playing with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation. If Sterling can strike up the same partnership with City striker Sergio Aguero as he did with Luis Suarez during the Uruguayan's spell at Liverpool, then Pellegrini's side could challenge Chelsea. However, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes City have paid over the odds for Sterling. "At Liverpool, sometimes he was outstanding, but in the second half of last season he tailed off a bit," Carragher was quoted as saying. "The same thing will happen at Man City because he's still only young. Raheem Sterling, at this stage of his career and what he's done up to now is possibly worth around 30 million pounds. In the next three or four years, if Sterling can take City to a couple of Premier League titles, more success in the Champions League, they will say he's been worth it," he added. (Agencies)
Mallya suffers legal setback in F1 car ad case New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Vijay Mallya to overturn charges against him for allegedly violating foreign exchange rules, adding to the legal challenges facing one of the country's most prominent businessmen. The country's enforcement directorate, responsible for fighting financial crime, has alleged Mallya entered into an unauthorised agreement in 1995 to advertise the Kingfisher beer brand name on racing cars during Formula One championships between 1996 and 1998. Mallya is chairman of United Breweries which makes Kingfisher beer and is now
around 40 percent owned by Dutch brewer Heineken. The directorate has said he did the advertising deal without seeking permission from the central bank. Such clearance would have been needed because the agreement involved money going out of the country. Lawyers for Mallya, who is also facing pressure from lenders to repay dues linked to his grounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines, had told the court that the non-compliance was not deliberate or wilful, according to the court documents. The country's top court on Monday rejected the appeal in the long-running
Chigumbura on 41. He made the most of it after that. Pandey played an almost chanceless innings, scoring 71 off 86 with four boundaries and a lovely straight six. He was dismissed in the 47th over, hitting one from Chamu Chibhabha to Sikandar Raza in the deep on the leg side. Stuart Binny continued his good run of form, bringing out some big hits at the end. Kedar picked up his pace as well, getting to a well-deserved century which was studded with 12 boundaries and one maximum. Brief Scores: India- 276/5 in 50 overs ( Kedar Jadhav 105*, Manish Pandey 71; Neville Madziva 2/48); Zimbabwe - 193 in 42.4 overs (Chamu Chibhabha 82; Stuart Binny 3/55).
case and could now force him to face the enforcement directorate charges. Mallya remains involved in Formula One as a co-owner of the Force India team. Mallya's business empire previously included India's largest spirits company United Spirits Ltd, but he sold most of his shares in the company and gave management control to Britain's Diageo Plc in 2012. In April, the board of United Spirits begun a procedure to remove Mallya as the company's chairman due to alleged financial irregularities. Mallya has denied the allegations and has refused to resign. (Agencies)
Serena extends lead in WTA rankings
Serena Williams has extended her lead in the WTA rankings after her fourth consecutive Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday, with the World No. 1 now having more than twice as many points as her closest rival and World No. 2 Maria Sharapova. Sharapova, who lost to Serena in the Championships semi-final, rose two spots, while Petra Kvitova went down to number five after making a third-round exit following her loss to Jelena Jankovic. Meanwhile, Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza of Spain jumped 11 places to move on into the top 10 for the first time ever, she is now in the 9th spot. The men's ATP rankings remains unchanged, with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic maintaining his healthy lead after a third Wimbledon title win against Swiss Roger Federer, with Andy Murray at third and Rafael Nadal at number 10. (Agencies)
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Page 12 DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
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HORTICULTURE Tomato Cultivation in Northeast - Its Techniques and Management The North Eastern region of India comprising of eight states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, is one of the richest reservoirs of different underutilized vegetable crop species. Apart from the nutritional value, many regional underutilized vegetable crops are used for medicinal purposes, for income generation and poverty alleviation. Species diversity in the region A large number of indigenous vegetables crop species are used, particularly, by the tribal population. Wide range of Solanum species, that is, tomato is found in various parts of the region. The local tribals of Arunachal Pradesh grow a vegetable having red tomato like fruits slightly bitter in taste belonging to the genus Solanum. In Manipur, another kind of brinjal, having round fruit and intermediate in appearance between tomato and brinjal, is grown. In the hilly areas, tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacca), a perennial shrub producing red tomato like vegetables is also grown and used as such. Tree tomato is consumed as delicious chutney when raw or after roasting and peeling off the skin. One of the legume species,
Vignavexillata, is grown by the tribals of Tripura. It is a legume cum tuber crop and rich in carbohydrates and minerals. Tree bean (Parkia roxburghii G. Don.) is one of the most common of multipurpose tree species in the Manipur and Mizoram. Another vegetable tree growing in the lower altitude zones and popular among the people is drum stick or horse radish, locally called Sajina (Moringa oleifera). Many species of cucurbits are found and diversity of underutilized cucurbits in the region. The wild species Cucumis hardwickii, the likely progenitor of cultivated cucumber, is found growing in natural habitats in the foothills of Himalayas and NE region, particularly Meghalaya. Cho-Cho (Sechium edule) a native of tropical. America is a very popular vegetable in the region. Commonly called as squash, it grows abundantly without much care and attention. Cho-Cho produces large starchy edible roots in addition to fruits. Protected structures The main purpose of protected cultivation is to create a favorable environment for the sustained yield as to realize its maximum potential even in adverse climatic conditions. The protected structures may be a high cost or low cost polyhouse,
net house, tunnels etc. a partially ventilated low cost polyhouse with both polythene and agroshed net may be suitable for farmers. The site for protected cultivation should be accessible, sunny, with no waterlogging. To minimize the diseases, new area should be selected for cultivation.
Tomatoes for Good Living
There is more to eating tomatoes than good taste, they are great for your health. Tomatoes are full of health enhancing properties, read on to discover how the humble tomato can improve your health. Tomatoes are loaded with many, many health benefits. In fact, they are incredibly versatile and can be prepared in a seemingly endless number of dishes, as well as being great to eat alone. Keep reading to find out why you need to stop neglecting tomatoes as a part of your regular balanced diet. Tomatoes are good for your skin Tomatoes contain a high level of lycopene, which is a substance that is used in some of the more pricy facial cleansers that are available for purchase over-the-counter. If you want to try tomatoes for skin care, you need to start with about eight to twelve tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes and then place the skin on your face with inside of the tomato touching your skin. Leave the tomatoes on your face for a minimum of ten minutes, then wash. Your face will feel clean and shiny. Some redness may occur, but should fade with time. Tomatoes help prevent several types of cancer
A number of studies have been conducted that indicate that the high levels of lycopene in tomatoes works to reduce your chances of developing prostate, colorectal and stomach cancer. Lycopene is a natural antioxidant that works effectively to slow the growth of cancerous cells. Cooked tomatoes produce even more lycopene. Tomatoes help maintain strong bones Tomatoes contain a considerable amount of calcium and Vitamin K. Both of these nutrients are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on the bones as well as the bone tissue. Tomatoes help repair damage caused by smoking No, eating tomatoes is not the most recent fad to help you quit smoking. However, tomatoes can reduce the amount of damaged done to your body by smoking cigarettes. Tomatoes contain coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid that work to protect the body from carcinogens that are produced from cigarette smoke. Tomatoes provide essential antioxidants Tomatoes contain a great deal of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. This is primarily because these vitamins and
beta-carotene work as antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood. Free radicals in the blood stream are dangerous because it may lead to cell damage. Remember, the redder the tomato you eat is, the more beta-carotene it contains. In addition, you also want to keep in mind that cooking destroys the Vitamin C, so for these benefits, the tomatoes need to be eaten raw. Tomatoes are good for your heart Because of the Vitamin B and potassium in tomatoes, they are effective in reducing cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. Therefore, by including tomatoes in your regular balanced diet you can effectively prevent heart attacks, strokes as well as many other heart related problems that may threaten your life. Tomatoes are good for your hair The Vitamin A in tomatoes works perfectly to keep your hair shiny and strong. In addition, it also does wonders for your eyes, skin, bones and teeth. Tomatoes are good for your kidneys Adding tomatoes without seeds to your diet has been proven in some studies to reduce the risk of kidney stones. Tomatoes are good for your eyes The Vitamin A found in tomatoes is fantastic for improving your vision. In addition, eating tomatoes is one of the best foods to eat to prevent the development of night blindness. Tomatoes are packed full of the valuable mineral known as chromium. It works effectively to help diabetics keep their blood sugar levels under better control.
The soil should be welldrained, loamy with adequate organic matter (> 2.0%). Crops are successfully grown in the moderately acidic soils (pH 6.07.5). Climate Tomato prefers moderate temperature and thrives well in the temperature range of 25 - 30C. The prevalence of low temperature and high humidity causes severe infestation of diseases. Nursery management Seeds are sown in raised beds under protected structures. Seeds can be sown about 20 - 25 days before planting. The average seed rate for tomato is 350 - 400 g/ha. Seeds are sown with row spacing of 10 cm and seed spacing of 0.5cm. 1Densely populated seeds
produce weak seedlings. The beds should be drenched with Trichoderma and Pseudomonas culture @ 2 % to manage damping off. Varieties Indeterminate tomato varieties are suitable for cultivation under polyhouse. Avtar, Indam Hybrid, All Rounder, Arka Meghali, Arka Surabhi, etc. too are suitable varieties for tomato. Planting Tomato should be planted on the raised bed with the bed width of 1.5m. There should be a path of 0.6m between two beds. 20 - 25 day old seedlings should be planted at the distance of 1.0 x 0.8m. Before planting, the root of seedlings should be dipped for 15 minutes in Trichoderma
and Pseudomonas culture @ 10%. Planting should preferably be done in small pits for better root development. Nutrient Management The nutrient requirement of tomato is moderately high (N 100, P 60, K 80 kg/ ha) and shows good response with the addition of nutrients. FYM should be applied @ 5.0 kg/ m2 along with neem cake @ 200g/ m2. At the time of planting, seedling should be treated with Azospirillum and PSB (20%) for 15 minutes. The addition of vermicompost @ 1 kg/ m2 further improves the production. Interculture and irrigation Tomato is a shallow rooted crop and roots are restricted within 15 - 20 cm of soil. So, light earthing up should
be done after 30 days and 45 days of planting.5 Good quality water should be applied at 10 days interval. The plants should be provided with strong multiple stakes after one month of planting. Diseases and Pests Late blight of tomato is the most devastating disease caused by a fungus Phytophthora infestans. It infects and destroys the leaves, stems and fruits. Its infection is most rapid during conditions of high moisture and moderate temperatures (20-25oC). Management Nursery - Soil treatment with Trichoderma culture @ 2% Soil drenching with Trichoderma culture @ 2% before planting Seedling treatment with Trichoderma culture @ 10% for 15 minutes Soil drenching with Bordeaux mixture (1:1:100) after 15 days of planting Spray of Bordeaux mixture (1:1:100) at fortnightly interval after one month of planting. In severe infection, application of Ridomil/Matko @ 2g/ l manages the diseases effectively. Early blight Early blight of tomato, caused by the fungus Alternaria solani, is a common foliar disease of tomato. This disease causes direct losses by the infection of fruits and indirect losses by reducing plant vigor. The disease can be managed by spray of Bordeaux mixture. Grey mould Grey mould a fungal disease (Botrytis cinerea), is an important disease of tomato and its infection occurs after flowering and fruit set. In case of severe infection, flowers and pedicel starts dying and in later stage fruits also start rotting. 8The infection starts from peduncle and infected fruits are not suitable for consumption. Management
Application of Bordeaux mixture after one month of planting is required. In case of severe infestation, spray of Kavach (Clorothalonil) at 1.5 g/ l minimizes the infection. Cercospora leaf spot It is one of the important foliar disease caused by Cercospora sp. Infected leaf has brown spots with curled leaf margin and late on, it withers. As the disease progresses, the leaflets turn yellow and also with curled margins. Spots on the leaf petioles, stems and flower parts become elongated and have dark - brown color. In heavily infested plant, defoliation may occur. The disease can be managed by the application of Bordeaux mixture. Fruit borer Fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera) is the most important pest of tomato. It causes serious damage during the fruit development and ripening. 10The larva feeds on the pulp by making hole. The infested fruit is not suitable for consumption. Management ¢ Application of NPV (Helicide) at 0.5 ml/ l after 15 days of fruit set. Yield The average yield of tomato under protected condition may vary between 6 -8 kg/ m2 if proper care is taken. The average yield per plant may be 3 4 kg/ plant with the fruit number of 40 - 60 / plant and fruit weight 80 - 90 g Profitability The cultivation of tomato is highly profitable if fruits are harvested between June -October. The cost of cultivation may vary from Rs 20 - 25/ m2, while the earning may be between Rs. 100 - 130 / m2. The cost benefit ratio in tomato is generally as high as 1:4.
Northeast eyes new variety of Tomato
Recently, there has been the emergence of a new variety of tomato in the Northeast region. Megha Tomato-3, a new variety of tomato has been released by the State Variety Release Committee to increase vegetable production in the northeast region. The variety developed by ICAR Research Complex for Northeast Region, Barapani carries characters sufficient to fight against the draconian disease bacterial wilt, and can survive under low temperatures, which is a most common phenomenon in the region. According to analysis and survey reports, it has come to notice that this variety can be successfully grown in the rainfed as well as irrigated ecologies. Parent lines of the variety are Pusa-Sheetal and Lima which is an exotic variety. Male and female plant heights are 55.5 cm (Indeterminate) and 35.5 cm (determinate) respectively. Other differences between male and female are: male plants are bearing erect, multi branched, big size fruit; while female are dwarf, early multi branched, starchy, fruit medium size. After many years' trial, the variety has shown tolerance to wilt with high yielding under adverse climatic conditions. "The variety is being recommended for the region as it is tolerant to bacterial wilt and can bear low temperatures said", said an official of the Horticulture division, ICAR, Umiam. Megha Tomato-3 has 2.30% acidity and 19.20 mg/100g ascorbic acid which responsible for vitamin-C and antioxidant. Another important property of the new variety is the presence of comparatively higher red pigment, called Lycopene, which carries 36.59 mg/100g. The further reports suggest that Lycopene is entrusted with the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. It especially fights against lung and stomach cancers in human body.
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