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Vol. II

POL PARTIES WELCOME ECI’S ANNOUNCEMENT

ET CAPSULES

Paresh Barua

Paresh Barua mulling to join peace talks: Anup Chetia ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: United Liberation Front of Assam ( I n d e p e n d e n t ) Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua may join peace talks soon. This was disclosed by ULFA (I) general secretary Anup Chetia. Speaking to DY365, Cheita said that the ULFA (I) C-in-C was in frequent contact with him and that Barua had responded positively to the appeal

Brahmaputra Festival to be solemnised in April 2017 ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Following the significance of Kumbh Mela and Rann Utsav of Gujarat, now Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is determining to celebrate a four day festival in April; Brahmaputra Festival. CM is inviting everyone to be part of this festival.

Bank robbery at Assam Gramin Bikash Bank in Gohpur ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Triggering sensation a broad daylight robbery took place at the Assam Gramin Vikash Bank, Borongabari Section, Gohpur. With the help of welding machine, the locker was broken and the robbers took away a sum of Rs 2 lakh 34 thousand. This incident occurred one kilometer away from Ghahigaon Police Station.

Issue 167

Dibrugarh, Friday, January 6, 2017

Wheels within wheels in Uttar Pradesh

P5

Price -

PM Modi and Nitish Kumar built on their earlier rapport and heaped praise upon each other today

The camaraderie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Biharchief minister Nitish Kumar was evident in Bihar today, adding fuel to talk that the two might be thinking about a rapprochement.

In fact, Nitish stands alone as probably the only opposition leader who has come out in support of PM Modi's scrapping of high value notes in November. That's when conjecture first began about the two leaders who famously fell out when Modi was elevated as the NDA's candidate for Prime Minister ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Today, they built on their earlier rapport and heaped praise upon each other for

Nitish Kumar has supported PM Modi's scrapping of high value notes in November effectively implementing prohibition in their states.

"I want to appreciate Nitish Kumar ji for the effort he has undertaken to save future generations from alcoholism," PM Modi said at the 'Prakash

This strengthens speculations that the two might be thinking about a rapprochement Parv' in Patna, marking the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

Calling the policy 'inspirational', the Prime Minister gave Nitish Kumar a verbal pat on the back for a law which has been criticized for

being over-reaching and draconian. PM Modi also said that if the policy was a success in Bihar, it would be an inspiration to the entire country. On his part, Nitish also praised Modi for being successful in keeping Gujarat alcohol free.

"Our Prime Minister was chief minister for 12 years and he implemented prohibition of liquor very effectively in Gujarat," the Bihar CM said.

PM Modi thanked Kumar for organising 'Prakash Parv', the preparations for which the Bihar CM had overseen personally. "Bihar will play a major role in the development of the nation," Modi said. The Bihar chief minister has openly backed PM Modi on his demonetisation mission, contrary to the standpoint of his party members and allies.

Pages- 12

PAGE 12

5 ways to preserve fruits or vegetables other than canning, freezing, or drying

P6

Prakash Parv: PM Modi, Nitish Praise Each Other at Patna Event PTI New Delhi, Jan 5

5.00

P7

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal wants a rail link to Majuli island, his constituency Chief Minister Sonowal in his letter requested MoS Gohain to ensure undertake a survey work followed by immediate execution of a project to put both Majuli and Barpeta on the railway map Agencies Guwahati, Jan 5

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday shot off a letter to the Union minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain to take immediate steps to link Majuli - the island district in the heart of the Brahmaputra - to railway network of the country. He also asked for a rail link to Barpeta, an important centre of sattriya culture.

"Linking Majuli, the epicentre of Vaishnavite sattriya culture of Assam, to the national railway network has been a priority of the present state government since it has come to power.

Flow of tourists, both domestic and international, to Majuli and Barpeta has been hit hard because these two places are not connected by railways," Sonowal in his

Gogamukh through Dhakuakhana to Kamalabari for Majuli on a priority basis.

CM Sarbananda Sonowal

letter to MoS Gohain said.

Chief minister Sonowal in his letter requested MoS Gohain to ensure undertake a survey work followed by immediate execution of a project to put both Majuli and Barpeta on the railway map. He also suggested a route from Barpeta to Guwahati through Sarthebari and Hajo, and the other from

While Majuli - the island whose area has shruck from about 1200 sq km in 1900 to about 450 sq km because of river-bank erosion caused by the Brahmaputra - is the most important seat of Vaishnavite sattriya culture, Barpeta in lower Assam also finds equal importance in the spread and development of sattriya culture propagated by the 16th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva.

Represented by chief minister Sonowal in the state assembly, Majuli was declared as a district in September last year. Right now the only mode of transport to Majuli is by waterways, and the foundation stone for a bridge connecting it to Jorhat was laid only in February 2016.

DCM attend pre-budget meeting at New Delhi A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Jan 5

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein who is also the Finance Minister of the state attended pre-budget meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at New Delhi on Wednesday. He placed proposals of the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh before the Union Finance Minister to be considered and incorporated in the Union Budget 2017-18.

The meeting was also attended

by Union Ministers of State for Finance, Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Finance Ministers from various states and Senior

Officers from Govt of India.

In the meeting, DCM placed the state govt proposal for railway connectivity along the foothills of the state to facilitate smooth movement of people and transportation of goods.

He also placed proposal of 430 kms long double lane east-west highway along the foothills at a total cost of Rs 5244.00 Crs. He informed that the proposal has already been submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways by the state govt.

While placing his proposals he said, "the strategically located border state of Arunachal Pradesh is lagging behind on the path of development and the biggest challenge before

the state is to ensure robust connectivity".

He also placed proposal for construction of a 1841 km long frontier highway which would run parallel to trans Arunachal Highway and would ensure connectivity for the remote habitations along the Chinese and Myanmar border. He emphasized that it is equally important to connect the upper reaches of border areas as the villagers are migrating towards urban settlement, leaving the border areas vulnerable and uninhabited due to absence of good connectivity.

Contd. on Page 3

Beijing Will Help Pakistan Make Long-Range Missiles If India Continues To Develop ICBMs: Chinese Media Beijing wants to communicate the message that if India increases the number of its long-range missiles, it will help "all-weather friend" Pakistan do the same, Chinese media said.

The context to this comment was India's final test firing of the Agni-IV inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Monday.

"If the UN Security Council has no objection over this (ICBMs), let it be. The range of Pakistan's nuclear missiles will also see an increase," the state-run Global Times said in an editorial, hinting that China will help Pakistan come on par with India.

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News outfits in China are often used by the government to convey its opinions or to test the waters or to deliver rebukes it can't through diplomatic channels.

Chinese media said Pakistan should get the same nuclear privileges as India It also hinted it will help Pakistan build long-range nuclear missiles It said India has 'broken limits' on how many missiles it can make

Global Times's editorial further batted for Pakistan saying it should be accorded the same nuclear privileges as India.

"If the Western countries accept India as a nuclear country and are indifferent to the nuclear race between India and Pakistan, China will not stand out and stick rigidly to those nuclear rules as necessary. At this time, Pakistan should have those privileges in nuclear development that India has," the editorial said.

On the one hand, the editorial said China isn't bothered by India's testing of missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, but on the other it did sound like Beijing was perturbed by Agni-IV, especially as it came close on the heels of the successful testfiring of Agni-V. "...Chinese don't feel India's development has posed any big threat to it. And India wouldn't be considered as China's main rival in the long run," the editorial first says.

"But it (China) will not sit still if India goes too far...New Delhi understands that it does little good to itself if the Sino-

Indian relations are ruined by any geopolitical tricks," the editorial says later.

Aside from these issues, the editorial alleged that India "has broken the UN's limits" on how many nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles it can produce.

"The US and some Western countries have also bent the rules on its nuclear plans. New Delhi is no longer satisfied with its nuclear capability and is seeking intercontinental ballistic missiles that can target anywhere in the world and then it can land on an equal footing with the UN Security Council's five permanent members," the editorial said.

On Monday, India successfully tested - for the final time - its long-range ballistic missile, Agni-IV, which can travel 4,000 kilometres. No long before that, it successfully test-fired Agni-V that has a range of more than 5,000 kilometres and can reach Europe and the northernmost parts of China.

cmyk

Agencies New Delhi, Jan 5

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

P2 Aries

Today's energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on. In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, Aries, but you will be itching to take action by nightfall. Take what you've learned from your sensitive, meditative state and share it with others. Use your inner calm to bring stability to stressful situations. Make sure things don't get out of hand tonight.

Taurus For the past several weeks you've felt like you've been dragging your heels, Taurus. Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy. There's a major energy shift tonight that will spark things back into action. Once again you will be on center stage. Be yourself and smile. Fun is a commodity you have in abundance.

Share this incredible gift with others.

Barail Mountain Festival at Notun Leikul Traditional ethnic groups likeDimasa, Kuki, Jemi Naga,Jayantia, presented their traditional folk dances in the festival. L J Singson,Village Headman of Notun Leikul village while welcoming the people thronged in the festival said that the festival will strengthen the unity and cultural bond among the hill tribes of Assam, Earlier, a seminar on traditional tribal culture was held in the ground where Dr T Haolai, HoD, and Prof. Dinesh Tiwari

Correspondent Haflong; January 5 : The Barail Mountain Festival 2017 was held here at Natun Leikul ground here at Haflong under the auspices of Dima Hasao Tourism Association in collaboration of Dima Hasao Tourism on Thursday. The Festival was formally inaugurated by Kulendra Daulagapu, EM, N C Hills Autonomous Council in presence of Ihuing Pame EM, NCHAC, Col Gagan Pandey, CO, 43 Assam Riffle by beating the traditional gong.

Gemini The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud, Gemini. People might be getting down on you for not contributing, but tell them to be patient. You will be raring to go by nightfall. The catalyst may come from an outside source. Be on the lookout for a challenge. Someone might rattle your cage a bit too much, so be patient and don't take it personally.

Cancer Things are moving your way, Cancer. As the day progresses, you will find that the energy intensifies. Conflicts may arise near sundown, but don't worry about it too much. See it as a call to jump-start your motor.

Leo You should enjoy the intense energy of today, Leo. The mud is finally beginning to clear away. Expose the truth in every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unEarthed. Connect with nature today and spend some time with animals if you can. Take deep breaths in fresh outdoor air and enjoy a long walk somewhere special with a close friend.

Virgo Today marks the beginning of a new cycle for you, Virgo.

Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly. The time is right for you to act. Improve your surroundings and adjust your bed so that it faces east/west. (A north/south placement aligns you with Earth's magnetic field and causes you to lose energy at night.) Drink plenty of water to keep your mind clear.

Libra

Take a cold shower to jump-start yourself today, Libra. It's fine if you laze around a bit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity. You will be called into action whether you want to be or not. Notice how active your dreams are tonight and over the next couple of nights. Messages are trying to get through, so listen.

Scorpio Today may start out sluggish for you, Scorpio, but by the end of the day the energy will move fast and furious.

Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees around a hive. An introspective and contemplative morning has filled your brain with a new wave of thoughts, which you will be eager to share with anything that has ears tonight.

Sagittarius Enjoy the calm morning, Sagittarius, because things are going to get crazier and more energetic as the day goes on. Emotions will run high, and people will be more opinionated than usual. A conflict may arise from which you just want to extricate yourself. Realize that a more peaceful agreement will ensue if you jump in and add your two cents' worth.

Capricorn You will experience an intense amount of energy today, Capricorn. Your dream state will be more active than usual, and you will find that people are drawn to you like moths to light. Make sure you keep your fiery emotions in balance and don't cross any boundaries with others.

People have limits, and it's important that you honor theirs as well as your own.

Aquarius It's time to get up and get moving, Aquarius. You have tremendous ideas and vision for the future. You have all the information you need. Now all you have to do is act. Step up to the plate and hit one over the fence.

Pisces The early part of the day might find you sluggish and indecisive, Pisces, but later you should be psyched up and ready to go. Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideas in motion. Action is the key. Think before you speak and use caution when talking about other people. Make sure your discussions about others don't turn into gossip.

AAP Activist arrested on charges of blackmailing case ET Correspondent Tezpur, January 5 : Sensation prevails here following arrest of an Aam Admi Party member by Tezpur Police here on charges of blackmailing case this afternoon.

According to the OC, Arun Bora, Tezpur Police station, the AAP member reportedly known as Abhinash Bora and a resident of Kamarchuburi area here who in-

troduced himself as a district coordinator of the political party demanded an amount of Rs. 5,00000/ = (Five Lacs) from one Raja Soya Industry located here at Gatanga area few days back. After placing the demand the accused AAP member was in a negotiation and in the midst of it he collected an amount of Rs. 10,000/- (Ten Thousand) in a receipt of a labour union.

It needs mention that after collect-

ing the amount of Rs. 10,000/- he continued to demand the remaining amount from the entrepreneur.

However, getting irritated the owner of the enterprise lodged a complaint with the police. And based on it a case was registered against the accused AAP members vide- case 2262/16.

After the thorough investigation the accused was sent to jail this evening.

Chewable tobacco linked to major proportion of cancers: study ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5 : A study conducted by researchers and doctors at Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati has shown that consumption of chewable tobacco is the major form of tobacco use amongst patients with upper-aero digestive tract cancers (UADT). The cancers of the lip, tongue, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus together constitute UADT cancers. As per the report of Hospital-based Cancer Registry of BBCI, around 50% and 20% of all cancers are UADT cancer in males and females, respectively. The study was done on 1965 cancer patients registered at BBCI. Of which, 1464 patients were men and 501 patients were women.

The habit of chewing tobacco and betel nut is a common practice among the population of North East (NE) India and the State in particular. Chewable tobacco is consumed in the form of Gutkha,

Zarda, Khaini etc. According to Dr. Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of BBCI, because of the higher consumption of chewable tobacco in the State especially among children and teenagers, this will pose a major concern for the public health in future. The study has showed, in patients with cancers of the lip and oral cavity, 20% and 22% respectively were seen in patients below 45 years of age.

Dr. Kataki has stated, this could be attributed to rampant consumption of chewable tobacco nowadays by the younger generation.

The study has shown that 88.1% men and 63.2% women patients with UADT cancer were consuming tobacco. Furthermore, it was seen that 82.6% of women affected with UADT cancers were consuming only chewable tobacco; on the other hand, 52.6% of men affected with UADT cancers were taking both chewable and smoking forms of tobacco. The study showed a higher risk of these cancers in men

which was consistent with the high prevalence of tobacco use among males, except for oral cavity cancers, because of high chewable tobacco consumption by women in the study group. The study will be published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics ahead of print in the second week of January 2017.

Dr. Manigreeva Krishnatreya from BBCI and the lead author of the study has stated that this type of study provides an indirect evidence of association between tobacco use with cancers. Dr Krishnatreya further added, from this study we can opine chewable tobacco consumption is the major risk factor for the development of cancers of oral cavity in our population. The study has received technical support from the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research under Indian Council of Medical Research.

of English department of Haflong Govt. College and Nandita Gorlosa of Make a Difference (MaD) took part as Resource persons. This was followed by indigenous traditional games and sports which was largely taken part local youths and tourists outside the state.

This was followed by live music performances by local bands and bands from Karbi Anglong which kept the audiences spell bound till midnight.

Digital Banking Awareness Programme held at Dibrugarh ET Bureau Dibrugarh Jan 5 : The D.H.S.K. College Students Union has organised a Digital Banking Awareness Programme in Association with the SBI, Regional Business Office, Dibrugarh for the Students of the College on 5th January 2017 at S h a n k a r d e v Sabhakakhya.

The Digital Banking Awareness Programme was started with the welcome address by Dr. Biraj Dutta, Programme Officer, N.S.S., D.H.S.K. College wing at 11.00 AM. Dr. Atikuddun Ahmed, Vice-Principal, D.H.S. K. College presided over the meeting.

The Awareness Programme was attended by a number of SBI Official from the Regional Business Office, Dibrugarh.

Mr. Sudipta Sarmah, P.O., SBI was the Key Resource Person of the Awareness Programme.

Dr. Sashikanta Saikia, Principal was present in this programme and ap-

preciated for such awareness programme. Dr. Atikuddun Ahmed, in his inaugural speech welcomed the initiative of the Students Union and the SBI for organising such an important awareness programme in the college for the benefit of the students.

Further he had emphasised on the need of the Digital Banking services for the well being of the country at large.

Mr. Ashish Bhattacharjee, Consultant MAB, SBI, in his speech emphasised on the Cashless Transactions and use of internet banking facilities and specially the SBI Buddy as one of the most important Mobile App for the benefit of the students as well as the common masses.

Dr. Biraj Dutta, NSS Programme Officer in his speech also welcomed the initiative of the students union and the SBI. In his speech Dr. Dutta had emphasised on Digital India Campaign and Digital Banking Services as most convenient ser-

vice for the modern life.

Mr. Sudipta Sarmah, the Key Resource Person of the Digital Banking Awareness Programme elaborately discussed about the Digital Banking a service that has been provided by SBI. Thereafter, he had discussed about the present SBI Mobile App "Buddy" and its use and the methods of installing and its use before the students, teachers and employees present in the Awareness Programme.

The Digital Banking Awareness Programme was attended by more than 120 students of the college and a good number of college teachers and employees. During the Awareness Programme all together 100 students, teachers and employees registered their names as "Buddy" and installed the app in their mobile.

The meeting was ended with vote of thanks by Sri Manash Jyoti Sensua, President of the DHSK College Students Union.

Doomdooma youth brings laurel to Assam ET Correspondent Doomdooma, Jan 5 : Khayanjeet Gogoi , an Assamese youth who is a teacher also , has brought laurel to the state at the very beginning of the new year .

He is an Orchid specialist and research scholar , resides at Daisajan , nearly twenty kilometers north west from here .

He has been recognized as the first Indian research fellow by MC Allen International Orchid Society of the USA. He is a biology teacher at Rupai High School and has been doing his research work on the orchids found in the North -Eastern region since 1994 .As a result of his tireless work and dedica-

tion on behalf of the beautiful and diverse orchid of flora of India , and his personal confidence , trust and generosity in sharing his work with the world through the MIOS Journal , MC Allen International Orchid Society has recognized him with the fellowship .

The society has sent him a souvenir and a citation recently .

his research on orchids for more than last two decades and his research papers had been publishing regularly in different international journals . Till now his one hundred and two research papers have been published in the journals from the USA , France and India.

It is noteworthy that the International Society has also recognized Rajendra Yanjan , another orchid specialist of Kalimpong of Darjeeling with its fellowship along with Khayanjeet Gogoi .Both Gogoi and Yanjan are the first Indians recognized by this International Society .Gogoi has informed this correspondent that he had been doing

The US international journals named Modern Botany and MC Allen International Orchid Society Journal , The International Journal of Scientific Research have been publishing Gogoi's papers regularly . More over , the French journals Research Diana and La Orchid Philli have also been publishing his research papers regularly .

Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister of State ( Ind.) for Labour & Employment in presence of Assam Minister for Labour & Employment Pallab Lochan Das addressing a Press Meet after conclusion of the Regional Conference of State Labour Ministers and Principal Secretaries of N E States in Guwahati

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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

P3

2 drug paddlers arrested from Ngopok village

Maksam Tayeng PASIGHAT, Jan 5: As a part of continued effort to crackdown the drug paddlers and its uses in the district, the Pasighat police led

by SI N. Nama arrested two drug paddlers from Ngopok village under Mebo SubDivision on Wednesday after getting tip off from the Women Against Social Evils (WASE) whose activities cooperated the police team in the seizure of several rolls and bucket filled marijuana.

While informing about the arrest, SP, East Siang, Pranav Tayal said that, the police team swung into action after getting the tip off from the WASE sources and made a raid at the houses of Kolet Borang and Balal Perme. From Kolet Borang’s house, total of 23 rolls of marijuana and from Balal Perme’s house almost a bucket full of marijuana weighting 5kg. 960 grams were seized. Duo have been arrested vide Pasighat PS Case No. 01/2017 U/s

20(b)(II)(b) NDPS Act. The WASE team led by President Omem Ering and Secretary Joya Tasung Moyong who assisted the Pasighat police in arresting the drug paddlers have appealed police and administration not to grant bail to the arrested duo. The WASE team has also thanked Gaon Buras Tokbom Yirang and Gomyem Ratan of Ngopok village for assisting and witnessing the seizure and ar-

rest of the drugs paddlers.

As informed by WASE Secretary Joya Tasung Moyong, the Marijuana seized from house of Balal Perme was procured from Dambuk village under Lower Dibang Valley as said to be quoted and revealed by wife of Perme.

Meanwhile, the 7 days long dry day declared by district administration from 28th December last to 3rd January went successful as there was no drunk drive accidental death case this year too, informed ABK WW East Siang President, Yalem Taga Burang. She has thanked every district administration, police, wine shop association and other civil societies for their coordination. “I am also happy that, this year, Aalo and Lower Dibang valley also observed 2 days and 3 days dry day respectively to check IMFL related incidents during end of the year and new year eve every year and we, ABKWW E/Siang hopes that one day, the entire state will become a dry state”, added ABKWW President, Yalem Taga Burang.

10 days long state level NCC camp concluded successfully at KV Pasighat Staff Reporter PASIGHAT, Jan 5: The 10 days long state level camp of National Cadet Corps (NCC), conducted at Kendriya Vidyalaya here which has started on December 26 last concluded successfully on Wednesday with participation of 400 cadets and 20 NCC officers from different parts of the district all across the state.

The camp was inaugurated

by Col. H. Padmanabhan, Commanding Officer of 22 Arunachal NCC Company based in Pasighat. During the 10 days camp, the cadet were given training on leadership, personality development, firing, first aid, fire fighting and disaster management tectics besides many other military subjects

like mock drill, map reading, physical training and basic battle crafts. Brig Sanjeev Manchanda, NCC Group Commander also visited the camp and interacted with the

cadets.

The cadets also conducted a route march in the main market to spread the messages of Swachh Bharat

Abhiyan while removing & cleaning plastic material wastes from the market.

This is the first time that an NCC camp is organized in KV Pasighat.

monkhood. He spent 44 years in Bodh Gaya before returning to Kaliyani in Assam. He was on a visit to MLBC when he breathed his last.

Ven. Gyanatisa Mahathera originally belonged to Pahukutia village,Titabar, Assam. He left his materialistic to enter monastic life in spiritual pursuit. He was ordained in 1988 at Emphum village now in Namsai district and was remained a monk for 28 Varshavarsh (Rain Retreats). He was 87 years old at the time of his demise.

The Poi-Leng this time

BARIRIJO, Jan 5 : In his maiden visit to Upper Subansiri district today, Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated and launched a number of development projects to improve road connectivity and provide effective administration in the remote Dumporijo constituency.

Dumporijo MLA Pakgna Bage and Daporijo MLA Dikto Yekar along with several public leaders and local government officials welcomed the Chief Minister after he arrived at Maro helipad in the morning.

The CM was accompanied by Health Minister Jomde Kena, BJP state president Tapir Gao, BJP National Secretary Ramesh Kadaganchi and former AAPSU leader Gumjum Haider in his visit to Baririjo headquarters in Dumporijo constituency.

Poi-Lng festival commences at Namsai

Indrajit Tingwa Namsai Jan 5 : The first ever combined Poi-Leng (catafalque) festival commenced here at the Mahabodhi Lord Buddha College(MLBC) premises amidst a large gathering of Buddhist monks and devotees from various corners of North East India. The Poi-Leng festival is celebrated to pay obesiance to the departed monks as per Theravada Buddhist traditions. The mortal remains of the monks are installed on a chariot and pulled by monks and devotees on either side thus symbolizing the participation in the last journey of the departed monks.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu visits Baririjo; launches slew of development projects

has been organised for two venerable monks, Ven.Gyanatisa Mahathera and Ven. U Nanda Mahathera who attained parinibbana on 8 and 29 November, 2016 respectively at the MLBC Buddha Vihar. Their mortal remains were embalmed using wax and tobacco for preservation before being kept in the coffin. Later it is kept in a makeshift stilt hut called the KyongNiban till the commencement of the festival.

Today,in the afternoon the mortal remains of both the monks were brought out from the Kyong-Niban and installed on the chariot (catafalque). Next, a mass prayer was held before the

chariot. Later the monks and devotees pulled the chariot alternately from either side. This is the first time in the history of Poi-Leng festival celebration that a single chariot has been used for the last rites of two monks.

The festival will continue till the 7 January when in the evening hours it will be put to flames.

Ven. U Nanda Mahathera expired at the age of 69 years and originally belonged to Balipathar in Karbi Anglong district,Assam. He was first ordained at the age of 20 years and the next 49 years(Ran Retreats) of his life was spent in

The public leaders as well as the organising committee headed by Ven. Panyaloka Mahathera and Chowja Maio as the President and General Secretary have made sure for the success of the festival. Many devotees are arriving from far and wide to pay their last generations to the departed monks.

The first day of the fest concludes with illumination and cultural night. The festival ground spread on a vast plot of land is dotted by food stalls and outlets selling different kind of wares and children toys. The bustling in the market area has been witnessed for the whole day.

On way to Baririjo on road from Maro helipad, Khandu launched the 21.51 km Maro-Baririjo PWD road to Riko village constructed under PGMSY scheme. The construction of the road commenced in 2013 at the

cost of Rs 14 crore. He also launched the 36 km PMGSY road connecting Sie bridge point to Lebri village.

Before proceeding for a public meeting at Baririjo, the Chief Minister inaugurated the sub-divisional office building at Hakte-Ripa, which was constructed under SPA in 2014-15 financial year.

Khandu announced to fund various other road projects in the constituency of worth Rs 7.25 crores in the current financial year with assurance to fund more in the next financial year for the proposed schemes as submitted by Dumporijo MLA. Other projects such as 11kv LT lines for HakteRipa SDO headquarters, construction of IB and a helipad at Sigi-Gusar were also assured.

The Chief Minister in his public speech appreciated the development initiatives in Dumporijo achieved under MLA Bage within two years. The CM appreciated his initiative in maintaining transparency of all projects through records maintained by publishing

booklets with detail information, which he said is a step taken for the first time by a legislator.

Khandu further appreciated the local legislator’s funding proposal for all the ongoing and proposed projects in Dumporijo constituency on 70:30 basis, according to which 70% funding will be from CM’s discretionary funds and 30% from MLA sources. This is a case heard for the first time, wherein normally legislators seek 100% funding through Chief Minister on the proposed projects, said the CM. Khandu regretting the recent political disturbance said that he had tried his best to take along all the legislators. For equal development of all constituencies, he said the state government had even sanctioned Rs 10 crore for each constituency. The CM said since the state has scarce funds, the demands of the legislators sometimes become difficult to be met and he had only asked for time to fulfill their demands.

The Chief Minister assured

the people that the government is now stable and safe. He stressed that for development, stability is essential and regretted that much time was lost in past political disturbances.

Khandu said that with stability achieved, the state can now smoothly move ahead towards development and could soon expect a financial package from the centre. He informed that during his last visit to New Delhi, he had met Union Finance Minister and had worked out on the proposals from the state for financial assistance.

Bage in his representation proposed for a hydro power project in Sie-basin, with proposal to be executed by NEEPCO Ltd. He also sought help of the state government for shifting of govt. degree college, Daporijo to its permanent site in Jeram.

Gao in his speech said the BJP is committed to state’s development with the mantra of ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikaas” taking along people from all religious and community background. Health Minister also spoke on the occasion.

DCM attend pre-budget meeting at New Delhi Contd. from Page 1

He informed the Union Finance Minister that the State Government has prepared a blueprint of the proposed frontier highway and requested the Finance Minister to place the proposal in priority in Union budget 2017-18 which has an estimated cost of nearly Rs.50,645 crores.

Mein also sought financial help of the centre for massive investment push, world class infrastructure development and global branding campaign to showcase the beauty of this part of India to rest of the world and highlighted the vision of the state govt to transform Arunachal Pradesh in to a leading destination for tourist, spirituality and wellness.

He also drew the attention of the Union Finance Minister towards available land resource and diverse agro-climatic eco system of the state blessed with bounty of nature in terms of horticulture and agricultural produce and has a special place in global bio-diversity map. He said, "the state is richly endowed with medicinal plants, rare Orchids, Kiwi, large Cardamom,

Apple, Quinoa, Orange apart from Tea, Rubber, Coffee etc which can compete with the best agri-horti produce anywhere in the world" and sought the strong support from the Govt of India to transform Arunachal Pradesh in to a fully organic state through strong investment push in the entire agricultural value chain including cold chain and storage facilities, agrimarketing, agro processing and exports.

in the State. "The Special Package is required to provide incentives to private entrepreneurs to invest in the state", Mein said. He also sought Central Assistance for creating Greenfield Industrial Estates (IEs) and Industrial Growth Centers (IGCs) with common facilities and infrastructure.

He sought to increase the Central Assistance to Rs 40 Crore per centre with at least one Growth Centre in each district of the state.

Citing absence of adequate infrastructure as serious impediments of digital connectivity in the state, Mein proposed for sanctioning V-SAT connectivity in 100 locations of Circle Headquarters in the state and said, "it is crucial not only from the stand point of good governance but also from a strategic perspective which is also important for inculcating a culture of cashless economy, financial inclusion and helping in the effort for switching over to Aadhar based direct benefit transfer. It will also help in smooth roll out of GST regime."

The Minister also sought a Special Package for Industrial incentives for Arunachal Pradesh, which will help catalyze flow of private investment

He asked for setting up a Directorate of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) in Arunachal Pradesh, which could serve the entire north eastern region and allow small businesses and local entrepreneurs adequate handholding support.

He also proposed to incorporate 100% financial assistance for setting up a Food Park in Arunachal Pradesh to cater to the Horticultural food production of the State.

With a view to infuse a culture of entrepreneurship and reduce the excessive dependency on Government employment, he also seek to set up an Enterprise Resource Center in the state to serve as a nodal body for facilitating

the start up business and help in effectively implementing various schemes introduced by Government of India such as MUDRA, in coordination with the Banks.

DCM also sought for establishment of a world class skill development institute in Arunachal Pradesh which would cater to the requirement of all North Eastern States saying that the youth of the State are aspirational and want to make their contribution in nation building but the serious lack of capacity building in the whole range of skill sets make them inadequate to face competition which is a challenge faced by all North Eastern States.

He further sought for establishment of a world class residential sports facility in the state by citing that the hill tribes of Arunachal Pradesh have traditionally been athletic by nature and agile in physique but due to absence of high quality sports infrastructure, the energy of the youth could not be channelized and unable to tap the hidden potential. He said that the establishment of residential sports facilities would cater to need of the youths and would also be a part of Indian Olympic dream.

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

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Assam: Bangladeshi wanted Will win Manipur, have BJP govts in all NE states by 2019: for triple murder held Agencies Guwahti, Jan 5: A Bangladeshi national, who had fled from his country and was taking shelter in a village in Assam, was arrested late Tuesday evening, with police saying he was involved in a triple murder in his home district Comilla in the neighbouring country.

"We initially suspected he was one of the several JMB members suspected to have been involved in the Dhaka cafe attack. But after sev-

Deeply concerned about degradation of education system in government schools: Himanta ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Education minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday expressed concern about the degradation of the education system in state government schools. The education minister further stated that the state government was facing trouble in the distribution of textbooks due to ongoing crisis at the Hindustan Paper Mill. On the other hand, the minister disclosed that 600 principals would be appointed in various higher secondary schools within this month.

4th year of Assam International Agri Horti Show 2017 from 6th January ET Bureau Guwahati,Jan 5: The 4th Assam International Agri Horti Show 2017 will commence from Friday. The four day show to be held at the Assam Veterinary Science College field at Khanapara will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The expo proposes to have a horticulture and agriculture exhibition, seminars, network gatherings, flower parade, farmer meets. The expo will witness participation of over 500 exhibitors, 200 international delegates, 40 international exhibitors, 400 national and state exhibitors, 12 national and international seminars, 4 farmer training sessions, and 10 theme pavilions and many more.

eral hours of interrogation, the Dhaka cafe terror attack link was ruled out. Instead he has been found to be involved in a triple murder case, following which he had run away to India," said Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay.

The Bangladeshi national, Sohail Ahmed alias Omar Nasir alias Saju, hails from village Anantapur under Begamganj police station in Noakhali district of Bangladesh, DGP Sahay said. "He was taking shel-

ter in the house of one Mukbul Alom Mazumdar alias Rupam, of Cachar district in southern Assam after the duo met in Bishalgarh in Tripura a few weeks ago," Sahay said.

The Assam DGP also said that the Bangladeshi had admitted during interrogation that he had sneaked into Tripura after committing the crime. It was there that he met Mazumdar, a mason, and accompanied him to his

village in Cachar district in Assam.

When a group of local residents informed the police about the presence of a stranger in the village, both Ahmed and Mazumdar were arrested, the DGP said. The two were arrested from Dakhin Mohanpur Part 2 village under Sonai police station of Cachar, an Assam district that shares the international boundary with Bangladesh.

Elderly man faints in bank queue, dies ET Bureau Nagaon, Jan 5: An elderly persondied on Wednesday while waiting in a queue at the State Bank of India's Dabaka branch, police said.

A police officer said the

person had been standing in the queue for almost the entire day to withdraw money from his account.

adding that he was immediately rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The deceased, Abdul Maliq, complained of uneasiness and fell unconscious, the officer said,

Maliq was a resident of Sabujpur village under Murajhar police station in Hojai, police said.

Varsity to teach sports science soon ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: The government will soon introduce sports science as a discipline in Dibrugarh University.

This was decided at a highlevel meeting between chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union sports secretary Injeti Srinivas here recently.

A government official said

the introduction of sports science at DU was an effort by the government to popularize sports among students in Assam.

"Students from the state are excellent at contact sports.

In recent years, sportspersons like Shiva Thapa have proved their mettle at the international level. Inclusion of sports

estimated at about Rs 25 crore in the FIR, the investigation has so far revealed that it could into hundreds of crores.

CID sources said they summoned at least five top bureaucrats of the state for interrogation. Three of them, however, did not show up on Wednesday with prior intimation to the CID. Sources said they sought more time, citing distant posting and work.

"They are charged with resorting to fraud and, thereby, depriving the state

Agencies Guwahati, Jan 5: One day after the Election Commission announced a two-phase schedule for election to the Manipur state assembly, senior BJP leader and its North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that the BJP would not only win the Manipur election, but also have governments in all the Northeastern states by 2019.

"We are going to win the Manipur election. They (Congress) are trying to give an impression based on the on-going blockade there. But they (Congress) have failed to read the minds of the people. It is the BJP that will win the Manipur election," Sarma, who is also Number 2 in the BJP-led government of Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam, said.

Sarma also said that all the

science in the curriculum will give a major boost to sports in Assam. More and more youngsters will be encouraged to take it up as a discipline," a government official said on Wednesday.

The meeting also decided to set up a centre of the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, in Dibrugarh.

In the same breath, it cautioned that threats to the indigenous people should be given serious consideration by the government.

exchequer of excise taxes amounting to more than Rs 25 crore. The investigation is concentrating on the forgery part so far. It has pointed to the involvement of several high-profile government officials as well. The suspects will be quizzed," CID sources said.

The names of a few top excise officials, politicians and even police officials have started to surface.

Many government officials are believed to have collected huge amounts of money from Jalan in exchange for aiding him, sources added.

Himanta Biswa Sarma states of the Northeastern region would, sooner or later, have BJP governments. "I think all the Northeastern states will have BJP governments by 2019," Sarma, who played a crucial role in ensuring the massive victory of the BJPled alliance in Assam within six months of his quitting the Congress, said. Election

in Manipur will be held in two phases, on March 4 and 8.

The Congress meanwhile has claimed that it would win the Manipur assembly election for a record fourth consecutive time. "We are going to win the Manipur election for the fourth time in a row. The people (of Manipur) know who is behind the blockade there," AICC general secretary CP Joshi said. Joshi was in Guwahati on Thursday to review the party's position in the Northeastern region with presidents of the seven PCCs. In Imphal, state BJP president Kshetrimayum Bhabananda Singh and former president Thounaojam Chaoba Singh said the party would win the Manipur election and form the next government in the state.

"We are fully prepared for

Govt has to take call on citizenship issue: RSS ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: The RSS on Wednesday said it was for the Centre and the state government to decide if citizenship could be granted to "persecuted" Hindus from Bangladesh and other countries living in India.

CID quizzes bureaucrats in multi-crore excise scam ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: The CID on Wednesday interrogated two top bureaucrats for several hours about their alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam in the state's excise department.

Liquor baron Rajesh Jalan was arrested in December last year on charges of cheating the state government of Rs 25 crore of excise duty by submitting forged documents. The scam was exposed after Shamsher Singh, former commissioner of excise, Assam, complained about Jalan. While the scam was

Himanta Biswa Sarma

"The Centre has to look into the impact of citizenship for migrants on the indigenous people," said Ulhas Kulkarni, northeast zone pracharak, RSS. He followed this up with the assertion that India was the "natural home" for persecuted Hindus.

"If Hindus are suffering elsewhere, India is the only country they can look to.

There is no other place for them," he said.

The ambiguity of the stand was waved off quickly.

"The RSS, after all, is a social organization. It is for the government to decide where the citizenship issue will stand," Kulkarni said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, has triggered wide-scale protests across the state on the grounds that such a step would open the "floodgates" of illegal immigration into Assam, putting the identity of indigenous people at risk.

Recently, Union home minister Rajnath Singh tried to placate those concerned about the citizenship issue, including alliance partner AGP, reiterating the Centre's commitment to safeguarding Assamese identity and culture by pro-

viding constitutional, administrative and legislative protection under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

On the recent controversy over sloganeering by RSS trainees at the 18th century Ahom royal palace Kareng Ghar in Sivasagar district, Kulkarni blamed politics for the row. Congress MLA and leader of the opposition Debabrata Saikia had written to Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma that shouting of slogans at the protected monument was a violation of ASI rules.

"Politics is behind this socalled controversy. There was nothing communal about the slogans. Is shouting 'Bharat mata ki jai' communal? The question of defiling historical monuments like Kareng Ghar does not arise at all," the RSS functionary said.

Anthology of NE authors released

Need to make BBCI a centre of excellence: Guv ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Governor Banwarilal Purohit today laid the foundation stone for a Capacity Development Centre in Oncology at the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) here. The centre will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.98 crore under the CSR scheme of the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL).

The Governor, while appreciating the initiative of PGCIL, highlighted the holistic approach to treatment of cancer adopted by the institute. He stated that considering the high incidence of cancer in the north-eastern region, there is definitely a need to develop BBCI as a centre of excellence for cancer treatment, education and research. The building will have classrooms, a faculty room, library, office and residential accommodation.

to GL Agarwala, chairman, GLP Social Circle, by the Governor on the occasion.

Agarwala has made significant contributions by way of developing the Bhootnath cremation ground, introducing ‘Swarga Rath’ (dead body carrying van) and conducting many welfare programmes for the cancer patients of BBCI.

It needs mention that BBCI has laid much stress on capacity development keeping in mind the future requirements. The institute has already started various academic courses under the Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Assam and Gauhati University.

tended the programme and in his speech assured of full support to the institute to complete the project in time. He spoke about various activities undertaken by PGCIL in the NE region under its CSR scheme. He also appreciated the initiative of BBCI for setting up the Capacity Development Centre in Oncology.

Abhay Choudhary, Executive Director of PGCIL at-

The Award of Excellence in social service was presented

At the same function MP Aggarwal, managing trustee of Nirmal and MP Aggarwal Trust, was felicitated by the Governor for his service to the poor cancer patients and community oncology programme.

The meeting was attended

by AK Borthakur, Deputy General Manager (HR), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited; Dr RC Deka, Vice Chancellor, Down Town University; Dr Anil Goswami and many other dignitaries and employees of the institute.

ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: A book titled Reading India's North East, literature, land and people, edited by Dr Garima Kalita and published by MRB Publication, was released at the Guwahati Book Fair on Tuesday.

The book is an anthology of the authors of North East Indiacomprising states like Assam, Meghalaya,

Nagaland andManipur among others.

Critical essays have been contributed by Tilottama Misra, Pradip Acharya, Rakhee Kalita, Garima Kalita, Gautam Sarma, Abanti Barua, Arunabha Bhuyan, Geetam Sarma and many others.

The book was released by veteran journalist DN Bezboruah. The chief guest

of the occasion was Prof Upendra Nath Sarma. The guest of honour was author Arup Kumar Dutta.

Other distinguished guests present on the occasion were Dr Anil Goswami, former principal of Cotton College; Robin Goswami, retired HoD of English and Dr Gautam Sarma, the present HoD of English among others.

Minister visits digital village in Morigaon Morigaon, Jan 5 : Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain on Tuesday visited the first digital village of Morigaon district namely Chatanguri where all the villagers and shop keepers are accustomed with the cashless transaction after the Central g o v e r n m e n t ’ s demonetisation move.

The Union Minister thanked the people who supported the Prime Minister’s call for digital transaction in every manner.

Addressing the gathering organised on the occasion, Gohain announced Rs 1 crore from MP areas development fund to built Chatanguri and adjacent villages of Morigaon district as model villages

where all the basic infrastructures will be available.

He assured the people for the cashless Railway ticket counters in those villages.

He disclosed that four more trains from Assam will be introduced shortly, among those trains one will be only for pilgrims. The train namely Ashtha will cover all the holy places of the country.

the election. We are confident that we will win 30 to 35 of the general seats and 10 to 12 of the seats reserved for the Schedule Tribes. The people want a change, and the BJP is their only choice," they said in a joint press conference in Imphal.

Meanwhile, four non-Congress non-BJP parties have feared that free and fair election would not be possible without early lifting of the ongoing economic blockade. Leaders of the Manipur Democratic Peoples' Front, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular) and Aam Aadmi Party of Manipur also alleged that that United Naga Council (UNC), which had called the blockade, was a frontal organisation of NSCN(IM), which is currently in dialogue with the BJP government at the Centre.

Himanta Biswa Sarma steps down as ACA president ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday stepped down as the president of the Assam Cricket Association (ACA).

This after the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment ruled that no one above 70, of unsound mind, convicted, holding post for cumulative term of 9 years, or a minister or government servant can be a BCCI office-bearer.

Chief Minister bats for hospitals in tea garden areas ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Union minister of state(independent charge) for labour and employment, Bandaru Dattatreya, on Wednesday and discussed welfare measures for tea garden workers.

Sonowal requested the Union minister to look into health issues affecting the tea garden areas and set up at least four super specialty hospitals for the workers.

Guwahati gets its first braille library ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 5: The city gets its first braille library for the visually impaired students at the Guwahati Blind High Schoolhere on Wednesday. The library will offer braille versions of a variety of books and journalsranging from academic books, fiction, self-help, general knowledge for the benefit of the visually impaired students who otherwise have limited access to books.

Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF), the CSR arm of Amway India, has partnered with Guwahati Blind High School to set up the library. Inaugurating the library Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner M Angamuthu said, “I wholeheartedly appreciate Amway Opportunity Foundation for coming forward and set up the special library.”

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

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Pol parties welcome ECI’s announcement Julius lawyers file bail IMPHAL, Jan 4 : Political parties in Manipur today welcomed the election dates announced by the Election Commission of India, with BJP State Unit president, K Bhabananda stating that BJP welcomes the decision to hold the Assembly election in two phases, March 4 and 8, and stated that BJP will surely record a landslide victory, thus forming the Government.

Speaking to media persons at the party’s office at Nityaipat Chuthek, Bhabananda said that being an autonomous body, the decisions taken by the ECI should be respected by all.

Terming election as one of the most important backbones of a democracy, he urged the people to give full cooperation in order to ensure a free and fair poll.

He pointed out that the party has made every possible preparation to contest the polls and confidently declared that BJP will win big and form the Government.

Th Chaoba, convenor of BJP Election Management Committee, said that the announcement of the election date is indeed a great moment for BJP. “BJP highly appreciates the

ECI for enforcing the code of conduct 60 days before the polls. Now the Congress Government will have to stop the massive recruitments from today”, he said.

He also expressed belief that the UNC will call off the economic blockade on the National Highways, in the light of the coming election.

Remarking that only 60 days are left for the BJP to form the Government, Chaoba pointed out that only 14 days were available between candidature withdrawal and the poll date for both the phases and as such expenses will drop along

PAC upset over MHIS cover, says need to have Phase III SHILLONG: The implementation of the two phases of the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) was not satisfactory and many citizens could not avail themselves of the benefits, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislative Assembly said on Wednesday and assured that the third phase of the State Government scheme will start in March.

PAC chairman Paul Lyngdoh said, “The coverage of MHIS-I was 46 per cent and that of Phase II was 50 per cent, which means it was not satisfactory. Most citizens have not benefitted from the scheme.”

“There is a need to start the third phase as the second phase ended in October.

The Health Department has assured us that the tendering process is underway and the financial bid will be on January 13 and technical bid on January 11. In the first week of March, the third phase of MHIS will be implemented,” he added.

The committee chairman pointed out that many people could not get benefits under the health cover scheme because insurance companies rejected them saying their claims were not genuine. He added that there was a need for tighter control over the insurance companies.

with ushering in free and fair election.

He also claimed that BJP will sweep 30 to 35 seats in the valley and 12 to 14 in the hills.

BJP will also form the Government in Manipur just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave has resulted in big wins in many State elections and local body elections, he added.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has also welcomed the decision of the Election Commission of India to hold the election in two phases. media de-

partment chairman L Memo Singh told Newmai News Network this evening that MPCC welcomed the decision of Election Commission of India (ECI).

Speaking to Newmai News Network, media department chairman of the party, L Memo Singh said “The poll announcement and its timing are very much welcome,” Memo said.

MPCC has extended its last date of submission of forms by party ticket seekers till January 31.

Irom Sharmila headed Peoples Resurgence and

Justice Alliance (PRJA) coconvenor James Mayengbam also expressed happiness at the announcement of Manipur poll dates.

PRJA, a new political party, was recently floated under the leadership of rights activist Irom Sharmila who fasted for 16 long years demanding repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

James reiterated the decision of Sharmila to contest from Thoubal AC, the home turf of incumbent Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. She has already announced her decision to fight against the three-time Congress Chief Minister in the forthcoming polls and carry on her movement against the military Act. The PRJA leader also informed that the party has already registered with the ECI. He said that the party has confirmed at least five aspiring candidates to contest in the polls.

“Candidates will be fielded from Thoubal, Wabagai, Thangmeiband, Lilong and 47-Karong. We’re also expecting more aspiring candidates from Heingang, Tengnoupal and Moirang,” he said.

BJP blames misgovernance Manipur, Jan 5 : BJP Manipur Pradesh president K Bhabananda has stated that Manipur remains quite backward as compared to other States of India due to the Congress Government’s protracted misgovernance and administrative failures. He was speaking at the Good Governance Week observed today in commemoration of the 92nd birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Thangmeiband Kangjabi Leirak residence of ex-MLA M Bhorot. Notably, M Bhorot has been preparing to contest the forthcoming State Assembly election on a BJP ticket in Thangmeiband AC. Speaking at the gathering organised by BJP Thangmeiband Mandal, Bhabananda said that good governance requires leaders who are sincere and

dedicated to public causes.

People have been suffering a lot because the incumbent Government is not sincere enough.

Unlike in the past when Ministers and MLAs went to Delhi and lobby with Central Ministries, Central Ministers were sent to different States since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country in order to ensure that different development programmes taken up by the Government reach the people and there is good governance in every State.

Congress MLAs showed that they have already surrendered before the election by flying to Delhi with the apprehension about possible imposition of President’s Rule in the State, Bhabananda remarked.

Their (Congress Government) failure to take up any

action to get the ongoing economic blockade lifted implies that they share little sympathy with the plight of public.

Even though BJP has a lone MLA, Congress is afraid of the party which only foretells their impending defeat in the forthcoming election, he claimed.

Even though the State Government was aware about the impending economic blockade, they went ahead with their decision to create seven new districts.

He went to ask why did not the State Government create the new districts earlier if they were determined to do so. The creation of new districts was driven by the consideration for electoral gains. He then called upon all BJP workers to work collectively so as to defeat Congress party.

NPF, Ind candidates CMLOA restricts aspirants defy boycott to file from filing nominations nominations Dimapur, Jan 5 : Candidates from the ruling NPF party and Independents have filed nominations in six districts till Jaunary 4. Defying the clarion call made by various apex tribal bodies under their respective jurisdictions-- not to file nominations for the civic body polls-- several NPF candidates and some Independents filed their nomination papers in various districts on Wednesday.

Ten candidates of the NPF party filed their nominations for East Dimapur Town Council, of which three were female and seven male.

However, till Wednesday, no candidate filed their papers for the Dimapur Municipal Council polls.

Nine candidates--six male and three female of the NPF filed their nomination papers for all the nine wards for the Tuli Town Council polls. This was also confirmed by DC Mokokchung and ADC Tuli. However, no candidate has filed nominations for the Mokokchung Municipal Council till date, the DC informed.

In Wokha district, two female and seven male candidates field their nomina-

tion papers for the Bhandari Town council polls, out of which eight were from NPF and one Independent.

The Bhandari town council has nine wards.

For Meluri Town Council polls, nine candidates from NPF party filed nominations for the nine wards, while eight NPF candidates filed their nomination for the elections to the Chozuba Town Council, which has nine wards. For Phek Town Council, 13 candidates filed their nominations on Tuesday for the 11 wards out of which 10 candidates belonged to the NPF party and three Independents.

Under Mon district, 18 candidates (15 male and three female) filed their nominations for elections to Aboi Town Council, which has nine wards. It was also reported that Tobu, Tizit and Naginimora were all prepared to go ahead with the Town Council elections.

In other districts like Peren, Zunheboto, Longleng, Tuensang and Kiphire no candidates have come forward to file their nominations on day two.

plea, withdraw later Shillong, Jan 5 : After the lower court issued a nonbailable arrest warrant against rape accused legislator Julius Dorphang on Tuesday evening, he has no other option but to surrender before the court or to the police.

An official source said Dorphang’s lawyers on Wednesday filed a bail petition in the court but later withdrew the application gauging the mood of the court and the prosecution.

When contacted, East Khasi Hills SP M. Kharkrang said after the non-bailable arrest warrant was issued, the legislator is yet to surrender. Police are also making efforts to arrest him, he added.

A case was registered against Dorphang at Laitumkhrah police station under Section 366 (A) of the IPC read with Section 3 (a)/ 4 of the POCSO Act and under Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA).

However, police failed to

add Section 5 (c) of the POCSO Act which is related to the rape of a minor by a public servant.

Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, who is under fire for the involvement of the guest house run by his family in the case, told reporters on Wednesday that police have been given a free hand to probe the case and there was no need for him to step down.

“Police should thoroughly probe the matter and for this, we are open to give replies to any questions by the police,” Lyngdoh said.

According to the Home Minister, he had not put pressure on the police in anyway nor interfered in the investigation.

“Police are investigating the case independently. That is why many arrests were made. I am not involved in this case,” Lyngdoh said.

The Home Minister said on the eve of counting of votes for the District Council bypolls on December 15 that he and his son had gone to

Marvelene’s Inn at Rilbong to meet the counting agents.

Coincidently, it was on the same night that the girl was brought to the inn by the traffickers.

According to Lyngdoh, as per his information, in the absence of the guest house manager on December 15 night, the waiter sneaked into a room along with the minor girl and as the client took some time to come, the girl was locked up in the room by the waiter.

“If an employee is involved in the crime, why the owner should be blamed,” Lyngdoh asked.

The Home Minister also said after the incident, strict instructions were given by his son, who is the proprietor of the guest house, that no locals will be allowed to book rooms in the guest house.

He, however, admitted that the CCTV at the guest house was not functioning as it was under repair.

Two gang-rape shocker on Jan 1 S H I L L O N G / NONGSTOIN/TURA, Jan 5 : Sordid stories of rape came to the fore on January 1, the beginning of the New Year in parts of the State.

While gang rape of a 17year-old girl was reported from Mawryngkneng in East Khasi Hills, a 13-year-old girl was raped by three persons in a similar way in South West Khasi Hills.

Police said around 9 pm on January 1, six persons – Sanlang Kharlukhi, Rimon Surong, Requestor Mukhim (the younger brother of the headman of Mawryngkneng village), Shan Dkhar of Mynso in West Jaintia Hills district who is the driver of the local headman, Sanbhalang Mawthoh and Banlumlang Rynjah – gang raped the 17year-old girl at Mawmang, Mawryngkneng. The accused persons are absconding.

The incident took place when the girl was returning home from her aunt’s place after dinner. After committing the crime, the accused dragged the unconscious girl to the rented house of Rimon at Mawryngkneng.

She gained consciousness around 10am the next day and fled the place as Rimon was asleep.

As per reports, the victim’s family thought that the Sordar of Mawryngkneng would hand over the accused to the police and reported the matter to him on January 2.

The Sordar instead tried for two days to bring them to a compromise in the presence of the local headman whose brother is an accused.

Hence the FIR was filed only on Wednesday with help from relatives who were informed about the incident late. They verbally informed the police about the matter on the evening of January 3. The medical examination of the girl was conducted at Mawryngkneng PHC. The CSWO is following up the case and it demanded that bail to the accused should be rejected and authorities should ensure that the family does not face any threat from the traditional head of Mawryngkneng.

In another incident on January 1, three persons – identified as Michael Shangrit, Shares K. Dewsaw and Banteilang Syiemlieh – raped the 13-year-old girl, who is from Upper New Nongstoin, at Jakrem in South West Khasi Hills.

The three men and a woman, identified as Minaris Mawlieh, who is a neighbour of the minor girl, took the 13-year-old on a drive from Nongstoin to the Hot Spring in Jakrem around 1pm on January 1. On the way, the girl was forced to drink alcohol.

In her statement, the girl said she fell unconscious and woke up only when they came back to Nongstoin and found blood all over her.

After she narrated the story to her parents, the family complained to the Dorbar Shnong of Upper New Nongstoin where the Dorbar handed over the case to the Nongstoin Police. The three accused have been arrested.

Meanwhile, pressure groups from Garo Hills have petitioned the Deputy Commissioner of South Garo Hills for an impartial probe into the rape of a minor girl by a police official posted at Dimapara Check Post on the night of December 23.

GHSMC chairman Nikman Ch Marak, who filed the complaint, said several youngsters attended a preChristmas disco organised at Dimapara Infiltration Check Post on December 23.

He alleged that the revellers were served both soft and hard drinks. Minhoi Lawai, a policeman, “took advantage of the minor’s drunken state and raped her at his residence”.

According to Marak, an FIR was filed at the same check post though the OC was initially reluctant to accept it.

He also alleged that the police denied medical examination saying the vehicle ran out of fuel and could not go to the hospital.

Local NGOs, including GHSMC-Tura, JACBaghmara and Mothers’ Union from Dalu and Dimapara organised a rally at Dimapara on December 29 demanding justice for the victim.

NPRAAF warns deptts. not to delay RTI response Dimapur, Jan 5 : Chi and Mon Land Owners Association (CMLOA) Wednesday went ahead with its decision by restricting intending candidates from filing nominations, saying that state government has failed to respond on its demand.

CMLOA was demanding implementation of the 1964 agreement signed between the landowners of Mon Hq and district administration.

According to source, 11 intending candidates were prevented by CMLOA volunteers from entering DC office complex to file nominations.

Volunteers comprised of Chi and Mon youths vowed to sacrifice their time to restrict aspirants from filling nominations till the scheduled last date of filing

nominations (January 7).

CMLOA on December 30 also organized a protest rally at Mon hq and submitted a memorandum demanding implementation of the 1964 agreement.

USLP resolves United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), apex body of the Sangtam community, has resolved to stand by the ENPO’s decision to restrict any candidate from filing their nominations under its jurisdiction for the town council polls in Kiphire.

Talking to this Correspondent, USLP vice president, K. Tsilise Sangtam said USLP was not against women’s participation but was against the infringement of Naga’s rights under the present Municipal Act.

Expressing dismay over the state government’s lackadaisical attitude, Tsilise said the reply to ENPO’s letter was not to their satisfaction. Time and again the government was reminded to rectify on the matter that the Municipal Act would not affect Article 371 A, he said. However, the government paid no heed to the request, which compelled us to take such measure (to restrict filling of nomination), he added. It was informed that USLP would ensure that no candidates file their nominations till the last date.

Meanwhile, NPF Kiphire division issued tickets to 10 candidates for the Kiphire Town Council elections, which has 11 wards (4 wards reserved for women).

Dimapur, Jan 5 : Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has cautioned the departments to adopt due seriousness in handling Right to Information (RTI) applications and provide the response within the mandatory time limit.

NPRAAF information and publicity cell issued the statement after the departments- land resources, rural development, health and family welfare, power and education delayed in providing RTI replies filed by the forum on November 4, 2016.

The forum also threatened to initiate action as deem democratically fit in the event the responsible department failed to adhere on the RTI act. Further, NPRAAF decided to write to the respective ministry at the Centre with its findings

with corroborated evidences on the nexus between non-local contractors, officials and politicians in awarding contract works/ supplies. And in such eventuality, the forum said it would not be responsible for further disruption of flow of funds from the Centre.

NPRAAF’s claim was most of the contract works/supplies have been awarded to non-Naga businessmen as they have the support of department officials and politicians.

Therefore, NPRAAF said that it would not allow Naga interest to be compromised by corrupt practices of the few non-Nagas, but will strive to streamline all unholy activities taking place in the departments.

NPRAAF has also decided to divulge the names of non-Nagas involved in cor-

rupt practices in due course of time.

According to NPRAAF, on December 21, 2016, when it inquired on the reason for the delayed, the director School Education and chief engineer Power department apologized for the delay and sought some more time, however there was no official communication from the rural department and land resource, NPRAAF said.

It stated that heath and family welfare had intimidated to the forum stating that the department had transferred the RTI application on November 10, 2016 to State Program Officer and PIO (NHM), and Program Officer and PIO (RCH). Therefore, NPRAAF wanted to know whether the two PIO have received the letter and if so the reason for inordinate delay in reply to RTI.

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Today's quote Infuse your life with action. Don't “wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope.

Bradley Whitford

Stalin at the helm The elevation of M.K. Stalin as the working president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam achieves two objectives. It fills the power vacuum at the top following the prolonged illness of party president M. Karunanidhi.

It also provides an opportunity for the DMK to take advantage of the fluid political situation in Tamil Nadu after the death of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the prevailing confusion within the ruling AIADMK on whether O. Panneerselvam should make way for V.K. Sasikala as Chief Minister. For a long time now, Mr. Stalin has been the unofficially designated successor to his father, Mr. Karunanidhi. He was made Deputy Chief Minister in 2009 during the DMK's previous term in office, though he continued to be ranked behind both Mr. Karunanidhi and party general secretary K. Anbazhagan in the Cabinet and the party organisation. But so far, despite his failing health, Mr. Karunanidhi has been reluctant to step down from the post of party president.

Even during the run-up to the Assembly election in early 2016, he refused to declare Mr. Stalin the chief ministerial candidate. While it is not very clear whether the DMK patriarch wholeheartedly endorses his son's elevation now, there is little doubt that the second line of the party believes this has been long overdue..

As working president, Mr. Stalin enjoys the same powers as the party president, and in a situation where Mr. Karunanidhi is unable to function actively, he should have little difficulty in giving the party the necessary direction in a fast-changing political scenario. The AIADMK without Jayalalithaa faces a stern test. It helped that the party was in power when she died; otherwise, the district-level leaders might have begun pulling in different directions whether or not Ms. Sasikala became the general secretary. Mr. Stalin can afford to bide his time to see how the AIADMK holds in the postJayalalithaa phase and if the visible signs of cadre disenchantment with Ms. Sasikala become accentuated.

The DMK is currently in a politically advantageous situation; it had lost the Assembly election narrowly, and its main rival now is in some disarray. As the main Opposition party, it has a responsible role to play when the government is in danger of being directionless. And with Mr. Stalin at the helm, it can play that role a lot more effectively. After close to three decades of seemingly never-ending political rivalry between Mr. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu is witness to a new phase of political contestation. The people can only hope that the emerging political rivalry will not see political decency in short supply, as was the case with the previous generation of leadership.

Bengaluru's night of horror It is being called a "mass molestation". With all

the creepiness and collective menace that the phrase conveys, the sketchy facts of the events of New Year's-eve in downtown Bengaluru once again hold a mirror up to Indian society. Thousands of revellers had gathered in and around Mahatma Gandhi Road and Brigade Road to ring in 2017, as is something of a tradition in the city.

But, according to reports that subsequently emerged, a large number of women were sexually assaulted around midnight. While no complaint had been filed, Bengaluru police have taken up an investigation based on the reports of women being groped and physically attacked. Another incident, reportedly also of the early hours of January 1, has come graphically into the public domain, with CCTV footage showing a woman being grabbed as she makes her way home in a residential street before she pulls herself free and escapes. This is unconnected to the so-called "mass molestation", but reinforces the horror of the night in Bengaluru.

In an aftermath that has echoed with Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara's effort to blame the violence on "western culture", it is easy to understand why no women came forth, at least initially, to register an offence. All too depressingly and predictably, the Minister has closed the loop to show how state and society fail to ensure the safety of women.

Mr. Parameshwara's insinuation that for women to wear "western" dress and be out and about having a good time is to invite sexual harassment, ironically, explains the reluctance of women to register offences. For, to do so is to very often court an accusatory glare, and be made to answer why they were out in a lonely street, after dark, in a place teeming with "boys" - or put simply, why they did not know better. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, passed after national outrage over the Delhi gang rape of December 16, 2012, had sought to bring clarity to the continuum of sexual offences and to simplify procedures for women to bring them to the attention of the police. To truly convince women that the state is on the same page, every crime against a woman must be regarded as a horror. But without an administrative ethos that does not flip an accusation on a woman and instead asserts a woman's right to bodily integrity no matter where she is and what she is doing, no amount of law-making can significantly change things. This is the challenge before the Bengaluru police as they look for women to come forward and assist in the investigation.

P6

Wheels within wheels in Uttar Pradesh The BJP seems ahead in the run-up to the Assembly elections but it has to contend with a newly popular Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati's ambitious DalitMuslim plank Uttar Pradesh has always been riveting theatre, and now magnificently so, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) splitting, uniting and splitting again to the exasperation of commentators, many of whom have been severely tested on their understanding of this complex and politically most-watched Indian State. There have been so many googlies thrown that anyone cast as an expert on U.P. affairs will likely want nothing more than not to be one, especially with the Assembly election announced and punditry on high demand.

Will the SP reunite?

Maybe, maybe not. Was the split scripted to foreground the newly dazzling Akhilesh Yadav? Not likely, but who knows. Will there be a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) that upsets calculations? Keep guessing.

Will the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have the last laugh? Hard to say. Will Rahul Gandhi finally prove himself? Ha ha.

Will it be abki baar bhajapa sarkar (a Bharatiya Janata Party government this time)? Well, probably.

PM's party in front On current evidence, and post the November 8, 2016 currency swap, it is the BJP that seems the front runner, and not least because it is the party with the largest war chest (not to be confused with the chest size of its leader). Indeed, the most striking aspect of this election season is that while the BJP has been able to hold ostentatious rallies with huge, bussed-in crowds, its cash-strapped opponents

have all but been grounded.

Yet in a situation of constant surprises, it would be unwise not to take into account factors that might torpedo the BJP: among them a change in popular mood brought about by the adverse effects of demonetisation and smart counter-strategising by rival parties.

Consider the battle lines.

There is the BJP led by Narendra Modi. Always larger than life, the Prime Minister has assumed leviathan proportions post the note swap. But more fearfully for his opponents, there is no guessing when, where and how he will trip them up. There is no worse nightmare for Mr. Modi's political foes than when he rubs his hands in glee and says in a conspiratorial, hushed tone, "Maine abhi apne poore patte khole nahin hai (I have still to reveal all my cards)." This, plus the BJP's humongou s 42 per cent vote share from U.P. in the Lok Sabha election of 2014 and NaMo's continuing if confounding popularity, gives the party a head start over its rivals.

The Samajwadi churn The SP, till now in the control of patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav but deftly hijacked last week by son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, has zoomed back into the reckoning because the son has shown that he can shine without the father. This is rare in Indian dynastic politics where the norm is for the ward to live and suffer in the shadow of the clan head. Any assignment to junior necessarily came as a conferment from the elder.

The former performed his designated role at the pleasure of the latter. Given this order of things, the power struggle within the SP,

staged openly over several months, came as a shocker.

Last week's chaos on the streets of Lucknow exceeded the most dire predictions. It seemed surreal that the father could expel his Chief Minister son from the party. More jaw-droppingly, the son installed himself as the national president of the party evicting his father from the long-held post.

Also despatched was Akhilesh Yadav's uncle, Shivpal Yadav, who had been the State chief of the SP.

works. Akhilesh Yadav, now Chief Minister, hit back by forming a team with his father's cousin, Ram Gopal Yadav. There were also soulful interviews to the media about the "outsider" who had returned with a brief to wreck the party. As if in confirmation, the father openly sided with Mr. Singh and Shivpal Yadav while often scolding his son in public. Now what? There is a view in Lucknow corridors that the split, whether scripted or not, has changed the game for the Chief Minister. Indeed so, Of course, Shivpal Yadav and the proof was in the raphimself was a usurper, hav- turous young crowds that i n g thronged snatched t h e t h e Vidya Subrahmaniam streets State of the party capital chief's post from the shouting their support for nephew with the help of the son. The SP, which had brother Mulayam Singh been placed last in the elecYadav. That was in Septem- tion stakes before the split, ber 2016, and that edition of found itself bumped up to the family war had ended in the second if not first place a tenuous peace with the with Akhilesh Yadav seizing Chief Minister dutifully de- control. claring his love and respect for his father while holding Advantage Akhilesh?

Amar Singh, the "outsider", The fresh-faced Chief to be the villain of the piece. Minister has a lot going for To those innocent of the him. In a November 2011 inSP's previous history, Amar terview to me, the young Singh is the same man who, Yadav had regretted that the courtesy of his enviable SP had become synonycorporate-Bollywood links, mous with thuggery and once controlled the SP's lawlessness, and swore to purse strings. Many in the rid it of the goonda eleSP, including Akhilesh ments that had sullied its Yadav, resented Mr. Singh's reputation. One reason for clout in the party and the the SP's 2012 election vicspell he seemed to have tory was Akhilesh Yadav's cast on the SP patriarch. Mr. clean image. He seemed the Singh was seen to have antithesis of his goonish taken the SP away from it party. Five years on, the socialist roots to its new young man has miracuavatar as a "Page Three" lously retained both the party. The saga had con- clean image and the goodcluded with Mr. Singh be- will that brought him to ing exiled, presumably power. To have been in ofthrough the efforts of fice for five years and not Akhilesh Yadav. be seen as corrupt is an achievement that cannot be So when Mr. Singh re- overstated, more so in U.P. emerged, there were fire- where a politician is by defi-

nition tainted. The split in the SP has embellished this quality and endeared the Chief Minister to young voters who like the fact that he is cut from the same cloth as them. Overall in U.P., everyone has a good word to say about Yadav Junior.

But will this suffice to give the SP a second term? The answer could lie in the challenges ahead for Akhilesh Yadav, starting with the possibility of his party requiring a new name and a new symbol. Second, it is unclear if he would be able to fully retain the SP's vote base of Muslims and Yadavs. Muslims have an umbilical connection with Mulayam Singh Yadav and may not easily desert him. It might be useful to remember that in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, a section of Yadavs went away to the BJP. Will they return or will they be persuaded by Mr. Modi's post-notebandi (slang for demonetisation) invocation of nationalism and promise of a bright future?

Akhilesh Yadav could overcome the vote deficit via a mahagathbandhan with the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Akhilesh Yadav, Mr. Gandhi and Jayant Chaudhary, Ajit Singh's son and general secretary of the RLD, would together be picture-perfect but it is not clear if they would be vote-perfect. Meaning, will they be able to transfer votes to one another? Besides, with Mr. Gandhi away in foreign lands, there is no word as yet on the alliance.

Finally, notwithstanding saturation propaganda, there is also the SP's patchy record in office.

Task cut out for Mayawati Ms. Mayawati's fortunes have been yo-yoing. The BSP suffered its most humili-

ating defeat in 2014 when it won no seats for a dismal vote share of 19.6 per cent.

According to the National Election Studies data of the Lokniti programme of Centre for the Study of Developing Studies, the BSP lost 16 per cent Jatav and 35 per cent non-Jatav Dalit votes in 2014 as compared to 2009.

There is reason to believe that Ms. Mayawati has regained her Dalit vote in the aftermath of the widespread anger over the Una atrocity in Gujarat. The BSP is banking on a unified Dalit-Muslim vote. Given the decisive presence of both communities across the State, this could be a runaway hit but only provided Muslims forsake the fractious SP. The BJP will also do all it can to thwart any Dalit-Muslim unity and its aggressive Dalit outreach policy is geared entirely towards this end. The Supreme Courtimposed bar on appealing to religious and caste sentiments will also affect Ms. Mayawati more than her rivals. She needs to overtly seek the votes of Dalits and Muslims unlike the BJP, which can play divisive politics by stealth.

The BJP's multiple advantages are obvious, among them Mr. Modi's own towering presence and notebandi, which he has expertly spun as a class war. Thus far, the Prime Minister has had the crowds sway to his every command and every change in narrative. But they could start asking why the rich are getting away and what makes the BJP itself so rich. With mounting rural distress and no sign of the promised pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there is a real danger that the notebandi story could derail. Besides, where is the BJP's chief ministerial face?

Glance at the North East and its requirements Northeast India is the eastern-most region of India. It comprises of Seven Sister States namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, and the Himalayan state of Sikkim. The Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal, with a width of 21 to 40 kilometres connects the North Eastern region with East India. The region shares more than 4,500 kilometres of international border with China (southern Tibet) in the north, Myanmar in the east, Bangladesh in the southwest, and Bhutan to the northwest.

The northeast India states are officially recognised under the North Eastern Council (NEC), constituted in 1971 as the acting agency for the development of the eight states. The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd

(NEDFi) was incorporated tion of the state of on 9 August 1995 and the Meghalaya in 1972. The Ministry of Development of capital of Assam was North Eastern Region shifted to Dispur, a part of (DoNER) was set up in Sep- Guwahati, and Shillong was tember 2001. designated as the capital of The northeastern states Meghalaya. were established during the The people of NortheastBritish Raj ern regions of the 19th asically Lamhom Tangha blook and early differ20th centuent from ries, when they became rela- mainland India in much retively isolated from tradi- spect. The eating habits, tional trading partners such lifestyles, and dress codes as Bhutan and Myanmar. are totally different from rest Many of the peoples in of the Indians. The political present-day Mizoram, systems too are executed Manipur and Nagaland differently though they are converted to Christianity governed by the same conunder the influence of stitution. The northeastern British(Wales) missionaries. regions are represented by Sikkim was integrated as a very few Raj Sabha and the eighth North Eastern Lok Sabha representatives.

Council state in 2002.

The resourceful regions are The city of Shillong yet to be connected fully by served as the capital of the Air, rails, road and telecomAssam province created munications. Under the look during the British Rule. It re- east policy, the eight states mained as the capital of un- are supposed to be divided Assam until forma- equipped and well structured but it hasn't cover the

Alexander and Diogenes Now when Alexander [the Great] appeared before the Greek leaders in Corinth they greeted him warmly and paid him lavish compliments- all of them, that is but one.

A funny fellow, a philosopher named Diogenes. He had views not unlike those of the Buddha. According to him, possessions and all the things we think we need only serve to distract us and get in the way of our simple enjoyment of life. So he had given away every-

thing he owned and now sat, almost naked, in a barrel in the market square in Corinth where he lived, free and independent like a

stray dog.

Curious to meet this strange fellow, Alexander went to call on him. Dressed in shining armour, the plume on his helmet

waving in the breeze, he walked up to the barrel and said to Diogenes: 'I like you.

Let me know your wish and I shall grant it.' Diogenes, who had until then been comfortably sunning himself, replied: 'Indeed, Sire, I have a wish.'

'Well, what is it?' 'Your shadow has fallen over me: stand a little less between me and the sun.' Alexander is said to have been so struck by this that he said: 'If I weren't Alexander, I should like to be Diogenes.'

regions as per planned. The lackasidal attitudes of the centre are conspicuous and visible. The regions are still vulnerable to foreign annexation if they are not equipped or build properly to stop the intrusion. Recently there has been an intrusion of Chinese troops in the border in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh that shows its vulnerabilities to the foreign elements. Had I been a Prime minister, I would have equip these areas with Advance Landing Ground and seal the borders with proper fence to protect the region. Besides that all the bordering towns would have been face lifted with all the necessary requirements like electricity, Telecommunications, road connectivity etc.

The eight Northeastern states are unequally backwards in all fronts despite its need. Off course, the present of multiple militants

group add up to its misfortune that stagnate the overall development. The government at the centre had tried its best to solve the ever growing militant issues in the northeast but despite its effort failed miserably.

Due to lack of avenues in the regions, the youths in the northeastern states prefer to travel to the mainland India in search of jobs and during the haunt they often become prey of prejudices.

The Prime Minister should relook at the look east policy and revamp the policy to accomplish the plan so instituted in the look east policy so that the Northeastern corridor can flourish at par with the other Metros in India.

We need IIT's and Regional Medical colleges in every capital cities of the Northeastern states to boost the region in the educational fields. Especially, an Ayurvedic medical col-

lege can be established where raw materials are available in plenty. It will not only provide ample opportunity for the posterity of these regions to avail education but also it will create medical benefits for the rural populace who cannot visit a very expensive medicals in the metros.

The regions are rich in natural resources that can be tapped legally to harvest its potentials apart from Agriculture and Horticulture prospects. Despite its richness, there exists economic disparity among the citizens due to political interferences in every aspect of developments. Waiting eagerly for the day when the disparity will be no more and sail smoothly on the boat of brotherhood.

The write is Lomhom Tangha and can be reached a t lomhommhbtc15@gmail.com.

No room for religion The split ruling by the Supreme Court bench has farreaching consequences as most political parties have been winning elections by soliciting votes on the basis of religion, caste, creed and language. However, it is a blow for parties which have been fighting elections on the development plank. One needs to see how far the Election Commission can effectively implement the ruling considering the rough and tumble of Indian politics. How the forthcoming Assembly elections will be fought needs to be seen.

Rahul Doley Dhemaji, Assam

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

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The Status of Women in India In the past, women were cated and modernized hustreated as mere slaves. As bands want to see their they belong to the weaker wives confined within the sex, men used to keep them four walls. under thumb. They were denied freedom. They were The noble professions of kept like dumb cattle within the outside world are conthe four walls of the house. sidered to be of no concern Indeed, they had no rights. to them. Their husbands, Their most sacred duty was they may be good or bad, to obey blindly. are their lords and gods.

Though the conditions in Those changes are bent h e eficial country which Manish Rajkoomar c o m e are fast changgraduing, yet women are still ally. Our country is changtreated, in some respects, in ing politically, economithe same old way. No one cally and socially, at a swift feels happy in the home at speed. The condition of the birth of a female child. women is also gradually Even an only daughter is changing. They have begun supposed to be a curse for to take their due place in the family. She is regarded free India as is evident from as a decree of lakhs of ru- the following facts. pees on the parents. Further, as a wife, she has always to In free India, women canobey her husband. "Theirs not be kept as sheer domesnot to reason why, theirs but tic servants. They have to to do and die." was the play their vital role in the motto for them. Even edu- development of the country.

Top 5 best bridal makeup tips Wedding is a special day for everyone's life. The bride always wants to make sure that nothing goes wrong on that very day and seek for bridal tips. She is going to cherish the rest of her life and ensure that she gets the best. Friends, arrangements and the functions are always part of the wedding but the most important part is the bridal make up. The bridal make up gets the most attention, not only for the prolonged photoshoot and the numerous guests but also for the feeling of looking best on the most special day of the life. Here are the Top 5 bridal tips that can ensure nothing goes wrong.

Use Moisturizer Use the moisturizer as the base of all the bridal makeup.

It should be applied before the foundation of the makeup. This would ensure that your skin glows and looks beautiful.

Also, it can be very helpful for the warmer weather as it can firm the makeup and it does not melt with heat. It is often seen that the makeup gets bloat due to high temperature and thus moisturizer can help you to avoid the problem.

Use Foundation There are lots of cosmetics available that can be applied on the face as part of the bridal makeup. However, that makeup may not remain for long time during the wedding function. Also, it can create bloats on the photos during the celebration and no bride would want that. The use of foundation can be very effective for that case and can ensure that all your makeup remains intact for longer period of time. This also helps you to glow your makeup.

Use Brush It is best to use a brush to apply the makeup. The use of fingers should be completely avoided in order to make the makeup more effective and highly risk free. There are lot of chances where the fingers can make rashes and other skin problems on the wedding day and that should not be desired.

The use of brush can help you to avoid all such issues.

Use Concealer The use of concealer can be extremely helpful for the bridal make ups as well. The bridal tips ensure that the concealer can be great for the facial makeups. However, you can also effectively use it for the eye liners and others. The best part of the concealer is that it holds your make up firm and it looks extremely natural.

Use Natural Products The best practice is to use natural products for the bridal makeup. The skin is very sensitive and the chemicals can harm your skin. There are chances that it can show the impact even immediately. To avoid that you can use the natural products that will help you to look beautiful and at the same time it should be safe.

However, even after all the tips, the most important and effective tip is to put a smile on the face and enjoy the best moment of your life.

That is why more and more girls are getting education.

No distinction is now made in matters of education be-

tween boys and girls. Education is bound to give them place of honour in society.

It is for the first time in

the history of our country that women have been given equal voting right with men.

It clearly means that women

will now take an active part in outside affairs also. Their voice will now be as forceful and important as that of men. No politician of leader can now afford to neglect, or oppose their rights. They are becoming equal partners in the making, or the dismissing, of a Government.

Hindu law has been changed and modified. Far reaching changes have been introduced in the Hindu Marriage Act. Women have been given right to divorce in certain cases. This is a very important change.

They have been given protection in other ways also against the cruelly of the husbands. Besides this, the Hindu Succession Act has given to the daughter the right to the property of her parents. These reforms have secured for women an honorable status in society.

Our constitution has given equal rights to women. No distinction has

been made on the basis of caste, religion or sex. Their rights have thus been safeguarded. Reservation for women in state assemblies, parliament and the upper house is apt to be enacted in near future.

Many a women has begun to occupy high position in the life of our country.

There are a number of lady minister and deputy ministers. A woman, late Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country and a leader world stature. Besides this, women are taking to the profession increasing number. Today there are women who are competent police which direction the wind is blowing.

The observance of the international women's year in 1975, gave further impetus to the movement for the emancipation of women.

Attention has thus been focused on problems peculiar to women in India.

Also Indian girls bagged two beauty crowns in 1994.

Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe title and Aiswarya Rai bagged the Miss World crown. This unique double success on the world's beauty stage earned a healthier respect for India as a whole, because these contests of late have become as much tests of the contestant's brains, outlook and presence of mind as of mere physical beauty.

From the above account it is evident, that the place of women in free India is becoming more and more secure with the change of times. She can no longer be dominated and driven like dumb cattle by man. She is on the march. She is now an equal partner in her family.

Her future is bright.

5 ways to preserve fruits or vegetables other than canning, freezing, or drying charcuterie.

Canning, freezing, and drying are popular home preservation methods today.

In the past, people preserved food because they didn't have any other choice.

In times of pestilence, war, famine, tsunamis, and earthquakes, people wanted to make sure they had some food 'put by.' Unlike today, they lacked a year-round supply of fresh food and mechanical refrigeration.

But preservation methods go well beyond freezing or drying food in an electric appliance, or canning it with special equipment.

Here are 5 different ways you can preserve local produce for use throughout the year. Most are easier and less expensive than the more modern methods of canning and freezing: 1. Quickly pickle vegetables by soaking in an acidic liquid. The simplest way you can pickle vegetables is to immerse slices or chunks in an acidic liquid such as vinegar, lemon juice, or whey. Other mildly acidic ingredients that you can use for pickling, include pomegranate juice, verjuice (underripe grape juice), soy sauce, and miso. Acid-pickled foods are a great alternative to fresh salads and can add a lot of interest to your meals. Think of them as crunchy, mouthwatering fast food.

4. Macerate fruits with alcohol. Macerating fruits in alcohol is a form of pickling that is very common in cultures throughout Eastern Europe. It is an easy process that you can do at home with fresh fruit and vodka. You can add spices to the soaking liquid and use other types of liquor (such as rum or brandy), as long as it is at least 80 proof. Brandied or maraschino cherries are common examples of macerated fruits, and the resulting fruited liquor is a delicious beginning or end to any meal.

2. Ferment fruits or vegetables into wine or vinegar.

When you have a bumper crop of fruits or vegetables, that's the time to make wine or vinegar. Ferment almost any type of fresh or dried fruit to make a delicious "country" wine. Popular fruit choices include pears, peaches, or plums, and vegetables with a sweet nature, such as beets, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, or winter squash. Reclaim fruit and vegetable peels before you discard them in the compost bin and use them to make vinegar. Exploit apple peelings left over af-

ter making applesauce, as well as orange peels, pineapple peels, and potato peels. Wine or vinegar making is also a good method to make use of culls, seconds, overripe, or fallen fruit. Just make sure that any of the produce you use is free of any mold, trimmed of any bruises, and thoroughly washed.

3. Pickle or ferment vegetables with dry salt. Easy, practical, and inexpensive, you can use dry salt either to pickle or ferment a wide variety of vegetables. High salt concentration prevents fermentation to preserve

vegetables in a near-fresh state. Use this method for cauliflower, cooking greens (spinach, kale, chard), shelled peas, and string beans. People familiar with this method consider drysalted vegetables to be far superior in taste and texture to canned or frozen ones. In contrast, using a low salt concentration causes the vegetables to ferment and make products like sauerkraut or kimchi from cabbage. The sauerkraut method also works on turnips, rutabagas, and kohlrabies, for delicious wintertime sandwich and burger toppings or garnish for

5. 'Cellar' root vegetables.

Cellaring is any form of storage that holds food in optimum condition for an extended period. Today's modern "root cellar" is the refrigerator. However, a cold food cellar can be accomplished by using something as simple as a cool basement closet or fashioned using a clean metal or plastic, food-safe container that is partially buried in the ground. Root crops are the ideal cold cellar inhabitant, such as beets, carrots, turnips, and parsnips. Use these vegetables throughout winter as a roasted side dish, shredded for latkes, simmered in soups and stews, or baked into muffins and breads.

India's 3 most successful female entrepreneurs 1. Indra Nooyi Current position: CFO, Pepsico Indra Nooyi,56, is the current chairman and CFO of the second largest food and beverage business, PepsiCo. Born in Chennai, Indra did her Bachelor's in Science from Madras Christian College in 1974 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta in 1976.

Beginning her career in India, Nooyi held product manager positions at Johnson & Johnson and textile firm Mettur Beardsell. Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and was named president and CFO in 2001.

She has been conferred with prestigious Padma Bhushan for her business achievements and being an inspiration to India's corporate leadership.

General Manager & Country Head HSBC,India Naina Lal Kidwai,55, is presently the Group General Manager and Country Head of HSBC India.

Naina has a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Delhi university and an MBA from Harvard Business school. In fact, Kidwai was the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School.

She started her career with ANZ Grindlays . Presently, she is also serving as a non-executive director on the board of Nestle SA. Kidwai is also global advisor at Harvard Business school.

Indian government conferred Padma Shri award on Naina for her contributions in the field of Trade and Industry.

2. Naina Lal Kidwai Current position: Group

Current position: CMD, Biocon

3. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Kiran,59, is the founder Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Biocon Limited.

Born in Bangalore, Shaw completed her Bachelors in Zoology from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore University. She later did her post-graduation in Malting and Brewing from Ballarat College, Melbourne University.

She worked as a trainee brewer in Carlton and United Breweries, Melbourne and as a trainee maltster at Barrett Brothers and Burston, Australia.

She started Biocon in 1978 and spearheaded its evolution from an industrial enzymes manufacturing company to a fully integrated bio-pharmaceutical company.

Today Biocon under Shaw's leadership has established itself as a leading player in biomedicine research with a focus on diabetes and oncology.

Kiran is also a member of the board of governors of

the prestigious Indian School of Business and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad.

Kiran received the prestigious Padma Shri (1989) and the Padma Bhushan (2005) from the government of India.

4. Chanda Kochar Current position: MD & CEO - ICICI Bank Chanda Kochar, 51, is currently the MD & CEO of india's largest private bank ICICI Bank.

Rajasthan born chanda got Masters Degree in Management Studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. She received the Wockhardt Gold Medal for Excellence in Management Studies as well as the J. N. Bose Gold Medal in Cost Accountancy.

Chanda Kochhar is married to Deepak Kochhar, a wind energy entrepreneur and her Business schoolmate.

5. Indu Jain

Designation - Chairperson (former), Times Group Indu Jain,76, used to be the chairperson of India's largest and most powerful media house - The Times Group.

A strong votary of women's rights and women entrepreneurship, Indu contributed immensely to the growth of Times group. Now, her two sons Samir and Vineet are running the company.

Indu Jain is also founder President of the Ladies wing of FICCI (FLO).

Indu is also the Chairperson of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust, which awards India's most prestigious and highest literary award, the Jnanpith award.

She addressed the United Nations in 2000 at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, a speech in which she stressed the need for oneness among faiths and went on to chair a special session of the conference.

Is Equal Pay for Women Fair?

Aatish Palekar In recent times women have come out of the four walls of their homes and sought suitable careers for themselves. Today, we find that women are working in practically every field of life. There are women doctors, professors, writers, journalists, judges, lawyers, typists and even police women. Women have also entered the military officers in general. In games and sports they have own many laurels. P.T. Usha made sports history through her thrilling performance in the Olympics in Los Angeles, California. They have invaded even the world of politics and have risen to the highest position in their respective countries, Margret Thatcher of England, Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi of India, Mrs. Bandaranaike of Ceylon, and the current president Pratibha Devisingh Patil, are only a few examples.

Women today are holding highest position in a number of countries of the world.

The performance of women in every field has been really creditable, and they have outshone man in spheres, which were supposed traditionally to be his exclusive privilege. Still the prejudice against women persists. It is still said that women are inferior to men, both physically and mentally, that they cannot put in as much work as men can do, hence they should be given less pay than their men folk. Nothing can be more unjust, wrong and unfair. Those who expressed such a view - and their numbers are not small - turn a blind eye to the manifold achievements of womanhood. Such a view is entirely contrary to facts.

Women have convincingly demonstrated their capacities and abilities and to deny them the same pay is given to men is immoral, unjust and unfair. Justice must be done to them; age-old prejudices must be shed and women must be paid equal pay with their men folk.

To deny women equal pay is not unjust and immoral, it is also entirely on constitutional. Indian constitution expressly provides that there should no discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, caste or race.

All citizens of India ere equal in the eyes of law and any discrimination between one citizen and another is illegal and criminal.

Women are rightful and lawful citizen of India. They also enjoy the same fundamental right as men do.

They, therefore, fundamentally and constitutionally speaking should get the same right as men do.

Therefore, equal pay for women is just. In the modern times, most of the work is done by machines.

Women technicians, engineers, pilots and women workers, working with computers and other machines, have proved themselves more effective.

Therefore, they must get the same pay as men. To deny them equal pay is worst form of exploitation.

The view that women should not be given equal pay is discriminatory, unenlightened and prejudiced. It is an expression of the oldage exploitation to which women have been subjected in the modern world. In the modern democratic world, "equal pay for equal work", is a recognized principle. To pay women less is extremely cruel and unprincipled. If at all, women should be paid more, for they have also to do domestic work in addition to the work they have to do in their jobs and which they do much more sincerely than their male counterparts.

They have to do a number of household chores like cooking, cleaning utensils, sweeping, the house, mending clothes and also take care of children. A man's work is done as soon as he is out of office, but a women's work continues well into the night and it also begins much earlier next morning. Hence it would be more just and ethical to allow them a higher pay.

Our way of thinking, our attitude towards womanhood must undergo a radical change with the change of times. To allow them equal pay for equal work is merely a first step towards such a change. The question "is equal pay for women fair?" has no relevance in the modern context. It is entirely unjust and prejudiced.

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

NATION P8 Molestation case; Sponsored ads in media to be Karna Home Minister part of candidate's expenditure in damage control mode

Chandigarh, Jan 5 (PTI) : Sponsored advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter would be included in the total election expenditure of a candidate, an election commission spokesman said today.

He said voice messages of candidates, even if they were received from other states, would be added to the expenditure of the candidate.

Javadekar asks youth to be part of govt's push toward cashless New Delhi, Jan 5 : Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today urged youths to be "agents of change" in the government's push toward a cashless economy, saying digital transactions will bring in accountability and help weed out corruption.

"Digital transactions will bring in accountability and weed out corruption. The annual budget is worth Rs 17-18 lakh crore, of which around 5-6 lakh crore can be used for creating infrastructure for this purpose," he said at an event at Hindu College here.

He said a lot can be done but the problem is "that everyone does not pay tax".

Demonetisation is a "movement" that will lead to a less cash society which is needed to eradicate corruption, black money, fake currency and to bring in transparency, Javadekar said and asked the students to join his ministry's initiative to make people aware about digital and cashless transactions.

CBI arrests Deputy Labour Commissioner for demanding bribe New Delhi, Jan 5 : CBI has arrested a Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner of Chennai for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a cement company. P M Srivastava, Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Chennai and also holding similar additional charge of Hyderabad was arrested by CBI on Saturday evening in connection with the alleged bribe demand, CBI sources said. “A case was registered against Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Chennai who was also holding Additional Charge of Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner Hyderabad,�

CBI Spokesperson Devpreet Singh said on Monday.

It was alleged that the said Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner had demanded a bribe of Rs 25,000 while camping at Hyderabad to show official favour to a cement factory at Tadipatri, Ananthapur where he had arranged to conduct the inspection of the said cement factory, Singh said.

The spokesperson said searches were conducted at the premises of the accused.

He said the total amount of expenditure, of which account is to be kept under section 77 of Representation of People's Act 1951 and which is incurred or authorised in any assembly constituency in connection with general elections to the Legislative Assembly by any candidate of Punjab, is Rs28 lakh.

He asked printing press owners to print the names and addresses of printer

and publisher of any election pamphlets, posters and such other material printed by them.

Any violation would invite action, including revocation of license of the printing press, he said.

He said the ECI has launched three IT applications being used in Punjab Vidhan Sabha election 2017, which are Samadhan, Suvidha and Sugam for up-

loading complaints by public, political parties and candidates.

He said as per section 171 B of IPC, any person giving or accepting any gratification in cash or kind during election process, with a view to inducing a person to exercise his electoral rights is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or with fine or both and as per section 171 C of IPC, any person

who threatens any candidate or elector, or any other person, with injury of any kind, is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or with fine or both.

He said flying squads have been formed to register cases against both the giver and the taker of bribe and for taking action against those who are engaged in threat and intimidation of electors.

Army chief visits J-K, reviews security situation Jammu, Jan 5 : On his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking charge, new Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat today visited Udhampur-based Northern Command and reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the force.

Gen Rawat was received by top army officials and briefed by Commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu. He flew to 16 Corps headquarters based in Nagrota and is likely to visit some forwards

areas in Akhnoor and Rajouri sectors and interact with troops.

"The army chief chief reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and also operational preparedness of Northern Command at a high-level meeting," officials said.

Northern command looks after the operational command of Jammu and Kashmir and Line of Control (LoC), Acutual Ground Position Level (AGPL) with

Dy Chief Labour Commissioner among 4 arrested by CBI Kochi, Jan 5 (PTI) The Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner and Assistant Labour Commissioner of Kochi were among four persons arrested by CBI for allegedly taking a bribe from an employee of a labour contract firm carrying out construction projects at IIM Kozhikode.

The arrests were effected following "reliable information" that Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Kochi, A K Pratap and Assistant Labour Commissioner, Kochi, D S Jhadav were "indulging in corrupt practises," CBI officials said here today.

The Deputy Chief Commissioner is the monitoring authority to ensure minimum wage and other required amenities to labourers.

CBI said that the two officials "entered into criminal conspiracy" to demand

bribe from one P K Aneesh, Human Resource Manager of K K Builders, which is carrying out construction projects at IIM, Kozhikode.

The agency intercepted them yesterday while Aneesh was handing over Rs 25,000 to Pratap, an equal amount to Jadhav and Rs 10,000 to Labour Enforcement officer C P Sunil Kumar.

In addition to that, an amount of Rs 50,000 was also recovered from Pratap, the first accused, the officials said.

CBI, which added Sunil Kumar and Aneesh as accused in the case, arrested all of them. They have been charged under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI also carried out searches at the residential and official premises of the officers.

Pakistan and Line of Actual gency operations.

Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh.

He commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Gen Rawat took charge on Actual Control in the EastDecember 31, succeeding ern Sector, a Rashtriya Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, Rifles Sector and an infanwho retired after 42 years of try division in the Kashmir service.

Valley, a Corps in the eastern theatre and the SouthGen Rawat was commis- ern Command. sioned in the 5th Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in Gen Rawat has held imporDecember 1978 from the In- tant staff appointments at dian Military Academy, Directorate General of MiliDehradun and has vast ex- tary Operations and Military perience in high altitude Secretary's Branch at Army warfare and counter-insur- headquarters.

While the summer capital recorded fresh light snowfall this morning, many other areas, especially the higher reaches in the Valley, experienced continuous light to moderate snowfall for the third consecutive day, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.

The plains also received rains during the last 24 hours.

Srinagar recorded snow and rains equivalent to rainfall of 7.5 mm during the last 24 hours till 0830 hours, the official said.

The city registered minimum temperature of minus 0.3 degree Celsius -- slightly down from minus 0.1 degree Celsius yesterday.

The official said the depth of snow recorded during the last 24 hours in Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, was two feet.

There also were reports of snowfall in the peripheral areas of the resort including in the areas of Khilanmarg, Kongdoori and Afferwath.

The famous ski-resort registered a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.

Other areas which witnessed snowfall included Ganderbal, Keran, Machil, Karnah, Gurez, Shopian, Sonamarg and Amarnath along with surrounding areas.

Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded depth of 8.2 cm snow, while the night temperature there settled at a low of minus 1.0 degree Celsius.

The famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath

Parameshwara had said "Youngsters who are almost like westerners, they try to copy westerners not only in mindset, but even the dressing." National Commission for Women Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam had slammed Parameshwaras remarks, demanding that he resign.

NCW, as also Karnataka State Commission for Women, had sought separate reports from the administration and police over the incidents. Parameshwara said he would reply to the NCW notice. He would also reply to a notice sent by Delhi Womens Rights Commission, but not before examining whether any state has the power to send such a notice to a minister of another state. "I never even mentioned the word molestation. I dont know how this whole thing took a different turn, which altogether gave an impression that I made a statement that molestation happens every time, which was absolutely wrong," he said. "The choice of every citizen of our country should be respected.

Women have equal rights,

respect and protection under the Constitution," he said. Parameshwara said he was not one who treats women in a different sense, but respects them, for everyone hails from that kind of culture. "I have full respect. I have sisters, my mother, my wife, and I am not such a person to treat women in a different sense.

We all respect our families, womenfolk. We come from that kind of a culture. We never see them in a different sense."

Parameshwara also said police are working round-theclock on the footage culled from CCTV cameras. "This all started from January 2. Is there a hidden agenda? I dont know," he said without elaborating. On the Kamanahalli molestation case, he said an FIR had already been registered and police have some leads. The culprits would be brought to book and wont be spared, he said. In the Kammanahalli incident, a woman was groped and assaulted by two scooter-borne men near her home with the shocking incident caught on camera.

Oppn parties move EC, object Harish Rawat's fast a poll gimmick to Budget ahead of polls divert attention: BJP

New Delhi, Jan 5 : Opposition parties today moved the Election Commission objecting to the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1 ahead of the Assembly elections in five states and demanded that the government be asked to defer the annual exercise till March 8, the last day of voting.

A delegation of opposition parties comprising Congress, JD U(), BSP, SP, DMK and RJD met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to press that the government be asked to defer the Budget presentation till at least March 8.

Assembly polls to these five states, Congress had accepted their stand and postponed presentation of the Union Budget from February 28 to March 16.

We want that there should be no presentation of the Budget till the elections are over," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters after meeting EC. Another party leader Anand Sharma said no government in the past has used the Budget to influence voters in the midst of a poll process.

Punjab and Goa will go for polls on February 4 and the last phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur will be held on March 8.

Azad said electoral laws make it clear that the ruling party should have no advantage during elections and both the opposition and the ruling side should be on an equal footing.

"When the opposition had objected in 2012 during the

He said the Budget on February 1 will tilt the balance

Snowfall in Srinagar, wet weather in store over next few days Srinagar , Jan 5 : Srinagar received fresh snowfall today while rest of the Valley witnessed snowfall for the third consecutive day, with the Met department predicting more wet weather over the next few days.

Bengaluru, Jan 5 (PTI) Under attack over his controversial remarks on New Year eve molestation here, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara today asserted that he was committed to protection of women and suspected a "hidden agenda" behind highlighting the incident.

Parameshwara also said he was extremely pained that his statement on the alleged molestation incident had been interpreted out of context and not taken in its entirety. "My comments had nothing to do with molestation. Nothing to do with westernised culture. The remarks referred to the incident, it was not about dress or molestation," he told reporters here. As horrific incidents of alleged molestation of several women on MG Road and Brigade Road during New Year revelry came to light, triggering a national outrage, Parameshwara had talked about the Western ways of youngsters in remarks that came under scathing attack from different quarters.

Speaking to a TV news channel on the issue,

Yatra, received 3.5 cm snow, the official said, adding that the resort recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and recorded rains and snow equivalent to 1.9 mm of rainfall, the official said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir valley, recorded 3.8 mm of rainfall and snow and the night temperature there settled at a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius.

Kargil in the frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Leh town registered minimum temperature of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office has forecast widespread snowfall or rains over the next two days in the state and isolated rains or snowfall a day after that.

Three held with unaccounted cash of Rs 43 lakh Jaipur, Jan 5 (PTI) Three persons were arrested with unaccounted cash of Rs 43.10 lakh in new and old notes, police said today.

The accused have been identified as Dauram Jat, Peeraram Jat and Bhagchand Jat. The unaccounted cash was found in their vehicle yesterday, SHO Panchaudi police station, Kesar Singh told PTI. "Out of the total cash, Rs 31 lakh is in new Rs 2000 denomination and Rs 2 lakh in new Rs 500 denomination," Singh said.

"Rest of the amount is in 100 and 50 rupee notes.

"We have seized the currency as the trio could not give satisfactory answer during questioning, he said.

The accused were arrested and produced in a local court where they were granted bail, he said.

The matter has been handed over to the Income Tax department for further investigation, Singh said.

in favour of BJP as it would use the exercise to influence voters by doling out sops.

Others who met the CEC included Derek O Brien of TMC, Ambeth Rajan of BSP, Naresh Agarwal of SP (Akhilesh faction), T Siva of DMK and K C Tyagi of JD (U).

Sources in the commission said a view of the government could be sought on the representation made by the opposition parties.

While the commission has said it will examine a representation made by parties opposing the February 1 Budget plan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has defended the move asking why the opposition parties are afraid of it when they have claimed that demonetisation is an unpopular decision.

Dehradun, Jan 5 : Opposition BJP in Uttarakhand today alleged Chief Minister Harish Rawat's daylong fast in Delhi was a ploy to divert the attention from his failure as a Union minister in preventing the UPA-II government from declaring a vast area along the Bhagirathi river as eco-sensitive zone.

Rawat today sat on a fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest the rejection of his government's masterplan on the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).

The UPA II government had brought out a notification, which declared a vast area along Bhagirathi as ESZ. The masterplan seeks dilution of the notification and permission for construction of small hydel projects on the plea that the notification had brought development

to a halt.

Pradesh BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan said Rawat was resorting to "poll gimmicks" in a bid to divert people's attention from the facts regarding the declaration of the ESZ. He claimed the huge success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Dehradun has baffled the chief minister.

"UPA-II issued the notification ignoring recommendations of then chief minister Vijay Bahuguna at a time when Harish Rawat was himself a minister in the Union government. It is hard to understand who Rawat is protesting against," Chauhan said.

"If his heart bled for the people of Uttarakhand why didn't he protest against the notification then," he said.

BSP first off the blocks with list for 100 UP Assembly seats Lucknow, Jan 5 : BSP today surged ahead of its rivals by declaring names of its official candidates for 100 of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, giving over one third to Muslims.

106 to OBCs.

Muslims account for nearly 20 per cent of the state's electorate and perhaps keeping this in mind, members of that community have been given tickets in 36 of the 100 seats spread over 20 districts declared by her today.

The BSP chief had said that she had finalised the names of candidates long ago and there will be no change in it.

"List of candidates for other seats will be released soon," BSP said in a release here.

The party has already shortlisted names of candidates for all the 403 seats, BSP supremo Mayawati told a recent press conference.

Giving caste-wise details of the shortlisted candidates, she had said that 87 tickets will be given to Dalits, 97 to Muslims and

Of the 113 tickets earmarked for upper castes, Brahmins will get 66, Kshatriyas 36, and Kayasthas, Vaishyas and Punjabi 11, she had said.

Alleging that minorities were facing bias under Modi government, Mayawati had cautioned Muslims that voting for Samajwadi Party or Congress will only help BJP and sought their support "to stop" the saffron party.

Muslims should not waste their vote as there is infighting in Samajwadi Party, and Congress lacks a voter base in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has said.

Divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP, while a consolidation will

change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies.

Muslims are considered the traditional votebank of the ruling Samajwadi Party and the concern over SP family feud has been voiced by several top clerics including, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid and Maulana Salman Nadvi of Lucknow-based Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema.

Mayawati had also accused Opposition parties of levelling baseless charge against BSP that it is a casteist party so that other castes do not vote for it.

"During all the four governments, BSP has worked in the interest of all castes besides the Dalits," she had said, adding her party has also demanded quota on economic basis for the upper castes both in and outside Parliament.

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

BUSINESS Reserve Bank unlikely to cut key rate in February: Report

Reserve Bank is unlikely to cut repo rate in the February review meeting due to the prevailing global uncertainties and it's stance may continue to be accommodative next year as inflation is expected to remain benign, according to a report.

New Delhi, Jan 5: Reserve Bank is unlikely to cut repo rate in the February review meeting due to the prevailing global uncertainties and it's stance may continue to be accommodative next year as inflation is expected to remain benign, according to a report. "We expect RBI may not oblige with a rate cut in February as global uncertainties may again play spoilsport, according to Ecowrap, an SBI research report. It said inflation trajectory is expected to remain significantly benign. The December inflation numbers may witness a reading closer to 3.2-3.3 percent. "Though inflation may increase in March, it may still be closer to the lower band of 4-4.5 percent. Hence, the scope for accommodative monetary cycle will continue even in the financial year 2017-2018," the report said.

It further said during AprilOctober, when the repo rare was slashed by 50 basis

Image for Representation purpose.

points, the growth in incremental credit to housing was around Rs 64,000 crore.

In the demonetisation period (November-December 2016), though there was a negative growth in incremental credit, housing credit still managed an increase of Rs 4,063 crore. "With rate

Trump Organization cancels business talks in 3 countries AFP New York, Jan 5: The Trump Organization has canceled talks over possible projects in Brazil, Argentina and India as the president-elect pulls back from deal-making less than three weeks before taking office.

Trump lawyer Alan Garten said Wednesday that the company has canceled a "memorandum of understanding" to continue discussions with local partners over possible office towers in Rio de Janeiro.

He also said the company won't continue "exploratory" talks over projects in Pune, India, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The moves follow cancellations late last year of licensing deals for hotels in Brazil, Azerbaijan and the neighboring country of Georgia as Donald Trump has come under pressure to separate from his business before assuming office. Federal ethics rules do not require presidents to sell off their business or investments, but critics argue that Trump should do so because his global holdings present unprecedented conflicts of interest.

Trump has given no indication that he plans to sell his interest in his business.

Instead he has pledged to do "no new deals" while president and to leave management of his company to his two adult sons, along with executives.

Trump has stakes in 500 companies in about 20

countries, though some of those appear set up for tax or legal reasons and do not have any underlying business operations. Trump shut down four such "shell" companies in Delaware last year that appeared tied to Saudi Arabia but had no operations.

The Argentina talks came under scrutiny last year after several media outlets reported that Trump tried to speed along the Buenos Aires project by mentioning it in congratulatory call from Argentine President Mauricio Macri. A Macri spokesman denied to The Associated Press that the subject even came up in the call.

Garten said that the project didn't even get past the exploratory phase and that, unlike the case in Brazil, there wasn't even a signed agreement to continue to talking about a possible deal.

The project in Brazil has garnered some publicity, too.

The plan was to build five office towers in Rio de Janeiro, but the development got tied up in a corruption investigation unrelated to Trump himself. Called Trump Towers Rio, it was announced in 2012, but construction of the office towers has not even begun.

Trump also had a licensing deal for a hotel in Brazil, but canceled that last month.

Discussions over the possible project in Pune were separate from two residential towers already built there that bear the Trump name.

Trump also has his name on a residential tower in Mumbai.

Rupee makes more gains, up by 16 paise

PTI Mumbai, Jan 5: The rupee firmed up 16 paise to 67.89 against the dollar today after the US currency saw higher selling by exporters and banks amid a higher opening in the domestic stock market.

Forex dealers said weakness in the greenback against other currencies overseas gave the rupee

some relief.

Further, a higher opening in the domestic equity market gave the uptrend some momentum, they added.

On Wednesday, the domestic unit ended higher by 28 paise at 68.05 following a fresh bout of dollar selling.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose 171.39 points, or 0.64 per cent, to 26,804.52, in early session today.

cuts by banks like SBI now being 90 basis points at one go, clearly the evidence is strong for a credit growth rebound at least in the housing sector," the report said.

Talking about demonetisation, the report said as on December-end only 44 percent of the

banned currency has been replaced as against the earlier estimate of 53 percent.

One possible reason for this could be that RBI is also printing notes of smaller denominations apart from Rs 500 bills and hence the total value getting replaced is lower than projections,

though the number of pieces may not, it said. "If we assume that the RBI continues to print as it is doing as of now, then by January-end, only about 67 percent of the currency should get replaced (vis-a-vis earlier estimate at 75 percent)." By February, at this rate, the RBI could thus print as much as 89 percent of the total currency, it said. It, however, said if he the apex bank decides to shift its printing more towards smaller denomination, this number could be close to 80 percent. The report said things will be closer to normal by February-end as opposed to predictions of the currency swap exerciselinked crisis lasting longer.

"If this is the case, the possibility of GDP bounce back faster than anticipated may not be ruled out." In any case, a lower growth this year will give the government significant advantage next year in terms of a lower base, the report added.

Note ban most disruptive policy innovation since 1991:Subbarao PTI New Delhi, Jan 5: Former Reserve Bank governor D Subbarao today termed demonetisation as "creative destruction and the most disruptive policy innovation since 1991 reforms" that has helped destroy blackmoney.

"On November 8, the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the Reserve Bank have demonetised 86 per cent of currency in circulation overnight, which is what is arguably the most disruptive policy innovation in India since the 1991 reforms," he said. "Demonetisation, in that sense, is creative destruction. But it is a very special type of creative destruction. Because what it has destroyed is a destructive creation -- blackmoney.

So, you can understand that demonetisation is creative destruction of a destructive creation," Subbarao said. He was addressing an international conference organised by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technologies (IDRBT) here. He further said demonetisation is "argu-

Former Reserve Bank governor D Subbarao ably" leading to a flurry of innovations in Indian financial sector by way of digitisation of payments.

"There are two perspectives. Extension of a global trend of financial technology which is upending the finance industry and discontinuous change in a lowincome country from cash incentive economy to a less-cash economy. Either way, we will have disruptive innovations in India's financial sector," he explained.

Subbarao said that though cost and benefit of this demonetisation exercise is a very contentious debate, the subject of policy innovation is not contentious. According to him, the country witnesses a lot of disruptive innovations in finance in payment system. The model of traditional banking has access to low-cost deposits and has an advantage over other financial institutions, including fintech companies, according to the former governor.

Anantha Padmanabhan Appointed Managing Director, Alfa Laval (India) Limited PTI Pune, Jan 5: Anantha Padmanabhan has been appointed as the Managing Director, Alfa Laval India Limited and Cluster President for India - Middle East - Africa, with effect from January 1st, 2017. Anantha will be based in Pune, headquarters of Alfa Laval India.

Anantha Padmanabhan, with over 30 years of experience, was the Managing Director, Alfa Laval Middle East Limited, heading Middle East business operations before taking up the new role in India.

Anantha is a Mechanical Engineer and has undergone management training with Stanford Business School, Ashridge Business School, United Kingdom and Marketing Akademie, Hamburg. Anantha started his career with M/s.

Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited and joined Alfa Laval (India) Limited in 1985. Anantha has been serving in various senior and leadership positions with Alfa Laval, in India, Indonesia and Middle East and most recently as the Regional Managing Director for Alfa Laval in the

Middle East.

Alfa Laval has been present in India since 1937. The Indian company holds a unique Group Manufacturing Unit status for supplying Centrifugal Separators, Decanters and Flow Equipment for the global market through sales companies across the globe. The company's products and systems are widely used in a variety of applications in Indian industries like Food Processing, Inorganic, Marine, Pharmaceutical, Oil and Gas, Energy, Effluent Handling, Steel and Metal, Sugar, Petrochemical, Pulp and Paper, Distillery, Starch, Edible oil Processing and Brewery.

Alfa Laval India Limited holds ISO 9001:2008 Certification from LRQA of UK for its entire manufacturing operations and after-sales services. Deep knowledge of processes, experience and expertise in handling projects, and in-house manufacturing of a wide range of equipment have given a cutting edge advantage to the company to offer complete projects in diverse sectors like vegetable

oil refineries, breweries, ethanol production and food processing.

About Alfa Laval Group Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

The company's equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes.

The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.

Alfa Laval's products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, mining industry, for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Alfa Laval's worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena.

P9 Sensex takes comfort from Asian indices, up 215 pts PTI Mumbai, Jan 5 :The benchmark Sensex continued its advance by surging 215 points on across-theboard buying, buoyed by higher Asian indices.

its last close.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also rose 66.55 points, or 0.81 per cent, at 8,257.05 at 1147 hours.

Retail investors pressed ahead with value-buying as cash crunch following demonetisation started losing its bite.

Major gainers were Adani Ports 3.34 per cent, Tata Motors 2.92 per cent, Tata Steel 2.69 per cent, ONGC 2.39 per cent, and Wipro 1.87 per cent.

The Sensex opened higher before trading at 26,847.75 at 1147 hours, up 214.62 points, or 0.81 per cent, from

Foreign funds net sold shares worth Rs 800.71 crore yesterday, as per provisional data.

Most Asian markets were trading higher, underpinned by a firm closing on the Wall Street. US stocks closed just shy of their record levels yesterday following release of the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting minutes and a strong showing in auto sales.

Cap: The Sensex opened higher before trading at 26,847.75 at 1147 hours, up 214.62 points, or 0.81 per cent, from its last close.

India better placed amidst fragile world economy: FSDC PTI New Delhi, Jan 5: India appears to be much better placed with improved macro-economic fundamentals, as measures to eliminate shadow economy and tax evasion are expected to have positive impact on GDP, the all-powerful FSDC -- headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley -- said today. The Council, at its 16th meeting, reviewed the major issues and challenges facing the economy. "World economy is quite fragile, yet India is much better placed today due to improvement in its macro-economic fundamentals," Jaitley said. With all secretaries in the Finance Ministry as well as Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel and other financial regulators in attendance, the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) also reviewed the present status of NPAs in banks. It noted that "India appears to be much better placed today on back of improvement in its macro-economic fundamentals," an official statement said. "The Council

also noted that the government's measures to eliminate the shadow economy and tax evasion are expected to have a positive impact on both GDP and fiscal consolidation in the long run," it said. At the meeting, Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian made a presentation on the state of economy. "The Council reviewed the major issues and challenges facing the economy and noted that India appears to be much better placed today on the back of improvement in its macro-economic fundamentals," it said. Also, the regulators offered their suggestions/ proposal for the upcoming Budget for 201718, which were deliberated upon by the Council. "The Council also reviewed the present status of NPAs in banks and measures taken by the government and RBI for dealing with the stressed assets and discussed on further action in this regard," it said. Besides Patel, those present at the meeting included Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, Economic Affairs

Secretary Shaktikanta Das, Financial Services Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Disinvestment Secretary Neeraj Kumar Gupta, SEBI Chairman U K Sinha, IRDAI Chairman T S Vijayan and PFRDA Chairman Hemant G Contractor.

"FSDC discussed about the various initiatives taken by the government and regulators for promoting financial inclusion/ financial literacy efforts and discussed further measures for promoting the same," the statement said. A brief report on the activities undertaken by the FSDC sub-committee, chaired by RBI Governor Urjit Patel, was placed before the FSDC. The Council also undertook a comprehensive review of the action taken by members on the decisions taken in earlier meetings of the Council. "The Council also discussed issues pertaining to Fintech, digital innovations and cyber security. The Council took note of the initiatives taken in this regard by the government and the regulators and discussed on further steps to be taken," it added.

NGT asks MoEF not to act under new notification Agencies New Delhi, Jan 5: The National Green Tribunal today took the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to task over its recent notification exempting real estate projects from obtaining prior environmental clearance (EC) and restrained it from granting any fresh permissions under the new regulation.

"You can't do legal blunders and get away with it," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said as it pulled up the MoEF for not "applying its mind" while amending the notification published on December 9, 2016 exempting building and construction projects of all sizes from the process of environment impact assessment (EIA) and prior environmental clearance before beginning construction.

For smaller projects (less than 20,000 sq metres), it even has a "self-declaration" clause, which will ensure issuance of permission from urban local bodies.

For larger projects of more

than 20,000 sq m size, the EC and building permission will be given by urban local bodies simultaneously in an "integrated format".

"Why don't you (MoEF) do something constructive for the system. There is a way of doing things.

"We don't understand why do you do these funny things‌.

"If you wanted to amend the notification, you could have simply said that though the new projects are not required to take EC, but each project when cleared by local authorities would have certain conditions imposed on it.

"You tell your ministry and all others not to act under the new notification, otherwise we will stay the notification.

"You can't do legal blunders and get away with it," the bench said while granting liberty to the petitioners to approach NGT if a single permission is granted under the new notification.

The matter is now listed for next hearing on January 12.

The green panel had earlier

refused to stay the December 9 notification by MoEF and issued notices to the ministries of Environment and Forests and Urban Development while seeking their reply before January 4, 2017.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity seeking quashing of the December 9 notification on the grounds that it was in contravention to the provisions of EIA notification, 2006 and Environment Protection Act, 1986.

The plea had alleged that the notification tries to "circumvent" the provisions of the EIA Notification, 2006 in the name of "ease of doing business" for building and construction of areas which are more than 20,000 sqm and less than 150,000 sqm wherein prior EC was required earlier.

The petition said the purpose of including the building and construction projects in the EIA notification is a failure of the urban local bodies and development authorities.

Gold price rises for 3rd day, hits 1month high of Rs 28,730 per 10 grams Agecies New Delhi, Jan 5: Gold prices on Thursday rose by another Rs 180 to a nearly month high of Rs 28,730 per 10 grams, in line with a firming trend overseas amid increased buying by local jewellers.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold for delivery in February went up by Rs 162, or 0.59 percent, to Rs 27,844 per 10 grams.

Market analysts attributed the rise in gold prices at futures trade to a firm trend

overseas where gold rose to its highest in four weeks as the US dollar retreated from a 14-year peak touched earlier this week.

Globally, gold touched its highest in four weeks on Thursday as the US dollar stepped further away from a 14-year peak hit earlier this week, and on a technical rebound.

Spot gold was up 1.3 percent at USD 1,178.36 an ounce. It touched a high of USD 1,178.62, its best since December 7.

US gold futures climbed 1.2 percent to USD 1,178.50 per ounce.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 percent and 99.5 percent purity climbed by Rs 180 each to Rs 28,730 and Rs 28,580 per ten grams, respectively, a level last seen on December 8 when it closed at Rs 28,710. The precious metal has gained Rs 250 in the last two days.

Following gold, silver ready hardened by Rs 350 to Rs 40,600 per kg and weeklybased delivery by Rs 360 at Rs 40,580 per kg.

DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Iran hits back at Syria truce criticism from Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government of violating a ceasefire Ankara brokered with Moscow AFP Tehran, Jan 5: Iran has hit back at "unconstructive" Turkish allegations that Tehran's allies were violating a fragile ceasefire in Syria, accusing rebels of breaking the truce.

"The current ceasefire in Syria has been violated repeatedly by the anti-government armed opposition groups," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Wednesday. "(Turkey) should take necessary measures to deal with several instances of ceasefire violation by these groups and at the same time refrain from taking unreal stances and accusing other parties."

He was responding to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who on Wednesday accused Syrian President Bashar al-

Assad's government of violating a ceasefire Ankara brokered with regime backer Moscow last week.

Cavusoglu warned that the "violations" were jeopardising planned peace talks in Kazakhstan later this month.

Ghasemi criticised the "unconstructive remarks" and said they could "further complicate the current situation" in Syria.

Despite backing opposite sides in the conflict, Ankara and Moscow have worked closely to broker the ceasefire and plan the Astana talks, which Cavusoglu said could take place on January 23.

Regime ally Iran is also involved in organising the talks, and top official Alaeddin Boroujerdi was in Damascus on Wednesday for talks with Assad.

Trump appoints IndianAmerican Raj Shah to key White House position

US President-elect Donald Trump PTI Washington, Jan 5: US President-elect Donald Trump today appointed young Indian-American Raj Shah, who played a leading role in the Republican party's anti-Clinton campaign during polls, to a key White House position.

Shah, whose parents immigrated to the US from

Gujarat, has been appointed as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communication Director and Research Director, as per an announcement made by the Presidential Transition Team. Shah, who is in his early 30s, is currently head of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

China justifies its stand on Azhar, denies double standards PTI Beijing, Jan 5: China today dismissed as "untrue" allegations of double standards

by India by blocking its bid to list JeM leader Masood Azhar as global terrorist by the UN, claiming that it had adopted a "just, objective and professional" attitude in deciding the matter.

"With regard to the listing matter of the security council 1267 committee the so called double standards adopted by China on this relevant issue is not true.

We take action based on solid evidence that is the standard upheld by us," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing here.

Responding to remarks made by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar on Azhar's issue during the press conference in New Delhi yesterday Geng said, "We have taken a responsible and constructive part in relevant discussion in a professional and objective way".

"Relevant members differed on this issue. The purpose of China to put forward technical hold on that issue is to create enough time for the committee and relevant parties to consult with each other on the relevant issue," he said.

Akbar yesterday had said, "We really do expect China to hear the voice of the

world, not just voice of India on terrorism."

Referring to Pakistan's support to terror, India also hoped that as a "responsible and a mature" nation, China will understand the "double standards" and "simply self-defeating and suicidal" approach of Islamabad to terrorism.

China was the only country among the 15-member 1267 counter terrorism committee of the UN Security Council which has objected to India's application to list Azhar who is accused of masterminding the Pathankot terror attack.

China had put two techni-

"I did not see the sign warning me I had 10 minutes left," Marchand said after his effort. "Otherwise I would have gone faster, I

would have posted a better time. I'm not tired. I thought my legs would hurt, but they don't. My arms hurt, you have to hurt somewhere."

Three years ago at the same venue, Marchand covered 26.927 kilometers (16.731 miles) in one hour to better his own world record in the over-100s category.

Still, impressed fans and chanted "Robert, Robert" during the last minutes of his ride. Marchand received a standing ovation once he completed the last of his 92 laps and was then mobbed by dozens of cameramen and TV crews.

"He could have been faster but he made a big mistake.

He has stopped eating meat over the past month after being shocked by recent reports on how animals are subjected to cruel treatment," Marchand's physiologist, Veronique Billat, told The Associated Press.

By way of comparison, the current overall world record for one hour is 54.526 kilometers (33.880 miles) set by British rider Bradley Wiggins in 2015. But

cal holds on India's move - first for six months followed by a second one for a period of three months ending Dec 31 -- after which India has to file a fresh application to get the Pakistan-based Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. When pointed out that China was the only member among the 1267 committee members to have objected, Geng said "relevant attitude and action of China comply with the resolution of the UNSC and rules of procedure of the committee."

"China takes a very objective and just and profes-

sional attitude on that. Up to now the Committee is yet to come to an agreement on this issue and we would like stay in communication and coordination with all relevant parties including India on this," he said.

The issue remained unresolved even after the two countries have held several rounds of talks on this issue.

Elaborating on China's position, Geng said, "It is regrettable that an agreement is yet to be made. Relevant actions taken by China in the committee is to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the committee".

Sharif again praises Burhan Wani PTI Islamabad, Jan 5 : Needling India, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today again praised Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani calling him a "vibrant and charismatic leader".

Sharif while addressing an International Parliamentary Seminar on Kashmir here, called for an end to the "continued suffering" of generations in Kashmir.

The world needs to tell India that "enough is enough" with regard to its policy towards Kashmir,

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Dawn newspaper quoted Sharif as saying.

Referring to Burhan Wani as a "vibrant and charismatic leader", he said that

Train crashes at end of platform; 100 people injured AP New York, Jan 5: A packed Long Island Rail Road rush hour train crashed at the end of a platform as it pulled into a major transportation hub on Wednesday, hurling passengers onto the floor and slamming them into each other.

The front of the slow-moving train hit a bumping block as it pulled into Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, left the tracks and smashed into a small structure, apparently a work area. A rail pierced the floor of a train car, authorities said.

About 100 people were treated for minor injuries after the 8:30 a.m. crash. Many had been standing as they prepared to get off the train at the last stop.

Some people were removed on stretchers. Others sat, stunned, on the pavement outside, bleeding, holding ice packs on their heads, rising and limping away with help from rescuers.

"The entire structure started shaking," said

Steben Medina, who was having coffee at the terminal when he heard the crash and screams. "I thought a bomb had gone off or something."

The most serious injury, though, appeared to be a broken leg, Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said: "Luckily ... all things considered, this was a relatively minor accident."

The terminal is beneath a shopping mall in downtown Brooklyn, next to the Barclays Center, home to Brooklyn Nets basketball, New York Islanders hockey and major concerts.

A similar accident in nearby Hoboken, New Jersey, in September was much worse.

There, a New Jersey Transit commuter train plowed off the end of a track, killing a woman standing in the station. Federal investigators are examining whether a more modern bumper or other barriers could have made a difference.

The train in Wednesday's wreck originated in the Far

Rockaway section of Queens and was carrying around 450 people, officials said.

"People just went flying," passenger Donette Smith told The New York Times.

"It was very scary."

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched investigators.

NTSB investigator Jim Southworth said it will take three to seven days to investigate the accident scene before they determine what caused it.

He said event recorders have been recovered and the train's engineer has undergone drug testing. The results of that testing aren't known yet.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Thomas Prendergast said there is "a signal system that controls it coming in at limited speeds. But when you're getting to the end it's the locomotive engineer's responsibility. And the train's brakes have to work. All those things have to be looked at in the investigation."

105-year-old Frenchman sets cycling record AFP France, Jan 5: Nearly a century ago, Robert Marchand was told by a coach that he should give up cycling because he would never achieve anything on a bike.

He proved that prediction wrong again on Wednesday.

In a skin-tight yellow and violet jersey, the 105-yearold Frenchman set a world record in the 105-plus age category -- created especially for the tireless veteran -- by riding 22.547 kilometers (14.010 miles) in one hour.

"I'm now waiting for a rival," he said.

Marchand had ridden faster in the past on the boards of the Velodrome National, a state of the art venue used to host the elite of track cycling. But he had warned before his latest attempt that his current form was not as good.

P10

INTERNATIONAL

Wiggins, who smashed the previous record using the world's leading track cycling equipment, is now retired.

Marchand, who lives in a small flat in a Parisian suburb with a meager pension of about 900 euros ($940), keeps pedaling and stretching every day. As if time had no effect on him.

"He's got two essential qualities. A big heart that pumps a lot of blood, and he can reach high heart beat values that are exceptional for his age," said Billat, a university professor. "If he starts eating meat again and builds more muscle, he can better this mark."

Marchand, a former firefighter who was born in 1911 in the northern town of Amiens, has lived through two world wars. He led an eventful life that took him to Venezuela, where he worked as a truck driver near the end of the 1940s.

He then moved to Canada and became a lumberjack for a while.

Back in France in the 1960s,

Marchand made a living through various jobs that left him with no time to practice sports.

He finally took up his bike again when he was 68 years old and began a series of cycling feats.

The diminutive Marchand he is 1.52 meters (5-foot) tall and weighs 52 kilograms (115 pounds) - rode from Bordeaux to Paris, and Paris to Roubaix several times. He also cycled to Moscow from Paris in 1992 and set the record for someone over the age of 100 riding 100 kilometers (62 miles).

"He never pushed his limits, goes to bed at 9 p.m. and wakes up at 6 a.m., there's no other secret," Mistler said. "If had been doping, he would not be there anymore."

To stay fit, Marchand rides every day on his home trainer and puts himself through outdoor training sessions on the road when the weather is good enough.

"One needs to keep his muscles working," said Marchand, a faithful reader of communist newspaper L'Humanite.

"If the president of his teenage club who told him he was not made for cycling because he was too small could see him today, he would kick himself," Marchand's coach and good friend Gerard Mistler told the AP. According to Mistler, the secret behind Marchand's longevity relates to his healthy lifestyle: eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, no smoking, just the occasional glass of wine and exercising on a daily basis.

"Reading a lot keeps his mind alert," Mistler said.

"He does not watch much TV, apart from the Tour de France stages."

At 105, Marchand is not making plans for the future.

His coach would not be surprised to see him back on the boards, though.

"Setting goals for himself is part of his personality," Mistler said. "If he tells me he wants to improve his record, I'll be game. Robert is a great example for all of us."

his "martyrdom has become a rallying point for the freedom loving people".

He claimed that "a promise was made to Kashmir 70 years ago, not only by Pakistan and the United Nations, but also by India to recognise the peoples right to self-determination".

He also spoke about the efforts made to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at international fora and told the conference that Pakistan would continue to support the struggle of the people in the

region.

Sharif while addressing a joint session of Parliament in October last year had praised Wani, drawing a strong reaction from India which said this shows Pakistans attachment to terrorism.

He had also praised the militant during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 21, describing him as a "young leader".

India had strongly criticised Sharifs speech at the UN, describing it as an act of "self-incrimination" by Pakistan.

When the Queen was 'nearly shot' by a palace guardsman IANS London, Jan 5: Queen Elizabeth II was once nearly shot by a former guardsman when she went for a late night walk in the palace grounds, reported a newspaper here.

An unnamed soldier revealed how he nearly pulled the trigger when he spotted an unknown figure in the dark at Buckingham Palace at 3am on an unspecified day several years ago, said a report in the Times daily on Wednesday.

The daily's diary column reported: Thinking that he had come across an intruder, he shouted: "Who's that?"

"To his surprise it was the Queen," according to the account. "'Bloody hell, Your Majesty, I nearly shot you", he said.

Realising his remarks were inappropriate, the guard expected to be rebuked.

The Queen, who apparently likes to go for a stroll when she cannot sleep, was said to have replied: "That's quite all right. Next time I'll ring through beforehand so you don't have to shoot me."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Top US intelligence officials to testify on Russian hacking AP Washington, Jan 5:Senior U.S. intelligence officials face questions at a Senate hearing that will be dominated by the intelligence community's assessment that Russia meddled in the presidential election to help Donald Trump win.

The Armed Services Committee's cyber threats hearing on Thursday comes a day before the presidentelect is to be briefed by the CIA and FBI directors along with the director of national intelligence - on the investigation into Russia's alleged hacking efforts. Trump has been deeply critical of their findings, even appearing to back controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's contention that Russia did not provide him with hacked Democratic emails.

The committee's session is the first in a series aimed at investigating purported Russian cyber-attacks against U.S. interests and developing defenses sturdy enough to blunt future intrusions.

"We will obviously be talking about the hacking, but the main thing is the whole issue of cybersecurity," the committee's Republican chairman, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said ahead of the hearing. "Right now we have no policy, no strategy to counter cyberattacks."

Slated to appear before the Armed Services Committee are James Clapper, the national intelligence director; Marcel Lettre, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence; and Adm. Michael Rogers, National Security Agency chief and the top officer at the U.S. Cyber Command.

Accusations Russia interfered in the 2016 election by hacking Democratic email accounts have roiled Washington for weeks. President

: National Intelligence Director James Clapper Barack Obama struck back at Moscow in late December with a sweeping set of sanctions targeting Russia's leading spy agencies - the GRU and FSB that the U.S. said were involved. The GRU is Russia's military intelligence agency. The FSB is the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. But the sanctions against both Russian intelligence agencies could easily be rescinded by Trump, who has so far publicly refused to accept the conclusion that Russia is responsible for the attacks. Trump earlier this week escalated his criticism of U.S. intelligence professionals, such as Clapper. by tweeting, without evidence, that an upcoming briefing on the suspected Russian hacking had been delayed until Friday, and said, "perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!"

Intelligence officials said there had been no delay.

Trump also suggested Wednesday in a tweet that one of Russia's primary targets, the Democratic National Committee, could be to blame for being "so careless."

The sanctions imposed by Obama came after he pledged a "proportional" response to the hacking of the Democratic Party and Clinton's campaign chairman. Emails stolen during

the campaign were released in the final weeks by WikiLeaks.

CIA Director John Brennan said in a Dec. 16 message to employees that the FBI agreed with the agency's conclusion that Russia's goal was to support Trump in the election. Brennan wrote that he also had spoken with Clapper and said "there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election."

Moscow has denied the hacking allegations and dismissed Obama's sanctions as an attempt to "harm Russian-American ties." Although Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuked the Obama administration for trying to punish Russia, he said his country would not immediately retaliate and would instead wait for a new U.S. approach after Trump takes office.

Trump praised Putin's move and called him "very smart."

To buttress the case for sanctions imposed by Obama and expose Russia's cyber tactics, the Homeland Security Department released a report prepared with the FBI that for the first time officially tied cyberattacks into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee to hackers affiliated with the GRU and FSB.

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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

P11 Tiger Woods confirms Leander Paes rules out retirement from for Dubai Desert Classic tennis, says his comments were misread PTI Dubai, Dec 5: Ace American golfer Tiger Woods will join India's Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chawrasia and Jeev Milkha Singh in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic to be held here from February 2 to 5.

The appearance in Dubai will be Woods' first since he made his return after a gap of 16 months at the Hero World Challenge in Bahamas last month and it comes ahead of the Genesis Open to be held at the Riviera in the US from February 16 to 19.

India's Lahiri is also due to open his European Tour season at the event.

Woods will be making his eighth appearance when the longest-running European Tour event in the region gets under way at Emirates Golf Club from February 2 to 5.

Woods will join world number two Rory McIlroy, The Open winner Henrik Stenson and The Masters champion Danny Willett among other leading players in a sizzling starting lineup that underlines the event's growing reputation as the 'Major of the Middle East'.

Woods is also slated to play the Genesis Open at the Riviera in the US in Febru-

ary.

The former world number one made his comeback after a gap of 16 months at the Hero World Challenge last month and showed signs of his class, especially during the second round when he shot seven-under 65.

Overall, he was only tied 15th, but had the most birdies in the field, 24, two more than even the winner, Hideki Matsuyama.

Woods, who had been sidelined by back problems, enjoys fond memories of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, having won it twice and has an amazing 92-under par record for the 28 rounds he has played at the Majlis course since making his debut in 2001.

"I've always enjoyed playing in Dubai and it's fantastic to see how the city has grown phenomenally from when I first started playing there," said Woods.

"It was great winning in Dubai in 2006 and 2008.

When you win in Dubai, you know you've beaten an outstanding field. The support from the fans is also just wonderful," said Woods, who boasts of 14 Major victories and 79 PGA Tour wins, making him one of the most dominant players in the history of golf.

"I still remember making that long putt on the 18th. That was nice. Also, I remember I shot three straight 64s, but only two of them were counted because one was in the pro-am. That was the year (2001) when I finished runners-up to Thomas (Bjorn)," he added.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in Dubai, commented: "We are naturally delighted and proud that Tiger Woods is joining us for the 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic and, like every one, I also look forward to seeing his trademark fistpumps.

"Having one of the world's greatest golfers play in your event is something many tournament organisers dream of, so for us to be able to welcome him to the Majlis Course for the eighth time is a major boost for golf in the Middle East, especially Dubai.

"Tiger has always been a great ambassador for golf in Dubai, having spoken highly of the city and the tournament during his visits here. I am confident his presence will create a global buzz as always, giving a fresh impetus to tourism in the city. After all, he is Tiger Woods for a reason, one who transcends all races, ages and genders," he said.

Younis's debut Aussie Test ton keeps Pakistan alive

PTI New Delhi, Jan 5: Iconic tennis player Leander Paes has ruled out immediate retirement from the competitive tennis, saying his comments were misconstrued and he actually aims to capture another Chennai Open trophy next year and motivate his new partner to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

Leander Paes and Brazilian Andre Sa began the 2017 season with a defeat against Indian team of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan in the opening round on Wednesday.

"I hope to be back and I hope to be holding this trophy again," Paes replied when asked if he has played his last Chennai Open, where he is the most successful player till date.

Paes has six Chennai Open trophies in his overflowing cupboard, five with Mahesh Bhupathi (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2011) and the sixth and the last with the Serbian Janko Tipsarevic (2012).

"I will keep playing hard and keep playing strong. I think there was a bit of misunderstanding the other day when Somdev pronounced retirement. Someone asked me a question and I said, it could be today, tomorrow or six months or somewhere down the track and all of a sudden it became like if Leander is retiring," Paes, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, said.

"Things were put of context but that's fine. I still love my tennis, I am really passionate about it."

It is not an ideal start to the

Leander Paes said that he will not be retiring any time soon and he wants to win another Grand Slam title. partnership with his 111th teammate but Paes said he has belief in the abilities of the Brazilian, who is yet to win a Grand Slam.

The 39-year-old Sa's best performance has been a singles quarterfinal finish at the Wimbledon in 2002 and the Wimbledon doubles semifinals in 2007 with fellow Brazilian Marcelo Melo.

"I want to motivate this guy to win a Grand Slam, that's what I want to do," Paes said.

"For me, it's about going back to the drawing board.

It's one thing to put a team together but my forte is to get this team to win. We believe in each other, results will come.

"When you keep working hard, luck favours the hardworking. Luck favours the brave. It's not rocket science to win. You put in the hard work, it will come. And I have good belief in this man, I am going to stick with him," Paes said emphasizing that this partnership will be there throughout the season.

While Paes has already crossed 40s, Sa is 39. Asked if age will affect them when they are out there competing with younger and fitter players, both Paes and Sa rebuffed the suggestion.

Sa said,"It's not tricky. We had long careers, we are pretty good athletes and we are in good shape. It won't

give us any trouble. I am pretty fit and he was moving at the net, like he moved in 90s. He is the same. I don't think age is going to be a factor."

The Brazilian also spoke on how this partnership came about.

"We know each other for long. I had just split with my partner and he was also looking for a new partner. It came naturally. He gave me a call and I thought it was a good idea."

Paes also downplayed the defeat in their first match as a team.

"Some seasons you jump out of the gate and end up winning the first week of the year and continue well from

there. Some seasons you start well but don't do well after that and this season we have not started well but it's just one match. " Sa, who arrived in Chennai only a day before the match, refused the suggestions that his late arrival did not give him enough time to acclimatise to the conditions.

"I don't think so. I won't make excuses. Like he said, it's just one match. I got here in afternoon. We had enough hits on the centre court and outside courts, it's just that we were outplayed today. That's the way it is and we need to move on from here."

Hockey getting more popular in Odisha due to HIL: Tirkey

The 39-year-old Pakistan great became the first batsman to score Test hundreds in 11 countries as he turned around an indifferent series with his first century since October.

He fought back from a dreadful mix-up which led to the run-out of the team's leading scorer of the series, Azhar Ali, to spearhead the Pakistan fightback on a rain-affected day three.

Younis went to stumps on 136 off 279 balls with the tourists still trailing Australia by 267 runs and 68 from avoiding the followon. Pakistan were 271 for eight with Yasir Shah five not out.

Younis showed Australia his undoubted quality with 15 fours and a six off Nathan Lyon, with his century coming off 208 balls.

In 206 Test innings, Younis has only been dismissed once in the 90s with 91 against New Zealand in Auckland in 2001.

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While Younis held court,

skipper Misbah-ul-Haq continued his hapless series when he holed out to deep mid-wicket off Lyon.

Tellingly, his 18 was his highest score of a series in which he has totalled just 38 runs at a paltry average of 7.60.

Azhar was run out for 71 in a poor piece of running with Younis, when he could not beat home Mitchell Starc's throw from mid-on to the striker's end.

Younis drove Lyon to a diving fielder at short midwicket and hesitated, leading to some indecision with Azhar before Starc swooped in to throw back to the 'keeper.

In the process Azhar passed Mohsin Khan (390) as Pakistan's highest scorer in a series in Australia, but he achieved it in three Tests, compared to Mohsin's five Tests in 1983.

In five innings, Azhar has scored 395 runs in this series at 98.75.

Azhar and Younis put on 146 runs for the third wicket, restoring the Pakistan innings after they were six for two.

Asad Shafiq was out when Younis was on 99 after he played well forward to left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe and got an inside edge for Steve Smith to take a fine outstretched

right-hand catch for four.

It was Smith's eighth catch in what has been a brilliant fielding series for the Australia skipper.

Sarfraz Ahmed was caught in the gully off Starc for 18 late in the day and Mohammad Amir played a rash shot to be caught in the deep off Lyon for four.

Lyon grabbed a third wicket when he bowled Wahab Riaz for eight in the day's penultimate over.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was forced to leave the field with a stomach illness shortly after play got underway in mid-afternoon following rain, with Peter Handscomb deputising for him as he sought treatment.

Cricket Australia said Wade was suffering from diarrhoea and nausea. He fell ill in the morning and returned to the team hotel to rest, but was expected to recover in time for Friday's play.

First-innings centurion Matt Renshaw left the field after being struck on the helmet at short leg and was assessed for concussion.

Australia have already won the series after victories in the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests, while Pakistan are battling to avoid their 12th straight Test defeat in Australia.

picked for the Kalinga Lancers in 2014," recalled Tirkey who was called for Junior India camp in 2013, Bengaluru, but had not made it to the national side. It was post his HIL performance that Tirkey made it to the junior India team for the Sultan of Johor Cup, where he debuted, in 2014.

"I got to learn a lot from foreign players and built a personal rapport with them. Glenn Simpson from Australia and I shared a special bond as he would always correct

me and would tell me how you mark man-toman while playing defence. These aspects helped me improve my game and my confidence," he said. Playing in the HIL was not only a learning curve for this 18year-old India defender but it also gave him recognition. "Until then, people didnt know much about hockey. Of course, Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey was most popular but the people of Odisha had never gotten to watch big ticket international level hockey. Bringing

Coal India HIL to Bhubaneswar ensured people thronged the stadium during matches.

With more and more international matches like the FIH Champions Trophy being played in Odisha, people have started to follow hockey regularly and have started to recognise young players like me," said Tirkey who hails from a farming background. According to Tirkey, hockey was popular among tribal belts like Sundargarh but had failed to attract the urban

dwellers until HIL kicked off. "During HIL, the entire city has posters and hoardings of hockey players. There is a lot of buzz created and people do get excited with the level of hockey that?s being played.

They get to see the biggest players in international hockey and the matches are all high intensity. Cricket, until now, was the obvious choice of sport but I feel that?s changing now as people get to see that a career can be made from hockey too," Tirkey said.

We are confident of making winning start: Bagan coach Sen PTI Kolkata, Dec 5: Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen is confident that his team would kick off the 10th edition of I-league in style winning the first three home matches.

"The key will be to log maximum points from our first three home matches. Our target will be to win all the three matches at home before we hit the road to play the two away matches," the I-League winning coach said on the sidelines of their practice today.

Hungry to win back the silverware that they had failed to defend last season, he

said: "We all want to win back the I-League. We have to work harder to achieve it.

The journey will not be smooth, but we are ready."

Mohun Bagan begin their campaign against Churchill Brothers SC (January 8) before facing Shillong Lajong FC (January 13) and debutants Minerva Punjab FC on January 17 in their first three matches, all at home.

Defending champions Bengaluru FC, bitter foes East Bengal will pose the toughest challenge but they are not taking newcomers Chennai City FC, Minerva Punjab FC and darkhorses Aizawl FC lightly.

As for the team, Mohun Bagan have brought back AIFF Player of the Year 2016 Jeje Lalpekhlua to go alongside the terrific duo of Sony Norde and Yusa Katsumi in a strong forward line-up.

Kerla-born Delhi Dynamos defender Anas Edathodika is also roped in by the green-and-maroon brigade as Mohun Bagan also have signed up six under-22 players and all of them have been impressive at the practice sessions.

"It will be an extremely challenging task to single out one u-22 players. All of them are capable of getting into the first XI."

"I have taken it as challenge to coach a big team like Mohun Bagan. Like I have told all of you, if I fail to bring success, I will walk away from the same gate I entered the club. I have that mental strength to accept the failures."

Brazilian-born Equatoguinean centre back Eduardo Ferreira who plied trade at FC Pune City in the Indian Super League and Darry Duffy complete their foreigners' line-up.

Ferreira has ample experience of playing in South America, South Africa and Thailand and more recently Iran. He spent his youth

career playing for Fluminese, Flamengo, Corinthians.

The Equato-Guinean journeyman has played in the South African Premier Soccer League with Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns, Mpumalanga Black Aces.

Hailing the Indian players, Ferreira said: "I have played against most of them in ISL. I know the captain and Jeje."

He will be seen in action with Debjit Majumder, the Atletico de Kolkata goalkeeper, against whom he had scored in their 2-1 win before being strechered off the field in the ISL.

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PTI Sydney, Jan 5: Younis Khan claimed his 34th Test century and first in Australia to keep Pakistan's first innings barely alive in the final Test in Sydney today.

PTI New Delhi, Jan 5 : With no international exposure before playing in the 2014 Hockey India League, Dipsan Tirkey from Sundargarh village in Odisha had to make use of the opportunity he was handed when he was picked to play for Kalinga Lancers, a HIL franchise based out of Bhubaneswar. "It was a big platform for me as I had not played any international match for the junior team yet. All I had was match exposure at the national level when I got

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DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

P12 Cricket world sings paeans to Bindra, Padukone in 'one of greatest captains' Dhoni 9-member Govt Panel PTI New Delhi, Jan 5 : From Michael Clarke to Rohit Sharma, the global cricket fraternity today woke up singing paeans to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hours after India's most successful skipper sprang a surprise by stepping down from limited overs captaincy.

The 35-year-old Dhoni, under whom India had won two World Cups and a Champions Trophy title, stunned the fraternity yesterday night by relinquishing the captaincy, barely 11 days before the ODI series against England.

Australia's former captain Clarke wrote on his twitter handle, "I think @msdhoni will go down as one of India's most successful captains. He is a great man and still has a lot to offer to Indian cricket.

credible leadership term," Vaughan said.

their best to achieve it.

Pakistan's dashing allrounder Shahid Afridi praised Dhoni for shaping the Indian cricket team.

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts."

"Huge credit to #MSDhoni for shaping Indian team.

Great captain and leader, big inspiration for cricketers around the world."

Back home, the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, who blossomed under Dhoni's leadership, waxed eloquence on their first India captain.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni "It is now time for @imVkohli to captain all three forms in my opinion.

He is a superstar and is ready for the challenge."

Former England skipper Michel Vaughan described

Dhoni as one of the greatest captains to have ever led a cricket team.

"Thank you @msdhoni bhai for being a leader that I have learnt a lot from.

Thank you my first international captain!" Rahane tweeted.

"Even one of the greatest captains of all time decides enough is enough ... Well done @msdhoni on an in-

In a series of tweets, he added, "It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do

Dhoni's decision has now paved the way for Test captain Virat Kohli to take over the mantle of the limited overs team as well.

Sharma said on the social networking site, "A true leader @msdhoni he influenced so many cricketing careers including mine when he asked me to open in the ICC Champions Trophy. Will miss you at the helm."

Limited overs specialist Suresh Raina said, "India's most successful captain @msdhoni who translated his vision into reality. Inspired many to dream more, do more and become more.

Salute!

for Natl Sports Code

PTI New Delhi, Jan 5: Former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, legendary Prakash Padukone are a part of the nine-member government panel formed to make recommendations for bringing out a comprehensive National Sports Development Code across all disciplines.

The committee will be headed by Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas will study issues related to sports governance including court judgements and best international practices.

The other notable sportsperson in the committee is India's lone world championship medallist athlete Anju Bobby George.

International hockey federation (FIH) president Narinder Batra, gymnast Dipa Karmakar's coach Bishweshwar Nandi, lawyer Nandan Kamath and sports journalist Vijay

Former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra.

Lokapally are also a part of the committee. The joint secretary sports (MYAS) is the ninth member.

A PIB release states: "The Government has decided to constitute the Committee to study the existing sports governance frame work, issues relating to

sports governance in the country, recent developments related to sports governance, including court judgments & international best practices and make recommendations onbringing out a comprehensive National Sports Development Code across sports disciplines.

DSK Shivajians FC announces ILeague squad

Perfect timing by Dhoni as Virat is ready: Chairman MSK Prasad Sakshi, Mariya set to

PTI Mumbai, Jan 5: DSK Shivajians FC, Pune's sole representative in ILeague Football, today announced a new-look squad for the upcoming 10th season of the league.

These players include experienced hands in Sanju Pradhan, Soram Poirei, Ricky L and Nirmal Chettri along with stalwart Subrata Paul.

Keeping in line with his policy of developing young talents, team manager Dave Rogers has also recruited Jerry Lalrinzuala, Halicharan Narzary and Sumeet Passi, all of whom are still eligible to represent India at the U23 level, said a media release from the club.

The team owned by the DSK group begins its campaign with an away game against state rivals Mumbai FC in the "Maha Derby" on January 8 at the Cooperage ground.

While the club has retained former Real Madrid Youth Academy product Juan Quero, it has also brought in North Korean International Kim Song Yong under the Asian quota, who, joins after winning last season's I-League with his previous club Bengaluru FC. Irish midfielder Shane McFaul and towering Serbian centre back Sasha Kolunija complete the Shivajians' foreign player line-up.

PTI New Delhi, Jan 5 : The chairman of national selection committee MSK Prasad today hailed Mahendra Singh Dhonis sense of "perfect timing" to quit as captain of limited overs formats and hinted at the mantle going to Virat Kohli. He also gave enough hints that Dhoni will be in team against England for the ODI series beginning January 15 and that he has a couple of years of cricket left in him.

"Had Mahi taken the decision one year or even six months earlier, I would have been a bit worried.

But I salute him for his sense of perfect timing. He knew that Virat is now a proven customer who has done exceptionally well as a leader in Test. "So it is a correct decision by Dhoni. It showed that he had the best interest of Indian cricket in his mind," Prasad told PTI.

Himself a former India stumper, he is of the opinion that purely as a cricketer, Dhoni still has a fair amount of cricket left in him. "I still feel he has a couple of years of cricket left in him and as a wicketkeeper-batsman, he can still make an invaluable contribution to the teams cause," he Prasad.

Prasad, who has always shown clarity in his thought process, feels that as a captain there was nothing more to achieve for Dhoni. "What else was left for him to achieve as a captain? He has achieved everything under the sun in his tenure as India captain. He has won World T20, 50-over World Cup, Champions Trophy -- all three global trophies.

Apart from that he has won IPL, Champions League T20. He has nothing to prove to anybody.

He has been a great leader," said Prasad. Asked

what made Dhoni the captain that he was, Prasad said: "I believe his match reading was brilliant.

Thats why he was quick on his feet and could assess any situation with a lot of clarity. For a captain, foresight is an important aspect and he had that in abundance."

Prasad feels that Dhonis presence will be a guiding light for Kohli, who will now have to shoulder the burden of captaincy across three formats along with his batting.

"Dhonis presence will help Kohli as he now captains across three formats. Had he quit, Virat would have missed out on his immense experience." Prasad said that while Dhoni and Virat are chalk and cheese as personalities, both have always had the same intensity when it came to the urge of winning matches for India. "Dhoni

never gave away anything in terms of body language while Kohli has always been aggressive. What I have loved about Dhoni is that he will never give away anything as to what is going on in his mind.

Thats his personality. He can keep things submerged in him. But deep down, both Dhoni and Kohlis urge to win matches for India is equal.

There is no letdown in intensity," said Prasad.

However, the chairman of selectors begged to differ that with no burdens of captaincy now, Dhoni would once again get his mojo back as a finisher and the helicopter shots could be in use more often. "I dont think it would be fair on anybodys part to equate his batting with captaincy. I dont think these two were co-related.

Yes, it was purely an issue of form and nothing else," said Prasad.

Session washed out in Australia-Pakistan Test PTI Sydney, Jan 5: No play was possible as rain washed out the first session on the third day in the third Sydney Test between Australia and

Pakistan on Thursday.

Covers protected the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch and surrounds, with little likelihood of play into the early afternoon.

Pakistan will resume at 126 for two with Azhar Ali on 58 and Younis Khan on 64 in reply to Australia's 538 for eight declared.

Australia have already won

the series after victories in the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests, while Pakistan are battling to avoid their 12th straight Test defeat in Australia.

Hero MotoSports riders Santosh, Rodrigues keep campaign alive PTI Argentina, Jan 5: On a day of high drama, Hero MotoSports Team riders CS Santosh and Joaquim Rodrigues had mixed fortunes but kept alive their teams campaign on track in the Dakar Rally 2017. The navigational challenges in the first 70 km of the special stage from San Miguel De Tucuman to San Salvador De Jujuy caused many riders to lose their way. Even overnight leader in the general classification, Toby Price, was among the many

casualties.

Joaquim Rodrigues, too lost his way that cost him about 35 minutes. But once he was out of the maze of tracks in the riverbed, the rising Portuguese star generated some serious speed and braved a minor hail storm to complete the stage with a time of 8 hour 21 minutes 19 seconds.

It helped him to finish the day in 19th place that put him in 20th position in the overall provisional general classifications. "I got lost at kilometre 30. The first part of the stage was all navigation

and with the dust, I got lost and couldnt find my way out. There was a waypoint in there and it was really hard to find it with all that dust around.," said Rodrigues, after reaching the Jujuy bivouac following the first long day in the rally. Santosh, on the other hand, had a much tougher time with his navigation as he lost his way in the off-piste section through the riverbed. He lost more than an hour trying to get back on the track, which affected his overall standings in the general classification.

Santosh completed the timed section in 10 hour 03 minutes 39 minutes that placed him in 67th position for the day and 56th in the overall general classifications. "As soon as the stage started, the navigation began and it was really hard right from the first kilometres. The track went through the riverbed and the surface was very soft and just to find the exit was really tough. It looked like I was doing the wrong thing and found myself in some very difficult places," Santosh said. The 521-km fourth

stage, with a competitive distance of 416 km, will take the riders over the Bolivian border. They will be spending most of their day above 3,500 metres during the run from San Salvador Jujuy to Tupiza in Bolivia. Meanwhile, Joan Pedrero was placed 16th in the third stage of the Dakar. The Spanish rider from the Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team was 14th overall. Adrien Metge was placed 32nd in this third stage at 5950 and 68th overall. However, Aravind KP exited the scene.

represent Delhi against Jaipur in PWL

Indias Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik

PTI New Delhi, Jan 5: Indias Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik and two-time Olympic silver medalist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan will face a mighty challenge when Delhi Sultans take on Jaipur Ninjas in their first tie in the second season of Pro Wrestling League (PWL), here tomorrow. Though Delhi team looks quite strong on papers, the Ninjas have proved their mettle by beating NCR Punjab Royals in their first encounter and have the ability to perform under pressure. The surprise package of the Jaipur team was Utkarsh Kale against Punjab. The way he fought aggressively against the Olympic and world champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili in the 57kg mens category shows that he cant be taken lightly. The Jaipur

team management would be expecting a similar performance from him against the world championship bronze medalist Erdenebat Bekhbayar of Mongolia. Another interesting encounter will be between Olympic medalist Mariya Stadnik and 2016 Commonwealth champion Ritu Phogat.

The Indian believes that she can turn the tables against Delhis trump card Mariya. Meanwhile, all eyes will be set on Sakshi Malik, Indias firstever female Olympic medallist wrestler when she takes on another Indian Pooja Dhanda. The 2014 senior Asian bronze medalist, Pooja had come back strongly against national champion Manju Kumari of Punjab to give Jaipur a 2-0 lead in the tie. Interestingly, Sakshis fiance Satyawart Kadian is in the same team and will try to settle the scores

with Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia in the 97kg weight category. "With the inclusion of Indian stars like Sakshi and Bajrang Punia, the team is well balanced and Olympics star Mariya adds more strength to it," said Delhi team owner Annurag Batra.

While co-owner Gaur Gupta added, "Sakshi is currently ruling the Indian hearts and its our moral responsibility to support this budding wrestler. I also appeal all wrestling enthusiasts and Indian supporters to cheer for our Indian icon." On the other hand, Jaipur team owner Ram Gupta is confident about his teams performance. "We have started the season with a bang and all our grapplers are fit and in good form.

They will give their best to continue the winning streak," he said.

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Editor: Prahlad Hammey

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