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ASSENG/2015/64205
Vol. 1
Issue 239
BCPL: Magnificent spark of Hope for the North East
Dibrugarh, Friday, February 5, 2016
Price -
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Pages- 12
Contemporary cultural dialectics of Manipur
Wholesale onion prices dips to Rs 9.50/kg
FB post against Dalits stir controversy at IIMC
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3 decades on the wait is finally over! Modi Govt to seek ratification A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Feb. 4
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited – BCPL – petrochemical complex towards the nation today at around 10 in the morning in an inauguration program at Lepetkata, the project site which is around 11 kms from this upper Assam town. BCPL which was incorporated in the historic Assam Accord, 1985 has a history of its own as it has seen many ups and down, before, it was brought out from the cold storage by the then Dr. Manmohan Singh led UPA government at the Centre and was given a fresh lease of life. After much discussions and exercises by experts and bureaucrats, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its final nod in April 2006 and accordingly a joint venture company under the name and style of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited was formed in January 2007 to implement the project. The then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh also laid the foundation stone of the project at Lepetkata on April 9, 2007. The initial deadline for completion of the plant was April 2012. The project owing to several reasons – inclement weather being one - missed several deadlines and its cost was revised from Rs 5,460 crore to Rs 9,285 crore. Gas Authority of India Limited – GAIL - is the main promoter of BCPL having 70% stake, while the rest 30% is equally shared by Oil India, Numaligarh Refinery and Gov-
ET CAPSULES Chief Secretary promotes Clean Arunachal Campaign at Banderdewa Naharlagun, Feb 4: Promoting the Clean Arunachal Campaign, Chief Secretary, Ramesh Negi today visited Banderdewa where he advised, the local residence especially the shopkeepers to keep their surrounding clean and to use dustbin. The Chief Secretary further advised the Chief Councilor to take precautionary measures on the health of sanitation workers, said they get hepatitis B injections and boosters on time so that their health does not suffer. The CS was accompanied by Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Dani Salu, Chief Councilor Kipa Kaku, CMEO Habung Lampung and IPR Director CM Longphong.
Dead bodies recovered
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Margherita, Feb 4: Tension prevails since today morning at Borgoloi near NEFAA tea factory under Margherita police station following the recovery of two dead bodies of Sunil Chetry and Kamala Chetry both husband and wife from their own residence. Sunil Chetry’s dead body was found hanging while Kamala Chetry dead body was found from below the bed. Kamala Chetry was an employee of the General Manager office of NECF, Coal India Limited, Margherita. Meanwhile, Margherita Police have launched an investigation into the matter. (Correspondent)
THE HIGHLIGHTS
A file photo of BCPL PM Modi to inaugurate BCPL project today at 10 am at Lepetkata, 11kms from Dibrugarh town. Assam Gas Cracker project, the first ever petrochemical project in entire North East India, is expected to generate scope for substantial investments in setting up of downstream plastic processing industries ernment of Assam. Engineers India Limited is the engineering and project management consultant for the Assam Gas Cracker project, the construction work for which began in April 2007. “The people of the region are ticking their eyes on the project which is the outcome of the Assam Accord. Assam Gas Cracker project, the first ever petrochemical project in entire North East India, is expected to generate scope for substantial investments in setting up of downstream plastic processing industries”, Parag Jyoti Baruah, one of the convenor of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Manch said. The manch also expressed its gratitude towards former CM of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Late Bhrigu Kumar Phukon, who was the former
On July 4, 2015 three units of the Gas cracker plant- Gas Sweetening Unit (GSU), C2 + Recovery Unit and Polypropylene unit (PPU) were commissioned by Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and Assam CM Tarun Gogoi. After the inauguration programme PM Modi will attend a party workers meet at Abhayapuri rural stadium in Moran at 11.30 am. Home Minister of Assam and Late Rajiv Gandhi, former PM of India for their role in conception of the project. Welcoming the PM for the inauguration of the mega project, Baruah also sincerely recalled the contributions made by former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and Assam CM Tarun Gogoi. “On July 4, 2015 three units of the Gas cracker plant- Gas Sweetening Unit (GSU), C2 + Recovery Unit and Polypropylene unit (PPU) were commissioned. Works on the two remaining unit- Ethylene unit and Liner Low Density poly Ethylence (LLDPE)/ High Density poly Ethylene(HDPE) unit were recently completed,’’ a BCPL official said. “The principal end products of the project, which will use natural gas and naphtha as feedstock, will be high
density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) totaling 2,20,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) and 60,000 TPA of polypropylene (PP). The other products include raw pyrolysis gasoline and fuel oil,’’ the official said. “Various ranges of polymers, manufactured by Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymers can be used in different applications in sectors such as packaging film, roto, injection, raffia, and blow molding. This, in turn, is expected to boost the supply of different end use products like water storage tanks, household items, house-wares, crates, buckets and packaging materials, woven sacks for packaging of fertilizers and cement, containers for edible oil and chemicals in the North Eastern states. These products would be marketed with assistance from Gail, which has a wide marketing network in the country and has approximately 21 per cent share in domestic polyethylene market,’’ the official said. Security has been beefed up for the PM visit in Dibrugarh. The Dibrugarh district administration has been working relentlessly for the success of the programme. After the inauguration programme PM Modi will attend a party workers meet at Abhayapuri rural stadium in Moran at 11.30 am. It will be for the first time in Assam that the BJP is organizing such a big rally to garner votes prior to the assembly election which is largely dominated by the tea tribes’ people. “We are expecting more than 1 lakh people in the rally,’’ said Rituparna Baruah, a member of BJP.
Dibrugarh girl selected for Kamal Kumari Foundation award-2016 ET Correspondent Jorhat, Feb. 4
Artist Aisharjya P. Konwar has been nominated for Amrit Baruah memorial award which was announced by Kamal Kumari Foundation here today at the Barooah & Associate (B&A) head office by the cocoordinator Bitupan Hazarika who is also the chief Tea cocoordinator of the B&A group. Artist Aisharjya P. Konwar who hails from Tingkhong in Dibrugarh district has made a name for herself with her abstract sculptures, figrures as she has a deep interest in depicting human emotion in the form of art, which the Foundation observed as late
Hemendra Prasad Barooah was parallelly a renowned artist too. So the Foundation has thought to pick up young artist below the age of 40 who were engaged in the field of painting and sculpture for Amrit Barooah memorial award, informed Aruna Varle. While Prantik-a fortnightly Assamese magazine has been nominated for the Siba Prasad Barooah award for its excellent in the field of journalism. The fortnightly is regarded as the path-breaker of the journalism has curved the niche for its consciousness of the people of Assam with its greater service to the society for the past three decades.
sor Dhiraj Bora has been nominated for the Kamal Kumari Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of science and technology. Professor Bora is the founder team member of the IPR and an active member of the team that design, install and commission the first indigenous Tokamak ADITYA to generate and confine very high temperature plasma. For art and culture late Pushpa Bhuyan has been picked up for the Kamal Kumari Award for her contribution to the society as a expert dancer. Late Bhuyan attained mastery over several generics, including Bharat Natyyam, Sattriya, Kathak, Manipuri and Kudipudi.
Renowned Physics profes-
Contd. on Page 4
of President's rule in Arunachal in Budget session ET Bureau New Delhi, Feb 4
The government will push for the ratification of the proclamation of President's Rule in Arunachal during the first part of the Budget session begin-
ning February 23. President's Rule was imposed in Arunachal Pradesh on January 26 following political instability in the state. As per Article 356 of the
People from tea garden community during the rally in Tinsukia. Pic - Arjun Mishra.
Rishu Kalantri. Tinsukia, Feb 4
On the back drop of threat issued to tea tribe and Hindi speaking community people by Moran Tiger Force followed by firing incident at Digboi and Doomdooma aiming to target duo community people on Wednesday night, thousands and thousands tea tribe community people from all across district geared with their sharp traditional weapons took out a massive rally in Tinsukia town shouting slogans against a particular community. The rally, amidst a tight security, ended at Thana Charali in Tinsukia town from where the people of tea tribes gathered at Chaliha Nagar Field and held a small meeting. Leaders belonging to tea tribe community demanded identification and punishment of persons involved in Wednesday's firing incident including those who issued threat. On the other hand, amidst fear of backlash several rounds of meeting took place in Tinsukia. Earlier on Thursday noon All Assam Moran Students Union
organized a press meet in presence of various students organizations and condemned the attack last night. Prasanto Khatowal, assistant general secretary of AAMSU said, Moran community has nothing to do with Moran Tiger Force and it is the duty of district and police administration to find out those behind Moran Tiger Force and punish them. We are living peacefully with all community people in Assam since ages and will do so in future too, he added. Prasanto alleged a political design behind the Moran Tiger Force threat issue and Wednesday night firing incident. Their is an attempt to derail our long 'aandonal' to get schedule tribe status and autonomous council for political reasons, he added. In the meantime, Tinsukia district administration organized a peace meeting at dc conference hall. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia Puru Gupta, attended by superintendent of Tinsukia police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanto, ADC's and all organizations of Tinsukia district including AASU, AJYCP, Muttack Sanmelan, AAMSU, ATASU,
The much expected South Asian Games is all set to begin tomorrow at the Sarusajai stadium, at Guwahati, and the grand event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of several high-profile dignitaries, including the Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the
ATTSA. It is learnt that district and police administration has emphasized on peace and urged all the community to continue harmony among themselves and assured them that they will in a short-time make a major breakthrough and nab the culprits. All the organizations assured administration of their full support and co-operation to ensure peace is not broken in the entire district at any cost. Earlier on Wednesday late night around 11:30 people of tea tribes hit the national highway 37 and blocked the road for hours. It was only on assurance from senior officials that they withdrew the blockade at 2:30 am in the wee hours. It must be mentioned that few days back unknown persons had sent sms to scribe in the name of Moran Tiger Force and threatened to target Hindi speaking and tea tribe community in the region. Till than all including the police was taking it as a fake threat but Wednesday's firing incident has rung alarming bells and can have a major impact on the upcoming assembly elections.
of the Union Budget, the government will push for the passage of the resolution in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The BJP-led NDA government lacks numbers in the Upper House.
Police has zeroed-in behind the attackers : SP Spl Correspondent Tinsukia, Feb 4 Superintendent of Tinsukia police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanto said that police has almost zeroed-in behind the attackers and will in a very short time nab all the culprits. This statement of Tinsukia police chief, within 24 hours of the incident, has controlled the panic that gripped the entire Hindi speaking and tea tribe community after Wednesday night dual attack. Talking to ET correspondent Mahanto said, we have identified the entire network behind Moran Tiger Force and very soon the people of state will come to know the main 'khal nayak'. Police has already launched operation, however, no arrests have been made so far, he added. Mahanto said, we thank all organizations for co-operating with government machinery day long to keep the situation calm and under control in the district and anticipate similar positive support by all.
AAMSU bandh hits normal life in Tinsukia Spl Correspondent Tinsukia, Feb 4 First day of 48 hour Assam bandh by All Assam Moran Students Union evoked a strong reaction in Tinsukia district bringing normal life to a standstill. Amidst small incidents like breaking glass of bus and counters of a couple hotels in Tinsukia town, the bandh at large was peaceful. On one hand all shops and offices remained closed while on the other hand roads were deserted and their were hardly any vehicle plying on roads. This was more or less the similar situation in all small towns of Tinsukia district including Makum Doomdooma, Digboi, Margherita and so on. AAMSU has clarified that the bandh will continue on the second day also. The bandh was called by AAMSU in support of their demand of inclusion of their community in the list schedule tribe and providing of autonomous council under Schedule 6 of the constitution.
Galo Student’s Union reiterates its demand for early completion of Basar- Bam (Bame) Road A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Feb 4
In continuation with its demands made before the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh vide its representation dated 2nd Febraury, 2016, the
Galo Student’s Union has reiterated its demand for early completion of Basar- Bam (Bame) Road within the stipulated time and action against the BRTF authorities. “No further time extension should be given to the contractor and the
12-day Games will feature 2,500 athletes from eight SAARC countries Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi. The 12-day Games will feature 2,500 athletes from eight SAARC countries,. The multi-sporting event, being held under the aegis of South Asian Olympics Council, is happening after a delay of four years. The 12th edition of the Games was to be held in 2012 in New Delhi but was postponed due to Assembly elections in the national capital.
Sources in the government said that soon after the tabling
Amidst fear of backlash, rounds of meetings organized in Tinsukia
Grand inauguration for 12th SAG in Guwahati A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 4
Constitution, the proclamation will cease to operate within two months unless "it has been approved by resolutions of both Houses of Parliament".
Bangladesh capital Dhaka had hosted the last edition in 2010 and India had run away with a tally of a whopping 175 medals out of 528 on offer, including 90 gold out of 157, to hold on to regional superpower status. Pakistan had finished a distant second with 80 medals, including 19 gold, in the Games competed among countries considered minnows in Olym-
pic sports at the global stage despite being over 20 per cent of the global population. Nearly 2000 athletes competed in Dhaka in 23 disciplines and 157 events while the Games at Guwahati and Shillong will have 23 disciplines and 228 events, thus making this edition the biggest ever. Contd. on Page 4
tender allotted to it should be immediately terminated in case of failure to complete and hand over the said road stretch within time”, Marli Kamki, spokesperson, GSU said. Further, the GSU would like to state that the union had de-
manded for initiating action against the Executive Engineer (Electrical), Basar Electrical division on the basis of RTI documents obtained by it. Contd. on Page 3
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi instructs all state govt. officials to leave no stone unturned for success of SAG A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 4
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi instructed all the State Government officials to leave no stone unturned for the making the 12th South Asian Games a success. In a statement here on Wednesday Gogoi said, “Though the Organising Committee of the Games should take care of all issues, I being the Chief Minister of the State
take the responsibility and direct all government officials engaged in the Games to be on their toes to make the Sought Asian Games a smooth and hassle free affair.” Chief Minister Gogoi’s direction came close on the heels of the reported news item on a section of media that no official was there at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Air Port to receive the foreign players. Contd. on Page 4
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PM Modi to dedicate Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited towards the nation today
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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
ASTRO FOR YOU Aries You will pay attention to the voice of your inner self today. This will help you implement all your plans perfectly. You will not only be jovial, but you will also not let disappointments cow you down. Not only today, but you can summon this quality whenever you like.
Orientation on Wildlife Is KPLT Laws held at Digboi College preparing to
Taurus Your efforts are due to give the results you expect. If you are in a mood to achieve something more than usual, this is the day for it. You are not likely to be disappointed. You will be getting increasingly popular socially as well as professionally, and gaining the trust and support of one and all. Everyone will speak and think highly of your commitment and competence. Gemini You have a certain degree of equanimity when it comes to reacting to praise and criticism. Today, however, you will be emotional, and it won’t be too bad. You will get appreciated at work and your liberal show of emotions will only make others like you more. Your colleagues will say three cheers for you. But avoid an emotional outburst as it may turn cheers into jeers. Cancer An awareness of optimism and idealism will mark your activities this day. You may benefit by traversing from one terrain to another. You will be liberal and generous with ideas; your internal beauty will blossom. Leo It is good to be impulsive sometimes; but if one were to ask you today, you would be all for a meticulously planned approach to life. So much so that from now on, planning will become almost a part and parcel of your life. So, it is expected that you plan everything to perfection today, although the execution of your plans may be a different story. But you can’t do everything, can you? At least the good thing is that you make a great display of your organisational capabilities. Virgo You will start the day by scribbling down things to do. But don’t just jot them down; instead, set realistic goals and prioritise them. Items you mark highest will demand quick actions. Libra It’s a spiritual and harmonious mood that grips you today. You may want to focus on meditation, as you essentially seek peace. This may have something to do with the fact that at work, your subordinates may attempt to throw around their weight to force you to make drastic changes. But do not let it bother you too much. Just ensure that you consider all things at hand before you take any decision. Tackle things with tact, and remember to be calm. Breathe! Scorpio It is more than likely that you will find yourself in a tricky situation today. You may start the day feeling lonely and empty but yet, at the same time, you will have some responsibility that will prevent your from showing it. Try to keep your mind off negative thoughts. Work and friends will help you cheer up later in the day. Sagittarius Personal grooming will be on your mind today. A small fortune may be spent on enhancing the way you look, especially on a new hair-do. Retail Therapy is on the cards, and you may indulge spending on clothes and jewellery. Capricorn It’s difficult to keep calm and have a control over your temper in times of distress, but today, you will prove all who surrendered to the whims of adversity wrong. You will be unfaltering in dealing with problems, and will overcome them with ease. At home, you will be content and at peace, and this will also reflect in your work, adding to your already high efficiency. Aquarius The day seems normal as you are unlikely to encounter unpleasant situations, says Ganesha. The high point of the day will be your consummate skill with which you will handle mundane tasks. Do not forget the saying, “Success is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Pisces You are likely to feel a lot of tension and stress today. You will feel down owing to some disagreement with someone or due to some unfathomable reason. Even that special someone will be unable to chase away your blues. A little meditation will help you to bounce back and get into your daily routine.
PRASAR BHARATI (India's Public Service Broadcaster) ALL INDIA RADIO : DIBRUGARH (M.W.529.1m/KHz567 F.M. 101.30 MHz) Phone No.-03732325456 E-mail -dibrugarh@air.org.in Facebook Page-All India Radio Dibrugarh Programme Highlights
He also highlighted how the codified law in India for the wildlife and protec-
tion was enacted in the year 1887 by the British that was titled as the Wild Bird Protection Act, 1887, followed by another modification by the British Government the Wild Birds and Animal Protection Act 1912 and yet another amendment in the 1935. Mr. Das also spoke on the genesis of the WLPA and the Assam Forest Regulation of 1891. Mr. Das also spoke on the laws such as Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act 1960, and cited an example by saying that, the law also protects even a dog, if it is been kicked by the owner or anyone and it is punisable. He also spoke on Forest Rights Act 2006, Biodiversity Act 2002, Assam Forest Regulation 1891, Elephant Preservation Act 1879, Rhino Protection Act 1952. Further, Mr. Das has men-
tioned, The Fundamental duties – Part IVA – Art. 51A (g) “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India … to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.” The WLPA also includes Schedules I, II, III & IV list different protected species, the killing or trade of which prohibited, Schedule V lists vermin and Schedule VI lists protected plants. As per section 9 of WLPA, it prohibits hunting and says that no person shall hunt any wild animal specified in Schedule I, II, III and IV. The section 17A also says about the prohibition of picking, uprooting, damage, destroy, acquire or collect any specified plants from any area specified, by notification, by the Central Government, however section 17B says about special permission
ET Correspondent Diphu, Feb 4: Sensation prevailed among the residents of village Langchibu covered by Kheroni police station of West Karbi Anglong on Tuesday last, after discovery of one dead body kept buried inside earth surrounded by sugarcane plantation. According to information received group of village
In the meeting Chief Minister Gogoi led a discussion for setting up of six projects involving an investment approxi-
Sd-/H.O.P
Toilet block for tm good shepherd high school gunjung let for girls & boys of needed assistance. the School. Thos gesture Toilets were handed by 'Friends of the Hill over to School Au- People' will help fosthorities in the pres- ter better trust beence of Gaon Burah/ tween the locals and Secretary and villag- the Security Forces. ers. The school au- The villagers of thority and villagers Gunjung also assured expressed their heart- their whole hearted felt gratitude to 38 support to the Assam Assam Rifles for ex- Rifles in times to tending their much come.
A student’s interaction section was also conducted after Mr. Das presentation where many students asked him vital questions and other doubts of WLPA. The programme was also attended by Mr. Saibal Dev, HOD, Department of Zoology, Mr. Rajib Rudra Tariang, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Mr. Gauri Buragoahin, Asst. Professor, Department of English, Ms. Neelam Kharwar, Assistance Professor of Zoology of Digboi College, Digboi. Mr. Tariang spoke on the purpose of the meeting and also delivered the vote of thanks to the gathered house.
re-emerge?
ET Correspondent Diphu, Feb 4: Quoting police source a local vernacular daily of Diphu has reported that Karbi Ultra organization KPLT (Karbi Peoples Liberation Tiger) which is fragmented into various factions is restructuring itself to reemerge in a large way before the assembly election of the state, in Karbi Anglong district. According to report KPLT (S) faction is recruiting fresh youth cadres as it was hopelessly outnumbered due to large scale arrest and elimination in the face of continued operation of the armed forces engaged in counter insurgency operation. According to the report Dokmoka area bordering Nagaon district has highest concentration of KPLT (S) particularly in villages contagious to the hill range of Dokmoka. Police and Indian army is likely to start intensive operation in the newly shaped strongholds of the outfit.
Youth murdered in Diphu Social worker died
A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 4 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday held a high-powered committee meeting with top officials in the premises of Assam Legislative Assembly to clear the desks for setting up of six projects in Assam.
5-35 A.M-Bhaktigeeti (Devotional Songs) 6-10 A.M-Swasthya Charcha (Health Programme) 6-50 A.M-Zikir 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 Song) 12-05 P.M-Surar Satsori (Live Phone In Request Song Programme) 1-10 P.M-Troops Programme 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 6-15 P.M-Ganya Raaijor Anusthan 7-15 P.M-Chah Shramikar Aasor 8-00 P.M-Jibanar Dighbani (Radio Autobiography) 9-30 P.M-Assamese & Hindi Film Songs 10-00 P.M-Classical Music
Assam Rifles provided assistance to TM Good Shepherd High School, VillGunjung, Dima Hasao by construction of Toi-
A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Feb 4: Wildlife Conservation Biology, a UGC sponsored career orientation course under the Department of Zoology, Digboi College had organized an orientation on Wildlife Laws with special emphasis on Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA) for the zoology students of Digboi College, yesterday afternoon. Mr. Ajoy Kumar Das, Associated Lawyer of Aaranyak, & Advocate of Guwahati High Court delivered his talk on Wildlife Laws. Mr. Das started his speech on the history of Indian Wildlife Laws which was practices dates back during the King Ashoka period (268 – 232 BC), where the king enacted a law in matter of preservation of wildlife and environment.
boys were searching one missing domestic animal in that area when they noticed the human carcass. Kheroni police retrieved the body from the place of incident around 8.00 PM same day, the beheaded body also bears large slash mark in the abdomen, later the body was iden-
tified as Ratan Inghi of village West Kandara located within general area of Kaki, Nagaon district. The 28 year youth was reported missing since January 29 and a missing diary was recorded in Kheroni police station on January 31 by his family members. Police is inquiring into the incident to nab the murderer.
High-power committee meeting held
5-2-16 (FRIDAY)
ET Correspondent, Haflong Feb 4 : Continuing with its endeavour to work for the betterment of local populace of Dima Hasao District.
Orientation on Wildlife Laws held at Digboi College. Pic - ET Photo
for education, scientific research, collection, display in a herbarium, etc. my be granted on the approval of the Central Government to any person or an institution. Section 29 also includes protection of a protected area and prohibition of any destruction of the wildlife nor diversions of any habitat in sanctuary as well as in the national park. Mr. Das also informed the students about the need hour to help and protect the wildlife whenever they get opportunity to inform the nearest police station as well as the nearest forest office against such wildlife crimes or habitat destruction.
mately to the tune of Rs. 1000 crore. The meeting also decided to accord mega status to all the projects. Modalities have also been cleared to pave a way for the projects to start operations soon.
retary VK Pipersenia to attach top priority for creating a more investor –friendly climate for ease of doing business and setting up more projects in the State.
The projects expected to generate direct employment of around 20 thousand and indirect employment nearly one lakh. Chief Minister Gogoi asked Chief Sec-
Chief Secretary VK Pipersennia, Additional Chief Secretary KV Eapen, Commissioner and Secretary HK Sharma and other top officials were present at the meeting.
in road mishap
ET Correspondent Tezpur, Feb 4 : In a road mishap noted social worker of Tezpur Hazarapar area, Mukul Chandra Baruah died on the spot today in the morning at around 5.30 Am. According to the information, the 60 years old person who was in morning walk at Ketekibari area had to embrace untime death following the knocking
down by a Gwauahati bound Traveler bearing NoAS-AC-1172. The social worker with an amiable nature who retired as a government employee from the DC office here was closely associated with many social organizations Tezpur including Uttar-Pachim Rangali Bihu Sanmilon, NGO, Agragami, Chanmari Dharma Mandali etc.
Fire and evacuation mock drill conducted ET Correspondent Tangla,Feb 4 : The Fire and Emergency Service stations of Tangla, Khoirabari and Udalguri in collaboration with Pherenga Dao a NGO based in Tangla had carried out Mock drill to deal with Fire and Natural disasters. Mock drills were conducted at Udalguri Higher Secondary school on 25 Jan,Tangla Higher Secondary School on 29 Jan and at UN Academy Khoirabari on 29 Jan. Representing Pherenga Dao NGO Binoy Sarma Secretary of the organization
leaded all the mock drill in association of District Disaster Management Authority Udalguri. It may be mentioned that Pherenga Dao with the help of Tangla Town Committee had built up Night Shelter Home at Tangla for the poor and homeless people. The NGO have also helped in treatment of persons with Disability in the town besides organising seminars on Drug abuse,Child trafficking in the town.
Meritorious students awarded at Tangla ET Correspondent Tangla, Feb 4 : Five meritorious students were awarded with felicitation at Tangla recently on January 30 at a function organized by Arunodoi Academy school and Arunodoi Junior Scxience C o l l e g e , Ta n g l a . T h e programme was held at Arunodoi Academy School premises on the occasion of farewell ceremony given to 51 outgoing students of class ten. Himanta Biswa Deka and Subham Patar were awarded with Late Sadananda Hazarika
Memorial Award for overall excellence and good performance in school.The award was sponsored by Anjali Debi Hazarika in memory of her father-inlaw Late Sadananda Hazarika of Guwahati.On the otherhand Sansri Narzary,Peeyus K Madhanan and Driti Devi were felicitated and awarded with Late Daya Ram Das memorial trophy.Welcome speech was given by Napolean Daimari,Principal,Arunodoi Academy School who also presided over the
award giving ceremony.Attending the function as the chief guest,Ramanuj Hazarika,Asstt. Commissioner, Udalguri rhuminated his schooling in Assam and higer education in New Delhi.He said how he could score mere seventy percent marks in HSLC,but could manage to pass HS examination with state rank.He also briefed students,teachers and guardians on education in New Delhi,where relations between students and teachers had been unique.He advised stu-
dents not to choose any carreer under any pressure.At the same time he advised students not to consider poor financial status of parents as deterrent to quality education.Citing his own example Hazarika said that a meritorious student of any faculty could achieve success in life.He advised students to see dreams and to fix goals accordingly for better future. The award and farewell ceremony was also addressed by Pranabjyoti Das, Principal,Arunodoi
Junior Science College, Tangla;senior journalist and science organizer Jayanta Das, teacher Lakhi Kanta Ramchiary etc. The speakers also thanked Rupah Anand Hazarika and Sayed Iftikar of the school for participating in the state level science model competition being held at Regional Science Centre at Khanapara, Guwahati from January 28 to 30 this year representing the Udalguri district.
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
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Awareness campaign on global water crisis, climate change and environment held Aalo, Jan 4: Pedong Kenbo Welfare Society has conducted series of awareness and Essay and Drawing Competition on Global warming, climate change and Water Crisis at various Schools of West Siang District like Yigi Kaum Upper Primary School, Kombo Secondary School and Biru Primary School on 26th Jan to 2nd February last. Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd were distributed at a well attended function at Community Hall on 2nd February last. Main thrust and focus was given on Global Water Crisis, Climate change and Global Warming among the students and people to conserve catchment area, water sources, Flora and Fauna to maintain the balance of nature. The villagers were advised to save Flora & Fauna avoiding reckless hunting, Fishing minimize extensive
Awareness campaign on global water crisis, climate change and environment held jhum Cultivation to save environment for posterity. Secretary (Admin) Er.Kenge Pakam Lobom highlighted the ill effects of destruction of wild life and Forest as loss of forest means loss of water and loss of Oxygen to breath. Shri Mogi Ori presented orna-
mental saplings to various schools of these areas to spread the message of plant 10 trees for one loss. Shri Rimo Taba consultant Monitoring & Evaluation of District Water and Sanitation Mission as resource person spoke in length
about the importance of water and Shri Yompe Ado Agriculture Development Officer explained the importance of Forest and advised to adopt scientific sustainable farming. SHRI Taken Pakam Lobom, narrated history behind establishing Pedong Kenbo Welfare Society way back in 1953 and his tireless effort to serve the Society as United Siang. He distributed Volley Ball, pamphlets and Calendar to every house hold of villages like Mugli Pagyor, Gida ,Kaum,Pomse,Yigi kaum p o m t e , k o m b o pomte,Raglam,Papak,Tarsu kombo pomte secondary School,Tarsu Primary, Yigi Kaum Secondary School. This awareness campaign activities of Pedong Kenbo Welfare society will continue till its mission towards Nature is Future in the nook and corner of the district with commitments.
Services at your door step Pasighat, Feb 4: "People should Endeavour for self sustenance and healthy life besides Govt. assistance," said Isha Khosla, DC East Siang. She was addressing the villagers of Taki Lalung which is under Sanshad Adarsh Gram Yojna(SAGY). As a part of "Services At Your Door Step" by District Administration with DRDA under SAGY, all the Govt. departments set up their camps in the village. They briefed the villagers about the scheme/programs and how best they can be exploited. On the spot facilities for Ration card/ST/ PRC/Birth certificate/ Loans/Insurance etc were made available. RCH outreach camp by DHS with specialist doctors were made available in the camp. Awareness about livestock insurance scheme and free medicines were also distributed by Vety. department. Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme and Adhar card camp was included on the occasion. Various
Services at your door step schemes of forest & Environment, Agriculture, Horticulture etc. were also highlighted and free saplings distributed. Various scheme for soil conservation/irrigation, sanitation, power supply, E-governance ,Sports etc were also highlighted on the occasion. The DC appealed all to take
the occasion seriously and equip themselves to take advantage of the Government schemes. All should lead healthy & hygienic lives and each house should have toilets. She urged the GBs/PRI members and the teachers to put concerted effort to create awareness and achieve the goals. She hoped that the camp will
help to create a real Adarsh Gram and set example for others. The Deputy Commissioner along with concerned departmental officers visited Poglek river side which is being devastated by the river. She also visited the Angganwadi centre and the drain being constructed in the village.
Moyong opposes shifting of post North-East India community of EE(HQ) of RWC to Pangin linguistic workshop held at Napit shifted to Pangin as RWD.
Moyong opposes shifting of post of EE(HQ) of RWC to Pangin
Pasighat, Feb 4: Pasighat MLA Kaling Moyong opposed the government decision of shifting of the post of Executive Engineer (Hqr) of Rural Works Circle (RWC) Pasighat at Pangin to function as Rural Works Division
(RWD), Pangin with immediate effect. According Moyong, the order was issued on 21st January'16 directing to delegate financial and DDO power to Executive Engineer, RWD, Pangin and shall function under
administrative control of Superintending Engineer RWC Pasighat. Expressing his dismay, Moyong held wide range of discussion with the Superintending Engineer yesterday and asked him to take appropriate action so that RWC Pasighat is not
While welcoming faster developments for the youngest district Siang, he said, "Government should not allow to hamper developmental activities of the centurion town Pasighat. When a new district is created, infrastructure development and providing of adequate manpower to run the new district is responsibility of the government. Before creation of the said new district, government should have recruited fresh officials of all departments for it," opined the MLA. (DIPRO)
Festivals bring unity and communal harmony: Central Donggin celebration, Kaying Maksam Tayeng Kaying/Pasighat, Feb 4: The Donggin Festival of Adi Bori Community was celebrated centrally with great pomp & gaiety at its headquarter, Kaying town under West Siang district yesterday which was attended by Bodong Yirang, Secretary General, Adi Baane Kebang cum new state President, Arunachal Shiksha Vikash Samiti (ASVS) as Chief Guest and Suraj Tayam, Secy. Fi- Festivals bring unity and communal harmony: Central Donggin celebration, Kaying nance, All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union as Guest of prey to these modern too spoke at length upon religion, as cultures and day addictions thereby cultural exchange by in- religions are separate. Honour besides other. posing threat to the fu- viting guests from other She also appealed the which community members to Speaking on the sideline ture generation of Adis. community of the festival, Yirang He also laid emphasis would surely work ef- extend support to her urged fellow Adi Bori on supporting develop- fectively thereby bring- endeavor to preserve community to preserve mental programmes of ing communal harmony. Adi Folk Cultures. the age old traditions the government like Tayam also stressed and cultures as these are road construction etc. as upon inter tribe marthe identity of its com- these were the basic riage as the process The picturesque landmunity. He also put modern day require- would automatically scape Kaying town was stress upon maintaining ments to marsh with the bring harmony among in complete Donggin the tradition and cul- rest of the state and the various tribes of the festivity as community tures though one takes country though living in state. While, one Miss members from all comup other religion, as re- the corner of the state. Ing Perme, an Asst. Pro- munity, including chilligion and cultures are Yirang concluded say- fessor in Jawaharlal dren and aged ones livCollege, ing there in and around two separate entities. ing that, in such festival Nehru Taking the opportunity, celebration, representa- Pasighat, doing thesis Kaying circle attended he also advised the tive from other commu- works for her Ph.D. in the central celebration youths, especially, the nities and tribes need to preservation of Adi folk of Donggin which was students to shun addic- be invited as guests so cultures and tradition, led by Dongging Festitions like taking mari- that the process would urged the Adi Bori com- val Celebration Comjuana (Bhang), opium work as cultural ex- munity to maintain age mittee 2016 under the old tradition and cul- leadership of Takeng (Kani) and IMFL (Aying changes. tures though one hap- Payang, President and Apong) as several youths were seen falling On the part of Tayam, he pens to take up other Kaling Lino, Gen. Secy.
formed a support and resource network between young tribal linguists, also joining them with the international scholars who attended. This successful event has built a direct link between tribal language communities whose languages are highly endangered and the local and international scholarly communities who are concerned with research and preservation. North-East India community linguistic workshop held at Napit
Maksam Tayeng Pasighat, Feb 3 The Modi Welfare Society has hosted an International and multi-tribal workshop on indigenous language documentation at Napit Village, some 4 km away from here on 25-29 January last. The event, called “Training and Resources for Indigenous Community Linguists” (TRICL) was attended by young linguists from various tribes of Arunachal and other North-East like Adi, Galo, Idu, Tawrã, Kman
(Mishmi), Wancho, Karbi, Aimol and Monsang. The resource persons were world-renowned international scholars including Professor Scott DeLancey (University of Oregon, USA), Dr. Linda Konnerth (University of Oregon, USA), Dr. Pavel Ozerov (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel), Dr. Stephen Morey (LaTrobe University, Australia), Dr. Uta Reinöhl (University of Cologne, Germany) and Dr. Mark W. Post (University of
New England, Australia), also including Yankee Modi (University of Berne, Switzerland) and Zilpha Modi (Rajiv Gandhi University), who acted as local coordinators. At this event young tribal linguists received complimentary recording equipment and were given training in using it and documenting their languages using modern-day linguistic techniques. At the same time, the event
The event was inaugurated by Shri Jokut Modi, President, Modi Welfare Society who said that this humble imitative will surely make a lasting impression on indigenous communities in Northeast region. The Adi community was represented by Maktil Apum, Asst. General Secretary, Adi Agom Kebang (AAK), a linguistic forum from Adi community of Siang Valley who has also expressed urgent need for preservation of endangered tribal languages.
Galo Student’s Union team inspects the NLCPR funded Wak-Liromoba road A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Feb 4: A Galo Student’s Union team inspected the Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources funded Wak-Liromoba road today to take stock of the ongoing construction works. Physical verification along the major stretches of the road was carried out by the team. It was found that almost 85% of the works has been completed as stated by the site engineers and officials. It was also informed to the visiting team that Er. Limi Niri, EE, Yomcha PWD constantly monitors the works and visits the project site regularly. As informed to the GSU, one RCC bridge is being constructed along the said road stretch. The bridge is said to be first of its kind as such
Galo Student’s Union team inspects the NLCPR funded Wak-Liromoba road
structures of such standards have never been built by the state PWD as claimed by officials of PWD, Yomcha. As informed to the GSU, the EE stated that the works on the said stretch shall be completed by March, 2016. The GSU appreciates the sincerity and dedication of Yomcha PWD headed by Er. Limi Niri in carrying out his duties and also at the same time strongly appeals to the concerned authorities to retain Er. Limi Niri till completion of the said road project. It is also to be mentioned here that the union has received numerous appeals and representations from the public of concerned area to take up the issue of retaining Er.Niri who is under transfer till completion of the WakLiromoba road.
Galo Student’s Union reiterates its demand for early completion of Basar- Bam (Bame) Road Contd. from Page 1
In one of the documents, it is clearly evident that works related to shifting of electrical structures were not completed. The BRTF authorities in its letter written in December 2015 to under secretary to Governor, Arunachal
Pradesh had clearly mentioned about non-completion of shifting of electrical structures by Basar electrical division and due to their negligence one worker got severely injured on 23rd December 2015 on the said road stretch. “The press statement given by the EE (Elect.), Basar regarding completion of 90% works
is totally in contradiction to the report sent by BRTF to the under secretary to Governor”, Kamki said. Taking strong exception to the claims and counterclaims made both by the BRTF and EE (Elect.),Basar Electrical Division, the GSU has constituted a Committee for Basar-Bame Road
headed by its Spokesperson Marli Kamki and Speaker Bhaskar Yomcha as Chairman and Vicechairman. The committee shall visit the project site and physically verify the works initiated completed with regards to shifting of electrical structures along Basar-Bam (Bame) road to ascertain the ground realities.
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
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Memorial quiz on Feb. 7 ET Correspondent Golaghat, Feb. 4: Golaghat Nagarik Mancha and Furkating College is jointly going to organise a Quiz competition and a Speech program in the memory of veteran journalist , educationist Keshav Saikia . The Quiz competition and Speech program will be held at the Amateur Theatre Society auditorium on February 7. The Quiz competition will be held in two categories from fifth standard to twelfth standard students. Also there will be a speech program where the Executive Editor of Dainik Janambhumi newspaper will be the distinguished guest.
Awareness camp at Lakhimpur ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Feb. 4: District Legal Service Authority, Lakhimpur is going to hold two awareness camp at two different places of the district as a part of the series of Legal Awareness campaign. One of them will be held at Akhara Training Center of Village Kashipathar, Nakari from 11am onwards and the other at 217 No Nagaon Pathar Primary School, Kakoi, Rajgarh of Boginadi Development Block from1.30pm onwards. It is to be noted that the awareness camps will be held on the topics of 'Human Trafficking' and 'Rights of Women and Empowerment'.
Tinsukia administration fails to nab culprits of last night firing ET Correspondent Digboi Feb. 4 : 'We have demanded of the Tinsukia District administration several times to nab the fake and illegal Moran Tiger Force, but it fails miserably to act promptly and come out with the desired output as yet', remarked Arun Jyoti Moran the President All Assam Moran Student Union (AAMSU) here this afternoon stating during the 48 hours of Assam call rendered by the AAMSU. According to him, the Moran body suspects political conspiracy behind the formation of Moran Tiger force to widen the gulf between the tea tribe and Moran community beside realizing their vested political interest. Referring the twin firing incident at Digboi and Doomdooma, Mr Moran categorically told that district administration must identify the
miscreants which ever community he or she belonged and deal with strong hand adding' Moran Tiger Force doesnot necessary imply Moran Community, it may be politically designed organisation at the hands of other vested group thus defiling the Moran community.
realise the end peacefully. However, the agitators here in Digboi burnt tyres on the road and shouted slogans against Tarun Gogoi and Narendra Modi to exhibit their resentment at not responding the community in regard to recognitation of community as Scheduled Tribe in Assam.
However, according to Pawan Moran the President of Digboi Unit of AAMSU and Saral Moran the office secretery AAMSU Centrel Committee, the organisation has called 48 hours of Assam Bandh demanding ST status and indifferent attitude of the state and Central government. Meanwhile,the Moran Student Body urged the people and organisations across the state to co operate in their bandh call thus exercising pressure upon the central government to
The agitators demanded of the governments to give ST status before the Assam Assembly election slated within a couple of months or else the movement would be intensified. It may be added here that the bandh call evoked mixed response in some of the pockets of Tinsukia District. Commmercial establishment remained closed but personel vehicles kept plying, some of the schools ran while government offices including Banks remaine closed or couldnot function smoothly. Refinery
Sri Daolagupu was addressing a press meet held at the residence of Sri Debo Prasad Hojai, MAC at Haflong on Thursday. Sri Daolagupu said on January 12th all the sixteen MACs met the Governor to inform that the present Chief Executive Member of NCHAC Sri Niranjan Hojai has lost the confidence of majority and to arrange a
However, an effort was made by district administration here this afternoon to sit formally with the representatives of Moran and Tea tribe community to resolve the deadlock created by untraced and fake Moran Tiger Force. The meeting couldnot materialise as the representatives of the tea tribe community did not turn. Meanwhile, the District administration urged all concerned to maintain peace and work together in harmony assuring to initiate immediate steps to nab the fake organisation that claimed responsibility of twin firing last night and bring the culprits to book.
Grand inauguration for 12th SAG in Guwahati Contd. from Page 1
There will be 228 gold, 228 silver and 308 bronze medals on offer this time. The two North Eastern cities will play host to 3,333 athletes and officials, according to the latest figures. Significantly, there will be an equal number of disciplines for men and women, the first time in the Games history, thereby giving the event the epithet of 'Gender Equal Games'. India, who had topped the
medals tally in all the previous editions, will understandably have the largest number of participants with 521 athletes (245 women), while Nepal and Bangladesh have sent 381 and 370 respectively. Guwahati will host 16 disciplines -- Athletics, Basketball, Cycling, Football, Handball, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho -Kho, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Wrestling -- and men's football across 10 venues. Shillong, on the other
hand, will see competition in six disciplines -- Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Wushu -- and women's football at seven venues. India are fielding some of their top athletes, including the likes of Olympic medallists boxer M C Mary Kom and shooter Gagan Narang. Another Olympic medallist, shuttler Saina Nehwal's participation is though uncertain. In Guwahati, the most sought after event will be the hockey match between archrivals India and Pakistan in
their group match on February 8. Other than that, the shooting range at Kahilipara will see the likes of Gagan Narang in action. India is expected to get competition from Bangladesh who are traditionally strong in this discipline. Friday will also see the start of two disciplines here -- men's football and volleyball (men's and women's). Shillong will have a separate opening ceremony on Saturday. Badminton, women's football and table tennis (men's and women's) will also begin on Saturday in Shillong.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi instructs all state govt. officials to leave no stone unturned for success of SAG Contd. from Page 1
Gogoi also said that instructions were also given not to repeat such shortcomings later. Moreover, Chief Minister
Gogoi also directed all the Departments to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Assam along with its handicrafts, tourism potentials and refreshing beauty. Besides, instructions were also given to take care of all logistical issues, transportation, communication, ac-
Congress is all set to form govt in NCHAC ET Correspondent, Haflong, Feb 4 : Sri Kulendra Daolagupu, MAC of N C Hills Autonomous Council on behalf of sixteen members belonging to Congress claimed on to form the government in the N C Hills Autonomous council though there has been attempt to delay from some corners.
functined smoothly. The bandh also hit the normalcy at Pengaree, Bordumsa, Margherita, Doomdooma, Makum and Tinsukia.
session wherein they can move no confidence against the present CEM accordingly the Governor of Assam had directed the Chairman to summon emergent session on January 29th last but on the eve of the session, the then Chairman Sri Subrata Thaosen resigned following which a new Chairman was to be elected. On February 3 Sri Ngamrothang Hmar was elected as the new Chairman unopposed as none from BJP contested. After persuasion, February 5 was fixed to move the no confidence against the present CEM, Sri Hojai .Sri Debojeet Thaosen former Chief Executive Member of NCHAC said CEM Niranjan Hojai has lost
commodation etc. Necessary directions were also given to Transport Department, PWD, Health, PHE, to take care of 4400 sports persons who will be converging in Guwahati for the games. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also appealed to the
people of Assam to receive the sportspersons and administrators who will be coming from eight countries to spread camaraderie and forge friendly relations so that on their way back to their respective countries they can cherish the warm hospitality of Assam.
First day programe of 85th Sankardev Sangha annual conference at Sivasagar Rupahipathar Today. Pic - Firuz Ahmed
National vendor Development Programme Micro- small Industry ET Correspondent Jorhat, Feb. 4: A twoday National Vendor Development Programme organized by Ministry of Micro and Small Scale Industry in association with North East Small Scale Industry Association (NESSIA) and district Industrial and Commercial Centre (DICC) and with join initiative with Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Oil and Natural Gas Commission
Misprint in leading calendar
He also criticised BJP legislature party leader Jadav Chandra Deka for interrupting planning and development minister Ajanta Neog, who said Assam is anticipated to lose around Rs 9,000 crore due to a change in central policies. The speaker asked Deka
Pranab Kumar Gogoi
not to behave like a “party spokesperson” in the House and he can talk to the media outside as a spokesperson of his party.
Aruna Varle further said the Foundation was set up by her father renowned Tea expert Hemendra Prasad Barooah in 1980 in memory of his mother Kamal Kumari Barooah the remarkable matriarch of the Kongia Barooah Family of Thengal Mauza at Jalukanibari, Jorhat. Other those who were present in the Press conference were Dhurbajyoti Daward-general manager tea estate, Saurav Sarkar-senior manager, and others of the B&A group.
AKRSU's executives meet on Feb. 7 Misprint in leading calendar ET Correspondent Golaghat, Feb. 4: A leading publishing calendar house named Savitri Thakur Prasad of 2016 has come into limelight due to misprinting in two of its month . As per the informa-
tion received in the month of February date 15 is printed twice on Third Monday and Wednesday. The same type of error is again repeated in the month of November with date 15 printed on third Tuesday
on this issue,” Gogoi said.
resolution passed by the Assembly over the central economic policies. “Seeing today’s sentiment in the House, irrespective of party line, I think he (Narendra Modi) will get a befitting reply in coming election,” Gogoi said from the Chair.
neering College, Industrial Training Institute, Princes of Wales, CKB Commerce College and Jagannath Barooah College will take part and will be imparted training how to take up self employment scheme and be self employed. Altogether several 100s of college, institute students, will take up several skill development crash courses after the two days counseling programmes.
Dibrugarh girl selected for Kamal Kumari Foundation award-2016 According to Aruna Varlethe Chairman of the Barooah and associate group who is also the elder daughter of late Hemendra Prasad Barooah said that Jhanu Barooahprominent film director will give away award to the four distinguish awardees at Tocklai Tea Research Institute Auditorium on February 9th at 5.30 p.m.
and Thursday. So people are worried regarding such a printing mistake and have their own opinion regarding thd same as it is most widely circulated calendar.
“I am not going to beg with folded hands in front of anyone for our rights. Deka, please do something if possible by telling your leaders.” : Pranab Kumar Gogoi A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 4 : In a rare statement, Assam speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi said on Wednesday people of the state will give a “befitting” reply to BJP during the forthcoming polls as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ignored the interests of the state. The speaker’s statement came after members of various parties, Congress, AGP and AIUDF, criticised the Prime Minister for ignoring a request from the House to meet an all-party delegation regarding an unanimous
During the two days National Programme students from Jorhat engi-
Contd. from Page 1
moral right to be the CEM of NCHAC, they have done many more irregularities in the process of recent appointments. We will cause impartial enquiry in to such irregularities after assuming the office. Meanwhile Sri Hamjanan Langthasa former BJP District President and also a former EM of NCHAC while talking to the media informed that he has already resigned from the party membership on Thursday. He expressing concern over the deteriorating political situation held the state BJP leadership under the president ship of Sri Sidhartha Bhattacharjee responsible for the deterioration of BJP's political future in the district.
(ONGC), Oil India Limited, North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Rain Forest research Institute (RFRI), Central Silk Board, Bharat Petroleum , Brahmaputra Gas Cracker Ltd., and Indian Air Force etc., will be held at the Freedom Fighters Bhawan , Jorhat on February 9 and 10, 2016.
When the members inquired if they should go and protest in front of the Prime Minister’s residence, Gogoi said, “I am not going to beg with folded hands in front of anyone for our rights. Deka, please do something if possible by telling your leaders.” Later, the speaker told PTI that Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has given time to meet the all-party delegation on February 15 “but we will not go”. “We have informed the minister that we will only talk to the Prime Minister
In the House earlier, AGP MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury raised the issue of reduction in central assistance to the state over a range of schemes. “It appears that we will not get our dues from the Centre this fiscal as the model code will be applied after around one month. Our development is getting hampered. So a demand from the House should be sent to the Centre for release of funds,” Choudhury said.
He said Modi had not given an appointment to an all-party delegation earlier regarding giving ST status to six communities of the state. “We are being insulted every time,” he said. Supporting the AGP MLA, party colleague Keshab Mahanta said the Centre’s decision to delink some schemes has created problems for the state. “The state released Rs 250 crore during floods, but the Centre has not released its share of Rs 1,200 crore. We need to take a bold step to save Assam from financial crisis,” he said.
ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Feb. 4: An executive meeting of Lakhimpur District Committee of All Koch Rajbanshi Students' Union (AKRSU) will be held on February 7 from 10.30am onwards at Telia Gaon near North Lakhimpur Town. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the organisation, Rupjyoti Duutta will be present in the meeting as observer.
Tribalisation of Koch Rajbanshi, Reconstruction of Kamatapur State, AKRSU's stand on forthcoming Assembly Election, Financial and Organisational Status etc. will be the topics in the meeting. District Presidentin Charge Bikash Dutta and General Secretary Nitul Saikia have requested the advisers, designators and the presidents and secretaries of the regional bodies to present in the meeting.
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Manipur CM did nothing for 15 years on unemployment: Giriraj
Giriraj Singh Imphal,Feb 4:Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh should resign on moral grounds since he has failed to solve the mounting unemployment in the last 15 years, union minister Giriraj Singh said here on Wednesday. The chief minister as well as Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam slammed the remark.Giriraj Singh, the union minister of state for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, mounted his attack on the state government at the conclusion of his threeday official visit to the state and before leaving for Tripura. During his visit to Manipur, he inspected various centrally sponsored schemes. Interacting with various sections of people at the house of BJP legislator Thongam Bishajit, Giriraj Singh said Ibobi has been chief minister for 15 years and yet the unemployment figure in Manipur has crossed seven lakh, in a state with a population less than 30 lakh.Wondering what Ibobi has done for employment generation, Giriraj Singh said the chief minister should resign on moral grounds. At the function, the BJP's state unit president Thounaojam Chaoba said the Centre had sanctioned Rs.100 crore long
time back for a sports university, but it was yet to be built as the Manipur government was "uncooperative". Ibobi and Gaikhangam hit back at Giriraj Singh for his remarks during a function at the Congress office held to mark the 10 years of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme."A number of central ministers have been visiting Manipur all these months," Ibobi said, and questioned whether they were coming "for facilitating the abolition of centrallysponsored schemes".He said that though the state approached the prime minister and the finance minister with a request not to withdraw central funding for various schemes, from December 2015 onwards, several funds were withdrawn from the northeastern region."During the UPA government, the Look East policy was introduced. The NDA government converted it to Act East policy. This may be a ploy to withdraw the funding of the schemes completely to cause more unemployment," he said. Gaikhangam said several welfare schemes may be withdrawn gradually, and cautioned the people to be watchful of the BJP. (Agencies)
Five years on, minor rape victim awaits justice Shillong,Feb 4: There is undue delay in getting justice as the mother of a minor rape victim has been running from pillar-topost for justice while the rape accused Small Phawa is yet to spend a single day in jail.Sources said that earlier in 2014, the mother had approached the Law department, but the delay in any pro active steps on the part of the department had compelled her to seek the help of Meghalaya Legal Service Authority (MLSA). After the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday in the High Court of Meghalaya thanks to the intervention of MLSA , the respondent had sought more time to argue the matter and accordingly, the Court granted three weeks. It was after the acquittal of the rape accused, by the fast track court, Jowai, that the mother of the minor victim had sought the intervention of Meghalaya State Legal Service Authority to appeal against the order before the High Court of Meghalaya.Earlier on November 30 in 2011, the accused Phawa allegedly raped the school girl staying as his tenant along with her family at Riatsiatsim locality in Jowai.In the order dated February 26, last year, the ad hoc judge of the fast track court, Jowai, OP
Lytan, said that he was convinced that the prosecution had failed to establish or prove the case beyond reasonable doubt which entitled the accused to acquittal. However, in letter addressed to the Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Legal Service Authority last year, the mother of the victim Rita Dhar said that since she is poor, she was unable to appeal against the order of the fast track court in the High Court.The mother had maintained that her daughter was still a minor when she was raped by the accused."My minor daughter was raped by Small Phawa on November 30, 2011. Later an FIR was registered and charge-sheet was also filed, but after trial, the accused was acquitted," the mother said in the letter. She also added that the girl was under-16 when the incident occurred and the same was also acknowledged by the Judge.However in 2012 during a press conference, Phawa had claimed that there was no rape since the act was consensual which was contradicted by the mother who reiterated that that since the victim was a minor, the question of consent does not arise as sexual intercourse with minor was considered was rape. (Agencies).
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REGION Tanzanian student assault 'not a racial attack: Parmeshwara Bengaluru, Feb.4: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parmeshwara on Thursday said that the brutal attack on a Tanzanian student in the city was 'not a racial attack'. "It's not a racial attack. It is just a response to the accident. Bengaluru does not have that kind of an attitude," Parmeshwara told a press conference. He also said that this incident would not have taken place had the Sudanese not killed somebody in the accident. "The five accused are being interrogated by the police officials. We have already informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about it," said Parmeshwara. "The allegations that their clothes were torn off and they were paraded naked have not been verified as per the investigation so far," he added. Parmeshwara also said that more arrests would be made when the people in the mob are identified and added that this matter would not be taken casually.
"There are 12,000 foreign students in Bangalore itself. Their protection and their pursuit of education is our duty, especially the Home Minister. But this kind of incident should not happen," he said. Parmeshwara further said there are times when foreign students stay even after their passports get expired and, therefore, they are going to pursue such cases. Giving details about the accident, the Home Minister said that Sudan's Mohd. Ismail was driving the car under the influence of liquor and then he hit K. Sanaullah and his wife. "The woman died on the spot. Sanaullah was injured and he was taken to the hospital. In the incident, Ismail was also injured. During this time, around three to four people gathered and set the car on fire," he said. "Near the spot, some students were coming in a car. Jamaal Ibrahim, the driver, and a Tanzanian student and others were then attacked by the mob," he added.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parmeshwara
He further said that the DGP and Commissioner went to the spot today and also spoke to the students. "The case has been transferred to the Central Crime Branch," he said. Parmeshwara also asserted that the state government would provide protection to the foreign students, but if they do anything against the law of the land then it's a different issue. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah earlier said that he has spoken to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and given her a factual report about
the incident. "I have instructed the DGP to inquire into the matter if there is any delay in registering the complaint or not," Siddaramaiah said. "The case is already registered and five accused have been arrested. Yesterday, Sushma Swaraj spoke to me and I have given factual report to her," he added. Swaraj yesterday condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student and asked for stringent punishment for the guilty. "I have asked the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) to ensure safety and security of all foreign students
and stringent punishment for the guilty," Swaraj said in a tweet. "I spoke to the Chief Minister Karnataka. He informed me that a criminal case has been registered and four accused have been arrested," she added. Expressing her grief over the incident, Swaraj said, "We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru." The Bengaluru Police had yesterday filed an FIR against some unknown persons in connection with the assault on a 21-year-old Tanzanian student. The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a
"The brutal attack on a Tanzanian student in the city was 'not a racial attack'."It's not a racial attack. It is just a response to the accident. Bengaluru does not have that kind of an attitude" - Says Parmeshwara
Khadi to employ 5 crore Indians by 2022: Giriraj Singh Agartala, Feb. 4: India has decided to harness solar energy to power 'charkhas' (spinning wheels) across the country to revive the handspun khadi industry and provide employment to approximately five crore people throughout the nation by the year 2022. "We have made a plan to introduce solar run spinning wheels in KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) so that it can provide employment to five crore people throughout the nation by the year 2022. Prime Minister has also said this in 'Maan Ki
to revive hand-spun khadi so that it could be turned into a zero-carbon footprint green fabric of India.
Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh
Baat'. I have discussed this with the Chairman of KVIC and we shall work together so that the locals get employment and shall work on that," said Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises (MSME) on his two-day visit to the state. The minister visited centres run by the KVIC and discussed with officials and board members ways
Singh said solar charkhas will make khadi the green organic yarn which does not hurt the environment, able to create more jobs and make khadi competitive in terms of reducing the cost of yarn and production. Singh informed that to revive khadi, fashion designers are being made involved for launching eco and user-friendly, designer, green fabric products to be made available in various
showrooms and also sell through e-marketing. Moreover, he added that there are more than 7000 showrooms of the KVIC which can be used for sell points of khadi products and to make them cost effective. Singh said that his vision of reviving khadi industry is multipronged and through application of science of green energy to the spinning wheel there can be a new revolution by creating employment in the rural areas and which can bring in social and economic changes. (ANI)
Meghalaya will continue its growth momentum, says Sangma Shillong, Feb 4 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today expressed optimism that the state will continue its growth momentum."I am optimistic that we will continue to grow. It is pleasant to know that we are doing well despite numerous constraints and challenges," the Chief Minister told .He said the focus of his government has always been to increase the development index of the state."I am happy that we
have been able to bring the fiscal deficit down. I am happy results of sincere commitments of the government are slowly becoming visible," he said. The chief minister said the priority of his government was to improve the livelihood of the people before the state celebrates its 50th anniversary. A recent survey conducted by Mumbaibased India Spend showed Meghalaya had
emerged as the fastestgrowing state in the Northeast region with a growth rate of 9.7 per cent in 2013-14.The rate was higher than states like Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and was also several notches ahead of the national growth rate. According to the report, Meghalaya's growth in GSDP of 9.7 per cent was better than that of Bihar (9.1 per cent). The state also has the secondlowest unemployment rate (after Gujarat) with 0.4 per cent in rural ar-
eas and 2.8 per cent in urban areas in 201112.The other states in the Northeast - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura - are also growing rapidly, educating their people at a rate much faster than the rest of India, reducing their dependence on agriculture, the report stated. The report was, however, rubbished by the opposition Meghalaya People's Front, who questioned the authenticity of the
Sudanese man had run over a local woman. The incident took place on Hesaraghatta Road in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman. The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and paraded naked after being stripped by the mob. The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, the people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob. (ANI)
projections. United Democratic Party leader Paul Lyngdoh said the projections were "only statistics". National People's Party leader and former state finance minister Conrad K Sangma said GSDP alone cannot indicate the overall growth of a state. "Sustainable growth is what will bring benefits for the state in the long run," he said. (Agencies).
Council by-poll likely in April Shillong, Feb 4: The District Council Affairs department is planning to conduct the elections to seven vacant posts- six in KHADC and one in JHADC- in April. The seats fell vacant following the resignation of legislators, who were holding the posts of MDC.A government source said on Wednesday that though the earlier plan to conduct the elections was sometime this month, the South Asian Games (SAG) and upcoming Assembly sessions and examinations have compelled the government to find a new date. The source added that the plan of the government is to hold the election in April provided that the Cabinet approves the proposal of the District Council Affairs department.Earlier, the Finance and Law departments had cleared the proposal of the district council affairs department to hold elections.The seats fell vacant after the state government on October 1 passed a Bill to prevent MLAs from holding the posts of MDC.Subsequently, seven legislators HDR Lyngdoh, Ardent Miller B a s a i a w m o i t , Phlastingwell Pangniang, Brolding Nongsiej, Metbah Lyngdoh and Sanbor Shullai, all from KHADC and Stephanson Mukhim from JHADC quit the post of MDC.The KHADC CEM P N Syiem is the lone MDC who is yet to relinquish the post of MLA. (Agencies).
Have given factual report to EAM, says CAG examining Siddaramaiah: Tanzanian student assault alleged lottery "I spoke to the Chief Min- over a local woman. Bengaluru, Feb.4: Folister Karnataka. He in- The incident took place on scam in Mizoram lowing the brutal assault on formed me that a criminal Hesaraghatta Road in a Tanzanian student in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has spoken to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and given her a factual report. "I have instructed the DGP to inquire into the matter if there is any delay in registering the complaint or not," Siddaramaiah said. "The case is already registered and five accused have been arrested. Yesterday, Sushma Swaraj spoke to me and I have given factual report to her," he added. Swaraj had yesterday condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student and
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked for stringent punishment for the guilty. "I have asked the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) to ensure safety and security of all foreign students and stringent punishment for the guilty," Swaraj said in a tweet.
case has been registered and four accused have been arrested," she added. Expressing her grief over the incident, Swaraj said, "We are deeply pained over the shameful incident with a Tanzanian girl in Bengaluru." The Bengaluru Police had yesterday filed an FIR against some unknown persons in connection with the assault on a 21-year-old Tanzanian student. The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run
Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman. The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and paraded naked after being stripped by the mob. The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, the people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob. (ANI)
Aizawl, Feb 4: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is examining alleged malpractices in the lottery being run by the Mizoram government, officials on Thursday said.The exercise was slated to be completed within two months as important documents had already been collected from the agency, Institutional Finance and State Lottery (IFSL), officials in the Principal Accountant General's office here said. Opposition Mizo Na-
tional Front (MNF) has alleged that crores of rupees were lost annually due to malpractices by government employees. MNF had also alleged that Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had accorded undue favour to a lottery agent after overruling the decision of the Mizoram State Lottery Committee (MSLC).Lal Thanhawla has said there is nothing wrong in the state government running lotteries and expressed hope that the inquiry would bring out the truth. (Agencies).
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
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FB post against Dalits stir controversy at IIMC New Delhi, Feb.4: A Facebook post by a student of the Delhi campus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) targeting the Dalits has stirred up a controversy, eventually leading to disquiet inside the institute premises. The post had come in the wake of the suicide of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula and subsequent unrest in the University of Hyderabad. The complainant says that the whole issue was an atrocity on the Dalit students while the accused student has dubbed the entire episode to be a case of personal vendetta. "A student named Utkarsh Singh had used
some objectionable words against the Dalits in his Facebook post. In his Facebook post, he had also asked the Dalits to come into the mainstream. We are very much hurt with the illwill that is being created in the institute," Prashant Kanuajia, the complainant, told. Around 30 scheduled caste students, who complained to the administrative authorities on January 29, were reportedly told that there was no redress mechanism in the campus. "We had also informed the institute's management about the issue but then we came to know that there is no
ing derogatory and insulting remarks against the protesting students, said that it was just a personal vendetta.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) such mechanism to deal with such issues," Kanuajia said. He also said that there is no SC/ST or women cell in the institute, adding that it's an atrocity on the Dalit community. "I did not think that the institute
was serious about the issue and, therefore, I had to go to National Commission of Scheduled Caste," he further said. Meanwhile, Utkarsh Singh, the accused student who had lashed out at the group with his Facebook post contain-
"This is not even an issue. It is just a personal vendetta. The controversy that has arisen on my Facebook post is a part of a conversation between me and my friend," he said. "Efforts are being made to show that there are differences between the Dalits and the General category students in IIMC. But it is not true," he added. He also said that it was a conspiracy to target him as the matter was picked up 13 days after he made the post. "When I
apologised then they asked for an action against me. My blog post was targeted for the language that was used in it," he said. At IIMC, the chain of events started when three faculty members and students organised a protest to express solidarity with Rohith Vemula, who took the extreme step on January 17. On January 18, Utkarsh Singh made a Facebook post containing derogatory and insulting remarks against the protesting students, a majority of whom belonged to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. (ANI)
Sonia, Rahul move SC Women activists condemn attack on Tanzanian in National Herald case student, demand immediate action New Delhi, Feb. 4: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vicepresident Rahul Gandhi moved the Supreme Court on Thursday against a Delhi High Court decision that dismissed their appeals seeking a quashing of summons issued to them by a trial court in connection with the National Herald case. The summons was issued on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy, who alleged that both had cheated and created a breach of trust in the acquisition of the now-defunct National Herald by Young Indian Limited (YIL). On June 26, last year, the trial court issued summons to them on Swamy's allegations of 'cheating' in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young India Ltd (YIL) -a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi own 38 per cent stakes each. The Delhi High Court had in December 2015 rejected their plea and
directed them to appear before the trial court. The case relates to the Indian National Congress granting an interest-free loan of Rs. 90.25 crore (USD 13 million) to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper which was established by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938. It was alleged that the loan was either not repaid or repaid in cash, which is in violation of Section 269T of the Income Tax Act, 1961. A closely held company, Young Indian, was incorporated in November 2010 with a capital of Rs.5 lakh (USD 7,400) and it acquired almost all the shareholding of AJL and all its properties (alleged to be worth Rs.5000 crores (USD 740 million). Swamy filed the case alleging criminal misappropriation by both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The courts have determined that a prima facie case has been established in the matter. (ANI)
'Attack was result of mob justice, racism': Tanzanian Envoy New Delhi, Feb. 4: With five people being arrested so far in connection with the assault on Tanzanian female student,Tanzanian High Commissioner John WH Kijazi on Thursday said that 'mob justice' and 'racism' led to the unfortunate incident. "We are looking at it from both the angles..Everybody entitled to their own assessment, but there is an element of mob justice and racism. That is my assessment. She was attacked because she was black like guy who caused the accident," the Tanzanian Ambassador told. He, however, acknowledged the fact that authorities were showing great concern over the unfortunate incident and have given assurance that justice would be done. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had yesterday condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student, and asked for stringent punishment for the guilty. The Tanzanian student was beaten and then stripped by a group
of locals in Bengaluru after they assumed she was part of an incident in which a Sudanese man had run over a local woman. The incident took place on Hesaraghatta Road in Bengaluru on Saturday night after a Sudanese national ran his car over a 35-year-old woman resulting in on the spot death of the woman. The Tanzanian student was travelling in another car, a Wagon-R, along with four others. The young woman, who arrived on the spot around 30 minutes later, was dragged out of the car and paraded naked after being stripped by the mob. The victim told the police in her complaint that when she tried to get on a bus in order to escape the assault, people on the bus pushed her back towards the mob. Earlier, the local residents set fire to two cars belonging to the African students, who studied in local colleges in Ganapathinagar on Hesaraghatta Road. (ANI)
Mumbai, Feb. 4: Women activists expressed dismay and outrage over a 21-year-old Tanzanian female student being beaten and stripped by locals in Bengaluru, and called on the Centre and the Karnataka Government to punish the guilty. People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) activist Kavita Srivastav said, "It seems that we are not only casteist, but racist as well. It is very sad that people can do anything to anyone. I would like to ask for forgiveness that she has to go through all this. The way Tanzanian woman was treated in an uncivilized way, I am pained and sad by the incident. The police have itself become the audience; it is a crime of omission. Each people involved in this should be arrested and punished." "The amount we criticize
the police and the people, it will be less. We talk about 'make in India' but is this 'make in India' only for Caucasians and Chinese and not for black people? I am outraged by what has happened," she added. National Commission for Women activist Nirmala Sawant said, "India is a country which is known for hospitality, good relationship and we have good relationship with the Tanzanian people and African countries. Having a discrimination on the basis of race, caste, creed is an offence and unconstitutional. Our image has been tarnished and we want immediate action on this. It is a criminal offense and guilty must be punished." "It is very nice to know that the top leadership of congress party, Mr. Rahul Gandhi has taken immediate cognizance of
Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) activist Kavita Srivastav
this matter. And also Madam Sushma Ji has given direction to her department to intervene in this matter," she added. Meanwhile, the High Commission of Tanzania has sent a Note Verbale about reported attacks on African students in Bangalore. The Note Verbale requests the Government of India to follow up on this matter and take necessary legal action against those involved in such attacks
the Supreme Court to intervene. Slamming the opposition for doing politics over the issue of strike by the MCD workers, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said it's a clear case of mismanagement of fund by the civic bodies and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Kejriwal had also announced a loan of Rs.551
crore for payment of salaries to striking workers of two municipal corporations in the national capital and urged them to call off their strike. However, the agitating employees, mainly those of East and North Delhi municipal corporations, refused to call off the indefinite strike and demanded a permanent solution to the problem of fund crunch being faced by the civic
BJP spokesperson Srikant Sharma New Delhi, Feb. 4: Taking a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over reports that he was making all efforts to form a 'mahagathbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday asked the former to focus on his state where 'jungle raaj' is on the rampant courtesy RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav who is acting like the 'Super CM'. "The 'Super CM' of Bihar is Laluji, takes steps to get rid of the prevailing 'jungle raaj' and work for development. You ( Nitish) cannot handle one state and now you are shifting your focus towards another state," said BJP spokesperson Srikant Sharma. The BJP leader also used the occasion to target the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. "The people in Uttar
and to ensure safety and Pradesh want roads, elecsecurity of all African tricity and the youth want employment. The women students in India. want security, good law and
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked the Karnataka Government for explanation and has asked for a report immediately. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had also condemned the attack on the Tanzanian student, and asked for stringent punishment for the guilty. (ANI)
SC declines to entertain plea seeking intervention in MCD strike New Delhi, Feb. 4: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea seeking its intervention in the ongoing MCD workers strike. The apex court asked the petitioner to approach the Delhi High Court where the matter is already pending. The petitioner, in his plea to the Chief Justice bench, had said that the High Court's attitude in this case is soft and thus, wanted
BJP asks Nitish to get rid of 'jungle raaj' under 'Super CM' Lalu
bodies before they ended their stir. Employees of three civic bodies of the city- North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation, have been protesting against the non-payment of salaries, directing their ire at both the Delhi Government and the Centre for the last nine days. (ANI)
order situation, the traders want security and the farmers want water for their fields. The Samajwadi Party Government has failed miserably on all these fronts," he said. Sharma further said the people trusted the Samajwadi Party so that they get rid of Mayawatiled BSP rule. "But Akhilesh has failed miserably. The infighting within the family, corruption and the deteriorating law and order situation has disturbed the people of Uttar Pradesh who are now looking for a change. The people are now looking to the BJP with a ray of hope," he added. The Samajwadi Party has, however, made its stand clear and said that it would go solo and not become part of any grand alliance. The Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party had also walked out of the JD (U)RJD-Congress grand alliance in Bihar and formed a third front to contest the assembly polls. (ANI)
"The 'Super CM' of Bihar is Laluji, takes steps to get rid of the prevailing 'jungle raaj' and work for development. You ( Nitish) cannot handle one state and now you are shifting your focus towards another state."
Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR calls on PM Modi New Delhi, Feb. 4: Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), CY Leung, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday during which they agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, especially in the financial services sector, as well as cooperation in the field of education.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed Leung on his first official visit to India and expressed hope that his visit would lead to increased trade, investment and tourism links between both sides. Leung briefed the Prime Minister about the strong interest among Hong Kongbased companies in India. (ANI)
Sardar rubbishes allegations of molestation Chandigarh, Feb. 4: Under fire Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh on Thursday rubbished the allegations made by the British woman, who claimed that he, along with his brother, harassed her physically and mentally. "We had met through Facebook during the London Olympics. The allegations she levelled and the words she used against me are inappropriate and false. I know my limits. I represent my country. I believe myself," Singh told the media here. "She had tweeted that very soon we are getting married. Right now, I can say my full focus is on hockey...so let me play. It is totally wrong that she was forced to abort," he added. The veteran midfielder further said reports of ring ceremony is also wrong and added that they were just good friends.
Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh "No, there was no ring ceremony between us. She was just a good friend. The allegations are false," he said. A British woman, who claims to be the fiancee of Sardar Singh, has filed a police complaint alleging that she was harassed. She alleged that Sardar forced her to abort the child after she got pregnant. "I have been in a relationship with Sardar
Singh for last four years. I have been engaged to him for last two years. After engagement, Sardar forced me to be in a physical relationship on the terms that we are going to get married," the complainant told. "Our relationship developed and within a year of 2015 he got me pregnant. After consulting with Sardar on this matter, he refused to speak to me and was adamant that
I should abort the child right away," she added. The complainant further said that after Sardar forced her to abort the child following which she returned to UK and consulted her family. "I was left with no other option but to abort this child against my will. After this matter, Sardar abandoned me, he doesn't speak to me, has no contacts with me. He actually denied the fact that I am his fiancee when it is a world known matter," she said. "After being physically and mentally harassed by Sardar Singh, as a woman it's not fair that I should take this abuse and not just by him but by his elder brother as well as him," she added. Sardar's family members had yesterday alleged the entire episode to be a conspiracy to malign his image and ruin his career. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Indian woman rescued from German refugee camp thanks Govt. New Delhi, Feb. 4: Indian woman Gurpreet, who was allegedly kept at a refugee camp in Germany along with her eight-yearold daughter, reached New Delhi on Thursday and thanked the Government of India for facilitating their return. "I am most grateful to the Government of India for facilitating my return to India. I thank the Government of India for listening to me. I also thank the media," Gurpreet told the media here. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier lauded the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Berlin and Ambassador of India designate to Germany for helping the distressed In-
dian woman. The Foreign Minister in another tweet confirmed said that the distressed Indian woman along with her daughter has been brought from the refugee camp. "We have brought Gurpreet and her 8 year old daughter from the refugee camp to our Consulate in Frankfurt. Gurpreet and her daughter will reach New Delhi from Frankfurt by flight AI 120 at 9.35 am on Friday morning," she added. Swaraj had earlier assured help to Gurpreet, who had posted a short video on Twitter, alleging that she and her daughter had been kept in a refugee camp in Germany by her husband's family. (ANI)
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NEIGHBOURS
Pakistan madrasas used money laundering to fund Jihadi groups Islamabad, Feb 4: Radical Pakistani madrasas are engaged in massive trade-based money laundering to fund jihadist groups, eminent experts have told American lawmakers who expressed concerns over terror financing. Concerned over the practice, Congressman Stephen F Lynch said trade-based money laundering (TBML) involves using trade and products or commodities for value in order to divert and obscure the true nature of the illicit wealth. "Trade-based money laundering is related to terrorist finance," John Cassara, former US Intelligence Officer and Treasury Special Agent, told members of the House Financial Services Committee during a Congressional hearing. He said in one example of TBML and terrorist financing, a Pakistani madrasa was linked to
radical jihadist groups and it received large amounts of money from foreign sources."It was engaged in a side business dealing in animal hides. In order to justify the large inflow of funds, the madrasa claimed to sell a large number of hides to foreign customers at grossly inflated prices. This ruse allowed the extremists to legitimise the inflow of funds which were then passed to terrorists," Cassara said.According to World Bank and IMF estimates, unofficial remittances could be well over USD 1 trillion as against the World Bank estimates that global remittances through official channels will reach USD 707 billion by 2016. Nikos Passas, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities, said
Sri Lanka lifts unofficial ban on Tamil national anthem
Sri Lankan air force officers stand at attention during an Independence day rehearsal in Colombo,
Colombo, Feb 4: A Tamil-language version of Sri Lanka's national anthem was performed at the country's independence ceremony on Thursday, lifting an unofficial ban in another step toward postcivil war ethnic reconciliation.Schoolchildren sang the national anthem in Sinhalese, from the ethnic majority group, and the minority Tamil language at the ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of independence from Britain.The move, despite opposition from Sinhalese nationalists, is an effort to reach out to the Tamils who fought a nearly 26year war for a separate homeland until the rebels were crushed in 2009. President Maithripala Sirisena says he will unite the nation, a process which has not been given prominence since independence. Sirisena's hardline predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa was accused of further alienating the Tamil community by his post-war triumphalism. He had imposed an unofficial ban on the Tamil version of the national anthem.In his speech
Thursday, Sirisena said his political opponents were trying to create fear among the armed forces that fought the war that they will be penalized for rights abuses. He pledged to promote ethnic reconciliation while safeguarding the country's sovereignty and respect of the military."Our aim is to turn the armed forces into a world recognized one," he said.The government was accused of indiscriminate shelling, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence, while Tamil Tiger rebels of child recruitment and killing civilians.Last year's report from U.N. human rights chief Zeid Raad alHussein said that the patterns of violations strongly indicated war crimes and crimes against humanity were likely committed by both sides. Zeid is scheduled to visit Saturday.Sirisena said his government would face U.N. recommendations, which are opposed by some opposition parties and nationalist Sinhala Buddhist groups. (Agencies)
Date fixed for charge framing hearing against Shahadat, his wife Dhaka, Feb 4: A Dhaka court has fixed February 22 for the charge framing hearing in a case filed against cricketer Kazi Shahadat Hossain and his wife Jesmin Jahan Nitto for torturing their domestic help.Following taking cognisance the charges brought against the couple, Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 5 Judge Tanjina Ismail fixed the date on Thursday. Besides, the court granted bail to Jesmin till the hearing schedule in reply to a plea as her pre-
vious bail period has expired Thursday. Earlier, suspended national cricketer Shahadat secured bail from the High Court till March 31.The couple were present during the court proceedings.On September 7, Khandaker Mojammel Hossain, who claimed to be a journalist, filed the case against the couple with Mirpur Model police station under Section 4 (2) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 for torturing their domestic help Happy. (Agencies)
Pakistan madrasas used money laundering to fund Jihadi groups
there are cases of terrorism finance and tradebased money laundering or other money laundering that goes through them. "In Mumbai, the attacks of Mumbai and the Indian parliament - those cases were solved because of hawala collaboration. In Dubai, the Dubai police and D A made a big money laundering case with trade because of hawala information," Passas said in response to a question
from Lynch, who is also a ranking member of the Committee.In response to another question from Congressman Andy Barr, Cassara said he believes trade-based money laundering is a major problem. "But it depends on the part of the world you're talking about. Certainly, if you're talking about South Asia, you're talking about Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Afghan Transit Trade, it's absolutely huge. Areas in
Libya, Somalia, it's huge. In other areas, perhaps not as important," he said. In his remarks, Congressman Michael G Fitzpatrick said tradebased money laundering is the growth industry in terror finance.Lynch said trade-based money laundering involves using trade and products or commodities for value in order to divert and obscure the true nature of the illicit wealth. Currently, there is an ample opportunity for terrorist groups to exploit the international trade system, with low risk of being caught, he said. Congressman Robert Pittenger, said criminal
enterprises have relied on this method of illicit financing for years.However, many believe that this is an emerging technique now being used by terrorist groups to finance their violent and oppressive operations, he said."Congress should prioritise efforts to stop the flow of money and resources to terrorist organisations. We must ensure that organisations like the financial crimes enforcement network receive their resources and intelligence necessary to combat trade-based money laundering and other methods of illicit financing," he said. (Agencies)
Radical Pakistani madrasas are engaged in massive trade-based money laundering to fund jihadist groups, eminent experts have told American lawmakers who expressed concerns over terror financing.
Hackers attack 20 mln accounts on Alibaba's Taobao shopping site Beijing, Feb 4 : Hackers in China attempted to access over 20 million active accounts on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's Taobao e-commerce website using Alibaba's own cloud computing service, according to a state media report posted on the Internet regulator's website.Analysts said the report from The Paper led to the price of Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares falling as much as 3.7 percent in late Wednesday trade.An Alibaba spokesman on Thursday said the company detected the attack in "the first instance", reminded users to change
passwords, and worked closely with the police investigation. Chinese companies are grappling a sharp rise in the number of cyber attacks, and cyber security experts say firms have a long way to go before defences catch up to U.S. counterparts.In the latest case, hackers obtained a database of 99 million usernames and passwords from a number of websites, according to a separate report on a website managed by the Ministry of Public Security.The hackers then used Alibaba's cloud computing platform to input
the details into Taobao. Of the 99 million usernames, they found 20.59 million were also being used for Taobao accounts, the ministry website said.The hackers started inputting the details into Taobao in mid-October and were discovered in November, at which time Alibaba immediately reported the case to police, the ministry website said. The hackers have since been caught, it said. Alibaba's systems discovered and blocked the vast majority of log-in attempts, according to the ministry website. The hackers used compromised accounts to fake or-
ders on Taobao, a practice known as "brushing" in China and used to raise sellers' rankings, the newspaper said. The hackers also sold accounts to be used for fraud, it said. Alibaba's spokesman declined to comment on how the hackers were able to use its cloud computing service for the attack. He said they could have used any such service, and that the attack was not made possible by loopholes in Alibaba's platform."Alibaba's system was never breached," the spokesman said. (Agencies)
Pakistan named fourth most dangerous country for journalists Karachi, Feb 4: Pakistan has been named as the fourth most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with a total of 115 killings since 1990. According to a report issued by International Federation of Journalists, at least 2,297 journalists and media work-
ers have been killed in the last 25 years, with Iraq ranking as the most deadly country, The Express Tribune reported. Journalists lost their lives in targeted killings, bomb attacks, in the cross-fire and kidnappings in wars and armed conflicts
across the globe while others were killed by organised crime barons and corrupt officials, the federation said. Some 112 journalists and media professionals were killed last year alone, although the peak year was 155 killings in 2006, it said. (Agencies)
According to a report issued by International Federation of Journalists, at least 2,297 journalists and media workers have been killed in the last 25 years, with Iraq ranking as the most deadly country
Indonesian President briefed on developments in Sri Lanka Jakarta,Feb 4:Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been briefed on the latest developments in Sri Lanka following the elections held last year.The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Indonesia, Dharshana M. Perera presented his Credentials to the President of Indonesia at the Istana Merdeka (Merdeka Palace) in Jakarta yesterday, the Foreign Ministry said today. The event at the Palace included the ceremonial Guard of Honour and the playing of the National Anthem. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Mrs. Retno L.P. Marsudi, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs A b d u r r a h m a n Mohammad Fachir, senior officials of the Indonesian President's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were among those present at the occasion. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka was among 12
Indonesian President briefed on developments in Sri Lanka
other Ambassadors who presented Credentials to the President of Indonesia yesterday.During the discussion which followed the presentation of credentials, the Ambassador briefed the President on the developments in Sri Lanka following the elections in 2015 relating to the resolute steps taken to strengthen democracy, rule of law and good governance and the strong impetus placed on reinvigorating the economic and development agenda.Sri Lanka and Indonesia share valuable
partnerships in regional and international fora including NAM, IORA and are partners in the Indian Ocean affairs, he said. On the bilateral front, recalling the age old connections between the countries and the contemporary relations formalized shortly after independence, the Ambassador observed the need to further invigorate the engagement especially in the political, trade, investment and tourism spheres. Other areas identified for focused cooperation in-
clude, marine and fisheries matters, education, commercial agriculture, cooperation between the Legislatures etc also require further invigoration, he said. Ambassador Dharshana Perera expressed his firm commitment to work closely with the Government of Indonesia to ensure that the relationship becomes more robust and mutually rewarding.Ambassador Dharshana M. Perera is a career diplomat recruited to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1996. He is a graduate (E) from the University of Peradeniya and an old boy of S. Thomas College Mt. Lavinia. This is his first appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka. (Agencies) Sri Lanka and Indonesia share valuable partnerships in regional and international fora including NAM, IORA and are partners in the Indian Ocean affairs
MP MA Latif sued over distortion of Bangabandhu's image
MP MA Latif sued over distortion of Bangabandhu's image
Dhaka, Feb 4:A defamation case has been filed against ruling Awami League lawmaker MA Latif for distorting the image of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on banners and festoons.Saifuddin Ahmed, an activist of Jubo League, filed the case with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Farid Alam on Thursday.Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul, the plaintiff's counsel said the case was filed under section 501 and 502 of Penal Code stating that the banners and festoons hung by the lawmaker in the port city defamed Bangabandhu. "The magistrate took the case into cognizance and
asked the police to submit a report after investigation," said the lawyer.The images of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were installed on banners and festoons in Chittagong city by ruling Awami League lawmaker MA Latif during the recent visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the port city on January 30.The billboards showed a photograph of the Father of the Nation. However, the posture, attire and shoes did not match with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.It is alleged that MA Latif MP superimposed just the head of Bangabandhu on the portrait of himself as the body did not resemble that of Bangabandhu. (Agencies)
Lanka to expand relations with Korea with high level visits
Lanka to expand relations with Korea Colombo , Feb 4:Sri Lanka is to expand relations with Korea with high level visits scheduled to take place in the near future.In terms of highlevel visits, a presidential visit from Sri Lanka to Korea took place in April 2012, while the Prime Minister of Korea visited Sri Lanka in August 2013. These friendly ties are currently poised to be further elevated in the run-up to the two countries celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations in 2017. The two countries are discussing the possibility of the exchange of high-level visits in 2016 and 2017, beginning at foreign ministerial level. The next round of political consultations between Sri Lanka and Korea are also scheduled to be held in Colombo this year.The Sri Lankan Embassy in Korea said that Sri Lanka and Korea enjoy longstanding friendly relations and historical bonds based on Buddhist cultural links spanning centuries.Sri Lanka has identified Korea among a small basket of countries with which to explore the possibility of entering into a bilateral preferential trading arrangement (PTA or
FTA) in the future.In this regard, an initial joint study to examine the potential in trade and investment was launched in 2015 and is in process.It has been proposed to establish a Joint Working Group between Sri Lanka and Korea to explore new avenues of enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. Under such a mechanism, some important areas including customs cooperation, technology transfer, addressing market barriers such as regulatory requirement on imports, and steps towards enhancing trade, investment and tourism, could be discussed. Korea remains as one of the most important sources of foreign direct investment to Sri Lanka. Korean investment in Sri Lanka has over 70 companies based in Sri Lanka and has generated more than 4,000 job opportunities in the country.The Sri Lankan Government has also proposed to establish 11 business and technology development zones throughout the country, as well as an information and agricultural technology zone in Kandy this year, which will provide added impetus to attract Korean investment. (Agencies)
Central Hospital fire under control Dhaka, Feb 4: A fire that broke out at the basement of Central Hospital in the capital's Green Road area has been brought under control. Mizanur Rahman, duty officer of the fire service control room, said the fire originated at the hospital around 1:30pm
Thursday. He said seven units of fire fighters rushed to the spot and brought the flame under control around 2:35pm."We are assuming that the fire might have originated from electric short circuit," he said.None was reportedly injured in the incident, he added. (Agencies)
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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
BCPL: Magnificent spark of Hope for the North East stone of this project on 9th April, 2007.
Organic Farming Increase Food Production Of late, agriculture in Sikkim, which has set for itself to go fully organic by December 2015, hogs the limelight in the media .Organic agriculture has grown out of the conscious efforts by inspired people to create the best possible relationship between the earth and men. Since its beginning the sphere surrounding organic agriculture has become considerably more complex. A major challenge today is certainly its entry into the policy making arena, its entry into anonymous global market and the transformation of organic products into commodities. During the last two decades, there has also been a significant sensitization of the global community towards environmental preservation and assuring of food quality. Ardent promoters of organic farming consider that it can meet both these demands and become the mean for complete development of rural areas. After almost a century of development organic agriculture is now being embraced by the mainstream and shows great promise commercially, socially and environmentally. While there is continuum of thought from earlier days to the present, the modern organic movement is radically different from its original form. It now has environmental sustainability at its core in addition to the founders concerns for healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people. Since organic foods are considered to be premium (hence costly, beyond the reach of majority of populace), subsidising organic agriculture amounts to subsidising rich man's food. Policy makers should consider this before spending public money and subsidising organic agriculture. In addition, huge subsidies to promote organic agricultural area may contribute to more data fraud and misappropriation of funds in future. Hence, for India (the world's second most populated country and where land is increasingly becoming scarce) adoption of only-organic route of farming could be disastrous. It is only by using modern agriculture techniques and inputs (in terms optimum utilisation of fertilisers and crop protection products) farmers can increase food production to meet the requirements of growing population.
Clean Ganga campaign A premiere awareness function to keep the river pollution free. The Clean Ganga Campaign was started to keep the legendary river pollution free, however with time many more awareness campaigns have come up to get associated with it. Sankat Mochan Foundation or the SMF is a charitable organization devoted to cleaning and protecting the sacred Ganges river in India. The Sankat Mochan Foundation was established in 1982 as a non-profit, non-political organization under the "Societies Act" of the Government of India. Veer Bhadra Mishra started this act. The vision of Sankat Mochan Foundation is to restore the Ganges by alleviating its fast deteriorating environmental conditions, promote education and health care programs for the less privileged and maintain and encourage the age-old cultural traditions of Varanasi, in tune with its current environmental needs. The SMF runs the Swatcha Ganga (Clean Ganges) program and thus it is sometimes referred to as "Swatcha Ganga". The Government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan in 1986. Unfortunately, it has not achieved any success in spite of expenditure of over five billion rupees. The government has declared that the schemes under the Ganga Action Plan have been successful, but real measurements and scientific data narrate a different story. The failure of the GAP is clearly evident but proper, corrective action is missing. The higher the Biochemical Oxygen Demand, the higher is the pollution. As declared by Modi led BJP government, the first phase of 'Clean Ganga' campaign will be completed by October 2016 for the conservation of the river, as declared by the Indian government. The work for the completion of the first phase of 'Ganga Samagra Abhiyan' is in full swing. A report on the conservation of the river's ecological system till Rishikesh has also been submitted by an IIT Kanpur professor and another report on the 'Ganga Sagar' is expected to be submitted by him in 1-2 months. Indian government have identified 23 sewers adjacent to the Ganga and have initiated the treatment of the sewage. There will be no delay of any scheme due to lack of funds falling under 'Namami Ganga. Moreover, Narendra Modi will continue to serve as the Prime Minster for three more terms and what he has done for the economic development and foreign policies for India in one year was not even achieved by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Seeking to use different arms of the government in pursuing the gigantic task of Ganga cleaning, the Union water resources ministry has signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MoU) with seven ministries to carry forward multi-sectoral activities for minimum three years to rejuvenate the river. Under the MoU, which was signed, the HRD ministry to facilitate IITs for developing and undertake pilot projects for implementing Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system for four types of industrial pollution covering tanneries, chemical, pharma and textile industries, the ministry of Ayush will take up promotion of medicinal plants in the Ganga catchment areas and ministry of youth affairs will involve sports persons to form young group to take up activities related to Ganga cleaning. It should be kept in mind that Ganga is worshipped as people from all over the world and we as Indians it is our duty to keep this river clean and keep it away from all type of pollutants.
The Complex is spread over 3000 Bighas of Land at Lepetkata, and situated at approximately 15 Kilometers away from the Tea City Dibrugarh. M/s Engineers India Limited is the Engineering and Project ManConPranjal Kumar Phukan agement sultant for the project. Gas BCPL is implementing the Dehydration and Comprestigious Assam Gas pressor facilities are esCracker project, the first tablished at Duliajan ever Petrochemical along with Gas Sweetenproject in entire North ing Unit and C2+ RecovEast India. The project ery Section at Lakwa. came as a part of the his- The Feedstock for the toric Assam Accord project will be Natural signed on 15th August, Gas and Naphtha. OIL 1985 with the motive of and ONGC will supply overall socio-economic Natural Gas and Naphtha development of the re- shall be supplied by NRL. gion. It was approved by The principal end prodthe Cabinet Committee on ucts of the Complex will Economic Affairs be High Density Polyeth(CCEA) on 18th April, ylene (HDPE) and Linear 2006. Subsequently a Low Density polyethylJoint Venture Company ene (LLDPE) totaling 2, BCPL was incorporated 20,000 Tonnes per Anon 08th January, 2007 as num (TPA) and 60,000 Central Public Sector TPA of Polypropylene Enterprise under the un- (PP). The other products der the Department of include Raw Pyrolysis Chemicals & Petro- Gasoline and Fuel oil. chemicals, Govt. of In- Brahmaputra Cracker and dia. The project is ex- Polymer Limited is poised pected to generate scope to emerge as dominant for substantial invest- player in the field of Petments in setting up of rochemicals. Situated in downstream plastic pro- Dibrugarh district, amidst cessing industries, lush tea gardens and the thereby will generate mighty river both direct as well as in- Brahmaputra flowing by direct employment.GAIL the north bank of the (India) Limited is the town, the Petrochemical main promoter having Complex is rooted in his70% of equity participa- tory of the state as the tion and the rest 30% is project is an outcome of equally shared by Oil In- the 1985 Assam Accord, dia Ltd (OIL), aiming at the socio ecoNumaligarh Refinery nomic development of Limited (NRL) and Gov- the entire North Eastern ernment of Assam. Dr. Region with the followManmohan Singh, Hon- ing objectives. orable Prime Minister of India laid the foundation - To produce petro-
chemical products using natural gas, naphtha or any petroleum products as feedstock and devise an effective distribution system for the same in North-east region of India. - To develop market for petrochemical products, mainly in North-east region of the country. - To relentlessly strive to exceed the expectations of the customers in delivering quality products through use of state of the art technologies and implementation of best practices in the areas of operations, safety, health and environment. The project is expected to give a boost to further investments in downstream plastic processing
petrochemical complex would comprise a gas separation plant, cracker unit, downstream polymer and integrated offsite and utilities plants. The complex has been configured with a capacity of 2.20 lakh Tonnes annually of ethylene and 60,000 Tonnes annually of propylene with natural gas and naphtha as feedstock. Various ranges of polymers, manufactured by Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymers, can be used in different applications in sectors such as packaging film, roto, injection, raffia, and blow molding. This, in turn, is expected to boost the supply of different end
bile, construction, electronics, healthcare and textiles. They have also that demand was growing rapidly at 10 per cent over the last few years on the basis of Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), while the North Eastern region also consumes a wide range of plastic/polymer products, noted the penetration level of these products was much less, compared to the national level. To further enhance the growth, a special thrust was being laid on manufacturing and infrastructure, which were imperative for job creation and inclusive development. A FICCI study indicated ten per cent growth for plastic processing indus-
try over the next few years and the market was expected to reach 18 million tons by 2018.As the Indian economy gathers steam and the pace of growth changes with the increased focus on manufacturing, the demand for plastic was also expected to grow manifold. The views expressed by Author is his personal and shall not treated as the BCPL's deliberations. Also the author's views has no relation to the Company in any manner or form. ( Author is Regional
General Secretary, CaSI Global- CSR & Sustainability certification body headquartered at New
Source: bcplonline industries and allied activities with a potential for substantial direct and indirect employment generation. The Government of Assam has agreed to grant Exemption from Entry tax on capital goods, Exemption from Works Contract Tax during construction and Sales Tax / VAT exemption on feed stock and products for 15 years from the date of commencement of production. Sources said the
use products like water storage tanks, household items, house-wares, crates, buckets and packaging materials, woven sacks for packaging of fertilizers and cement, containers for edible oil and chemicals in the North Eastern states. These products will be marketed which has a wide marketing network in the country and has approximately 21 per cent share in do-
mestic polyethylene market. At an interaction with a government delegation for promoting and development of Plastic Processing Industry in the North Eastern states, FICCI said plastic industry was making significant contribution to the economic development and growth of various key sectors in the country such as automo-
York, US. He is recipient of prestigious Peter F Drucker award for his outstanding contributions in the field of management from University of Swahili- A Fully accredited chartered Government University. He can be contacted at pranjal_xlri@yahoo.com).
Why India Transferred Attack Helicopters to Afghanistan India's attack helicopter transfer to Afghanistan suggests a new era in ties between New Delhi and Kabul. Ankit Panda Earlier this month, the Afghan Ministry of Defense inducted three Mi25 attack helicopters into the Afghan Air Force (AAF). The helicopters were supplied by India and mark the first time that New Delhi has transferred lethal military equipment to Afghanistan. The AAF inducted three of four scheduled Mi-25 helicopters. The Mi-25s will replace Afghanistan's aging Mi35 attack helicopters and provide a much-needed boost to Afghanistan's air support capabilities in the ongoing struggle against the Taliban across the country. On January 20, Afghanistan confirmed that three multirole Mi-25 had been
assembled and were ready for operational use. The Mi-25s will likely see their first use in the ongoing struggle against Taliban fighters in Helmand province. "We have always been helped by India. The helicopters donated by India to Afghanistan have been assembled and will help us fight terrorists," Ghulam Sakhi Ahmadzai, deputy chief of procurement at the Afghan defense ministry, told Tolo News. The Mi-25 agreement between the two countries was announced in November 2015, when Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai visited New Delhi. India had previously supplied three Hindustan
Source: iadnews Aeronautic Limited (HAL) Cheetal trainer helicopters to the AAF. The Afghan Air Force already has experience with Russian-made Mi24 attack helicopters and operates five older Mi35s, that were supplied by the Czech Republic in 2008. The AAF's existing Mi-35s, however, are not
commonly used. As Franz-Stefan Gady explained in The Diplomat in November, the "Mi-25 is a close-air support aircraft armed with a YakB four-barrelled, 12.7mm, built-in, flexibly mounted machine gun, as well as rocket and grenade launchers. It can be deployed against ground
troops including armored and slow moving air targets. It can also serve as a low-capacity troop transport (up to eight paratroopers), and be used for medical evacuation missions." The helicopter is thus wellsuited for the AAF's role in helping the Afghan National Army take Taliban positions with close-air support. Unfortunately, given the many challenges facing Afghan security forces in Afghanistan, the Indian transfer of Mi-25s is not a game changing development on the battlefield. Instead, the broader significance of the transfer is in what it tells us about New Delhi's approach to security in Afghanistan. Despite close ties between India and Afghani-
stan, New Delhi took until early 2016 to deliver lethal weaponry to Kabul due to concerns that doing so could aggravate Pakistan, which sees increased Indian support for the Afghan government as a potential threat. The Indian government, however, is moving away from that old paradigm in managing its relationship with Afghanistan. Indeed, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed his interest in decoupling India's approach to Afghanistan from its approach to Pakistan when he made a surprise stopover in Lahore just hours after having declared his support for Afghanistan before the Afghan parliament. Coutesy:The Diplomat
Scramble For Being Backward
Source: images.indianexpress
Sir, Very often, we come across reports about agitation for incorporation into the Scheduled Caste/Tribe or being backward by some particular castes. Perhaps, they are well aware of the fact that sooner or later the crying babies must get milk. Sometimes, such agitation assumes alarming shape. The recent agitation by Kapu community in Andhra Pradesh for being backward is a case in point. In the said agitation, the agitationists went berserk in Tuni, in the east Godavari district. They not only burnt down five bogies of the Ratnanchal Express, but also blocked the KolkataChennai National Highway much to the inconvenience of the commuters. It is alleged that the Telegu Desam party (TDP) led by the Chief-minister Chandra Babu Naidu, before the assembly election committed that if voted to power, his party would provide OBC status to the Kapu community. But after obtaining power, Sri Naidu forgot the commitment. It is observed that the Politicians are the root cause behind Polarization among the castes, many including the affluent ones enjoy the benefit of reservation, many poor people of the so-called upper castes are deprived. As far as we
remember, an Hon'ble Judge of a court, while passing verdict in a case of demanding backward status observed that - 'Nowhere in the world, there is a country where people scramble for being backward' Yours etc. Ashok Bordoloi Dibrugarh
Best Letter The best letter of the month in the Letter to the Editor section will be awarded an amount of Rs 200. So please keep writing. Letters to the editor and articles should be sent to : The Eastern Today Chowkidingee, Near Sankardeva Hospital Mancotta Road, Dibrugarh-786003 (Assam) Ph: 0373-2328944 Web : editor.easterntoday@gmail.com
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Contemporary cultural dialectics of Manipur Cultural theorists have too. suggested that the orien- The modernist stance, tation of culture is itself caught up with its the signifier of longings for metanarrative and form centeredness, created biof self-reflection of col- nary with the concept of lective consciousness. periphery that comes to The collective conscious- be associated with the ness makes account of 'Other'. A scrutiny of conthe self that heads on to temporary practice rerender the presence of flects its dissolve, this creative manifestation. uneasiness with centres Manipur in the state of and peripheries. There h a v e India is i n Phanindra Talukdar been tentoday's dency cultural discourse a space amongst many wellof unveiled forms of cre- meaning schemes for ative industries. Such 'tribal-upliftment' that creative industries are seeks to re-contextualize what already have been their skills by developing viewed and aesthetised products for urban conthe traditional form of sumption. There have aldance, form of drama, ways a textual trace of form of literature and the tendency at peripheral visual form. And many polarity to become culsignificant individuals tural self as cultural idenhave philosophised and tical projection. That signified cultural dialec- might be a question of tics. Manipur is signifi- uncanny state, what leads cantly amalgamation of to be self identical cultural thirty three ethnic com- industry of North East of munities and was a India. However, the culprincely independent tural projection and manicountry before the advent festation is becoming of British in 1891. Thus nowadays an edge, a the culture of Manipur pastiche conclave, rather infused with the western being the self-reflexivity modern for subsequent and dialectic propositions. institutionalization in re- Thus we have stepped up ligiosity through the con- in the state of modernism cept of conversion in the praising traditional and colonial period and later commodified cultural
eclecticism. Subjecting the subjectivity of the cultural dialectics of North East of India, we are over the years spinning a state of self-less recollection. It is the time we are living in and politicizing or philosophizing as the emerging states, having false notion of pastiche capitalism. No one knows, no one can say, what will be a real apparatus for retaining our cultural objectivism, though we have already institutionally prophesised to reach 'worldstage' (Vishwadarbar). In this stunning edge the cultural projection and socio-political advancement rests on difference. Then, we also have to take an account of historical raptures of events and narratalogy of events' for proper cognitive perception. In such cases and fragments, the term contemporary is not a linguistic misrepresentation but rather a stand or position and self-reflexive agenda. In post colonial period Manipur attuned with the concept of modernism, established various institutions along with traditional forms of expressions. In 1949, Imphal Art College was estab-
lished, starting modern academicism of art. Establishment of Manipur State Kala Akademi (in 1972) accomplished with various art forms like dance, drama, music, literature and fine arts that enthused modern art practice of Manipur. Th. Tombi Singh went to Baroda to work under K.G.Subramanyan with a fellowship by MSKA. Significantly few artists like,Y.Ibochoubi Singh (painting and graphics), S.Joychandra Sharma ( s c u l p t o r ) , R.K.Sorojkumar Singh (graphics) went for further studies to M.S.University, Baroda. Artists like L.Phunindro Singh (painting), A.Ekant Sharma (applied Art), Koolchandra M. Them, Ch. Premananda Roy, H. Kependro, Ng. Norendrajit Singh, Y. Gunindro , H. Deven,N. Joykumar, S. Sashimohon, R.K. Sanajaoba Singh and S. Pranam Singh also went for further studies to Government College of Art and Crafts, Kolkata. Th. Debendra Singh (painting), Ch.Lalit Singh, T. Hemba Singh also did study at Kala Bhawan Santiniketan and Y.
Nabachandra Singh did his bachelor (applied arts) at J.J.School of Arts and master in visual arts at I.I.T Bombay. And later nineties artists like L. Ishwor Singh, Kh. Sarat Singh, Labango, Milan and Ng. Chandrasekhar Singh contribute sensitive insight to Manipur art scenario. Since the modern inception, artists of Manipur , particularly , the visual artists have developed and explored traditional institutional forms. The tradition and religious decorum, have been projected by paying homogeneous gesture towards the cultural participation where artists blend narratives by own adaptation of lyrical language. In such cultural participation and modern narrative , the attribute of modern art grew into institutionalism. Like the other artists of North East, few significant artists of Manipur also entered in academic sphere and adopted modern institutionalism propounded by Sanntiniketan, J.J.School of Art and Baroda which sojourned their visual cultural psyche toward imbuing modernity. Ch.Lalit
Source : blogspot.
Singh, L. Ishwor Singh, Kh. Sarat Singh, Labango, Milan, Ng. Chandrasekher and other artists are endorsing the traditional institutionalism in the flashes of contemporary performative binary of capital culture. Here the significant aspect of the artists of Manipur is that they are sensitive towards ethnic cultural manifestation and rests upon the transgrassive objectivism of self -recollection of cultural dialectic. That might be a metonymy of contemporary visual cultural agenda, what signifies the critical stand or
position holding, being the artist as performer of post-industrial society to the participants in the eclecticism of North East of India's contemporary art language. The another aspect of present art scenario of Manipur and other states of North East, is the need to make an conscious attempt to create and construct homogenous critical insight of new art historical paradigms to cotextuaise the cultural industries and ethnic dialectics. North East of India is populated with more than one sixty three ethnic communities, mani-
festing their own cultural dialects. Though the political state and economy of the people of these states are chaotic there has to be an account of collectivism in our performative representations to raise the voice of open culture. Otherwise, pastiche capitalism and capital culture will grab our true self. Courtesy:nezine (Phanindra Talukdar holds B.V.A.and M.V.A in Art History and Aesthetics from Maharaja Sayaji Rao University of Baroda. Working as independent curator and art writer. )
With an eye on assembly polls, party hoppers start Insure farmers to ensure future knocking the doors of new political masters Sunita Narain With assembly elections gether and prevent the deround the corner, it is time fection of Congress leadfor party hoppers in ers having any contaminaAssam to shift loyalties to tion effect of dissidence, new political masters. The have interpreted the rumseason began with 10 rul- blings of dissent by aspiring Congress legislators ants of party tickets and including former minister their followers against Himanta Biswa Sarma such defection as "a sign pledging their loyalties to of party's growing poputhe Bharatiya Janata Party larity." (BJP). I n While 2014 Sarma Lok Sushanta Talukdar joined Sabha the BJP elecand later quit as a Con- tions, the BJP candidates gress legislator, nine of his secured the highest votes followers met BJP national in the ten assembly segpresident Amit Shah ex- ments of defecting Conpressing their desire to gress legislators including wear saffron in due Jalukbari constituency course. The move of from which Sarma quit as these suspended Congress a Congress legislator. legislators did not came as Other nine constituencies a surprise to anyone as the (with figures of votes seclimax of a high-pitch po- cured by Congress and litical drama of dissidence, BJP in these segment in enacted by them over the 2014 Lok Sabha elections past more than two years, in brackets) are Raha ( was too obvious. BJP- 58,165, CongDefection of all the Con- 35,230 ), Nalbari (BJPgress legislators to BJP is 75,779, Cong-46,216), not expected to be smooth Behali ( BJP- 36,744, Cong and signs of resistance by - 24,832), Sipajhar ( BJPlocal BJP leaders and 50,403, Cong-50,148) , grassroots workers of the Tezpur ( BJP- 58,719, party in their respective Cong - 45,606 ) , Jonai ( constituencies, barring 1,09,568, Cong- 50,335 ), that of Sarma's, are pal- Sadiya ( BJP- 56,649, pable. In Behali constitu- Cong -29,730 ), ency, former state BJP Golokganj ( BJP - 58, 609, president Ranjit Dutta led Cong - 35,176 ; All India party workers to stage United Democratic Front demonstration against sit- came second in this segting Congress legislator ment with 41,347 votes) Pallab Lochan Das, one of and Ratabari ( BJP nine Congress legislators, 40,759, Cong - 28, 511). who had met Amit Shah. In Jalukbari assembly segSimilarly, in Nalbari con- ment under Gauhati Lok stituency, local BJP lead- Sabha constituency, BJP ers and workers have candidate and former gone record that while Union minister Bijoya they welcome anyone Chakravarty secured who is ready to accept 70,069 votes while her party constitution, the nearest Congress rival newcomers should not Manash Borah managed to expect party tickets for get 61,576 votes. Ms 2016 assembly elections. Chakravarty won Gauhati The mood is no different Lok Sabha seat. BJP won in other seven constituen- seven of the 14 Lok Sabha cies. seats in the state, ConPolitical spin doctors of gress and the AIUDF won both the Congress and the three and one seat was BJP are busy crafting their won by an independent own interpretations of the candidate. developments. Congress With leadership of the leaders, in a bid to check Assam Pradesh Congress further erosion, have been Committee solidly behind trying to assure party him, Chief Minister Tarun workers that defection of Gogoi rushed to re-induct the 10 party legislators has two former ministers come as blessing in dis- Gautom Roy and Siddeque guise as it will draw the Ahmed, whom he had curtains of dissidence that dropped earlier during ruined party's prospects in peak of dissidence led by 2014 Lok Sabha elections Sarma, and on charges of and lowered the party's accompanying the dissipublic image. dent leader. Mr Gogoi also Senior BJP leaders, in a bid elevated 12 other party legto keep party flock to- islators to the rank of par-
liamentary secretaries to check further erosion and cut the supplies of Congress legislators to BJP. Sarma had marched to Raj Bhawan with 38 dissident Congress legislators to tender his resignation from Gogoi's cabinet in July 2014. While Congress leaders are hopeful of turning the swing around in the constituencies of party legislators, whom they managed to prevent from defecting, their worries over party's poll prospects in the ten constituencies of defectors are still not over. The ruling party, however, is pinning hopes on a potential internal squabbling within BJP looming large over in these ten constituencies over ticket distribution.
even after expiry of validity of travel documents. Revival of AGP as a major political force will be spanner in BJPs dream journey of capturing Dispur. However, the saffron party has thrown open its doors to leaders of student and youth bodies including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) in bid to woo them and their followers away from regional forces like the AGP. In the past AGP, which was given birth in 1985 by the AASU at the culmination of a six-year long vigorous anti-foreigner agitation, was the natural launching pad for AASU and AJYCP leaders for their political careers. However, joining of two
sion on Bangladeshi migrants and on other issues, and suspected that such protests could only be used by the leaders of these organization, for bargaining for their own political career. The Akhil Bhratiya Vidyarthi Parishad winning student body elections in several colleges of the state is a pointer towards the BJP's right-winged student body filling up the vacuum created among students due to loss of confidence in AASU and AJYCP. Both the BJP and Congress are well aware of the influence of the AIUDF, the principal opposition party in the 126-Assam Assembly with 18 legislators and are expected to factor in, in their electoral strategy, the floating of a
Himanta Biswa Sarma. Source:firstpost It remains to be seen if a third non-Congress, nonBJP political force, would be able to take advantage of such a fluid situation. However, such a political force is yet to emerge though efforts by the Asom Gana Parishad and some left parties were still on. The AGP is hoping to piggyback on growing protests triggered by some decisions of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre including the recent decision of granting the right to Hindu and other religious minorities of Bangladesh fleeing the neighbouring country due to alleged religious persecution, to enter without travel documents or stay
top AASU leaders - its former president Sankar Prasad Roy and former General Secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi - and AJYCP leader Manoj Barua and grand farewell to them by the two student and youth bodies has put a question mark over the political neutrality, the two organisations often tom. The BJP's calculated move of neutralising the influence of these two organsations in Assam's electoral politics, seemed to have paid dividend as both the AASU and AJYCP have suffered crisis of confidence with many raising doubts over the genuineness of the protests, they have organised against Modi-government's deci-
new political front United People's Front by nine tribal and indigenous bodies. Bodoland People's Front (BPF) which rules the Bodoland Territorial Council (an administrative set up enjoying autonomy under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution) with 12 legislators, is the major constituent of this new front. BPF was coalition partner of the Congress from 2006 to 2014 till parted its ways in June 2014 when the Congress was grappling with dissidence. As of now, the political situation in Assam is fluid and the parties are expected to take some more time to draw their battle lines.Courtesy:nezine
In Jammu, litchi was flowering-much earlier and out of season. This is because winter had not come and it was warmer than usual. But now as the chill has set in, the flowers are falling and there will be no fruit this summer, fear horticulturists. In Bihar, standing wheat crops were hit last fortnight by unseasonal hail and bitter cold that came after days of warmerthan-usual temperatures. I saw this situation firsthand in the Mewat district of Haryana, where farmers told me they had been suffering for the past three cropping seasons. They were broke as each time they planted crops there was some unseasonal devastation that took a crippling toll. In the summer of 2015, for instance, they had planted rice and first rains were delayed. They begged and borrowed to run expensive diesel-fuelled tube wells (electricity for agriculture is supposedly assured but it goes off when farmers need it most). Finally, paddy was ready. But then came a night of apocalyptic rain-it rained over 250 mm in five hours. This, in a district where average annual rainfall is 500-600 mm. When I visited the village, not even two hours' drive from Delhi, fields were flooded, crops destroyed. There was deep despair in the eyes of every farmer I met. Let's leave for the moment the questions-very real and urgent-why these extreme weather events are happening in our world with greater frequency and intensity. Let's discuss instead what we need to do. First, we need to know that these events are breaking our world. Today, we read more about Snowzilla-the massive snowstorm that has hit the eastern coast of the USthan the hailstorms and freak rain events that are livelihood spoilers in our country. These events have to make news, even if the people who are devastated are not the consuming middle classes. Because if we bury this distress by simply not hearing about it, then we will never understand the magnitude of the catastrophe that is on us. Second, we need insurance for an increasingly
climate-vulnerable world. The question is how insurance will work for the poor, who have little collateral but face the highest risk. Last week, the Union Cabinet cleared a new crop insurance policy called Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which will replace the existing national agricultural insurance
loss. These experiments are often poorly done and do not give real value of the produce. Then, when the claim is filed, the assessment is done by the patwari, the lowest revenue official in the district who is expected to visit and estimate damage. The tales of corruption in this process are legion, as farmers will tell you how
Source:aljazeera scheme. My colleagues, who have studied the state of agricultural insurance in India in their report, "Lived Anomaly: how to enable farmers in India to cope with extreme weather events", find that it is a step ahead in addressing some concerns. But there is a long way to go to design a universal insurance scheme, which can be an effective safety net for farmers. The key problem is estimating the crop damage and then paying for the claim without fuss and delay. In PMFBY the insurance unit is now a village, as against the revenue administrative unit of a block in the previous scheme. A block covers a large area with sub-regional variations in weather events. Therefore, if it rains heavily in a few villages but not across the block, then farmers would not be able to claim damage without evidence to show this anomaly. This, when weather stations to record such an anomaly remain grossly inadequate. The system of verifying claims also remains a problem. State governments are expected to conduct crop-cutting experiments to estimate what would be the actual yield and, thus, estimate the
the patwari did not visit or processed claims for people who did not lose crop or simply denied the claim. The answer will lie in the use of new technologiesremote-sensing to mobilebased image-capturing systems. The new insurance policy talks about the use of mobile phone to improve yield data and timeliness of processing claims. But the question will be how this can happen and how fast. The question also is: who is really the subject of insurance? Is it the farmer or is it the banker? Today crop insurance is mandatory for all farmers who take a bank loan under the Kisan Credit Card. The insurance policy is a package deal, and in most cases farmers do not even have the requisite information about what it entails. Not only is the insurance premium deducted as an additional charge to the loan, but even when the claim is processed and paid, it is the bank that has the first right on it. All this has to be worked out. Insurance coverage has to be universal and payouts enough to cover losses. This is one product design that should capture our imagination. This is the true challenge before our climate-risked world. Courtesy:DTE
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
BUSINESS
Wholesale onion prices dips to Rs 9.50/kg Mumbai, Feb 4: Prices of onion have dipped below Rs 10 per kg, the lowest level in the fiscal so far, at the Lasalgaon wholesale market in Maharashtra. The prices of the kitchen staple at the Lasalgaon have fallen by more than 76 percent to Rs 9.50 per kg in February from Rs 41.30 per kg in September. According to the data maintained by Nasik-based National Horticultural and Research Foundation (NHRDF), wholesale onion prices are being sold at minimum rates of Rs 7 per kg and maximum Rs
14.22 per kg. "The onion prices have been continuously falling from October as there was spike in supplies with arrival of the lake kharif onion crop," said NHRDF Director R P Gupta. The prices have already touched the lowest level in the year so far and is expected to fall further by Rs 1-2 per kg as there has been a smooth flow of supplies of the edible bulb across the country, Gupta added. Onion production is estimated to be lower at 189 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June),
Compact SUV Vitara Brezza unveils by Maruti Suzuki
Source: shifting-gears Mumbai, Feb 4: Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki unveiled its much-awaited compact SUV Vitara Brezza. "I am proud to introduce the brand new Vitara Brezza. It is developed under a new unique process to design with a special focus on the taste and values of Indian customers," Toshihiro Suzuki, President and COO of Suzuki Motor Corp said. It is powered by 300 DDiS engine that is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. While it will initially be available in diesel variant, the company said it is working on a petrol trim. The company added that Vitara meets offset and side impact crash tests that will come into force in India in 2017. Driver airbag will come as a standard in
the vehicle, while front passenger airbag and ABS will be optional. "Baleno exports commenced for Japan from India, a part of Make-In-India Campaign. Export of Baleno will strengthen India's role as a manufacturing hub... Vitara Brezza is our statement to create in India," Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India said. He added that the Vitara Brezza has been conceptualised, designed and developed in India using a Suzuki global platform and engine. The project was lead by Mr. C.V. Raman, executive director R&D of Maruti Suzuki India. Vitara Brezza will compete against the likes of Mahindra TUV300 and Ford EcoSport in the Indian market. (Agencies)
New Tuscon, HND-14 concept unveiled by Hyundai Bengaluru, Feb 4: Hyundai Motor India showcased its premium SUV Tuscon and the HND-14 concept, a sub4 metre SUV, at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016. "Hyundai Tuscon represents a significant step forward in the future of SUV line-up for the Indian Automobile market," the company said. The company claims the Tucson, which is slated to be launched later this year, is a significant step forward in the future SUV line-up for the company. The HND-14 will be positioned below Creta and complete the SUV line up
of the company with Tucson. Tucson is to be slotted above Creta. With this, Hyundai's family of SUVs will have five products, including Santa Fe, Tucson, Creta, and Active i20. Hyundai Motor also showcased its N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo concept. "Developed for participation in the world renowned PlayStation Gran Turismo racing game series, the Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo concept highlights sustainable technology and race car design, truly representing the future potential of Hyundai N," it added. (Agencies)
slightly lower than 194 lakh tonnes a year ago. In August this year, the retail onion prices had shot up to Rs 80 per kg in the national capital due to tight supply despite the government's efforts to keep a lid on prices. During the year, the government had also imported the onions to keep a tab on the prices. At the same time it had also hiked the onion MEP to USD 700 per tonne. However, in December last year the MEP on Onion was scrapped. The onion exports have declined by
mercial crude stockpiles later Wednesday, with analysts expecting the inventories to rise. An increase typically means softer demand in the world's top oil consumer. "With a build of about 4.0 million barrels expected, that's another event that traders are expecting could push oil prices down," Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, said, referring to the closely-watched US inventory data. "Some of the selling that we are seeing today is in anticipation of the larger than expected build tonight," he told AFP. McCarthy added that hopes pinned on coordinated ac-
Prices of onion have dipped below Rs 10 per kg, the lowest level in the fiscal so far, at the Lasalgaon wholesale market in Maharashtra. The prices of the kitchen staple at the Lasalgaon have fallen by more than 76 percent to Rs 9.50 per kg in February from Rs 41.30 per kg in September.
The onion prices have been continuously falling from October as there was spike in supplies with arrival of the lake kharif onion crop.
The prices have already touched the lowest level in the year so far and is expected to fall further by Rs 1-2 per kg as there has been a smooth flow of supplies of the edible bulb across the country. Onion production is estimated to be lower at 189 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June), slightly lower than 194 lakh tonnes a year ago.
18 percent to 4.86 lakh tonnes in the first half of
the fiscal due to government steps to curb out-
bound shipments. (Agencies)
Source: livemint
1,700 Yahoo workers on the way to unemployment San Francisco, Feb 4: Yahoo is laying off about 1,700 employees and shedding some of its excess baggage in a shakeup likely to determine whether CEO Marissa Mayer can save her own job. The long-anticipated purge, announced recently, will jettison about 15 per cent of Yahoo's workforce along with an assortment of services that Mayer decided aren't worth the time and money that the Internet company has been putting into them. Mayer hopes to sell some of Yahoo's unwanted services for about $1 billion, though she didn't identify which ones. In an apparent concession to some shareholders, Mayer also said Yahoo's board will mull "strategic alternatives" that could result in the sale of all the company's Internet operations. Analysts have speculated that Verizon, AT&T and Comcast might be interested in buying Yahoo's main business, despite years of
Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer. Source: newyorker deterioration. Mayer expressed confidence that her plan to run Yahoo as a smaller, more focused company "will dramatically brighten our future and improve our competitiveness, and attractiveness to users, advertisers, and partners." Yahoo's stock shed 34 cents to $28.72 extended trading after details of Mayer's latest turnaround attempt came out. The stock has fallen by more than 40 percent since the end of 2014 as investors' confidence in Mayer has faded. Some of Yahoo's most
outspoken shareholders, such as SpringOwl Asset Management, already have concluded that Mayer should be laid off, too. Mayer, a former rising star at Google who helped Google eclipse Yahoo, has given no indication she intends to leave. Even after the mass firings are completed by the end of March, Yahoo will still have about 9,000 workers - three times the roughly 3,000 people that SpringOwl believes the company should be employing, based on its steadily declining revenue.
"We would like to see a higher stock price, and we think Marissa and her current management team have become a hindrance to that," said Eric Jackson, SpringOwl's managing director. He declined to disclose the size of SpringOwl's Yahoo investment. Yahoo's stock dipped 25 cents to $28.81 in extended trading after details of Mayer's latest turnaround attempt came out. Yahoo's revenue has been shrinking through most of Mayer's reign, even though she has spent more than $3 billion buying more than 40 companies, while bringing in new talent and developing mobile applications and other services designed to attract more traffic and advertisers. The decline has persisted while advertisers have been steadily increasing their digital marketing efforts. Most of that money has been flowing to Google and Facebook two companies once far smaller than the now 20year-old Yahoo Inc. (Agencies)
Compact sedan Ameo by VW unveiled in Germany Germany, Feb 4: German auto major Volkswagen recently unveiled its compact sedan 'Ameo', which will be launched later this year in the country. Besides Ameo, the company also plans to launch three new models including premier SUV Tiguan and Passat hybrid during the next financial year. "We will launch Ameo in the second half of this year. It is a car specially designed for the Indian market. It will mark our entry into the growing volume segment in India," Volkswagen Passenger Cars India Director Michael Mayer told reporters here. The compact sedan segment continues to garner much interest among Indian consumers and the company is happy to mark its presence in this competitive segment, he added. The company has so far invested 800 million euros
US crude stays below $30 in Asia as oil price losses deepen ANI Washington, Feb 4: US crude stayed below $30 per barrel in Asia today as oil price losses deepened on expectations US petroleum stockpiles will rise further and exacerbate the already oversaturated global market. A rally last week driven by speculation that Russia and members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would reach an agreement to slash output in the oversupplied market has fizzled out amid scepticism such a deal would be reached. Traders are expecting more bearish news when the US Department of Energy releases its weekly inventory on com-
LOWEST PRICE
tion between Russia and Opec to slash output have now faded. "The stepping away from the idea that there might have been cooperation between suppliers is another factor that is weighing on the prices," he said. "That shows the positioning of the market, that what was essentially a rumour was able to drive the price so much higher." Russia announced Tuesday that it pumped a post-Soviet record amount of crude oil and condensate in January of about 18.9 million barrels a day, as it fights to hold onto market share. Opec in December rejected calls to trim output.
in India. The sub-4 metre sedan will be available with both petrol and diesel engines. The 1.2 litre petrol engine will be mated to 5 speed gear box while the 1.5 litre diesel engine will be available in 5 speed manual and 7 speed automatic transmissions. Volkswagen Ameo has been designed specifically for the Indian market. It will be manufactured at VWs Chakan facility in Maharashtra. It will compete with the likes of Maruti Swift Dzire,
Source: indianautosblog Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Tata Zest and Ford Figo Aspire. These sub-4 metre compact sedans are priced in the range of over Rs 5 lakh to around Rs 8.3 lakh. The company has positioned VW Ameo as made-in-In-
dia and made-for-India carline. Elaborating on the product pipeline for the next fiscal, Volkswagen Board Member for sales and marketing Jurgen Stackmann said: "During the next fiscal, we will be launching four new models bringing our greatest model range ever to the Indian showrooms." Besides, Ameo, Tiguan, Passat Hybrid, the company would also launch Polo GTI during the period. Volkswagen currently sells Polo, Vento, Jetta and Beetle in India. (Agencies)
LUXURY ON WHEELS Ø German auto major Volkswagen recently unveiled its compact sedan 'Ameo', which will be launched later this year in the country. Ø The sub-4 metre sedan will be available with both petrol and diesel engines.
Ø The 1.2 litre petrol engine will be mated to 5 speed gear box while the 1.5 litre diesel engine will be available in 5 speed manual and 7 speed automatic transmissions.
Ø
Besides, Ameo, Tiguan, Passat Hybrid, the company would also launch Polo GTI during the period. Volkswagen currently sells Polo, Vento, Jetta and Beetle in India.
PAGE 10
Crompton Greaves tanks over 20% post Q3 results
Source: dsource ANI Pune, Feb 4: Shares of Crompton Greaves has tanked 24% to Rs 127, also its 52-week low on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), after the company registered consolidated net loss of Rs 107 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 (Q3FY16) against profit of Rs 274 crore in the same quarter last fiscal. During the quarter, the company recorded Rs 410 loss on account of provision made against loan given to subsidiaries including loss on sale of Canadian operation. It made profit of Rs 426 crore on sale of land at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai against Rs 278 crore in previous year quarter,
Crompton Greaves said in a statement. Net sales of the company during the quarter under review too declined by 14% to Rs 2,068 crore from Rs 2,409 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous year. In a separate filing, the Avantha group company said that K N Neelkant will take over as the CEO and Managing Director of the company with effect from February 3 as Laurent Demortier will step down from the post. The company further said that Madhav Acharya will join as member of its board as Executive Director Finance in addition to being CFO of the company, from April 1, 2016.
'Toyota's Daihatsu brings in serious threat to rival' Tokyo, Feb 4: Toyota's buyout of small car maker Daihatsu is a serious threat to rival Suzuki Motor Corporation's position not just in India but other markets as well, a top Suzuki official said. Toyota, the world's biggest car maker, is now raising its stake in Daihatsu to 100 per cent from 51 per cent earlier as part of a strategy to strengthen its position in the compact car segment. "Toyota taking out Daihatsu…will pose a big threat to Suzuki not only in India but other markets also," T. Suzuki, President and COO, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) said. Stressing that entry of other global players had increased competition in India, he said profit generation would become relatively tougher and the company needs to develop more suitable products for the Indian market. "It is not only the Toyota alliance but the entry of other
Source: cdn.grid.fotosearch
international manufacturers in India which is making the competition tougher," Mr. Suzuki said. Suzuki plans to unveil 20 new models globally by 2020. Of this, 15 will be brought to India. The new Baleno has already been introduced and Maruti Suzuki India will unveil a compact SUV Vitara Brezza at the Auto Expo. Mr. Suzuki said that the Japanese parent has been working on high-end technology products like hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, which MSI could use, as India moves to stricter emission and safety norms in the future. (Agencies)
Vodafone rolls out 4G services in Delhi-NCR New Delhi, Feb 4: Telecom operator Vodafone India rolled out its 4G services in Delhi and NCR recently. Vodafone has recently introduced 4G SIM cards in Delhi-NCR as it gears up to roll out the highspeed mobile internet services in the region. Customers who are upgrading to 4G-Ready SIMs will be rewarded with free 1GB 4G internet, at the time of launch. With the new
4 G S I M , Vo d a f o n e customers will be automatically upgraded to 4G as soon as the services are launched commercially, provided they have 4G-enabled handset. The 4G was launched in 1800 Mhz band which the company won in March 2015 spectrum auction. Vodafone has already launched 4G in Kerala and Mysuru in Karnataka. (Agencies)
Strategy for smartphone growth planned out by LeEco Chennai, Feb 4: Chinese technology firm, LeEco, which sold a record 70,000 units of its Le 1s brand smartphone in two seconds, is chalking out a four-pronged strategy to achieve dominant position in the India smartphone market over the next couple of years, a top official of the company said. "We look forward to launching more super phones in the coming months. A few new phones will come before the Q2 (second quarter) of this calendar year. We will also have more touch-andfeel exclusive showrooms. We will open these stores across India through the franchisee route," said Atul
Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Business, LeEco India. "We are also open to have presence in the offline market. This will help more consumers to experience our brand and purchase the phones easily. We are also looking at strengthening our content eco-system so that our value to the consumers becomes higher. All these initiatives should help us become a preferred brand among the consumers in India. "Our target is to be among the top three smartphone brands in the country towards the end of 2016," he said. LeEco's flagship smartphone brand Le 1s, priced at Rs.10,999, sold over 70,000 units in
just about two seconds on Flipkart. Mr.Jain indicated that the key differentiator of LeEco will be the strong
focus that the company gives to fulfill the entertainment needs of consumers through their R & D and
technology. LeEco has set up 555 service centers across 300 locations in the country. (Agencies)
GREAT STRATEGY Ø Chinese technology firm, LeEco, which sold a record 70,000 units of its
Le 1s brand smartphone in two seconds, is chalking out a four-pronged strategy to achieve dominant position in the India smartphone market over the next couple of years
Ø LeEco looks forward to launching more super phones in the coming months. A few new phones will come before the Q2 (second quarter) of this calendar year. Ø LeEco's target is to be among the top three smartphone brands in the
country towards the end of 2016.
Ø LeEco's flagship smartphone brand Le 1s, priced at Rs.10,999, sold over
70,000 units in just about two seconds on Flipkart.
Ø LeEco has set up 555 service centers across 300 locations in the country.
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Features
PAGE 11
TRAVEL & TOURISM 10 Things to do in Kohima National Parks and Wildlife Kohima may not be everybody's favourite destination but there is no denying that it's a charming town with beautiful landscapes, and filled with people of every tribe of Nagaland. If you are here for a day or two, and you don't mind taking the chances of getting past a heavy traffic or letting the rains play spoilsport, then here are 10 things you can do while you are in Kohima. 1. Visit the Kohima War Cemetery and take in as much beauty as you can. You don't want to miss such a site of historical importance, or the peace and tranquility it freely offers. 2. Museum: The three floored museum in the directorate of Art and Culture will take you through a gamut of cultural expressions of the tribes of Nagaland as well as give you a glimpse of some priceless exhibits. You may also want to check out the Garden placed right at the entrance of the department. 3. Kohima Cathedral is known as one of the biggest cathedrals in North East India, and is definitely worth a visit for its uniquely and beautifully designed architecture. Two of its special features
Sanctuaries in Meghalaya
Source: nelive are also the magnificent Crucifix and the Stations of the Cross. 4. The Heritage: Whether you want to stay over or spend the afternoon here, The Heritage, located at the Old DC Bungalow is not one to disappoint. Either way, you are in for a beautiful experience. 5. Take a Bus Ride: Taking a bus ride from PR Hill to High School Junction or further to the New Secretariat might be a good idea if you are keen on stealing some quick glances of the place that Kohima is. 6. Window Shop: It's easy to walk around Kohima town and browse through the vari-
ety of shops. Mao Market, supermarket area, or AMK building near DC's Office may be of particular interest to you. 7. Kohima Village: Kohima Village or Bara Basti, literally meaning 'Big Village' is one of the largest villages in Asia and easily connected to the town. A must visit to get a feel of a traditional village without having to go too far. 8. A.Z Phizo's Memorial: For one with an interest in the Naga political history, A.Z Phizo's Memorial near the Nagaland Secretariat is worth checking out. On that note, make sure you check out the Nagaland Civil Secretariat too.
9. Relish a Naga Meal: It wouldn't be fair if you are here and you don't get to try a taste of Nagaland. I'd say, go to "Orami, my kind of place" near NSF Martyrs' Park and get your fill. 10. Attend an event: Maybe you are here when a state/tribal festival is on, be a part of it! Or attend a church service if it's a Sunday. You'll also be fascinated to know there is a church in every nook and corner of Kohima. Or attend a music event, an art exhibition, a book launch, a fashion show, a cultural event, a tournament, depending on what's happening around town when you're here. Courtesy: Nelive
Meghalaya is rich in Peak in the West Garo tablishment of a National wildlife and various spe- Hills. The UNESCO had Citrus Gene Sanctuary in cies of birds, animals and added this national park to the area. insects are found across the list of Biosphere Re- Siju Bird Sanctuary the state. Elephants, bats, serves of the world in the Located in the South Garo weasels, wild last decade. Hills district, this bird sancbuffalo and Paulami Dutta Know for the tuary is close to the boar, deer etc red panda and Simsang River. The Siju are found in an Asian el- bird sanctuary is home to various places. There ephant, the park at one many birds and two rare are also various National time was known for eight species - the Grey HornParks and Wildlife sanc- species of cats. There is bill and the Peacock tuaries in Meghalaya that also a wide variety of pri- Pheasant are found here. are home to a number of mates and, of course, the This is also a favourite species. pig-tailed macaque. The haunt of migratory birds like Balpakram National Hoolock Gibbons are the Siberian ducks. This Park - located in the abundant in Nokrek. This sanctuary provides a natusouth of Garo Hills almost hilly reserve is also the ral habitat to the birds withninety kilometres from home of herbs and plants. out caging them, but also Baghmara. This was es- The discovery of Citrus keeps their protection in tablished in 1987 and Indica has led to the es- mind. houses a wild range of wildlife species. The fertile lands of Balpakram are also known for a wide range of species of flora. If you are lucky, you would come across tigers and elephants. The Hoolock Gibbon is also found in abundance in the area. There are also many endangered species here. There are pheasants, deer, wild cow, leopards etc in this park. The Balpakram National Park is also rich in medicinal herbs and a many colourful butterflies. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve - this national park Source: sanctuariesindia is located near the Tura
Baghmara Reserve Forest - This reserve forest located in the South Garo Hills District and just near the main town of Baghmara is a thick forest the houses langurs, elephants and birds of various species. Nongkhyllem Sanctuary Located in the Ri-Bhoi, the Nongkhyllem Sanctuary is popular for birds. This is also the home of endangered reptiles, avifauna, mammals etc. There are also options of trekking and rock climbing for tourists that visit the place; with ideal months being March and April. Courtesy: Nelive
Orchid Kingdom of India, Arunachal Pradesh Top Shopping Zones in Imphal The northeastern state of grow in Arunachal Arunachal Pradesh, Pradesh have become which shares borders with inseperable part of life and China and is surrounded rituals of the various tribes by mountain ranges is a residing in the state. For treasure house for nature example, Vanda coerulea loving tourists. Yet, it has or Blue Vanda are used remained extensively by the somewhat Arnab Ghosh Wanchu inaccessible to matribes in Tirap jority of tourists owing to district. They use this orits lack of transport options chid mostly for decoration and development. While in festival dances. Some the sanctuaries, trekking orchid variants like routes and lakes in the hilly Satyrium nepalense, state are enthralling-its Cleisostoma Williamsonii flora and fauna is no less and Dendrobium Nobile impressive. The orchid are used for diverse mevarieties you find in vari- dicinal purposes by these ous parts of Arunachal tribes. Pradesh, in particular, can Habitats of orchids in be mind blowing. Nuances of orchids in Arunachal Pradesh In Arunachal Pradesh, there are several spots of amazing biodiversity. The varieties in climates, elevations and climates have resulted in development of varying ranges of plants and orchids. Its extensive variety of orchids makes the state ideal for nature tourism. The shapes, sizes and colors of the orchids found here is enticing. Among the 1,150 species of Orchids scattered through various parts of India, 600 or more are Arunachal found in this hilly state. It Orchids can grow in variis not without reasons that ous climates and terrains Arunachal is referred as and you can find the variIndia's "Orchid Paradise". ants in both mountainous Some of the orchid spe- regions and dense forcies found in the state are ests in the state. There thought to be rare ones are leafless orchids, leafy and some are also endan- terrestrials and those gered. While the colorful thriving on trunks of large flowers of some orchid trees and rocks. The mavariants add to the beauty, jority of Orchids in a few variants also have Arunachal Pradesh howfragrance that can enthrall ever can be located in you. tropical valleys, alpine The various orchids that forests and sub-tropical
vegetations. A majority of these orchids require humidity to thrive. Some of the popular and important orchid variants found here include Arundina graminifolia( bamboo orchid), Calanthe masuca, Venus or Lady's slipper, Vanda coerulea etc. Orchids can be found in major forests, national parks, mountain valleys as well as river valleys in the state. However, to get a close look at major orchid variants of Arunachal, you should head to two specific places- Orchid Research Centre Tipi and Sessa
Orchids. The hilly backdrop and lush green landscape makes the place ideal both for general tourists and orchid lovers. It contains a museum and unique herbarium. You can even buy specially cultivated orchid hybrids at the center. Sessa Orchid Sanctuary Another major destination for orchid and nature lovers in Arunachal is the Sessa Orchid Sanctuary. Established in 1979, this sanctuary is spread over 100 sq.km and located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The diverse elevation and
Source: thehindu Orchid Sanctuary.. Orchid Research Centre Tipi In recent years, the state government has taken initiatives to promote orchid tourism in Arunachal Pradesh and an Orchid Research Centre was set up at West Kameng district's Tipi. Set up in 1972, it is aimed at spearheading orchid conservation and development. It houses some rare and endangered species of
climate conditions inside the orchid sanctuary have made it a paradise for orchid cultivation. Here, you can spot about 200 species of orchids. The trekking routes inside this sanctuary have been made by department of Environment & Forests. The majority of orchid variants found here are epiphytes and remaining ones are mostly terrestrial in nature. Courtesy: Nelive
Arnab Ghosh The historic city of Imphal, which is the capital of Manipur, entices tourists with myriads of attractions. The ruins of ancient dynasty, museums, and places of religious importance- you get to see plenty of places in and around Imphal. Its scenic beauty can be a treat for your eyes and mind. The city also has numerous options for the tourists who love shopping. What to buy in Imphal? In various markets of Imphal you can buy local handicrafts, garments, homemade spices and a lot more as souvenirs. The Kauna reed based mats- a regional craft are also sold like hot cakes. Manipuri artisans are also expert in making diverse types of stone and wood based crafts. In some markets of Imphal you can bargain though the language could prove to be a barrier. Top shopping areas in Imphal 1. Khwairamband Bazaar Also called Ima Market, this is possibly the most famous market in Manipur's capital. The uniqueness of this market is that all vendors are women. This is said to be the largest market operated by women in the world. It is a delight to see women of various ages selling diverse items dressed in traditional
Manipuri attire. Not a single male seller is allowed to sell in this market. Almost 3000 female vendors sell their products in this large market. It was given an overhaul in 2010. You can buy jewelry, household utensils, ivory made figurines, handloom shawls as well as famous Manipuri handicrafts and attires.
prefer gorging on yummy Manipuri dishes like kangsoi kobok, poora haah and koat pitha sold by various stalls in this market. 3. Paona Bazaar This is another important and popular market in Imphal, located in the busy Masjid road. While the variety of items sold
To pick up suitable souvenirs for friends and family members, the Tera Bazaar in greater Imphal area can be your ideal destination. You can buy some reasonably priced items here. The Manipuri handloom products are what a majority of tourists opt for. The localites throng the market on weekends and holidays.
Source: nelive
Some women vendors also sell food and local vegetables and herbs in the market. In the recent earthquake, it has received some damages. 2. Nagamapal Market Nagamapal market is a busy shopping area in Imphal. In the shops of this market you can find items like colorful attires, footwear and accessories for both genders. However, a lot of tourists
in this market will enthrall tourists, there is no scope for bargain hunters! The items sold in this market have fixed price. However, you should visit the Handicrafts Development Corporation Sales Emporium in this zone. The majority of tourists buy items like Lanshingphee blanket, colorful mats, silk saris, tangkhul scarf and bamboo artifacts here. 4. Tera Bazaar
5. Other shopping zones There are some other shopping areas in Imphal that you can explore as well. The iconic GM Hall is one prominent shopping destination. This is also a place where you cannot bargain for items. You may also explore the Gambir Singh Shopping Complex and Tribal Market Complex in Imphal. Courtesy: Nelive
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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
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De Villiers defends Proteas bowlers post opening ODI loss ANI Johannesburg, Feb.4 : South African skipper AB de Villiers has backed his side's bowlers, describing their efforts as `decent`, following their 39-run loss by Duckworth and Lewis (D/L) method to England in the opening ODI at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. De Villiers said that the wicket was incredibly good to bat on, but added it was too hard for the bowlers, Sport24 reported.
AB de Villiers He added that his bowlers had a tough time
Chelsea play out goalless draw with Watford in PL
Guus Hiddink ANI London, Feb.4 : Chelsea continued their unbeaten streak under manager Guus Hiddink after they were forced to settle with a goalless draw against Watford in their Premier League clash at the Vicarage Road Stadium. Chelsea, who remained in possession throughout the match, was, however, unable to score despite star striker Diego Costa
nearly scoring a late winner, the Guardian reported. With the draw, Chelsea have now climbed up to the 13th spot in league standings while Watford are sixth in the table. Chelsea, which sacked Jose Mourinho after their repeated poor performances, will now lock horns with fifth-placed Manchester United on February 7.
Mourinho `close` to replace Van Gaal as Man U manager ror, the Portuguese was `close` to signing a deal to replace the Dutchman in the summer.
Jose Mourinho ANI London, Feb.4 : Chelsea's sacked manager Jose Mourinho, who is the favourite to replace current Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal, has reportedly agreed a deal to take over at Old Trafford. According to The Mir-
Van Gaal's job has been under scrutiny in recent times due to United's repeated poor performances in the Premier League and because of the club's early exit from Champions League. United are currently fifth in the league table and are 10 points behind surprise pace setters Leicester City. They will next lock horns with 13th-placed Chelsea on February 7.
Tinsukia on top Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Feb. 4: Tinsukia was in a commanding position against Golaghat in the quarter final match of two-day J.K. Baruah Trophy Under-19 InterDistrict Cricket Tournament at Tinsukia District Sports Association Stadium today. Opting to bat first, Tinsukia scored 200 in 86.2 overs before being bowled out. Anup Bhujel scored 54 off 100 balls with nine boundaries and Ayush Agarwal contributed 38 off 103 balls, hitting four boundaries. Kunal
Dhar scored 22. For Golaghat, Himanshu Dutta and Sanjeev Hazarika claimed three wickets each conceding 39 and 52 runs respectively. In reply, Golaghat scored 54/ 3 in 15 overs at stumps. Trishanku Kashyap and Sandip Paul Mazumdar remained unbeaten on 23 and 20 runs each respectively. For Tinsukia , Sekhar Gowala and Govind Darjee took one wickets each.
bowling the first 10 to 15 overs, but insisted that
his side managed to bring the visitors down to nine. The 31-year-old, who believes that losing a toss was a major reason for their defeat, however, admitted that his bowlers were a little bit slow to adapt with the lengths. Earlier, openers Jason Roy (48) and Alex Hales (57) made a thunderous start to England's innings by notching up a brisk 68-run partnership for the opening wicket as the visitors posted 399-9 af-
ter opting to bat first. In reply to the daunting target of 400 runs, South Africa were restricted to 250 with five wickets remaining in the rain-hit opening match, with opener Quinton de Kock scoring an unbeaten 138 and Faf du Plesis 55 for the hosts. With the win, England have take 1-0 lead in the series and they will play their next match against South Africa at St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Hales lauds `one of world's best` Buttler post ODI ton London, Feb.4 (ANI): England opener Alex Hales has lavished praise on Jos Buttler, describing him as `one of the best one-day players` in the world, after he smashed his fourth ODI century during his side's 39-run win against South Africa in the opening match at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. The Guardian quoted Hales as saying that 25year-old Buttler had displayed a different level of cricket against South Africa. Buttler smacked 11 boundaries and five sixes in his brilliant knock of 105 runs. He secured his century off just 73 balls. Besides Buttler, Ben Stokes also received praise for his brilliant
Alex Hales performance with bat and on the field. Labelling Stokes's effort as `extraordinary`, oneday skipper Eoin Morgan said that he had set the tone of the game, adding that he was great to watch. Stokes scored a swift 57
off 38 balls, which includes four boundaries and three sixes. With the win, England have taken 1-0 lead in the five-match series and will play their next match against South Africa at St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Wenger insists Arsenal playing `catch-up` in PL title race
Arsene Wenger ANI Johannesburg, Feb.4 : Following Arsenal's goalless draw against Southampton in their Premier League clash, team manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that they are now playing 'catch-up' in the title race.
With the draw, Arsenal have gone 270 minutes and 34 shots in the league without scoring and are five points behind surprise leaders Leicester City. Wenger admitted that his side are finding difficulty in playing away matches
and, therefore, called on the team to respond quickly in order to turn the things around, Sport24 reported. Wenger, who has come under pressure after Leicester City's another win, insisted that his side need to focus on their game and have to win their next match in order to remain in the title race. Echoing similar concerns, forward Olivier Giroud called on his side to remain positive and try to get as much points as they could to get back on the track. Arsenal, who are currently placed fourth in the league standings, will next play against Bournemouth on February 7.
Final rehearsal for the opening ceremony of 12th South Asian Games at Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati. Pic - UB Photos
DCCC a head over Auronodoya Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Feb. 4: Dibrugarh Cricket Coaching centre(DCCC) took a 44 runs lead against Auronodoya Unnayan Samity the two day Rajanu Bora Senior Division cricket tournament organized by Dibrugarh District Sports Association at DDSA stadium here today. Altogether, eight teams participated in the tournament.
Opting to bat, Auronodoya Unnayan Samity were bundled out for 83 in 39.1 overs. Deep Ghosal scored 19, hitting two boundaries and one six. Dinesh Gupta and Zakhir Hussain contributed 14 and 13 runs each respectively. For DCCC, Deepak Gohain claimed five for 15 in 15 overs. Dipen Gogoi took three for 11 in 7.1 overs.
In reply, DCCC scored 127/4 in 38 overs at stumps. Krisahanu Sarkar scored 42, smashing seven boundaries to the fence. Debanjan Tin Sina and Arindam Baruah remained unbeaten on 42 and 5 runs respectively. For Auronodoya Unnayan Samity, Muhammad Tajuddin took two wickets.
Australian female cricketer Cleary suspended for betting on Test match ANI London, Feb.4 : Australian woman cricketer Piepa Cleary has been handed a six-month suspension for placing bets on the third Test between the Steve Smith-led side and New Zealand in November. Confirming the news, Cricket Australia said that they had imposed a 24-month period of ban on Cleary, of which 18 months were suspended on condition that she would not commit any further offences under
ruption player education programs organized by them.
the Anti-Corruption Code. CA added that the 19year old will also have to participate in anti-cor-
According to the Guardian, Cleary, who plays in the Women's Big Bash League for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers, had placed a bet of about 15.50 Australian dollars. The suspension means the player would not participate in any domestic and international matches and the ban also barred her to attend cricket-related functions and events.
SC seeks BCCI's reply on implementation of Lodha panel recommendations ANI New Delhi, Feb.4 : The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a reply from the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations. "We will give a very simple and straight solution. We will simply accept all recommendations of Justice Lodha. We will hear the BCCI only if there is some inherent anomaly in re-
port," Chief Justice of India, Justice T.S. Thakur, said. The apex court has given four weeks time to the BCCI to file its reply. The next hearing has been slated for March 3. The Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee had earlier in their report recommended the legalisation of betting in Indian cricket. The Lodha committee also suggested the ap-
ruption issues. He added that the ethics officer would be a former High Court Judge.
pointment of three authorities with distinct roles. Justice (Retd.) Lodha proposed that the second
authority would be the ethics officer, who will administer the issues relating to conflict of interest, behavior or cor-
"The third authority, which we proposed to be created, is an electoral officer, who will oversee the entire election process relating to the office bearers, namely preparation of voters' list, publications, disputes about eligibility of the office bearers, all these matters relating to election shall be overseen by the elec-
toral officer," he said. The other recommendations include a steering committee headed by former home secretary G.K. Pillai with Mohinder Amarnath, Diana Eduljee and Anil Kumble as members. The Lodha committee was appointed by the apex court last year to make recommendations to the BCCI in order to prevent frauds and conflict of interest in cricket administration.
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