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Man carrying rifle arrested ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4: In a joint operation by Assam Rifles under the Red Horns Division and Tezpur Police, one person armed with am AK-series rifle was nabbed from from Barchola village in the Dhekiajuli area of Sonitpur district on Tuesday .

Defence PRO Lt Col Suneet Newton said based on specific inputs received from Tezpur Police regarding the presence of an armed individual in the Dhekiajuli area, a joint operation was launched on Monday night. The joint team comprising personnel from Assam Rifles and Tezpur Police carried out a detailed search of Barchola village and nabbed him.

5.7-magnitude quake jolts Northeast, one killed ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4: A midafternoon earthquake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, hit the northeast on Tuesday. One person died in Dhalai district in Tripura while three students were injured in an Agartala school in the earthquake, the epicentre of which was located in Dhalai district.

Tremors were felt across the region, bringing back memories of the devastation in Manipur on the same day a year ago.

An elected member of the panchayat of Mayachari village of Kamalpur in Dhalai district, identified as Kamalini Kundu, died of panic after the strong tremors, which occurred at 2.39pm and lasted six seconds, state disaster management project officer Sarat Das said.

As many as 50 houses were damaged in Tripura. A landslide was also reported.

In Guwahati, there were no reports of damage to any structure. There was no immediate report of any damage to life or property in Shillong either. According to reports, three students fell down and injured themselves in Umakanta Academy in Agartala when they tried to rush out of class at a time.

"They were immediately shifted to IGM hospital and released after first aid. They are out of danger," a teacher said.

ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. II

Issue 166

Dibrugarh, Thursday, January 5, 2017

High stakes battle for 5 states as EC sounds poll bugle ANI New Delhi, Jan. 4

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced seven-phase polling for 403 assembly constituencies in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, two-phase polling in Manipur and one-phase polling each in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa respectively.

Uttar Pradesh to vote in 7 phases

Manipur to vote in 2 phases

Poll dates: Feb 11, Feb 15, Feb 19, Feb 23, Feb 27, Mar 4, March 8

Poll date: March 4. ( phase 1)

As per the announcement, the first-phase of polling for 73 assembly constituencies covering 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on February 11.

The date of notification in this phase is January 17, the last date of nomination is January 24, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 25 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 27.

The second-phase of polling for 67 assembly constituencies covering the bordering districts with Uttarakhand will take place on February 15.

The date of notification in this phase is January 20, the last date of nomination is January 27, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 28 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 30.

The third-phase of polling for 69 assembly constituencies covering 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on February 19.

The date of notification in this phase is January 24, the last date of nomination is January 31, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 2 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place

the Manipur government has betrayed the Nagas of Manipur.

According to the UNC — apex body of the Nagas based in Manipur — elections cannot be held peacefully in the Nagainhabited areas of Manipur until the prevailing problems are resolved. “The blockade will continue. Solving of Manipur’s problems has to be done through dialogue between the parties in conflict.

So far, the government of Manipur has failed to respond politically.

“We have no other option but to intensify the blockade, no matter what the Election Commission has announced regarding the polls in the state,” K.S. Paul, former President of the UNC, told IANS from Manipur.

“We have been betrayed by the Manipur government, as it did not consult us on the creation of seven new districts out of our ancestral land. We do not know whether the situation will be conducive for holding free and fair elections in the Naga areas of the state,” said Paul.

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The Election Commission of India on Wednesday said five states, including Manipur, will go to polls to elect their new assemblies between February 4 and March 8. Manipur will vote in two phases — March 4 and 8. Paul — an active member of the UNC — said

“Bulldozing the interests of the Nagas, particularly on the issue of our ancestral land, won’t be compromised under any circumstances. We do not consider the Manipur government as a popular government, as the districts were created without consulting us,” added Paul.

Tension has been simmering in Manipur due to an economic blockade called by the UNC in the state. National Highways (NH) 37 and NH 2 have been badly affected due to the blockade. Although the blockade started on November 1 when the state government was planning to create new

PAGE 10

Pages- 12

Conversion of ItanagarBanderdewa NH to four-lane gets the nod from State Cabinet

Date of poll: March 8 (phase 2)

Poll date: February 15 Nomination: January 18 Notification: January 20 Nomination: January 27 Poll: February 4

Counting of votes for 5 Date of notification: January 11 states on Last date of nomination: January 18 March 11, Poll: February 4 2017

A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Jan 4

Schedule of Goa

on February 4.

The fourth-phase of polling for 53 assembly constituencies covering 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on February 23.

The date of notification in this phase is January 30, the last date of nomination is February 6, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 7 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 9.

The fifth-phase of polling for 52 assembly constituencies covering 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on February 27.

The date of notification in this phase is February 2, the last date of nomination is February 9, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 11 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 13.

The sixth-phase of polling for 49 assembly constituencies covering seven districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on March 4.

The date of notification in this phase is February 8, the last date of nomination is February 15, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 16 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 18.

The

seventh-phase

of

polling for 46 assembly constituencies covering seven districts of Uttar Pradesh will take place on March 8.

The date of notification in this phase is February 11, the last date of nomination is February 18, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 20 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 22.

Goa will vote in a singlephase on February 4. The date of notification is January 11, the last date of nomination is January 18, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 19 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 21.

Punjab will also go for polls in a single-phase on February 4. The date of notification is January 11, the last date of nomination is January 18, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 19 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 21.

Uttarakhand will vote for 70 assembly constituencies in a single-phase on February 15.

The date of notification is January 20, the last date of nomination is January 27, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 28 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 30.

Manipur will vote for 60 assembly constituencies in two-phase on March 4 and 8 respectively.

The date of notification for 38 assembly constituencies in the first phase is February 8, the last date of nomination is February 15, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 16 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 18.

The date of notification for 22 assembly constituencies in the second phase is February 11, the last date of nomination is February 18, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on February 20 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on February 22.

Zaidi said over 16 crore voters will exercise their democratic rights in these five states.

The terms of the legislative assembly of Goa, Manipur and Punjab will expire on March 18, and Uttarakhand on March 26. The legislative term of Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 27.

The Election Commission yesterday held a meeting with the Chief Electoral Officers of these five states to fine tune the arrangements for the assembly polls.

More than 160 million voters will participate in these elections. Voting will be conducted in as many as one lakh 85,000 polling stations.

Electronic Voting Machines will be used in all five states.

Despite the announcement of Gauhati High Court Sabha employee Poll Dates UNC to continue seeks suicide case diary blockade in Manipur IANS Imphal, 4 Jan

5.00

Polling schedule Punjab's schedule of Uttarakhand Notification: January 11

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the counting of votes in all the five states will take place on March 11.

He said that Model Code of Conduct comes into force from today.

Price -

In December last year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the central government will extend all assistance to restore normalcy in the state.

Apart from sending 150 companies of para-military forces to Manipur when the blockade started, the central government also sent seven additional companies of para-military forces, a step condemned by the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-IsakMuivah(NSCN-IM).

Giving yet another new year gift to AIS officers, central service officers on deputation to state government and

In order to reorient governance and make working structure more effective, cabinet in another major decision approved for amalgamation of Directorate of Supply and Transport with Directorate of Food and Civil Supplies. More such decisions are expected in the near future.

While the matter of renaming of Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar to Arunachal University was referred to be tabled in the ensuing Budget Session for discussion, the cabinet approved for renaming

of General Hospital Ziro after Late Gyati Takka, former Minister in lieu of Abotani Community Hall, Hapoli which was notified earlier.

Cabinet further decided to upgrade Pongchau and Wakka circle headquarters to SDO headquarters respectively in Longding district. It may be mentioned that CM during his recent visit to Wakka had announced to upgrade the existing administrative headquarters of Wakka and Pongchou for effective administration. Cabinet also approved for regularisation of services of Contractual General Duty Medical Officers (Allopathy, Dental and Ayush).

Their regularisation will be through a screening process by the APPSC. The selected GDMOs shall be on 3 years probation to serve in remote areas.

Contd. on Page 3

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districts by bifurcating the existing Naga-dominated areas, it intensified after the government ignored the agitation and went ahead to declare Jirbam as a full-fledged district.

The state government also created new districts of Kangpokpi, Tengoupal, Pharzol, Kakching, Noney and Kamjongin. According to the UNC, the creation of new districts out of Naga territory without their consent is a deliberate act to suppress the rights of Nagas in the state.

In a major decision, the State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu today cleared deck for commencement of work for much awaited ItanagarBanderdewa four lane highway. Cabinet, after minutely going through the cabinet note circulated by the Commissioner PWD on compensation estimate prepared by Government constituted committee, approved the recommendation and directed for release of compensation amount to the beneficiaries through the deputy commissioner. With this decision, the work on the four lane highway will start soon.

regular state government employees, pensioners, family pensioners, the state cabinet approved for release of 2% DA and DR w.e.f 1st January 2017 at par with the central government employees.

Despite financial crunch, the state government under Chief Minister Pema Khandu had recently implemented the 7 CPC for the state government employees.

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KHALSA TRADERS ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4

The Gauhati high court on Tuesday asked Assam Police to submit the case diary and forensic reports in connection with the Assam Sahitya Sabha former employee's suicide case. The authorities have been asked to furnish the reports within January 18.

Former accountant of the Sabha, Rajendra Nath Dutta, had committed suicide in November last year. In his suicide note, he had implicated general secretary of the literary body Paramananda Rajbongshi and said he had been forced to turned a blind eye to corruption in the organization's working, which led him to commit suicide. A case was registered

in Jorhat against Rajbongshi, charging him with abetment of suicide.

The court's response came during the hearing of Rajbongshi's interim anticipatory bail plea. The interim bail period ended on Tuesday.

The court extended his interim bail till January 18 and will take a decision on his bail plea after looking into the case diary and the forensic reports.

The ongoing controversy has shaken the organization, heading for its centenary celebrations in February. While a section of former Sabha presidents accused Rajbongshi of having played a role financial anomalies, its latest president Dhruba Jyoti Borah resigned a few days ago, citing internal rift.

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

P2 Aries You're going through a time in which you have the opportunity to make tremendous advances, Aries. These rewards won't come without hard work and discipline, however, and this seems to be a focus of the day.

Get your emotions in line and make the best of what seems to be a pretty dreary situation. A fantastic opportunity is at hand.

Taurus Don't mess with superiors or people in authority today, Taurus, or you might end up in some serious hot water. Take it easy and try not get bogged down by negative emotions. Things may not be as sunny as usual, but that doesn't mean the day will be terrible. Complete projects and stay focused on things that require a great deal of discipline on your part.

Gemini You're going through a time of great preparation right now, Gemini, You're building the foundation for a major life project. This period isn't to be taken lightly. The day's energy brings this importance into focus. Make sure you're building with bricks and not straw, and that the mortar you use is strong. Try not to get discouraged by negative emotions. The situation is probably better than it seems.

Cancer There's a sober feeling to the day that may leave you feeling a bit down, Cancer. There may not be any specific instance or situation that causes you to feel this way, so don't sweat it. Focus on getting your projects done.

Leo People may be extra stubborn today, so try to avoid any confrontations that could lead to full-scale war. Your emotions may feel restricted and restrained, Leo. Don't sweat the small stuff. Realize that you're going through a trying period right now and that you need all the sanity you can muster. Refrain from making mountains out of molehills.

Virgo Your freedom-loving nature may seem a bit dampened today, Virgo, but don't let it get you down. Things might not be lining up perfectly, but that's no reason to get frustrated. Perhaps the situation was just not meant to be.

Look for a higher, more practical solution.

You have all the information you need to make an intelligent decision.

Libra

Today is a great day to get rid of the stuff that's cluttering up your life, Libra.

Get to the heart of the issue and stop beating around the bush. Your emotions may feel a bit more negative than usual, but realize that you can use this to your advantage. Your sober attitude can aid in making extremely practical, wellgrounded decisions.

Scorpio Don't sweat the small stuff, Scorpio. You may feel like something is restricting your otherwise light, witty nature, but don't worry about it. Things probably seem worse than they really are. Trust in yourself.

Protest demanding renovation of Dibrugarh Main Drain staged A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Jan 4: In support of proper renovation of Dibrugarh Main Drain, commonly called as DTP drain, the conscious citizens and social organizations of the town, had staged a demonstration at Paltan Bazaar on Monday.

The protest was organized to showcase public dissatisfaction over the ongoing renovation work of DTP drain for better drainage of day-to-day discharge and rain-fed water.

Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha

(DNS); Dibrugarh Rajahua Swartha Rakhya Mancha (DRSRM); Dibrugarh Nagarik Mancha (DNM); district committees of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad(AJYP); Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad (TAYP); Axom Xahitya Sabha (AXS); Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); Asom Sangrami Mancha (ASM); Asom Gana Parishad (AGP); Brihattar Asom Mancha (BAM); Dibru Shilpi Samaj (DSS) along with the local

masses had taken part in the demonstration.

Moreover, the protesters gave a memorandum to the police, to be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner. In this regard, the president of DRSRM, Thaneswar Bora stated that the citizens must not be compelled to take tougher steps by the government. The renovation work of DTP drain will be completed in two stages, the first being the ongoing construction work for

Capricorn Your emotions may feel restricted today, Capricorn.

You may feel bad about something you did in the past. Somehow your heart isn't able to let it go.

Work to overcome this by realizing that this is only a briefly passing trend and that you probably are feeling much worse about the situation than necessary. Don't be so hard on yourself.

Aquarius You're going through a period of major evaluation and assessment of certain life projects. Today's energies bring much of that tension into focus, Aquarius, and put it right in the place where it affects you most - your heart.

Pisces Try to stay disciplined and focused today, Pisces. This may be easier said than done, but it's crucial for preserving your sanity. There's a restrictive, weighty air to the day that may put a damper on your jovial nature. Instead of getting down on yourself, use this energy to your advantage and make order out of the chaos in your life. Eat a healthy meal and share your thoughts with others.

The construction work for the first 9.5 km stretch of DTP drain was allotted to a Spanish firm named Corsum Corvium, which later sublet the work to one KK Spun Pipes Private Limited of Ballabhgarh, Haryana, which has employed five local contractors of the State to carry out the work.

NCC Camp commenced on Doomardallong A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Jan 4: The Combined Annual Training Camp 2016-17 of 10 Assam Battalion NCC, Dibrugarh under the aegis of Group Headquarters NCC. Dibrugarh commenced on 02 Jan 2017 at JNV Doomardallong.

Col. AS Ghumman, Commanding Officer of 10 Assam Bn NCC welcomed over 500 NCC Cadets from over 45 schools & colleges from the district of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar on the opening day.

The aim of the 10 days camp is to develop character, comradeship, discipline, leadership qualities,

secular outlook, and spirit of adventure and ideals of selfless sacrifice amongst the participating cadets. The camp will also cater to career counseling of the cadets and their personality development.

The emphasis during the camp will be on physical fitness, yoga, drill, weapon training, map reading, specialized military subjects and cultural development. Special emphasis will also be given to Swach Bharat Abhiyan with cadets carrying out a special march through the town of Moran to motivate the community on the aspects of

Swachhta.

During the camp a team of cadets will be selected who will be specially participating in National Integration Camp being held at Delhi, in which they will be showcasing the culture of Assam and Bihu dance form, in front of visiting dignitaries of the country.

The Commanding Officer while motivating the cadets to put in their best foot forward asked them to, whole heartedly participate in all the camp activities and learn from each other.

Teok MLA inaugurates X-Ray Machine at Teok Fast Referral Hospital ET Correspondent TEOK, 4 JAN: MLA of Teok constituency Renupoma Rajkhowa inaugurated a much needed X-Ray Machine here today at Teok Fast Referral Hospital. The X- Ray machine was a much needed long medical priority for the hospital and people alike. The installation of X- Ray machine will provide a much needed respite to the people here, who now longer will have to cover a long distance for getting X- Ray done.

The installation of digital X-Ray machine at Teok Fast Referral Hospital is expected to help patients of Teok and neighbouring districts in several ways, including early detection of diseases, ensuring ease of maintaining records, time efficiency and the ability to digitally transfer images.

Among others, who were present were Head of the Teok FRU Dr. Indra Bora, Teok Town Committee

Chairman Md. Rafique Uz Zaman and a numbers of respected persons.

One injured in road mishap

Mithun Baruah Margherita, Jan 4: The driver driving a four wheeler was seriously injured when a Dumper and the former’s vehicle collided against

Biplobi Veer Shankar Baruah Award

Amit Nagori Golaghat , Jan 4: Biplobi Veer Shankar Baruah Award for the year 2017 will be given jointly to Veteran Freedom Fighter Debeswar Doloi and Socialist Leader and former minister Ramani Barman. It was stated by Keshav Baruah the chief trustee of the award to be given in fond memory of Biplobi Veer Shankar Baruah and his wife Annaprova Baruah .

A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Jan 4: Members of self-help groups, Brahmaputra Luitparia Krishi Atmo Sahayak Gut (BLKASG) and Life Line of Dibrugarh has demanded stern action against the perpetrators who had assaulted a group of local picnic goers on their way back from Amaraguri picnic spot.

The members of the organizations in a meeting held with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal , had apprised him of the whole inhuman incident , and later submitted him a memorandum requesting his intervention into the matter.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Chief Minister Sonowal has directed the district police administra-

tion to conduct a thorough investigation to nab the culprits.

Moreover, a fervent appeal has been made to identity the power groups involved in pressing the hostile youths who had assaulted the families with sharp weapons and damaged their vehicles, on their return from the picnic spot.

The local people having sensed a scheme of communal conflict being hatched by some conspicuous group and have demanded immediate arrest of such people with ill motives.

Meanwhile, aforesaid incident has triggered severe sensation among the local populace of Amaraguri. No arrest has been made so far.

Shines in National Competition

The award will be given in a ceremony to be held in Golaghat in association with Golaghat Nagarik Mancha.

New Drama School in Golaghat

Sagittarius There are opportunities open to you now whether you realize it or not. It may be hard to be aware of them today, given the astrological weather.

Your emotions may feel restricted and weighed down, like something is trying to tie you down. Realize that this is just a message from the Universe reminding you that having at least one foot on the ground is key to manifesting your dreams.

the first 9.5 km stretch , estimated at Rs 170 crore, while in the later part of the year, the remaining 13km stretch will be renovated.

Local Bodies demand stern action against picnic assaulters

each other here today. The driver who was seriously injured was taken to Margherita Civil Hospital. According to sources, the driver of the four wheeler (regis-

tration Number AS 05 C 3225) after losing control hit the Tinsukia bound Dumper Vehicle bearing registration Number AS 23 AC 2234 from Margherita. The driver of the four wheeler was allegedly was under the influence of alcohol. Margherita Police rushed to the spot and took both the Vehicles into their possession.

Ramanus Lakra General Secretary of All Adivasi Student Association of Assam Tinsukia District Committee slammed Margherita Administration and Margherita Police for not being able to control accident at Margherita where maximum accident occurred due to drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. “Both Margherita Administration and Margherita Police should take appropriate step to control drink and drive accident which is rampantly going at Margherita,” said Ramanus Lakra.

Amit Nagori Golaghat , Jan 4: A new Drama School named ' Deuka' will be opened in Golaghat on January 11.

The school will offer one year course on drama .

Minakshi Phukan of ' Deuka' drama school has appealed all to attend the opening ceremony of this new drama school near Boxing Club , Old Amolapatty in Golaghat

Amit Nagori Golaghat , Jan 4: A four years old Karate player from Golaghat brings loyal to the state by winning gold medal at a national level Karate Competition held at Telangana.

Bibek Karmakar son of Bipin Karmakar and

Aparna Karmakar from Borjan Tea Estate in Golaghat got Gold medal and Bronze medal in two different categories in a national level Karate competition held at Telangana recently . After this achievement the small Karate kid was given warm welcome in his home town .

Sports

Tinsukia CA in Final Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Jan. 4: Tinsukia Cricket Academy defeated Duliajan Cricket Academy by 61 runs in the first semifinal of the Simang Aronold Phulari U-15 cricket tournament organised by Dibrugarh District Sports Association at DDSA stadium here today.

Electing to bat first, Tinsukia scored 157 before being bowled out in stipulated 30 overs. Bomkin Phukan chipped in with 41

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off 49 balls, hitting four fours into the ropes and Kumal Dhar smashed 35 off 23 deliveries with the help of six boundaries. Nihar Narah contributed 20 off 12 balls with two fours and one six.

Aditiya Kohsla and Manthan Upadhaya picked up three wickets a piece by giving away 26 and 15 runs respectively for Duliajan.

In run chase, Duliajan were bundled out for 90 in 22.4

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overs. Aditiya Kohsla scored 36 off 21 balls, hitting seven boundaries and one maximum while Manab Barman chipped in with 31 off 49 balls, laced with six boundaries.

Kunal Dhar and Seikh Sahil took two wickets a piece for Tinsukia. Kunal Dhar was adjudged man of the match.

Dibrugarh Cricket coaching centre A will lock horn with Phoenix cricket coaching centre, Sivasagar tomorrow.

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

P3

Awareness Rally against drugs held at Diyun ET Bureau Diyun, 4 Jan: A mass awareness rally against drugs was organized by the Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students Union (APCSU) on Wednesday at Diyun in Changlang district.

More than 1000 students from various schools and belonging to different communities participated in the peaceful rally for a common cause. The rally began from Diyun General Ground and culminated at Dumpathar village, covering a distance of over 5 kms.

During the rally, the students sported placards displaying messages aimed at creating awareness on the harmful effect of drugs on individual and society’s health and economy. The participants shouted slogans against the sale and use of drugs and demanded a crackdown on drug peddlers.

ET Bureau: Diyun, 4 Jan: A mass awareness rally against drugs was organized by the Arunachal Pradesh Chakma Students’ Union (APCSU) on Wednesday at Diyun in Changlang district.

Speaking on the occasion before flagging off the rally, S. Singpho, Commandant of the 2nd IRBN congratulated all the students and stated that drug addiction and peddling is a dangerous social evil rampantly increasing in various parts of the State for which everyone has to stand against it.

The procession later on assembled at the Dumpathar school ground, where the organizers further highlighted the harmful effects of drugs and shared information on the provisions of the NDPS Act which provides strict punishment for drug peddling, possession, purchase, consumption,

Massive Student protest against selection of All Tawang District Student Union executive members; demand right to vote ET Correspondent Tawang, Jan 4 : Thousands of Students gathered at high altitude sports stadium today to protest against the appointment of All Tawang District Student's Union (ATDSU) executive body on selection basis by AAPSU president Hawa Bagang.

Almost 1000 students from various higher secondary and secondary schools of the district put their weight behind Thupten Lobsang, who is the lone presidential candidate challenging Mindu Tsering. Pupils rallied in 85 vehicles and 15 bikes to voice against the selection and demanded restoration of their voting rights.

abetment etc.

The rally concluded with submission of memorandum to the DC, Changlang, local administration, police, IRBN and Indian Army.

Among others, the APCSU demanded crackdown on drug peddlers/traders; organizing awareness campaigns by involving

Contd. from Page 1

The AAPSU president recently had selected the ATDSU executive panel under the presidentship of Mindu Tsering and circulated the appointment in the state dailies. The selection has not gone down well with the students who feel deprived of their right to vote and to elect capable and deserving student leaders.

While Team Mindu Tsering claims absence of ATDSU constitution and bye-laws as the base of selection of his team, outgoing president Urgen Dorjee has rejected the claims stating that ATDSU has its framed bye-Laws and constitution.

Further, Urgen Dorjee, exercising his powers, has circulated a notification declaring the 4th general conference cum elections of ATDSU from January 9 to 11 and marked Govt Higher Secondary School Tawang as the venue.

Meanwhile, Hawa Bagang has circulated an notice to the editors of the print medias of the state to refrain from voicing and publishing any material and press statements r e g a r d i n g AT D S U , which the students claim is a serious violation of freedom of speech and expression.

ET Bureau Itanagar, Jan 4: The Extended Pradesh Congress Committee meeting was held on 4th January 2017 at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Itanagar under the chairmanship of Padi Richo, President APCC.

people policies of Narendra Modi Government.

Dr. Ranee Narah, MP (Rajya Sabha) & AICC State Coordinator of Arunachal Pradesh for Anti-Demonetization Campaign draw up the ways and means of protest against demonetization for the State of Arunachal Pradesh, where she had mentioned of constituting a State Level Campaign Committee for Pan-India Campaign headed by Tako Dabi, former Minister as Chairman and suggested to coordinate with AICC for nation-wide protest against demonetization and anti-

On the other hand, Dr. K. Jayakumar, Secretary AICC, I/c A.P. has categorically criticized Narendra Modi being anti-people whereas he was elected on his aid campaign as “ACCHE DIN FOR AAM AADMI” mentioning his backyard policy of promoting 50 families of this country amongst the corporate sector who have rather prompted to mechanize their black money earned in various sectors as overseas investment, real estate business etc. befooling the poor people towards cashless economy

Padi Richo, President APCC has directed all its cadres to remain united while fighting against demonetisation as per the programme set by AICC.

as the growth of country’s GDP, which people were made compelled to abide his dictatorial policies upon the poor masses.

Further, Nabam Tuki, former Chief Minister & AICC State Coordinator of Mizoram for protest against demonetization has questioned Modi Government for failing in all his commitment after he was elected to the premiership. Calling most of the tribal dominated states of India where 70% people do not have bank accounts, due to which the day-to-day livelihood of the poor tribals living in the remotest parts of India has suffered the most.

Narendra Modi is not bothered to the deceased families of 150 people who lost their lives while standing in the queues to withdraw

For every year of service rendered in remote areas, these GDMOS shall get 10% weightage for pursuing PG courses in the State Medical College in the near future.

Approval was also accorded to regularise services of contractual paramedical staffs, physiotherapist, staff nurse, laboratory technician, blood bank technician, pharmacist, health assistant (junior), refrigerator mechanic (RM) and drivers under the department of Health and Family Welfare.

their hard earned money for admission of their children in the school and payment to the hospitals for their ailing kiths and kin. In this connection, Bank Manager of HDFC Bank in Arunachal Pradesh has also succumbed to death by hanging himself due to pressure mounted of this demonetization policy for which an enquiry is on to reveal the truth behind.

Minkir Lollen and Hina Camder Tok, General Secretaries APCC also spoke in the meeting. Among others, the meeting was attended by K.C.Mittal, Legal Advisor AICC, Jarjum Ete, General Secretary AIMCC, I/c North East, ExMinisters, Ex-MLAs, senior Congress leaders, PCC office bearers, PCC Executive Members, all the Frontal Organizations.

Jairampur battalion of Assam Rifles reaches out

is making all efforts for the development of one of the remotest corner of India. The people of Vijaynagar expressed

schools, panchayat, NGOs, etc at regular intervals; implementation of the special provision (Section 64A) under the NDPS Act by enforcement agencies to encourage the drug addicts to come out from hiding; and urgently open a drug de-addiction centre at Diyun with all the required facilities.

Conversion of ItanagarBanderdewa NH to four-lane gets the nod from State Cabinet

Meeting held to launch statewide AntiDemonetization Campaign in Arunachal by APCC

ET Correspondent Jairampur, Jan 4 : Jairampur Bn Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ DGAR, handed over a community hall, constructed for convenience of people of Vijaynagar, under Military Civic Action programme for FY 2016-17 on 30 Dec 2016. Speaking on the occasion, Commandant Jairampur Battalion of Assam Rifles asserted that the Jairampur Battalion is committed towards overall development of Vijaynagar and

Students take out awareness rally against drug abuse in Diyun

providing a common place for the ARESM and other villagers to meet and organize various events.

Commandant, Jairampur Battalion added that the people should come forward and extend co-operation and work hand in hand to achieve peace and over all development of the region thereby achieving normalcy and their gratitude for this progress. This effort kind gesture and men- reaches out to the tioned that construction masses and brings the of Community Hall at motto "Friends of the Vijaynagar will help in Hill People" to the forte.

These regularisation also shall be through a state level screening committee headed by Commissioner Health with members from Finance, Law, AR and technical members from health department. For ensuring smooth functioning of government policies and programmes, the Cabinet decided to hire technical manpower for various central as well as state government programmes. Technical manpower would be hired for implementation of the Chief Minister’s Dash Board, Ease of Doing business and Direct Benefit Transfer.

More than 1000 students from various schools and belonging to different communities participated in the peaceful rally for a common cause. The rally began from Diyun General Ground and culminated at Dumpathar village, covering a distance of over 5 kms. During the rally, the students sported placards displaying messages aimed at creating awareness on the harmful effect of drugs on individual and society’s health and economy. The participants shouted slogans against the sale and use of drugs and demanded a crackdown on drug peddlers.

Speaking on the occasion before flagging off the rally, S. Singpho, Commandant of the 2nd IRBN congratulated all the students and stated that drug addiction and peddling is a dangerous social evil rampantly increasing in various parts of the State for which everyone has to stand against it. Recalling the recently concluded career counselling programmes organized by the APCSU, he added that programme on education as well as awareness campaigns against drug are equally important to eradi-

cate social evils. He briefed on the effects of drug addiction stating that once get addicted, a person start to sell everything and later indulge in theft for acquiring drugs. Further, he urged the students to make aware their friends, relatives and neighbours on the consequences of drug addiction.

“Over the years, drug abuse has become a serious social problem under Diyun Circle due to peddling of narcotic drugs from other places including Assam. This has led to drug addiction among a sizeable section of the public from all communities, particularly, the adolescents. Drug addiction threatens to kill the whole generation. No individual, family or community is safe where illicit drugs take control. Drugs destroy lives and communities, undermine sustainable human development and generate crime,” stated Supon Chakma, General Secretary of APCSU. Showing firm opposition to drugs abuse, Bipin Roshan Chakma, Organising Secretary, APCSU expressing deep anguish over the menace of drugs pointed out, “There is a need for collective and concerted efforts to tackle this menace before it spiral out of hand. At the same time, no awareness campaigns will be fully successful until rehabilitation and aftercare for drug addicts remain missing. Drug addiction

can be treated. The addict needs treatment, rehabilitation and counselling.

However, there is no drug de-addiction centre in the area. The nearest centre is in Namsai district but that is also reportedly nonfunctional.”

The procession later on assembled at the Dumpathar school ground, where the organizers further highlighted the harmful effects of drugs and shared information on the provisions of the NDPS Act which provides strict punishment for drug peddling, possession, purchase, consumption, abetment etc. The rally concluded with submission of memorandum to the DC, Changlang, local administration, police, IRBN and Indian Army.

Among others, the APCSU demanded crackdown on drug peddlers/traders; organizing awareness campaigns by involving schools, panchayat, NGOs, etc at regular intervals; implementation of the special provision (Section 64A) under the NDPS Act by enforcement agencies to encourage the drug addicts to come out from hiding; and urgently open a drug de-addiction centre at Diyun with all the required facilities.

APCSU thanked the local administration, Police, CHC, Diyun, school authorities, local organisations, Diyun Bazaar Committee for their cooperation and support.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

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State Government publishes draft proposal of the minimum rates of wages ET Bureau Guwahati, January 4: The Government of Assam in the Labour and Welfare Department vide a Notification issued on December 23, 2016 has made a draft revision of the minimum rates of wages in respect of the workers employed in loading and unloading operations in any employment in Assam. The revision proposal has been published for information of all persons and parties likely to be effected. Suggestions or objections, if any, have been

12 hrs Karbi Anglong Bandh on January 6 Sushanta Roy DIPHU, jan 4 : Karbi Students and Youth Organization (KSYC) has called for a 12 hours Karbi Anglong Bandh on January 6 in orotest against the Teacher Eligibility Test ( TET) to be conducted on January 8 for recruitment of graduate Teachers for secondary schools within administration of KAAC, DHAC and BTC. The organization are demanding immediate cancelation of examination besides relaxation of 5 percent mark in Bachelors or Master Degree for ST candidates belonging to the hill tribes proper of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao considering the special Circumstance that prevails in these particular hill areas. Medical services, electricity, milk supply, water supply, press are exempted from the purview of the bandh.

The organization has sought the support and cooperation of the people of Karbi Anglong during the bandh.

8 Lakhs Looted at Gunpoint Tapas Samaddar Rangia, Jan 4: A group of five miscreants looted about 8 lakhs from one Manju Baishya, owner of Sonaram Gas Agency at Panitema under PS Kamalpur last night at 10.30 pm. According to Baishya, the incident happened when she along with her driver were returning home.

Suddenly five miscreants stopped the vehicle at gunpoint. When she stopped the vehicle, they snatched the bag of cash and fled away.

The dacoits snatched the key of the Scorpio in which they were travelling as well. After being informed, police rushed to the spot to take stock of the incident.

Police started investigation. An FIR was lodged at kamalpur PS. Officer in-charge Pradip Talukdar was rather astonished by the fact that Baishya was carrying such a hefty amount onboard her vehicle without any security measures. “The dacoits might have followed the vehicle from the agency,” Pradip Talukdar pointed out.

The dacoits while on the run even shot at the vehicle, however no one was injured.

invited in this regard within two months (60 days) from the date of issue of the draft notification. The final rates will be reviewed and published after objections or suggestions received from any persons within the said period are considered.

In addition to rate of wages so fixed, the workers or employees will be entitled to Variable Dearness Allowances (VDA) to the extent of 100 % of the rise or fall of the index point in all India Consumer Price Index

(CPI) for the Industrial Workers. Rate of VDA will be revised every six months on the basis of change in CPI number during the intervening period.

The rates of wages are exclusive of the benefit or concessions if any hitherto being enjoyed by the workers or employees under the agreement or memorandum of settlement and the workers or employees will continue to receive such benefits or concessions in addition to the wages and VDA.

The workers or employees are entitled to a day of rest in every week as per existing provision under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

The Draft Proposal of Minimum rates of wages in respect of the workers employed in loading and unloading operations in any employment in Assam will be available with the Labour (RC) Branch of Labour and Welfare Department, Assam and the office of the Labour Commissioner, Assam

Jorhat College Celebrates Louis Braille's Birthday in an unconventional way

Participate on art competition at Sivasagar 'DESANG BRAHMAPUTRA FESTIVAL' and audience are Looking today. Photo by Firuz Ahmed

Governor lays foundation of Powergrid Capacity Development Centre in Oncology at Dr. B.Barooah Cancer Institute ET Bureau Guwahati, January 4: Assam Governor Shri Banwarilal Purohit laid the foundation stone of a ‘Powergrid Capacity Development Centre in Oncology’ at Dr. B.Barooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati today.

Jorhat College celebrated the birthday of Louis Braille at Jorhat. Photo by Nekib Ahmed

ET CORRESPONDENT, JORHAT, 4 JAN: Jorhat College celebrated the birthday of Louis Braille at Jorhat, the inventor of Braille system of reading and writing for visually impaired people, on Wednesday. The college fraternity carried out an unconventional procession of hundreds of students and teachers voluntarily blindfolded, started

from college premises covering the main roads of the city.

The blind walk was inaugurated by Dr. Nani Gopal Goshwami, President of Jorhat College Governing Body. Speaking of the occasion, Debabrat Sharma stated that Jorhat College with five schools including Jorhat Blind School and college is developing educational audio cd for

blind students. Louis Braille was a French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired. His system – of six raised dots – remains known worldwide simply as braille. Even today, Braille works with computer technology, like email to give blind people access to the same information as their sighted peers.

Asam Sahitya Sabha a rudderless ship sans president ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4 : The Asam Sahitya Sabha, which has plunged into deep crisis following the resignation of its chief ahead of the centenary session, may be shunned by promising writers in the coming years due to its internal rift.

The apex literary body of the state, which was once guided by doyens of Assamese literature like Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Padmanath Gohain Barua and Maheswar Neog as presidents, has become the centre of controversy in its centenary year and is drawing flak from litterateurs and leading citizens for being allegedly run by people who haven't made any significant contribution in this field.

Citing its democratic set up, the Sabha said unless noted litterateurs come forward to join the Sabha, not just any literary stalwart can be made the president. Selection of a new president is turning out to be the most debatable issue after noted author Dhruba Jyoti Borah resigned

from the post following differences with executive body members of the literary body.

"A permanent president of Sahitya Sabha has to be elected. Without fresh election, it is not possible to get a permanent president," said Sabha secretary general P a r a m a n a n d a Rajbongshi.

The crisis deepened when Borah had to resign from the president's post after he went against Rajbongshi, whose name figured in the 'suicide' of a former employee of the Sabha. Though some former Sabha presidents accused Rajbongshi of controlling the literary body by lobbying with some influential officebearers of the organization, the secretary general rubbished the allegations. Despite the charges against him, Rajbongshi continues to enjoy the support of the all-important executive body.

Four noted writers, including two former presidents of the Sabha, recently resigned from a committee constituted

for compiling the 100year history of the literary body, which many believe was the crux of the ongoing crisis.

Many litterateurs and leading citizens have staged protests against the literary body's decision to extend the term of its present executive body by another year in 2016. The Sabha, later, revoked the controversial decision.

An outcry against the Sabha was witnessed after the reception committee of the centenary session banned the entry of Rajbongshi at the venue of the centenary session in Sivasagar in February.

Eminent litterateurs feel that the Sabha should clear its name from all controversies for restoring its old glory.

Acclaimed writer and National Book Trust director Rita Chowdhury described the current developments in the Sahitya Sabha as 'unfortunate'.

She said the president of the Sabha should be a distinguished litterateur.

Speaking on the occasion Governor Shri Purohit called upon the people at large to adopt life style which has the potential of developing a deterrent against diseases like cancer.

Expressing concern over the alarming rise of oncology related cases in the State, Shri Purohit said an active lifestyle coupled with total abstinence from all narcotic substances have the potential to build shield

Sending a message of caution to the people, that North East has high prevalence cases of oral, throat and lung cancer, Shri Purohit urged upon the people to avoid tobacco in all its forms. The Governor requested the hospital authorities to take steps to bring about psychological and behavioural changes in the patients addicted to chewing and smoking tobacco which according to him would go a long way in preventing cancer.

the people to eat healthy food to stay fit and free from diseases. He also requested B. Borooah Cancer Institute to lay emphasis on generating mass awareness for prevention and early detection of cancer.

The Governor hailed the gesture of Powergrid Corporation of India Limited for taking the steps for the proposed Capacity Development Centre in Oncology at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute which other Public Sector Undertakings should also follow.

Stressing on the right kind of food for staying away from life style and food related diseases, Shri Purohit advocated for organic farming and asked

Lauding Dr. B.Barooah Cancer Institute along with its Director Dr. A. C. Kataki and other doctors, the Governor said because of the role of the Institute

against cancer.

cancer treatment has become accessible and affordable.

Synchronising with occasion the Governor conferred the award of Excellence in Social Service on G.L. Agarwala, Chairman of GLP Social Circle, Guwahati. M.P.Agarwal, Managing Trustee, Nirmal & MP Agarwal Trust was also felicitated for his contribution to the welfare of cancer patients.

Abhay Chaudhary, Executive Director, Powergrid Corporation of India Limited, Shillong, Director of Dr. B.Barooah Cancer Institute Dr.A.C.Kataki along with a host of other dignitaries were also present in the ceremony.

Eviction, Swachh Bharat Clubs on Kamrup-M radar ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4 :: In the new year, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration will continue with its survey and removal of illegal settlements close to primary water channels like Bharalu, hills and reserve forests. Another major target of the administration is to form Swachh Bharat clubs in residential areas, schools and colleges.

"In this year, we have to do things in an even better way.

The preservation of wet-

lands and water bodies within the city is one of the most important issues for the city. So, we will have to continue eviction," said deputy commissioner M Angamuthu.

Following the eviction, the administration will look for open spaces for plantation.

"Identification of open spaces for re-greening will follow this. Earlier, we conducted similar activities to keep the city green. This is part of preservation and conservation of the city's

Sankaradeva festival to begin tomorrow ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4 : The Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra (SSK) will host the second edition of the Srimanta Sankaradeva International Festival from Thursday.

Among other things, the festival will comprise a special academic session

by Sankari scholar from Mexico, Falfan Brizuela Olivia Betzabel, and a rendition of an ankiya naat in Spanish by a Paris-based theatre group called Belicous.

Betzabel, who is also an expert on sattriya dance, runs a special researchcum-cultural centre on Sankari culture in Mexico.

"It is indeed a matter of great pride for us to once again host a range of scholars and researchers who have spent a lot of time exploring Sankaradeva and his contribution. We are glad that a scholar like Betzabel

will be part of a special academic session," said Surjya Hazarika, vicechairman of the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society.

More than 100 scholars from different parts of Assam will submit research papers on Sankaradeva during the course of the festival.

They will give lectures on the philosophical ideals and teachings of the 15thcentury saint and social reformer.

One of the festival's top attractions would be the Spanish rendition of ankiya naat 'Ram Bijoy'.

Theatre troupe Belicous comprises French, Spanish, Danish and Mexican artists and will perform on January 8, 9 and 10.

The festival aims at promoting research on Sankaradeva by getting social scientists, theologians, academics and performing artists from all over the world on board.

biodiversity and its cultural landscape. We will carry out several drives to encourage the residents to plant trees," he added.

Then, there will be a survey of the riverfront for some new projects. There were some projects on preservation of heritage landscape which will be completed this year.

Another important area is the formation of Swachh Bharat clubs in residential areas, schools and colleges.

Angamuthu said the initiatives will be taken for mass participation.

"Any kind of mission is successful when there is mass participation of people. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to form Swachh Bharat Clubs in residential areas and in schools. It is very important for students to inculcate a habit of cleanliness. So, we will also form such clubs in schools and colleges," he said.

Congress legislature party leader moves Chief Minister over derelict state of Charaideo ET Bureau Guwahati, Jan 4 : Congress legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia has written to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal seeking his intervention to ensure central funds to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the preservation of Charaideo Maidam are released.

Chariadeo was the first capital of the Ahom kingdom established by first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka Pha in the early 13th century. The centuries-old burial mounds of Ahom kings, included in Unesco's tentative list of world heritage sites, now face the threat of decay.

Since then, the Maidam has been left uncovered for over 14 years and has now become vulnerable to natural causes and environmental factors," Saikia had written in a letter to Union cultural affairs minister Mahesh Sharma in December, 2015.

In January 2015, ASI had submitted a proposal by IIT-Kharagpur for preservation of the burial mounds, Saikia said, adding that it is still pending with the Union ministry of cultural affairs.

"Non-release of funds for the proposal has caused great resentment among the local people as Unesco has included the site in its tentative "The Charaideo list of heritage sites," Maidam was excavated Saikia wrote in his letin 2002 by the ASI. ter to Sonowal.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

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NORTHEAST

Manipur crisis: NH appeals Cry for HDR’s exit, MHA to convene tripartite talks red corner against Dimapur, Jan 4 : Naga Hoho has appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to intervene and summon a tripartite talks between the government of Manipur and the United Naga Council (UNC), saying a solution to any problem/crisis could be brought only through dialogue across the table.

In a press release, Naga Hoho president P. Chuba Ozukum and Naga Hoho assembly speaker K. Elu Ndang, however, demanded that the president and publicity secretary of UNC, who were still under the police custody, be released unconditionally before any dialogue.

Naga Hoho said it believed in the brotherhood and friendly relationship between the Nagas and Meiteis, which has been maintaining since time immemorial. The Hoho, however, claimed that despite prolonged turmoil in

Julius gets louder

UNC supporters scuffle with security personnel during in Senapati, Manipur on Tuesday.

the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, the government of Manipur and the

government of India have been maintaining lukewarm attitude towards the

genuine demands of the people. It also said that the sensitivity and seriousness

to resolve the issue has not been addressed by the responsible authority.

UNC agitation: Seven hurt in police action IMPHAL, JAN 4: The ‘democratic picketing’ of government offices under the banner of United Naga Council (UNC) took an ugly turn on Tuesday in Senapati district where at least seven persons including four women sustained injuries in police action. As a measure to thwart any untoward incidents, the district administration had promulgated section 144 CrPC ahead of the protest. On Tuesday

morning, volunteers stormed the mini secretariat complex at Senapati district headquarters to close down the office.

As a result, police in order to disperse the protestors resorted to firing tear-gas shells and mock-bombs.

The agitators were also lathi-charged. The office picketing began from Monday in Naga dominated areas.

Reports said volunteers of

Lipokmar Tzudir steps down as NEZCC director Dimapur, Jan 4 : Lipokmar Tzudir has stepped down as director of the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC).

Though the reason for his resignation was not made known, sources at NEZCC said his illustrious tenure saw tremendous improvement and excellence in all aspects.

Tzudir, who was also instrumental for streamlining the activities of NEZCC and for ushering in the funds for development of ‘North East Heritage Museum’ at NEZCC complex besides others, remarked: “It has been both a pleasure and an honour to have worked with so many great people at NEZCC. I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish together with my most dedicated staff during my tenure as director”. He further remarked that the NEZCC was a mighty asset for Nagaland

by virtue of its establishment in the state. Hence, he said “the people of Nagaland should be always grateful, supportive and vigilant to ensure that outside forces does not disrupt its progress” “There’s definitely a mixed feeling on stepping down at this juncture where there are still so many dreams to achieve at the Centre, however, I am most confident in knowing that I leave behind a highly determined and committed group of people at NEZCC to see it through,” he added.

It was learned that the Director of Eastern Zone Cultural Centre, Dr. OP Bharti has been given additional charge of NEZCC. While speaking to some of the NEZCC staff, they said Tzudir was one of the most efficient directors, hardworking, selflessly committed and a visionary.

PR rumour rife, remains rumour !

IMPHAL, Jan 4 : With Chief Minister O Ibobi and Congress MLAs rushing to Delhi today amid the ongoing economic blockade and the Assembly election at hand, rumour was rife today in Imphal that President’s Rule has been imposed in the State.

The rumour spread like wild fire, especially in the backdrop of the fact that the Union Home Ministry had written to the Election Commission of India on the situation in the State.

The office of The Sangai Express was flooded with calls from readers and the public to inquire whether President’s Rule has been imposed or not.

However there is no official report of the Centre imposing President’s Rule in the State.

At the moment, Chief Electoral Officer, VK Dewangan and IGP L Kailun, who is the security nodal officer for the coming Assembly election, are presently in Delhi and they have submitted a written report to the Election Commission of India that all preparations for holding the Assembly election have been finalised.

Governor Najma Heptulla is also presently in Delhi, but she is there primarily to discuss developmental projects being taken up in the State, said sources.

Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) and Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB) in Tamenglong district locked down some government offices.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across Naga dominated hill districts.

Centre submits report The Home Ministry has submitted a report to the Election Commission regarding the “ongoing tension and grave law and or-

der situation” prevailing in Manipur, which is suffering from an economic blockade for more than 60 days.

A senior official said they had given a status report to the EC so that the latter could “independently make an assessment of the situation” in connection with the coming elections in the State.

The official said the EC had asked the Home Ministry

for Central forces and had asked for an assessment in the wake of the prevailing situation. “The report is in response to the EC’s demand for Central forces,” said the official.

The Centre had earlier pulled up the Congress-led Manipur government for its failure to resolve the continuous blockade of the national highway by Naga groups.

CM, Cong MLAs rush to Delhi to urge ECI to hold polls on time

Shillong, Jan 4 : Pressure is mounting on the State Government and the Police Department as people from different walks of life are demanding the resignation of Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, whose family owns Marvelene’s Inn, and asking the police to issue a red corner notice to all states against MLA Julius Dorphang who is accused of raping a minor.

Addressing the gathering at a meeting convened by TUR and CSWO at Bethany Society on Tuesday, Angela Rangad, said, “The Minister, who is in charge of Home (Police), should step down to ensure an independent inquiry into this case. I will not buy their (the owners’) story that they were unaware of the racket. There has to be an independent inquiry as other people might also be involved.”

“If the Home Minister declines to step down then Chief Minister Mukul Sangma should resign as he ought to take full responsibility of the matter and en-

sure action against the two MLAs (Lyngdoh and Dorphang) who are members of the MUA government. The voices of the people need to be heard. Not one of the women representatives has come out to speak against the incident.

The society has degraded to a low level,” she added.

The activists also demanded that the guest houses and the hotels which were mentioned by the 14-year-old victim be shut down and their licences revoked. They also wanted the owners to be booked and blacklisted when implicated.

Alleging that the State Government is encouraging ‘sex tourism’ by endorsing such guest houses, TUR’s Rangad said, “Guest houses are doing business without any regulations by the State Government.

There should be a review of skill development and tourism policies in the State which is aimed at sexual exploitation.”

On the absconding

Mawhati MLA, Rangad said, “It is a matter of shame that he is absconding and if there is nothing wrong, then he should cooperate.

There should be provisions to regulate guest houses and it is a huge racket involving many people.”

“The POCSO Act, 2012, and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, should be invoked to ensure that investigation is carried out in a time-bound manner. The investigation has to be completed within three months and there should not be any interference by police or others,” she added.

CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing told reporters, “A rally will be held on January 11 to raise our demands at the same time asserting that enough is enough, it is time we take on the reins.”

The meeting resolved to set up a hotline number with the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights where complaints on trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors can be lodged.

On the backfoot, cabinet firm to go ahead with civic polls Dimapur, Jan 4 : Finding itself on the back foot in the face of mass and overwhelming opposition throughout the state, against the controversy surrounding the decision to press ahead with elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the state cabinet Tuesday attempted an academic exercise by issuing a clarification but deciding that “the process of election to the ULBs as notified should be completed”.

A press communiqué issued

by Menokhol John, Principal Secretary, Municipal Affairs Department (MAD) informed that the decision was made after deliberating on the issue at a meeting held in the Dimapur residence of chief minister T.R. Zeliang According to the communiqué, the response of the cabinet to respective points were: (1)On whether civic polls with 33% women reservation infringed upon rights of Nagas as enshrined under Article 371A : the cabinet

said women quota in ULBs was a constitutional obligation through Article 243T that came to force in 1993 and not through any Act of the state. It said the Nagaland Municipal Act was only to carry out the constitutional mandate and give effect to Article 243T. (2) On whether concerns expressed by various tribal organisations were addressed by the Nagaland Municipal (Third Amendment)Act,2016: The cabinet maintained that holding of civic polls with 33% women reservation as passed by the government in 2006 to give mandate to Art.243T ( but Part-IXA was subsequently made inoperative by the state government through an assembly resolution on September 22,2012). The cabinet said Art.243T which was in force since 1993 was not found to have infringed on the rights of Nagas as enshrined in Article 371A. It reiterated that holding of elections to ULBs with 33% women reservation would not infringe

on Article 371A. (3)On whether withholding polls to ULBs would infringe upon Article 371A as maintained earlier by the state government, would stand legal scrutiny, since 25% reservation was already provided by the government in VDBs : The cabinet maintained that withholding elections to ULBs since the last ten years had adverse effect on towns and municipalities in matters of development and local selfgovernance and therefore, keeping elections on hold would “do more harm than good to these ULBs.” (4) On whether civic polls have anything to do with traditional practices of Nagas as townships under municipalities , (which the cabinet described as “new concepts”) had nothing to do with traditional or customary practices of Nagas.: the cabinet decided to have more consultations with the tribal organisations in the days to come “ for better understanding”.

Naga Hoho bats for dialogue IMPHAL, Jan 4: On learning about the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) recommendation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election on the ‘pretext of volatile law and order situation,’ Chief Minister O Ibobi, Cabinet Ministers and Congress MLAs have rushed to Delhi today to urge the ECI to hold the election on time.

Meanwhile, it is reported that there is no question of President Rule being in the State and the election notification is likely to be issued tomorrow (January 4).

Sources informed that the MHA recommended the ECI to defer the State Assembly election for sometime citing the State’s volatile law and order situation which would not be conducive for holding free and fair election.

On the other hand, BJP Manipur Pradesh submitted a written appeal to the MHA to persuade the ECI to postpone the State Assembly election as it would be difficult to make necessary security arrangements for the election in view of the ongoing indefinite eco-

nomic blockade and people’s agitation in the hill districts.

Acting on the written appeal, the MHA recommended the ECI to postpone the State Assembly election.

On learning about the MHA’s recommendation, an emergency meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held this morning at the Chief Minister’s conference hall.

The CLP meeting presided

by Chief Minister O Ibobi deliberated on the MHA’s recommendation and the State’s prevailing law and order situation.

Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam and IFC Minister Ngamthang Haokip who were supposed to inaugurate Kangchup police station and Leimakhong police station cancelled their programme on account of the emergency CLP meeting.

After minute discussion, the CLP meeting resolved to go to Delhi and urge the ECI to hold the State Assembly election in time.

The meeting also decided to meet AICC leaders and apprise them about the State’s prevailing law and

order situation.

After the meeting, Chief Minister O Ibobi, majority of his Cabinet Ministers and Congress MLAs left Imphal for Delhi this afternoon.

The Congress legislators led by the Chief Minister would also call on President Mukherjee and present a detailed report about the State’s law and order situation, apart from urging the President not to impose President’s Rule in Manipur.

The CLP team who went in three different flights would meet ECI officials tomorrow.

They would also seek an appointment with President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow itself.

Commenting on the rumours about imposition of President’s Rule in the State, one CLP member maintained that there is no reason for imposition of President’s Rule in the State at the moment.

He further conveyed that the ECI is expected to issue due notification for the State Assembly election tomorrow.

It is not yet clear when the Chief Minister and the Congress legislators will return to the State.

Kohima, Jan 4 :Naga Hoho, the apex body of tribal organisations in Nagaland, today alleged despite prolonged turmoil in the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, the Government of Manipur and the Centre have been maintaining lukewarm attitude towards the genuine demands of the people.

“The plight of the Naga people living in the Hill areas of Manipur has been suppressed by the Government of Manipur. The sen-

sitivity and seriousness to resolve the issue has not been addressed,” Naga Hoho president P Chuba Ozukum and Assembly Secretary K Elu Ndang said in a release here.

Maintaining that the Naga Hoho believes in brotherhood and friendly relationship between the Nagas and Meiteis, they appealed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene and summon a tripartite meet between the Govern-

ment of Manipur and the United Naga Council (UNC).

The Hoho appealed that the two officials of UNC, including the president, who are still in police custody should be released unconditionally before any dialogue.

“A solution to any problem or crisis could be brought only through dialogue across the table,” the Hoho said. PTI

Central govt. extends AFSPA in Nagaland for another six months Kohima, Jan 4 : The controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been extended for another six months in Nagaland, an official said on Tuesday.

“The Union Home Ministry in a notification on December 30, extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, in the entire area of Nagaland for another six months, a Nagaland home department official said.

The notification issued by the Home Ministry’s Joint Secretary Satyendra Garg said that the Centre was of the opinion that the area comprising the entire state of Nagaland was in such a “disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of

armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary”.

Rights groups, various civil societies and political parties, specially the tribalbased parties in Northeastern states described the law as “draconian” and have been demanding its withdrawal as the act gave huge powers to the Army and para-military forces to conduct operations anywhere in the disturb areas without any prior notice.

Besides Nagaland, the AFSPA is also in force in Manipur (excluding the Imphal Municipal Council area), some parts of Assam and in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Left-ruled Tripura in

May 2015 had withdrawn the AFSPA which gave sweeping powers and judicial immunity to security forces in conflict-hit areas.

The law was enforced in the state 19 years ago to curb terrorism.

The central government, various political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress hailed the Tripura government’s decision.

The Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) had entered into a ceasefire agreement in August 1997. Around 60 rounds of talks were held to end the insurgency that was said to have claimed 25,000 lives since 1947.

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

Today's quote

“

Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.

Vince Lombardi

Secularising the election The Supreme Court has grappled with the question whether a provision in electoral law that makes it a corrupt practice to use religion, race, caste or language as a ground for canvassing votes in an election is a bar limited to the groups to which candidates or their rivals belong, or whether it is a general prohibition on sectarian appeals. Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as amended in 1961, gave rise to this doubt. By a fourthree majority, a seven-member Bench has ruled that it is a general prohibition on the use of religion or any other communal or sectarian value in the electoral arena. The minority favoured limiting the ambit of the sub-section to cover only candidates who sought votes on such grounds, or the rivals they wanted the voters not to back on similar grounds. That secularism is the bedrock of our democracy is undisputed.

That the electoral process ought not to permit appeals to the electorate on these narrow grounds is equally beyond doubt. Against this backdrop, it is only logical that the Supreme Court should decide that it is a "corrupt practice" for candidates to use any caste or communal parameters to canvass for votes or to discredit a rival, regardless of whether the candidates themselves belong to such religious, communal or linguistic groups.

It is interesting that the dispute turned on a single pronoun, 'his', that was introduced in the 1961 amendment. The majority opinion favours a 'purposive interpretation', holding that it covered the candidates as well as the voter. It finds support in legislative history and our constitutional ethos. The purpose of the amendment was to widen the scope of the particular corrupt practice. Given that secularism is a basic feature of the Constitution, it has been interpreted in the light of Parliament's intention to prohibit any religious or sectarian appeal for votes. There is a justifiable worry that a wider interpretation may lead to eliminating from the poll discourse political issues that turn on religion, caste or language. After all, this is a country in which sections of society suffer deprivation and historical injustices based on religious or caste identity. But the overall message is clear. It is left to the wisdom of judges dealing with election cases to draw the line between what is permissible and what is not, and look at the context in which some statements are made before deciding whether they constitute a corrupt practice. The majority verdict will find resonance with all those who swear by the primacy of secularism in the public domain. The minority view nuances this with a reminder that legal issues need to be seen in their social context.

A nudge to borrowers The State Bank of India's decision to cut its mar-

ginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 90 basis points is a timely nudge to borrowers, especially given the sharp slowdown in credit growth in the current fiscal year. The timing of the cut is not surprising, given that the country's largest commercial lender is awash with funds held in current and savings account (CASA) deposits following the Centre's decision to withdraw high-value banknotes and impose withdrawal curbs on account-holders.

With demand across sectors having taken a knock in the wake of the resultant cash crunch, the SBI's decision to reduce borrowing costs is likely to spur some credit-fuelled buying including in sectors such as automobiles. Latest data from the Reserve Bank of India show that growth in bank credit decelerated to 1.2 per cent in the April 1-December 9, 2016 period, compared with the 6.2 per cent pace witnessed in the comparable period in 2015. Deposit growth, on the other hand, almost doubled in pace, accelerating from 7.1 per cent in the same period in 2015 to 13.6 per cent in 2016. Banks have thus found themselves in an unenviable situation where their liabilities (the money they owe depositors) have jumped sharply, while their assets (the loans they give) have instead almost stagnated. This has added to their woes at a time when mounting bad loans have pushed most public sector banks to post record quarterly losses.

The demonetisation decision has willy-nilly ended up providing banks with the windfall of low-cost deposits that could potentially serve as the launch pad to a credit-backed demand stimulus in the economy.

Other banks have also cut lending rates, and lenders are now vying with each other to innovatively structure credit products, including home loans, in a bid to capitalise on what they hope will be an enduring revival in the appetite for borrowing. Still, the constraint of needing to fund the substantially higher interest commitments on deposits that have swelled the bank's liabilities have also forced the SBI to raise the spread it applies on home loans - the additional markup interest it charges over the benchmark oneyear MCLR - to a minimum of 50 basis points from 25 basis points earlier. The question is whether this reduction in borrowing costs will be enough to restore consumer confidence. With the Union budget less than a month away, the coming weeks could well serve to provide clear signals on the potential need for a fiscal stimulus to reinvigorate flagging economic growth, especially if a revival in credit growth is going to be slower than anticipated.

P6

Two takes on democracy This week, a divided Supreme Court placed before us two visions of the public sphere, pitting the ideal of the universal citizen against citizen-electors situated within their social contexts Do fair elections require that certain kinds of statements - such as appeals to religion, caste, and language - be taken off the campaigning table altogether? Can the state prevent adult citizens from being exposed to certain ideas before they vote?

Can a court decide that only certain kinds of interests count in a democracy? Does secularism mandate the complete exclusion of religion from the public sphere? And must identities based upon religion, caste, and language always be treated as evils to be fought and eradicated? Or can they sometimes become sites of emancipation, markers around which citizens organise themselves and seek liberation through the attainment of political power?

A landmark judgment These questions, fundamental to understanding the foundations of our republic, were answered by a divided Supreme Court on Monday. The seven judges hearing the case split four to three, revealing the complexity of the issues involved, as well as an inevitable collision of constitutional values. And it all began with a disagreement over a single word: "his".

Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, India's omnibus election law, defines a corrupt electoral practice as follows: "The appeal by a candidate or his agent or by any other person with

the consent of a candidate or his election agent to vote or refrain from voting for any person on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community...." The question before the Supreme Court was deceptively simple: did the underlined word "his" qualify only the electoral candidate (and his agent, or persons speaking with his consent)? Or did it also qualify the person to whom the appeal was addressed (the elector)? A quick glance at the text of the section will tell us that, although the former reading is more plausible, language alone cannot answer the question: the section does not specify whether "his" refers to the speaker seeking votes, or the audience from whom votes are being sought. To select one interpretation over the other, we must ask ourselves: what is this law trying to achieve?

The majority view Four out of seven judges held that the law was trying to achieve the purity of elections, and that the purity of elections required that appeals to caste, religion, language, and community be kept out of the electoral process. In the view of the majority, an election that was fought and decided on these issues was a distortion of democracy. And it was distorted because of two reasons: one, that for democracy to survive, there must be agreement on certain basic essentials "which could unite and hold citizens together".

Religion, language, caste, etc were precisely the kind of divisive markers of identity that threatened this fragile consensus; and two, while democracy

depended on voters exer- ied citizen-selves. And cising their franchise on once in the public sphere, the basis of rational we must participate as thought and action, ap- rational individuals, delibpeals to religion, language, erating about the public and caste were inherently interest, unencumbered emotive and irrational in by the baggage of our renature. To substantiate ligion, caste, language, or commuthis, the But majority Gautam Bhatia nity. because also marour markshalled the legislative history behind ers of identity are a conthe section, holding that its stant temptation, the state basic purpose was to must help us out. It does "curb communal, fissipa- this by passing laws that rous and separatist tenden- prohibit certain kinds of cies". Therefore, to re- election speech, speech strict Section 123(3)'s pro- that "appeals" to the prohibition only to electoral hibited markers of idencandidates would be con- tity. trary to public interest.

In this way, the state Furthermore, in his prevents the distortion of separate, concurring opin- democracy, and helps us ion, Chief Justice T.S. to become true citizens.

Thakur added another To some, this might string to this bow. The sound like a noble and inChief Justice held that spiring vision of democsecularism required the racy, and of the Consticomplete exclusion of re- tution. ligion from public life: "ReBut it was not the vision ligion can have no place in such [secular] activities that the dissenting judges for religion is a matter per- held. At the heart of the sonal to the individual with disagreement between the which neither the State nor majority and the dissent any other individual has was a disagreement over the idea of citizenship, and anything to do." the value of identity. JusConsequently, according tice D.Y. Chandrachud, to the majority, the word the author of the dissent"his" in Section 123(3) ing opinion, wrote: "The was to be understood Constitution... recognises broadly, referring to both the position of religion, the speaker as well as the caste, language and genaudience. In effect, it pro- der in the social life of the hibited appeals to the pro- nation. Individual histories hibited "grounds" (reli- both of citizens and colgion, caste etc) during the lective groups in our society are associated electoral process. through the ages with hisAt the heart of the tories of discrimination majority's vision of the and injustice on the basis democratic public sphere of these defining characwas the ideal of abstract, teristics... [and] access to universal personhood. To governance is a means of enter the public sphere as addressing social disparicitizens, we must leave ties. Social mobilisation is our messy markers of per- a powerful instrument of sonal identity at the door, bringing marginalised embracing our disembod- groups into the main-

stream. To hold that a person who seeks to contest an election is prohibited from speaking of the legitimate concerns of citizens that the injustices faced by them on the basis of traits having an origin in religion, race, caste, community or language would be remedied is to reduce democracy to an abstraction."

Universal citizen does not exist The dissent's answer to the majority's construction of the universal citizen was that such an individual did not, and could not, exist. Human beings are always situated within their social contexts, and in India, these contexts have been characterised by religion, language, caste, and community.

These are, and have been, the sites of inclusion and exclusion, privilege and oppression, domination and resistance, power, pleasure, discrimination, and suffering. In the dissent's view, constitutional law could not be oblivious to this history. It could not wrench the individual out of her context, and set her down, abstract and disembodied, to deliberate in the public sphere.

And most importantly, it could not say to those who, for centuries, had been denied dignity and rights on the very basis of their caste, religion, language or community that they were now precluded from organising around those very markers to liberate themselves.

In the last analysis, the dissent's crucial insight was this: after centuries of structural and institutional discrimination, these markers of identity had acquired a certain social salience - that is, a certain

visible significance. For all these years, this social salience had been used to arbitrarily exclude and marginalise those who fell on the wrong side of it.

But now, with the advent of democracy, it was precisely this social salience that allowed the oppressed to organise around the site of their prior oppression, and use that to gain political power. It was that which allowed B.R. Ambedkar to form the All India Scheduled Castes Federation, a political party exclusively devoted to Dalit emancipation.

For this reason, the dissent held that Section 123(3) had to be construed narrowly. The phrase "his religion" referred only to the religion of an electoral candidate, and not the religion of the voter. Section 123(3) prohibited statements like "I am a Hindu, vote for me", or "My opponent is a Hindu, don't vote for her".

Such a law was permissible, because a candidate was supposed to represent her entire constituency, and not just a subset of it.

But, the dissent held, this far and no further. The same logic could not be extended to citizen-electors, when they participated in the electoral process.

On Monday, the Supreme Court placed before us two visions of the Constitution, of democracy, of citizenship, and the public sphere. As a matter of law, the majority carried the day; but it is for each of us to ask ourselves which vision we find more convincing, and truer to our uniquely plural and diverse democracy, and to its eventful and tumultuous history.

Arunachal events, complete disgrace The formation of a BJP government under Pema Khandu is the culmination of the farcical and manipulative politics being practised in Arunachal Pradesh for more than a year. The BJP has been eyeing the state as part of its project to bring the entire Northeast under its sway. The plan got a boost with the party's Assembly election victory in Assam and the creation of the North East Democratic Alliance of non-Congress parties. But it is un-

scrupulous politics, violation of Constitutional norms and use of power and money which has marked the party's activities in the region.

Arunachal Pradesh was the first state in the region to see the worst features of this cynical politics in play, and remains the only one till date to see the toppling game orchestrated at the Centre.

The message that it gives to the region and the entire county is negative and dispiriting.

After the Congress government of Nabam Tuki was replaced with the help of dissidents more than a year ago, the state has witnessed only instability and its politics has sunk to newer and newer lows.

There have been three chief ministers and a stint of Presidents's rule, parallel Assembly sessions, disqualifications and counter-actions and impeachments. The murky goings-on also saw the suicide of a former chief minister,

The Chinese farmer There is a Chinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields.

One day the horse escaped into the hills and, when all the farmer's neighbours sympathised with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, 'Bad luck?

Good luck? Who knows?'

A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours

congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, 'Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?'

Then, when the farmer's son was attempted to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Every-

one thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, 'Bad luck? Good luck?

Who knows?'

Some weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there.

When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg they let him off. Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?

Kaliko Pul. Pema Kandu became chief minister after joining the BJP's ally the People's Party of Arunachal. Now he has joined the BJP and is officially heading the party's government in the state. The Supreme Court's reinstatement of the toppled Congress chief minister and assertion of the best principles of constitutional correctness and propriety in matters relating to the majority of chief ministers and the conduct of state governors eventu-

ally did not matter much.

The BJP and the central government had a welllaid plan to capture power in the state and pursued it over a period relentlessly, stopping at nothing.

The BJP has now won a victory in the state but the readiness to adopt any tactics to win power and to retain it, to violate the Constitution and the law and even to undermine the orders of the Supreme Court in dubious ways

has badly violated the spirit of democracy and vitiated its practice.

The BJP is not the only party that has practised this bad politics. It is continuing with a vengeance the wrong policies once followed by the Congress, but the people are the losers.

Governments of other states in the region will feel more heat now. The practice of such cynical politics is especially bad for the strategically important and sensitive Northeastern region.

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.

Kumud Goswami Amolapatty, Dibrugarh

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

P7

LIFE & STYLE

5 Different Types of Extramarital Affairs There are five different types of extramarital affairs and each happens due to a mixture of motivations. At the very top of the list is the pure sexual affair. This often has little to do with the cheated on spouse and much more to do with the fact that having sex with a new person is incredible.

It's a rush that you simply can't experience in a marriage and it drives a significant portion of all affairs.

The release of hormones that comes from sleeping with a new person is where the drive for this type of affair is born. These affairs happen quickly and end just as quickly. Once the rush wears off there's no reason to continue the affair. Most of the married but looking

layer of emotional support.

When an affair of this type happens the marriage is almost always dead already and is simply being buried by the betrayal.

men and women out there are into it for this reason.

1) The Revenge Affair Revenge is a common motivator for those looking to find an affair. Generally it begins with a great dissatisfaction in the primary relationship and anger towards the partner for that lack of satisfaction. The affair is both to get the pleasure you've been craving and to get a silent form of revenge on the partner that has denied you what you need for so many years.

These affairs are the most commonly discovered because a big part of the motivation is to hurt the person you love. It sounds awful, of course, but it's one way of ending a marriage

that just isn't working while having some fun along the way.

2) The Emotional Affair Affairs can happen even if

there's no sex. Some may even find an affair like this even more egregious than a night in the sack because they involve a genuine emotional connection and that

can be a major betrayal.

Emotional affairs tend to develop between coworkers or good friends that take it to the next level because someone needs that extra

3) The Family Affair Believe it or not but extramarital affairs in the family happen more often than you might think. I'm not talking about incest of course, but brothers and sisters in law sleeping with each other. It's not terribly common, but if you're in an unhappy marriage and you're always at family events with someone in the same type of unhappy marriage you might very well make that connection.

If you take it to the logical conclusion you will find an affair waiting for you.

Would you take it?

4) The One-sided Affair The one-sided marital affair is exceptionally common and almost always involves a woman sleeping with a man in the belief that he will leave his wife for her because he's so in love when in fact he's just having an affair because he wants new sex. The woman is in a relationship and the man is in a perpetual married but looking state where he has multiple affairs, sleeping with someone new as soon as the old mistress gets frustrated with his lack of commitment. This is bad for both sides. The woman is being emotionally abused and the guy risks getting caught when his mistress gets angry and tells his wife.

5) The grass is always greener affair The one type of affair that almost always leads to the destruction of a marriage is the one where both members feel as though they've met the person they were meant to be with. They connect on an emotional and physical level and it feels so good it's like a drug they just can't quit. This is dangerous because that kind of passion will almost certainly blow up a relationship for good and leave the married partners in the dust. It can end with everyone unhappy too, since that connection and passion isn't always genuine and honest and can be informed by a marriage that isn't going well.

'Crawling': The next big fit- 7 bizarre mental disorders ness and core workout trend? you don't know exist We all live in a perpetual belief: 'My life is pathetic '.

But do you know there are people who cannot even decide if they are dead or alive? Or even worse, they cannot even decide to decide? There are such rare psychological diseases that are bizarre, uncommon, and hard to accept. They can make you feel that your genitals are shrinking or can convince you that your best friend has been replaced with an imposter.

Read the following and you will end up with a sense of gratitude as your life is only pathetic and nothing worse.

If you think you've heard it all when it comes to fitness trends, you might want to reconsider that. Crawling - yes, actual crawling - is picking up pace to be a popular core workout in the U.S. among grown adults, who swear by this and incorporate it to their daily workout routine.

WHAT IS A CRAWL? This might seem obvious, but crawling is exactly what you think it is. You might associate the action with babies or toddlers, but crawling as a physical exercise might not be such a new phenomenon. In fact, it has actually long been used as a physical therapy tool, before now being adopted into fitness and strengthening regiments in gyms. Crawling is said to metaphorically

press the 'reset' button on your central nervous system, activate all your core muscles, and revisit the mobility patterns you learned as a baby.

In case you forgot how to crawl and Sarah want to get in on the trend, experts recommend you follow these 3 simple steps: * Get on your hands and knees, placing your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. * Keep your back flat and straight, as you lift your knees about 2 inches off the floor. *Finally, start crawling by

moving your opposite hand and foot just 2 to 3 inches forward, while keeping your knees off the ground, head up and your back straight.

Repeat with your other hand and foot.

It might Khan sound deceptively easy, but as you age, your body apparently resists these 'primal' movements you organically learnt as a child. Fitness centres and crawling enthusiasts insist that the movement will help your body regain the strength, mobility and stability you had in your youth.

Other benefits touted include an improvement in balance and even memory!

JUST A FAD? More research is needed

to scientifically back the claims that crawling 'resets' your central nervous system which experts are sceptical about. However, physical therapists and sports science experts concede that it does make for a great form of exercise. The reason: the crawling position actually activates your abdominal, back and other core muscles that you have to contract in order to propel yourself forward.

Either way - what do you have to lose? Given the fact that you virtually need no equipment or dollars invested to get in on the trend, crawling might just be worth trying it out! A word of caution, however: you might want to give this a miss if you have bad knees.

Or bad wrists.

Walking Corpse Syndrome magine feeling that you are dead already, your body is rotting, internal organs are out of order, and you are ceasing to exist. That is how putrefying it feels like to the patients of Walking Corpse Disorder. Though majority of the patients experience a lack of existence of their selves, there is a flip side to it - some feign immortality.

It was discovered by neurologist Jules Cotard who described it as 'The Delirium of Negation'. The situation begins with selfhatred and can become as strong as experiencing severe delusions and chronic depression.

Erotomania Have you watched 'He Loves Me‌ He Loves Me Not'? Here we are dealing

with a condition that Audrey females than males and can Tautou had in the movie - be caused due to age, brain Erotomania. This is a delu- injury, migraine and in one sional disorder in which the odd case, it was caused due patient thinks that someone, to the drug ketamine. usually from a higher status, Alien Hand Syndrome is in love with them. They A South feel this through spePark fan? If Sangeeta Soni so, you can cial signals, visualize this glances, and even telepasyndrome in thy. The delusion is so Eric Cartman who suffers strong that even if the delu- from Alien Hand Syndrome sional lover comes and de- in the episode titled "Fat nies any feeling, the patient Butt and Pancake Head". would still be unconvinced This one is about your hand and think it to be an attempt getting alienated from your at hiding his love from the body. In this neurological world. disorder, a discrepancy develops between one's intentions and his actions. The Capgras Syndrome Imagine feeling like afflicted person's hand Leonardo Di Caprio of In- movement goes out of his ception only without a totem control and can do things to tell you if you are living and reach out to objects in a real or unreal world. without him wanting to do Capgras is a mental condi- so. It is caused by damaged tion in which you feel that a signals between the left and close friend, spouse, family right part of the brain. member or a pet has been Aboulomania replaced by an identical imMaybe this is the name of poster. People suffering from this disorder feel that the medical condition that their reality has become defines the Hamletian warped or substituted. It Prufrock of T.S Eliot. The occurs more commonly in vital question - To be or not

to be? - is the beginning and premise of this disease.

People suffering from Aboulomania suffer from a deranged willpower such that their everyday tasks become the deciding questions of their lives. To stay at home or go for a walk, to order Mexican food or Italian food, to call or text someone - these are questions they cannot answer without an eternity of dilemmas. This pathological indecisiveness is often associated with stress, anxiety, depression and anguish.

Synesthesia This disorder is what it feels like to be on a perpetual drug trip. A hippy disorder, Synesthesia can make the person confuse a sensory stimulation with another sense. This kind of confusion between senses can make people associate sounds with colors, tastes with sounds, smells with visions or all of them together resulting in what is often called "union of the senses".

Koro syndrome Also known as Shrinking Penis or Genital Retraction Syndrome, it is a delusional disorder in which a person feels that his genitals are retracting into the abdomen, may disappear one day and will kill him, all this without any physical proofs for the retraction. This disorder has struck people in masses and has a history of epidemic spreads in China, Southeast Asia, Africa, U.S, and Europe.

11 Foods And Drinks That Are Banned Around The World Different places around the world have put a ban on different foods, and some of the reasons behind them are actually thought provoking.

Are we eating food that is toxic? Or should these countries just be jealous of us?

1. Samosas are banned in Somalia.

A very common snack in India, these triangular fried delicacies is banned in Somalia. The Al-Shabaab leaders find the three sided snack offensive as it resembles the Christian Holy Trinity and the triangular shape is not compatible with their strict Islamic culture.

2. Ketchup is banned in primary schools in France.

Our perfect companion to fries and pakoras, ketchup, is banned from primary schools in France. They believe it poses a cultural threat to traditional French cooking among children as it "masks the flavour of whatever they are eating."

3. It is illegal to sell

Kinder Eggs in the USA. Two of our favourite things as kids in one, chocolate and a surprise gift.

Kinder Eggs used to be our favourite. Their import, however, is banned in the United States as they contain a non-edible object embedded in it. It works as a precautionary means as children might swallow the plastic toy. We feel for you America.

4. It is illegal to chew gum in Singapore, unless prescribed.

Since 2004, Singapore has put a ban on chewing gums and only a few with therapeutic value are allowed. Gums can be purchased through a prescription from a doctor only. If anyone spits gum on the streets, there's a fine of $500 (Rs.32,000). The reason behind the ban was because of its sticky nature. No wonder Singapore is so clean.

5. Bhang is banned in most parts of the world.

The fact that bhang's main ingredient is Cannabis, makes this truly Indian drink banned in many parts

of the world. India seems pretty chilled out for a moment, doesn't it?

6. Raw almonds cannot be sold in California.

In California, it is illegal to sell raw almonds as it has been proven that they are one of the reasons behind salmonella outbreaks.

People infected with salmonella usually develop high fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The almonds need to be pasteurised before they can be eaten. But even after being that, they are labelled as "Raw Almonds".

7. Absinthe is banned in US, New Zealand and Canada.

This strong alcoholic drink consists of large concentrations of warmwood, which can lead to hallucinations and violent outbursts, thus affecting mental health. It is therefore banned in the US, New Zealand and Canada.

8. BVO, an active ingredient in Mountain Dew, is banned in the EU. Most aerated citrus

flavoured drinks like Mountain Dew, are banned in over 100 countries including the EU. Consumption in high amounts can lead to memory loss, fatigue, loss of coordination, tremors and many more side effects.

9. Unpasteurised milk and dairy products are banned in USA and Canada Unpasteurised or Raw Milk is banned in 22 US states and Canada as it holds the threat of causing salmonella, litirosis and other diseases caused by germs. It is however still legal in Europe, Africa and Asia with constant debates from specialists that it is healthy.

10. Jelly sweets are banned in the EU Jelly sweets, the gooey, sticky sugary candies, are banned in UK and the rest of the EU. There are, however, exceptions. The companies that do not add a thickening agent called konjac to their jelly sweets, can legally sell and trade in these countries. These candies are also a threat as they

can be a choking hazard for young kids.

11. Foie gras banned in most of Europe and USA When translated from

French, Foie gras means fat liver. It's a dish that is made out of goose/duck liver and is softer and more delicious than any other part of their

body [when cooked, jeez].

The reason behind that is, the ducks are forced-fed with tubes being forced down their throats with fat

to enlarge the liver. The dish is banned in Europe (except France) and in many states of the USA on ethical grounds.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

Khehar sworn in as 44th Chief Justice of India PTI New Delhi, Jan 4 : Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, who led the fivejudge constitution bench in the Supreme Court which had struck down the controversial NJAC Act for appointment of judges, was today sworn in as the 44th Chief Justice of India.

President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Kehar at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Khehar took oath in the name of God in English at the ceremony where the Opposition was conspicuous by its absence.

Then CJI, T S Thakur had last month recommended

Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar. the name of Justice Khehar, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, to be his successor.

Justice Khehar, 64, will be the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community.

Justice Thakur demitted

office yesterday.

Justice Khehar will hold the tenure for over seven months till August 27.

Besides heading the bench in NJAC matter, Justice Khehar has also headed a bench which had set aside the imposi-

tion of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh in January.

He was a part of the bench which sent Sahara chief Subrata Roy to jail while hearing the matter relating to the refund of money invested by people in his two companies.

Justice Khehar also headed a bench which recently gave a significant verdict holding that the principal of 'equal pay for equal work' has to be made applicable to those engaged as daily wagers, casual and contractual employees who perform the same duties as the regulars.

While the turf war between the judiciary and

the executive over the appointment of judges for higher judiciary has intensified, Justice Khehar on the occasion of Constitution Day on November 26 had responded to the tirade from Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi by saying the judiciary was working within its "lakshmanrekha".

"Judiciary is mandated to shield all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike, against discrimination and abuse of State power. Liberty, equality and dignity of citizen have flourished substantially in India due to the pro-active role of judiciary in the country," he had said.

Scams, agitations rocked Accepting new responsibility with a Nagaland in 2016

In 2016, Nagaland saw a pressure group under the banner of Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation and others highlighting a fuel adulteration racket in June and anomalies in Public Distribution System in December.

PTI Kohima, Jan 4 : Nagaland was rocked by scams and saw a spate of agitations and protests besides continuous push by the civil society for a solution to the vexed Naga issue in 2016.

Nagas came together strongly opposing two major decisions of the Centre -- imposition of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and Disturbed Areas Act and observation of Good Governance Day on Christmas day.

The year gone by saw gunfights between Assam Rifles and NSCN-K leading to casualties on both sides.

People held several rallies to protest such clashes.

President of NSCN (Unification), Khole Konyak, formally joined NSCN(IM) in March while Chairman of NSCN(IM) Isak Chishi Swu died after prolonged illness in June.

Inter-tribal clashes in

Shamatore and Kiphire led to burning down of several houses and properties.

The state was also saw a pressure group under the banner of Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) and Concerned Citizens of Nagaland and others highlighting a fuel adulteration racket in June and anomalies in Public Distribution System in December. The granting of recognised tribe status to Rongmei Nagas by the state government led to differences within the state's apex tribal organisation Naga Hoho, following which three tribal organisations Ao, Lotha and Sumi were disassociated from the Hoho in September.

On the political front, the Nagaland unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was launched at Dimapur. In June, a group of suspended Congress leaders floated Nagaland Congress.

The political drama within

the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) continued with the suspension of political giants Neiphiu Rio, a three-time chief minister and now a Lok Sabha member along with MLA Imkong L Imchen on charges of conspiring to topple Chief Minister T R Zeliang.

Zeliang also removed BJP MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon from his ministry as Parliamentary Secretary for Labour and Employment, Skill Development and Border Affairs in October on charges of anti-DAN government activities.

The state government decided to hold elections to urban local bodies by granting 33 per cent women reservation despite pressure from various tribal organisations and civil societies to reconsider the decision.

With a view to amicably resolve the prolonged border issue with Assam, Zeliang in October met his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal at Kaziranga and discussed ways to create more cordial relations.

The state also become the first in the northeast to pass Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Bill.

The School Education department was rocked by several agitations -employees under centrallysponsored schemes like SSA, RMSA and Hindi teachers for non-payment of salaries and regularisation of their services.

Poll schedule for five states announced, UP votes in 7 phases PTI New Delhi, Jan 4 : The highstakes assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases between February 11 and March 8, while Punjab and Goa will go to polls together on February 4, Uttarakhand on February 15 and Manipur in two phases on March 4 and 8, with counting to be held on March 11.

Announcing the poll schedule for five states, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said the seven-phased UP Assembly polls for 403 constituencies will be held on February 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, March 4 and 8.

He said over 16 crore people will participate in these polls for a total of 690 constituencies in five states, for which the Commission has set up 1.85 lakh polling stations, which are 15 per cent more than those set up in 2012 polls.

The CEC flanked by the two Election Commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat announced that the poll process will commence with the issue

Poll schedule for five states announced, UP votes in 7 phases. of notification on January 11 for Punjab and Goa polls where candidates can start filing their nominations.

"The Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect and will apply on political parties and state governments concerned, besides the Central government in terms of announcements in these states," Zaidi told reporters.

The CEC said candidates will have to open a fresh bank ac-

count for all election expenses and all expenses above Rs 20,000 will be made through cheques from their respective accounts. He added that all donations will also be accepted through cheques.

The maximum limit for expenses for each candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand is Rs 28 lakh, while that in Goa and Manipur is Rs 20 lakh, he said. .

P8

NATION

West Bengal BJP leader's house attacked

West Bengal BJP leader's house attacked.

PTI Hooghly, Jan 4 : Coming close on the heels of the TMC attack on the state party headquarters of the BJP in Kolkata yesterday, West Bengal BJP general secretary Krishna Bhattacharya's house was attacked with bombs in Hooghly district last night.

Three men, with their faces covered, came in a motorcycle to her house

in Konnanagar Jorapukur Ghat at 9 PM yesterday and started hurling bombs.

They barged into the house, smashed a windowpane, damaged furniture, and abused and assaulted her, Bhattacharya said in her police complaint.

The BJP leader said in her complaint that it was the handiwork of "antisocials harboured by the

TMC".

She has been admitted to Uttarpara State General Hospital where her condition has been described as stable, hospital sources said.

The police said they rushed to her house after getting the information, adding that investigation was on.

District TMC leader Tapan Dasgupta said no party supporter was involved in the incident.

Several BJP workers were injured yesterday when activists of the students wing of Trinamool Congress had attacked the state party headquarters here with stones to protest the arrest of the TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay in the Rose Valley chit fund scam case.

heavy heart: Stalin Sonia Gandhi should clear

stand on ponzi scam: BJP

Accepting new responsibility with a heavy heart.

Chennai, Jan 4 : DMK treasurer M K Stalin, who was today named as the party Working President, said he accepted the new responsibility with a heavy heart in view of the health of party chief and his nonagenarian father Karunanidhi.

Stating that in the past, he had felt proud and happy when he assumed new responsibilities, he broke down while saying, "Today I'm not in such a stage (feeling happy about elevation), this is the truth."

"In view of the health status of party chief, I accept this position with a heavy heart," he said, adding that his work as working chief would be that of aiding the party patriarch Karunanidhi.

"Be it our president, general secretary or other senior leaders, I will follow the path shown by them and I'm ready to carry out the party activities with all your support," he said.

"I pledge that I will function responsibly," he added.

Stalin in his brief acceptance speech said his elevation was not a sudden development. "The matter was given ample thought, it was well discussed and consulted (among party senior leadership)," he said.

Hailing Karunanidhi as a leader "who gave rest to rest itself", he said such a "leader needs some rest" and said Karunanidhi, who had taken ill, should now fully recover.

Delving into the circumstances surrounding his elevation, he said in view of the top leader's health, the senior leadership after discussions decided that Karunanidhi needed rest and had "persuaded and urged" him to become working president.

"Finally, the change has been effected by way of a resolution and it has been adopted in this general council meet with your overwhelming support," he told partymen.

Reminiscing about his decades-long political journey in the party, he said from a very young age, he grew up in a political ambiance when party workers gathered at their residence to meet his father and then party top leader Karunanidhi. "Gradually, I developed a desire, for public life," he said.

"I took a megaphone and campaigned for the DMK in the civic polls and that

was the first stage," he said when he was still in his teens. He said he went on to found "Ilangyar Mandram" (Youth Forum) which later grew into a party youth wing.

Stalin said he began his political journey in DMK as a humble ward representative by fighting party polls. He said later he went on to the district-level responsibilities and highlighted that these elevations he witnessed "were not unanimous elections...I contested for such posts in a democratic manner".

Later, he said he contested for the General Council membership and got elected and following that he similarly became Executive Committee member.

In 1980, when the DMK Youth Wing was founded, he was nominated as a member to the six member committee to steer the new party body. Later, he said he assumed responsibilities like organiser and then secretary for the youth body.

"Only after holding several such posts, I was elected as one of the deputy general secretaries of the party and later got elevated as party treasurer," he said recalling his long journey.

95-year old party General Secretary Anbazhagan said Karunanidhi could not attend the meet in view of his health.

In his address, former minister and party principal secretary Duraimurugan said, "The 100-year-old Dravidian movement was led by many leaders like Kalaignar (Karunanidhi).

The responsibility to steer the party now been cast upon the shoulders of Thalapathi (Commander) Stalin."

He used the famous phrase of DMK founder CN Annadurai "Thambi Va Thalamai Erka Va," (Younger Brother, come to take the leadership of the party) to welcome Stalin to be the working chief.

Hailing Stalin as a leader who always upheld self- respect, a key ideal of the Dravidian movement, he said, "Brother, lead the party, we will abide your directives, this is a promise".

Former Union ministers TR Baalu, A Raja, former state ministers, including I Periyasamy, EV Velu, K Ponmudi, KN Nehru, TM Anbarasan, MLAs and senior functionaries went to the Alwarpet residence of Stalin and greeted him on assuming the top post.

Kolkata, Jan 4: BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya today asked Congress President Sonia Gandhi to clear her stand on the ponzi scam, and wondered why her party was rallying behind TMC on the issue as the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into it based on an appeal by Congress leader Abdul Manan.

"Sonia Gandhi should clear her party's stand on the ponzi scams in Bengal. Because we are confused by the statements of Congress leadership.

Yesterday, the Congress had said that the CBI arrests are nothing but vendetta politics of BJP. But the CBI is investigating the case under the instructions of Supreme Court following Congress leader and now leader of opposition Abdul Manan's appeal to Supreme court demanding the same," Vijayvargiya said.

The Congress had yes-

Sonia Gandhi should clear stand on ponzi scam: BJP.

terday alleged that TMC Parliamentary Party leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay's arrest by the CBI was "vendetta unleashed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his detractors" and wondered if it was in reaction to the "opposition unity".

"Even Rahul Gandhi during his election rallies in Bengal during last Assembly polls spoke

against Saradha and Narada scams. He had also demanded that the culprits should be punished. So now what went wrong? Why are they making those self contradictory statements," he questioned. Vijayvargiya said Congress leadership should clearly say whether they support ponzi scams and whether they want a CBI inquiry into it.

Portuguese PM to visit ancestral house in Goa to spend time with family Panaji, Jan 4 : This would be 55-year-old Antonio Costa's second visit to the house, the first being when he was a teen.

A 200-year-old ancestral house in Margao is getting spruced up to welcome its family member and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, during his Goa trip betwen January 11 and 12.

"Christmas has just concluded, so right now I have to clean up the house. I will spruce up the house a bit. We will prepare meal for him. But it would be a private affair.

During his India visit, he needs private time with his family where he can talk to us and rest a bit," said Anna Kaarina Costa, first cousin of the Prime Minister, who currently lives at the Costa House, located on Abade Faria Road.

For 55-year-old Mr. Antonio Costa this would be his second visit to the house, the first being when he was a teen and had come with his parents. Portugal ruled the State till 1961.

Ms. Anna Costa, who is a hospitality industry professional, would be cooking for her cousin, whom she describes as a very low profile person.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

File photo.

"I really don't know what his favourite food is but he is quite a foodie himself," she says remembering the time when she met him in April 2016 in Lisbon, soon after he was elected Prime Ministerl.

"He is just coming here for a quick visit. He will come here for quick meal.

There is no much time to take him around," she said.

"He is the only cousin I have. For me to meet him, I still have to think that he is the Prime Minister, for me first he is my cousin. I could have thought of having a big bash here but I feel he should get some private time, some rest and spend some time with us," she said.

At Costa House, Ms. Anna Costa lives with her mother, husband and daughter.

"I had requests from people asking 'do you think he can visit us' But

I told them, I can't say.

Security has already asked us where he will be having food," she said.

Speaking about her Portugal trip, Ms. Anna Costa described how the Prime Minister drove his own car to join the family in a restaurant for a meal.

When asked whether she had invited him to Goa, Ms. Anna Costa said "I didn't invite him but we mentioned that Goans were waiting for him to visit and he said that he was planning a visit to Goa. He did not know which month. He said it will all depend on the government and invitations coming from here."

"When we went to Portugal, we stayed with his brother. But we met him one evening at a restaurant close to his brother's place. He stays little outskirts of Lisbon. Second time we met him for my daughter's birthday at his brother's house in Portugal, that time also he came driving his own car and there was no security."

For Mr. Antonio Costa's Goa visit, security personnel from Lisbon had arrived with officials from Portuguese Consulate in Goa to see the House. "They spent some 10-15 minutes and went away," she said.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

BUSINESS

P9

Sensex builds on gains IndiGo, SpiceJet raise red flag after strong global cues over FDI norms in aviation

PTI Mumbai, Jan 4: The benchmark BSE Sensex advanced over 58 points in early session today on continuous buying by domestic institutional investors amid strong global leads.

The NSE nifty also went past the 8,200-mark.

The 30-share index was trading higher by 58.55 points, or 0.21 per cent, at 26,701.79, with consumer durables, metal, auto, healthcare and capital goods stocks staying in good shape.

The gauge had gained 47.79 points in the previous session.

The NSE index Nifty too was up 18.20 points, or 0.22 per cent, at

Sensex builds on gains after strong global cues.

8,210.45.

A firming trend in Asia following overnight gains on the Wall Street driven by optimism about the US economy influenced sentiment here.

Japan's Nikkei gained 2.17 per cent and Shanghai

Composite rose 0.20 per cent in early trading today while Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.10 per cent.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.60 per cent higher yesterday.

PTI New Delhi, Jan 4 : IndiGo and SpiceJet have raised "security" concerns over the government's decision to allow 100 per cent foreign ownership by non-airline players in the Indian carriers.

Spicejet CMD Ajay Singh and IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh have recently raised this issue during their meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

During the meeting, the two airlines said aviation is a "sensitive sector" and the FDI policy relaxation would have "security implications", according to sources.

Spokespersons of IndiGo and SpiceJet could not be immediately reached for comments.

The meeting also assumes significance as the government is considering removal of an anomaly restricting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the civil aviation sector.

The sector is faced with a Catch-22 situation where a foreign investor, excluding overseas airlines, can acquire up to 100 per cent stake in a local carrier. However, at present they cannot seek a scheduled operator's permit since it can only be given to a company where substantial ownership and effective control is in the hands of Indian nationals.

scheduled air transport service, domestic scheduled passenger airlines and regional air transport.

Only non-airline players will be allowed to bring in 100 per cent FDI in local carriers.

Under the new set-up, 49 per cent will be through the automatic route and for anything beyond, government nod will be reIndiGo, SpiceJet raise red flag over FDI quired. At present, up to norms in aviation.

49 per cent FDI is perAs this condition re- or a controlling stake in a mitted in scheduled airstricts and prevents for- domestic airline, the lines. eign investors from ac- scheduled air operator quiring a domestic airline, permit gets withdrawn.

The government is workthere is a need to amend "So, this sectoral norm ing to remove all anomaAircraft Rules, 1937, to needs to be amended," lies which are restricting facilitate FDI in the sec- sources added.

FDI into the country. tor. Due to this anomaly, As per the current policy, FDI in 2015-16 grew 29 the moment foreign in- 100 per cent foreign in- per cent to USD 40 bilvestors buy 51 per cent vestment is allowed in lion.

IBM India names Karan Bajwa as MD

Gold climbs Rs 200 on I-T department ropes in experts from Big Four to unearth black money global cues, silver reDelhi, Jan 4 : The gains Rs 40k-mark New income-tax department

Lanka.

He will lead the team "to win new business, shape market opportunities by building alliances and partnerships and solidify the company's position in the marketplace", IBM said in a statement.

He will also lead IBM's partnership with clients for cloud- and cognitiveled digital transformation of its businesses.

As Chairman, Narayana Karan Bajwa. is expected to play a critical role in pushing capaPTI ahead for IBM in this mar- bilities across IBM's gloNew Delhi, Jan 4 : ket. By constantly rein- bal missions in India, gloTechnology giant IBM venting itself and investing bal centres of excellence, today said it has ap- in innovation, IBM today research and innovation pointed Karan Bajwa is in a sweet spot to help labs.

Managing Director of its businesses and governIndia operations. ments with their digital IBM will "rely on her He succeeds Vanitha transformation journey," leadership to engage and Narayana, who has Bajwa said. further strengthen govbeen elevated as Chair- "I look forward to ernment and regulatory man of IBM India. partnering with the indus- affairs initiatives".

Bajwa joined IBM last try, our ecosystem and the According to Narayana, year as Executive for IBM team to further her new assignment reitStrategy and Transfor- strengthen our business in erates the importance mation in the Asia-Pa- the region."

IBM places on India to cific region. Previously, Bajwa will be responsible support growth and innohe was Microsoft for all strategic and opera- vation in the region.

India's managing direc- tional matters related to Both Bajwa and tor. He was associated IBM's sales, marketing, Narayana will report to with IBM's networking services and delivery op- Randy Walker, Chairman, business and was based erations in the India/South IBM Asia-Pacific. These in Singapore in 2001-05. Asia region, including appointments are effec"I see great opportunity Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri tive immediately.

has roped in forensic experts from three of the Big Four accounting firms to investigate suspected money laundering by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen, people directly aware of the matter said.

Experts from EY, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers are working with tax officials to examine evidence collected by the department during raids conducted since November 8, when the government declared war on black money by demonetising.Rs 500 and .Rs 1,000 currency notes.

Some of the people raided are suspected to have laundered money through accounting manipulations or brought in money parked overseas through the hawalaroute, a person involved in the investigations said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The department sought help from external investigators with the expertise to unravel such complex transactions.

"Offenders may have used innovative ways to deposit unaccounted

Gold climbs Rs 200 on global cues, silver regains Rs 40k-mark.

New Delhi, Jan 4 : Rising for the second straight day, gold pricesfirmed up

by Rs 200 to Rs 28,550 per 10 grams on Wednesday, driven by a firm global trend and increased buying by local jewellers.

Silver also regained the Rs 40,000-mark by surging Rs 650 to Rs 40,250 per kg, backed by increased off-take by industrial units and coin makers.

Traders said that apart from a firm trend overseas, persistent buying by local jewellers at the domestic spot market supported the upside.

Globally, gold rose 0.38 per cent to $1,162.70 an ounce and silver by 0.83

per cent to $16.41 an ounce in Singapore.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity shot up by Rs 200 each to Rs 28,550 and Rs 28,400 per 10 grams, respectively.

The precious metal had gained Rs 50 yesterday.

Sovereign, however, remained flat at Rs 24,000 per piece of eight grams.

In a similar fashion, silver ready strengthened

by Rs 650 to Rs 40,250 per kg and weeklybased delivery by Rs 680 to Rs 40,220 per kg.

Silver coins too spurted

by Rs 1,000 to Rs 71,000 for buying and Rs 72,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

I-T department ropes in experts from Big Four to unearth black money. money by disguising receipts or transfers of funds as legitimate transactions," said Rajiv Singh of Nalanda Law Associates. "But the existence of a money trail significantly increases the prospects of gathering incriminating evidence that could be used to prosecute them."

Post demonetisation, the highprofile people the IT department raided included Bahubali producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, two Karnataka government engineers alleged to be close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and, more recently, the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu.

Spokespersons for EY, KPMG and PwC de-

clined to comment when contacted by ET. In an emailed response, the commissioner of investigations at the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ramesh Kumar Yadav, said: "Personally, I am not aware of any of the issues you wish to know."

People aware of the matter said the investigators were adopting a multipronged approach, which included scrutiny of the books of corporate entities linked to these individuals as well as data stored in computers seized during the raids, examination of bank statements and gathering of field intelligence to identify the authenticity of counterparties with which transactions were recorded.

Made more than Rs 2.5 lakh legitimate deposit but afraid of taxman? Here's what you need to do Centre, states agree upon contours of GST

Experts advise people to review their financial details, take expert advice and justify the deposits in the bank account without any fear.

New Delhi, Jan 4 : After demonetisation, the government has been keeping a hawk's eye on highvalue bank deposits to detect unaccounted money. According to the guidelines for deposits issued by the government, any bank deposit made after November 8, in the denomination of scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh to avoid tax scrutiny.

Banks have been directed to report all cash deposits exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh during the 50-day window to the Income Tax Department.

However, experts say if you have deposited more

than Rs 2.5 lakh in your bank account, which is a part of your past savings, you should confidently justify the deposit in your bank account and not fear the taxman.

If you are an individual owning a proprietary business and have deposited, for instance, Rs 3 lakh in the denomination of scrapped currency notes in your account after demonetisation, you can declare in your tax return for the assessment year 2017-18 that the amount is part of your past savings.

Dilip Lakhani, a senior chartered accountant, elaborates: "You will have to substantiate before the assessing officer that the sum of Rs 3 lakh

represents your past savings. The cash balance as on April 1, 2016, the pattern of withdrawal and other factual aspects for the period between April 1, 2016 and November 30, 2016, will also be considered to determine whether the claim of savings is justified or not."

However, not disclosing the deposit of Rs 3 lakh may have its own repercussions.

"If you do not disclose Rs 3 lakh as your income in the return for AY 2017-18 and if the assessing officer does not accept your claim, he could treat the said deposit in the bank as unexplained cash credit/investments. He might then invoke the provisions of Sections 68 and 69 and levy tax as per the provisions of Section 115BBE at 60 per cent, plus a surcharge at 25 per cent of the tax, and a cess at 3 per cent-aggregating to 77.25 per cent of the total amount. He might also levy penalty under Section 271AAC at 10 per cent of the tax. The aggregate tax liability then would be 83.25 per cent of Rs 3 lakh," Lakhani says.

Lakhani advises such people to review their financial details, take expert advice and justify the deposits in the bank account without any fear.

laws but April deadline looks difficult New Delhi, Jan 4 : Making further progress towards the goods and services tax regime, the Centre and states broadly finalised the contours of the law that will govern this levy. But states raised a few more issues, even as the contentious one on tax administration remained unresolved. A number of states said the April 1 deadline to roll out GST looked difficult to meet and that a realistic target could be June or July.

Still, the eighth meeting of the GST Council reached consensus on most of the provisions of integratedGST, the law for interstate sales, and other issues related to the central GST and state GST previously left undecided.

Parliament will need to pass the I-GST and central GST laws before the tax system can be implemented. States will need to pass state GST rules. The council will meet on Wednesday to deliberate the issue of administration of the tax, the issue of dual control.

"April 1 rollout of GST definitely not possible," said Thomas Isaac, Kerala's finance minister. Gujarat fi-

Arun Jaitley. nance minister said it could even be September.

The West Bengal finance minister said the council did not even "touch" on the issue of dual control, which was fundamental to the GST rollout, and that slabs on 1,500 items were yet to be decided. "We cannot have a GST that is non-sustainable, flawed and states will not give up their rights," Amit Mitra said, adding that the "demonetisation tsunami" derailed the process.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said there may be a one- or two-

month delay from April 1.

The finance minister in BJPruled Haryana, Abhimanyu Singh Sidhu, said the draft of the model integrated-GST was "more-or-less finalised".

He was also optimistic that the dual control issue would be resolved on Wednesday.

"Realistically speaking, it is a difficult deadline (April 1). But I would still not say it is absolutely unlikely. I still see it as a possibility," he said.

Six sectors including banking and insurance, IT

and telecom, and civil aviation made presentations before the GST Council, pressing for a single registration either with Centre or states under the new regime.

The largely settled issue of compensation was raised again as some states argued that a Rs 55,000 crore fund proposed via the cess on luxury and sin goods may not be sufficient.

States that aren't ruled by the BJP said post demonetisation, their revenue loss would go up and states could together lose as much as Rs 90,000 crore.

Mitra said West Bengal's tax revenue grew 11% in November 2015, but in November 2016 it fell 2% due to demonetisation.

"Every state said its taxes have presenfallen by 3040% ... Today many states would need compensation.

If you need Rs 80,000-Rs 90,000 crore, instead of Rs 55,000 crore, where will it come from? That's a double whammy. States are interested that the Centre should stick to its constitutional commitment," Mitra said. If a bigger corpus is to be built, the cess

will have to be levied on more goods.

States also raised the issue of taxation right over high seas, claiming that in line with the provision for sales tax or VAT they had the right to levy GST up to 12 nautical miles offshore.

"All the coastal states, irrespective of parties, combined in saying that we must have 12 nautical miles within the state jurisdiction, whereas the draft IGST law was looking at having taxation rights with the Centre," Mitra told reporters. Chairman of the Council and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley decided to seek legal opinion on its constitutional validity.

The GST Council will take up the issue of tax administration on Wednesday.

States indicated they are unlikely to give up on their demand of exclusive jurisdiction over assesses with turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore. Kerala Finance Minister Isaac said states will stick to the demand.

The Centre is keen on a vertical division of all assesses between it and states.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

P10

INTERNATIONAL

US asks India, Pak to work Trump to hold press conference on January 11 IWT:together to resolve issue AFP New York, Jan 4 : President-elect Donald Trump said he will hold a press conference on January 11, during which he has previously indicated he would unveil plans to avoid any conflict of interest between the White House and his business dealings.

Trump has not held a press conference since July, and his announcement gave just the latest date set for the muchdelayed event previously due to take place December 15.

He was elected in November.

In a tweet, Trump said: "I will be having a general news conference on JANUARY ELEVENTH in N.Y.C. Thank

President-elect Donald Trump. you."

Precedent has seen American presidentselect field numerous press conferences during the transition to power to discuss matters such as their choices to fill their cabinet and policy plans

for the incoming administration.

Instead Trump has relied largely on rallies, photo ops, select interviews and -- in unprecedented fashion -- on tweets.

He has largely snubbed thus far the tradition that

the presidential news conference has become.

His methods of communicating news about the transition have been unorthodox for an incoming head of state.

Last month, he unexpectedly announced to reporters camped in the lobby of his Manhattan Trump Tower skyscraper that Masayoshi Son -- the flamboyant head of Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank and a selfmade billionaire -- had announced a USD 50 billion investment in the US that would create 50,000 jobs.

Economic announcements of this magnitude are rare and generally take place through a news release or a carefully planned press con-

ference, requiring the efforts of many public relations experts who carefully consider every word and gesture.

Steven Mnuchin, tapped to become Secretary of Treasury, and Wilbur Ross, the commerce pick, announced on CNBC television that they had been appointed to their Cabinet positions by Trump.

The official announcement was published several hours later.

As for the nomination of his future Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, the president-elect announced the pick during a rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first stop of his "thank you tour" in the industrial states that gave him the presidency.

US Secretary of State John Kerry.

PTI Washington, Jan 4 : US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Pakistani Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar over phone on Indus Water Treaty issue and encouraged both the South Asian neighbours to work together to resolve their differences.

"I can confirm that he (Kerry) did speak on the

29th of December with Finance Minister Dar. "I am not going to read that out in any great detail," State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference.

"The Indus Waters Treaty has served, as a model for peaceful cooperation between India and Pakistan for now 50 years.

"We encourage, as we have in the past, India and Pakistan to work together to resolve any differences," Kirby said.

However, he refused to entertain questions on if the US has offered help to India and Pakistan resolve the issue.

"As I said, we encourage India and Pakistan to work together bilaterally to resolve their differences," he said.

"We are in regular communication with the Indian and Pakistani governments on a wide range of issues," Kirby said.

Earlier, Pakistan had sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India even as Secretary of State John Kerry had called for an amicable settlement of the issue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Heavy smog in large parts of PIA plane involved in China, over 150 flights cancelled mishap at Toronto 5 Indian Americans take oath well as 60,000 vehicles airport in Canada across the country, the

PTI Beijing, Jan 4 : Heavy smog in large parts of China caused over 150 flights to be cancelled and highways to shut after the New Year holiday.

A total of 164 arrivals and departures at the airport in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, had been cancelled till early this morning, state run Xinhua news agency reported today.

Four flights were forced to land at other airports and another 23 flights were delayed due to low visibility.

Dense fog temporarily closed several sections of six expressways in Beijing yesterday morning, the first working day after the New Year holiday, according to Beijing Traffic Management Bu-

reau.

Heavy smog shrouding Beijing and 71 cities for the past five days is set to get to worse in the next few days while the government dispatched 40,000 officials to inspect violations by factories flaunting warnings to halt operations.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said on January 2 its rectification measures have not yet been fully implemented, and some enterprises in cities severely affected by smog have performed poorly in emissions reduction evaluations.

Ten teams, consisting of 40,000 personnel from multiple levels of government, have reportedly been mobilised to inspect over 30,000 enterprises and construction sites, as

news agency reported.

In east China's Shandong Province, 80 flights had been cancelled or delayed at the airport in the capital, Jinan City, as of 11 AM. About 180 flights were cancelled over the past two days in neighbouring Henan Province, with visibility falling to just 10 metres yesterday morning. The airport resumed operations in the afternoon, but the traffic may again be affected as more fog is expected today, according to the airport.

Many regions in China have been under heavy smog since Friday, disrupting traffic. Beijing on Sunday extended its orange alert for heavy air pollution until midnight today.

China's national observatory yesterday issued a red alert for fog and renewed an orange alert for smog in a number of northern, eastern and central regions.

China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

PTI Beijing, Jan 4 : A top ruling Chinese Communist Party official, who reportedly criticised President Xi Jinping's policies, has been dismissed from the party ahead of his prosecution for corruption and "severe" violation of "political discipline", an official statement said today.

Huang Xingguo, former acting Party chief and mayor of Tianjin Municipality, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office, the Party's discipline agency said.

He was also blamed for the massive 2015 explosion at the Tianjin port in which 162 people were killed and hundreds injured.

"Huang severely violated political discipline and the political code of conduct," CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said.

Huang, 62, made groundless criticisms of the Party's key policies, sabotaged the CPC's centralisation and unity, complied with Party rules in public while opposing

them in private, practised superstitious activities, interfered in details of his case and confronted an organisational probe, the CPC statement said.

It outlined a litany of violations on Huang's part, including giving out positions and other favours, accepting huge bribes of property and money, conniving with relatives, allowing them to use his influence to seek profits; taking advantage of his post to seek profits for his son and others; arranging an official entourage larger than allowed; and failing to supervise people around him.

"Huang was found to have disintegrated politically, grown greedy economically and become depraved in life," the statement said, adding that the nature of his violations was very serious.

Huang's actions caused "very bad influence, seriously undermining the political ecosystem in Tianjin and damaging the cause of the Party and its image," it said.

His ill-gotten gains will be confiscated, and his case will be transferred to the judiciary, the statement

said.

Huang is also the acting Party chief of the port city, located close to Beijing and carries lot of political weight for its proximity to the capital and as an economic hub.

He was made mayor of Tianjin in 2007 and took on the additional role of acting party secretary in 2014 but he had not yet been permanently appointed an unusually long time in provincial politics, Hong Kong-based 'South China Morning Post' reported.

The anti-graft probe was announced 13 months after a deadly warehouse blast in Tianjin for which Huang previously said he bore "inexcusable" responsibility.

Huang is among thousands of "tigers and flies" who faced investigations for corruption in Xi's massive anti-graft drive in the last three years amid allegations that it is also being effectively used to purge the party and military of elements hostile to him as he has emerged as the most powerful leader, heading the party, the government and the military.

Heavy smog in large parts of China, over 150 flights cancelled.

PTI Toronto, Jan 4 : A Pakistan International Airlines plane has clipped the wing of an Air France aircraft at the Pearson International Airport here, the latest accident to hit Pakistans ailing flag carrier.

The Air France plane was parked at a gate at Terminal 3 when the PIA plane taxiing towards a gate nearby when the airplanes wings touched last night, according to Natalie Moncur, a spokeswoman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

The wing of PK-789 clipped the wing of an Air France aircraft at Pearson International Airport. No injuries were reported and airport operations were unaffected, CBC News quoted her as saying.

The PIA flight had taken off from Lahore and landed in Toronto at around 5:50 pm, said Usman Sherazi, a passenger on board who added that he did not feel the impact when the

planes made contact.

He said passengers had to wait for three hours for their baggage.

A PIA spokesperson said the incident was under investigation.

"The matter is under investigation. Apparently it was due to some error during marshaling by the ground personnel. Theres some damage to the equipment which may need replacement. Night stop has been declared at Toronto and passengers who had checked in for Toronto-Lahore flight PK-790 have been provided hotel accommodation. All steps are being taken for making the aircraft serviceable as soon as possible." Geo TV quoted the spokesperson as saying.

This incident comes just a month after the fatal crash of PIA plane that killed all 47 people on a domestic flight, forcing the airline to briefly ground its entire ATR fleet (10 planes.

The PIAs is now saddled with an accumulated loss of Rs 350 billion.

as members of Congress

PTI Washington, Jan 4 : Creating history for a minority ethnic community that comprises just one per cent of the US population, five Indian Americans took oath as members of the Congress.

52-year-old Kamala Harris whose mother was from India and father from Jamaica of African heritage, was sworn in yesterday as the Senator from California by the outgoing US Vice President Joe Biden. She is the first Indian American to have ever served in the Senate.

She was accompanied by her husband Doug Emhoff, sister Maya Harris and other members of her immediate family members during the swearing in ceremony.

Harris, who before the swearing in held the position of California Attorney General replaced Senator Barbara Boxer, who decided against seeking re-election. She is one of the seven new Senators to have taken office in the new Congress.

"Today I was sworn-in to the US Senate. I am humbled and honoured to

5 Indian Americans take oath as members of Congress. serve you and the people of California. Let's get to work," Harris said immediately thereafter.

After her elections, she has made it clear that her top priority would be to fight out the alleged divisive policies of the Republicans who are now in majority in both the House of Representative and the Senate.

A few hours later, the focus of the community shifted to the House Chambers wherein as many as four Indian Americans were sworn in as its members, including Congressman Ami Bera, who has been reelected for the third consecutive term.

In the process he equalled the record of Dalip Singh Saundh, who

exactly 60-years ago became the first Indian American to be elected as a member of the US Congress.

Joining Bera were young and dynamic Ro Khanna (40) representing the Silicon Valley. He was sworn in on a bicentennial edition of the Constitution on loan from the rare books division of the Library of Congress.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, 42, who won the election from Illinois took the oath on Gita. He is only the second US lawmaker after Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii to take the oath on a Gita. Gabbard, the first ever Hindu to be elected to the US Congress took the oath for third consecutive term.

Modi's war on cash makes Indian eco Sr Chinese Communist Party contract: Hanke Referring to interest rate official expelled for graft PTI Washington, Jan 4 : cut by some Indian banks SL's panel recommends foreign Criticising Prime Minister post demonetisation, the Narendra Modi's decision to demonetise higher value currency notes, noted American economist Steve H Hanke today said India's "war on cash" has pushed its economy into contraction as anticipated. "#Modi has officially steered #India s economy into contraction as a result of his war on cash. Just what I anticipated would happen," Hanke, an American applied economist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland said in a series of tweets.

"Manufacturing takes the hit as the war on cash in #India adversely impacts the economy. #Modi," he added.

Hanke, who is also a Senior Fellow and Director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the Cato Institute in Washington, DC further said, "Demonetization will cause #India to slip from the leaders board for economic growth in #2017."

eminent economist said,'Indian #banks have slashed interest rates to stave off economic decline and to spark investment. A #demonetization disaster @zerohedge."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Novermber 8 had announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes making them invalid in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.

Following demone tisation, the manufacturing sector contracted in December as new work orders and output took a knock for the first time in 2016.

The Nikkei Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) -- an indicator of manufacturing activity -fell to 49.6, down from 52.3 in November.

The index came in below the crucial 50 threshold - which separates contraction from expansion - for the first time in 2016 in December.

judges in judicial mechanisms

Colombo, Jan 4 : In a setback to the government, a civil society panel appointed by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister has endorsed the UNHRC call for including international judges to probe war crimes allegations against the Lankan troops and the LTTE during the last phase of the decadeslong civil war.

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms was appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last year to seek public views and comments on the proposed mechanisms for transitional justice and reconciliation in terms of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka in October 2015.

The government opposes a mechanism with international judges and

maintains that the Sri Lankan judiciary system had the capacity to try those responsible for war crimes.

However, the Tamil rights groups have challenged the government's stand.

In sharp variance with the government's stand, the task force report recommends the setting up of a special court and office of special counsel, the court shall ensure that there will be a majority of national judges and at least one international judge on every bench.

had accused both the army troops and the Tamil Tigers for war crimes during the final battles.

Commenting on the report, Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne said the government would not waver from its original stance of not having foreign judges.

"We have said that we will limit all mechanisms to local judges. The civil society is free to express an opinion but it will be the government who would decide on the issue," Senaratne told reporters.

It adds that the special court should be mandated to try international crimes including war crimes and crimes against humanity and pay particular attention to crimes of sexual violence and crimes against children.

The UNHRC resolution

The Lankan troops in 2009 defeated the LTTE which was fighting for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils.

According to a 2011 report by the UN, about 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of the civil war.

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U-17 World Cup will aid in developing strong national team: Lyngdoh

National team midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh.

New Delhi, Jan 4 : National team midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh feels hosting the U-17 FIFA World Cup later this year will provide Indian football a much-needed fillip and will aid in developing a strong senior squad.

"I think it's a great platform for the Indian football and especially for the kids in this country. Who knows they could be playing in Europe soon," Eugeneson said.

Hailing from the northeastern part of the country, which also makes up for more than half the squad that will represent India at the U-17 World Cup next year, the 30year-old central midfielder gave his views on how hosting and participating in the FIFA tournament, a first for the nation, will help the senior team.

He said, "Obviously, the youngsters are gaining a lot of exposure. They are already playing against higher ranked teams, and they will play against these big teams in the tournament as well. They are already learning so

much, and this will only increase when the competition begins.

"At such an early age, they would have already gained such valuable experience. I am sure some of these players can end up playing in Europe someday. And when it happens, playing alongside these players will benefit the senior Indian players and the team.

Eventually, there will be high chances for the Indian team to qualify for the senior World Cup. It, of course, is a process, but it's a great start."

Apart from participating in the tournament, merely hosting it has a lot of merits, and Eugeneson recognises them well.

"FIFA obviously has set certain standards from the venues, and consequently, the Indian venues will also need to meet those criterions for the coming year. This importantly includes the training grounds that must be of a set quality, for the travelling teams which come to practice on. In the future, the Indian FA must maintain those standards. So

eventually and hopefully, India will follow all these, so the infrastructure of Indian football will grow," he added.

The last few months have been exciting for the Indian football. The senior team has gone up the FIFA rankings to the 137th place, and Eugeneson's club, Bengaluru FCmade history by becoming the first Indian football club to qualify for the AFC Cupfinals.

"Looking at the FIFA rankings itself, we have gone up. I think we are steadily improving. The FIFA U-17 World Cup will help our mission further. The exposure, the experience that can be gained by playing on a world stage, it is different from playing in a league or at the national stage. This builds confidence, and it builds in their character, it helps them perform better and helps them become better players. Consequently, it helps Indian football."

India will host the U-17 World Cup from October 6-8.

Murray opens year with Chardy win, extends streak to 25

P11 Arthur admits frustration over Pakistan's fielding standards Karachi, Jan 4 : Mickey Arthur, Pakistan's coach, is renowned for being one of the most affable figures in international cricket marked by a trademark beaming grin.

Even during the low points of his career, notably in the aftermath of his shock sacking as Australian coach, Arthur has always exuded class and professionalism.

As Pakistan's performances against Australia has deteriorated this series, it has been jarring to see Arthur look so crestfallen as captured by prying television cameras.

They currently trail by 412 runs with eight wickets in hand after the second day's play on Wednesday (January 4) in the dead rubber third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. For such a stickler for discipline, which ultimately proved to be his undoing while coaching Australia, it has been undoubtedly painful for Arthur to watch his team revert to bad habits of the past.

When Arthur was appointed coach of Pakistan in May last year, he told Cricbuzz that "there will be an emphasis in improving fielding and fitness, which must get better if Pakistan are to achieve consistency across the formats".

To Arthur's dismay, Pakistan has been comical in the field marked by continual misfields and botched catches reviving images of their bumbling efforts of yesteryear.

"Very, very frustrating," Arthur told reporters about Pakistan's inept fielding. "We can't work any harder on our fielding. We set high standards, I make no apologies for that.

"We have fallen short in the fielding standards by a long way. We don't want to be labelled as a poor fielding team," he added.

Throughout the series, Pakistan's bowling arsenal - deemed their major strength - has been toothless with star legspinner Yasir Shah being eviscer-

Pakistan have been poor on the field in the series. ated. He has returns of 7 wickets at an average of 78 in the series so far.

Adding to his woes, Yasir has been hampered by injury with Arthur confirming the legspinner had strained his left hamstring. "I don' think it's too bad," he said. "I think he'll be able to bowl again at some stage in the game."

Arthur defended Yasir's bowling this series and said he would be better for the experience. "He will learn from it. He has played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent, where he dominates" he said.

"This is his second tour outside of those sort of conditions. He has struggled here. I remember when I was coaching Australia, Ravi Ashwin said it was the hardest place for him to bowl. Ravi Ashwin made absolutely no impact in Australia.

"So, it is a tough place for spinners to learn their craft. As soon as he (Yasir) comes on the Australians take him on," he added. "He is still our diamond."

Despite Mohammad Amir being wicketless in his past 64 overs of the series, Arthur was not worried about the

spearhead's travails.

"When he gets them (wickets), he'll get them in bucket loads," he said.

"I thought he was outstanding in Melbourne, he's been a little off here.

Over the last six-seven months we have played a massive amount of cricket. He keeps running in for us.

"As a bowling unit, we haven't been able to sustain pressure," he added.

"We haven't been able to bowl in partnerships."

There was a surprise when attacking batsman Sharjeel Khan was selected to replace opener Sami Aslam for the third Test despite having not made a First-class hundred since 2013-14. In his first Test knock, Sharjeel made just 4 before swiping a wide Josh Hazelwood delivery to slip in an ugly dismissal.

Arthur acknowledged the selection was a gamble but believed Sharjeel was worth a punt. "We thought we had to change it up," he said.

"We had to let Sharjeel loose. It was a 50-50 chance, he could get the momentum much like David Warner does for Australia and hopefully set a tone for us.

Bedi and Azad backed

by Olympians to oversee reforms in BCCI Andy Murray

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New Delhi, Jan 4 : World number one Andy Murray extended his career-best winning streak on the ATP Tour to 25 as he swept past Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-0 7-6(2) in his opener at the Qatar Open on Tuesday.

In his first competitive match of 2017, the 29year-old Scot, who received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours list after a stunning 2016, dropped seven points in the first set.

Chardy, ranked 69, broke serve at the start of the second set and although he dropped his own immediately he pushed Murray hard for the rest

of the match on a warm desert evening.

Twice Chardy held serve to stay in the match and stretch Murray into a tiebreak but the pressure eventually told on the Frenchman as Murray completed a useful workout when Chardy sent a forehand volley over the baseline.

Olympic and Wimbledon champion Murray, bidding for a third Doha title after wins in 2008 and 2009, will play Austrian Gerald Melzer in the second round.

He is unbeaten in regular tournament play since losing to Kei Nishikori in the U.S. Open quarter-finals

in September and won his last five tournaments of 2016 to topple Novak Djokovic from the top of the rankings.

"He didnt't start well and it's always difficult in the first match of the year but in the second set he played extremely well and pushed me hard," Murray said.

Defending champion Djokovic, who will be bidding for a seventh Australian Open title later this month, opened his account on Monday with a straight sets win against Jan-Lennard Struff and will face Argentine Horacio Zeballos on Wednesday.

PTI Mumbai, Jan 4 : Hailing the decision of the Supreme Court to appoint a two-member committee to oversee reforms in the Cricket Board after the removal of two top BCCI officials, some Olympians and Arjuna Awardees from other disciplines today backed excricketers Bishen Bedi and Kirti Azad to undertake the task.

"The Hon. Supreme Court has given the onerous responsibility of suggesting names of eminent people who shall comprise a committee to oversee reforms in BCCI and state bodies which have been bedevilled by controversies and malfeasance," they said in a media statement following the apex court's ejection of Anurag Thakur

and Ajay Shirke as President and Secretary of the BCCI. "Kirti Azad and Bishen Bedi are amongst the two most eminent cricketers and administrators who have done yeoman service to the game of cricket by helping in the clean-up of the BCCI and should be first choices for being made members of the proposed committee to be suggested by Shri Anil Divan and Shri Gopal Subramanian," they said further.

"We request the Hon Supreme Court to kindly nominate Bishen Bedi and Kirti Azad, two experienced and fearless cricketers, in the proposed committee which will signal major reforms in BCCI and other Sports in due course," they added.

Among those backing Bedi and Azad were hockey Olympians Ashok Kumar, M K Kaushik, Gurbax Singh, Balbir Singh, Joaquim Carvalho, athletes Ashwini Nachappa, Reeth Abraham, Vandana Rao and Edward Sequeira, swimmer Nisha Millet and shuttler Jwala Gutta.

"With this proactive judgement of the Hon Supreme Court we are hopeful that the cleansing up of sports in India has just begun. 25 former Internationals, Olympians, Arjuna and Dronacharaya Awardees have already petitioned the Hon. Supreme Court to direct the Government to implement the Justice Lodha Committee Reforms/Guidelines across all sporting disciplines in the country," they remarked.

"I think he (Sami Aslam) has a big future for us, he is technically good and over the last four months he has developed significantly," he added.

Leading up to the third Test, there was speculation that Pakistan could swap struggling No.3 Babar Azam with in-form No.6 Asad Shafiq. However, the visitors elected against the switch but Babar failed again falling for a four-ball duck before tea. Despite another low score, Arthur said it was important for Pakistan to back the 22-yearold, who he likened to Indian superstar Virat Kohli ahead of the series.

"Babar Azam is a quality player, he has realised what it is like to play Test cricket in the toughest conditions," he said. "He is very much in the Sami Aslam mould. They are the future and I think they will play together for a long time to come. We just have to hold faith in Babar."

By the end of the second day's play, there was a glimmer of hope for Pakistan due to a fighting rearguard 120-run thirdwicket partnership between Younis Khan (64 not out) and Azhar Ali

(unbeaten 58).

Arthur said he hoped the dogged partnership between the pair would inspire his team for the remainder of the match.

"To see the resilience, character and intent from Younis and Azhar has been a real example of how we have to play," he said. "I think he's (Azhar) been fantastic in the last one year, he's been a cornerstone of our batting.

The amount of time he has spent on the field (this series)...is almost beyond belief."

Apart from their second innings heroics in Brisbane, Pakistan has batted in a dour fashion, which has often put them in a tangle, but Arthur said the sedate approach was due to Australia's probing bowling. "We want to play an attacking brand of cricket and I make no secret of that," he said. "That has been an open policy of ours.

Australia has bowled really well this series and have kept us under check.

"We would like to score a little bit quicker but the resilience has been brilliant and we will carry on with that same intent," he added.

Mukund, Indrajith hit tons as TN eye outright win PTI Rajkot, Jan 4 : Skipper Abhinav Mukund and Baba Indrajith smashed elegant centuries as Tamil Nadu, in search of an outright win, declared their second innings at 356 for six to set a tricky target of 251 runs before former champions Mumbai in the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy, here today.

Mukund made 122 off 186 balls with the help of 11 boundaries, while Indrajith scored 138 off 169 deliveries with 13 fours and one six to set the platform for Tamil Nadu's total in the second innings.

Mumbai's first-innings total was revised to 411 when they were awarded five penalty runs due to Tamil Nadu's batsmen running on the pitch in the 74th over. That meant their target became 251 from the 256 Tamil Nadu had set.

At stumps on the fourth day and penultimate day, Mumbai were five for no loss with young Prithvi Shaw (2 not out) and Praful Waghela (3 not out) negotiating the remaining five overs of the day.

The match is interestingly poised as Mumbai still need 246 runs to win with a full day's play remaining for Tamil Nadu bowlers to bundle out their opponents and enter the final of the Ranji Trophy for the ninth time in the history of the tournament.

Having conceded the first in-

nings lead on the third day yesterday, Tamil Nadu had no option but to push for an outright victory.

Having entered the fourth day with a 101-run deficit, Tamil Nadu had were forced to seize the momentum with some aggressive batting and they did so by scoring over four runs an over in their second essay.

Tamil Nadu was also helped by some patchy fielding from Mumbai players who faltered when put under pressure.

Mukund and V Ganga Sridhar Raju (28) shared 64 runs for the opening stand before Balwinder Sandhu got the first breakthrough in the form of Raju.

But then Indrajith joined hands with Mukund and the duo played aggressively and piled up 185 runs for the second wicket to push Tamil Nadu forward.

Wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik (24) and Vijay Shankar (24) also played good hands to help Tamil Nadu's cause.

For Mumbai, Sandhu (2/67) and Vijay Gohil (2/110) picked up four wickets between them.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu: 305 & 356 for six in 78 overs (Baba Indrajith 138, Abhinav Mukund 122; Balwinder Sandhu 2/67).

Mumbai: 411 & 5 for no loss in 5 overs.

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5

P12 Azhar, Younis lead Pakistan Jayaram, Prannoy fightback after Aussies declare fire Mumbai to clean

Azhar, Younis lead Pakistan fightback after Aussies declare.

AFP Sydney, Jan 4 : Azhar Ali and Younis Khan kept Pakistan afloat after rookie Peter Handscomb made it three centurions in Australia's big first innings declaration at the third Sydney Test today.

The tourists, who have already lost the series after defeats in Brisbane and Melbourne, made a rocky start after Steve Smith called a halt at 538 for eight leaving seven overs for Pakistan to ne-

Audi official car partner for Aircel Chennai Open PTI Chennai, Jan 4 : German luxury car maker Audi has become the official car partner for the annual week long tournament Aircel Chennai Open here, which began on January 2.

As part of the association, Audi would use a fleet of cars to transport the players across the city, a company release said.

Aircel Chennai Open, owned by IMG and organised by IMG Reliance, is the country's only ATP World Tour event.

The 22nd edition of the Open, jointly conducted

by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, would be held till January eight.

Audi official car partner for Aircel Chennai Open

gotiate before tea.

They lost debutant Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam in one Josh Hazlewood over before the interval with just six runs on the board.

But the in-form Azhar and 114-Test veteran Younis steadied the ship with a century stand and took the tourists to stumps at 126 for two.

Azhar, who scored an unbeaten 205 in last week's Melbourne Test, was on 58 with 39-year-

old Younis providing support on 64 to trail Australia by 412 runs.

Azhar had an escape nearing stumps on 51 when David Warner could not hold a sharp one-handed catch at leg-slip off Nathan Lyon.

Azhar was eight runs short of Mohsin Khan's 1984 record for the most runs (390) for Pakistan in a series in Australia having tallied 382 at the close, while

Younis raised his 1,000 Test runs against Australia.

Handscomb completed his second century in just four Tests to join David Warner (113) and Matthew Renshaw (184) in another huge Australia innings against the beleaguered tourists.

- Bizarre wicket The 25-year-old righthander was out in bizarre circumstances when he went back in his crease to cut Wahab Riaz only for his bat to dislodge the leg-bail and he was given out hit wicket for 110.

Handscomb, brought into the Australian team along with Renshaw in a shake-up after the Hobart Test debacle against South Africa in November, batted for 205 balls in 319 minutes.

Renshaw's epic knock ended inside the first half-hour Wednesday when he played paceman Imran Khan on to his stumps.

The 20-year-old Renshaw's first century in his fourth Test came off 293 balls with 20 fours in 413 minutes. He shared in a 142-run stand with Handscomb.

Debutant Hilton Cartwright hit the highest score by an Australian

number six this season with 37 before he was bowled by Imran.

The Zimbabwe-born allrounder, brought in for his Test debut at the expense of Nic Maddinson, looked solid during his 97-ball stay which eclipsed the previous highest of 26 by Mitchell Marsh against South Africa in Perth in November.

Matt Wade made 29 before he was caught sweeping Azhar and upon Mitchell Starc's dismissal for 16, skipper Smith called a halt, giving his bowlers 25 minutes at the Pakistan batsmen before tea.

Hazlewood struck twice in five balls with Sharjeel caught by Renshaw at slip for four and he snared Babar leg before wicket for nought.

Pakistan spent almost 10 hours in the field after toiling for almost 11 hours in Australia's massive 624 for eight declared first innings in Melbourne last week.

They showed the gruelling effects of the backto-back Boxing DayNew Year Tests with Mohammad Amir and leg-spinner Yasir Shah nursing leg injuries and paceman Wahab Riaz leaving the field at one stage holding his right side.

Giroud caps Arsenal revival, Clement sees Swansea win

Giroud caps Arsenal revival, Clement sees Swansea win.

London, Jan 4 : Arsenal staged a sensational fightback from three goals down as Olivier Giroud's last-gasp equaliser rescued a draw at Bournemouth, while Swansea welcomed new boss Paul Clement with a crucial 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger's side were facing their first defeat -and a major setback to their Premier League title hopes - to Bournemouth after goals from Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser stunned the Gunners at Dean Court.

But Arsenal scored three times in the last 20 minutes as Alexis Sanchez and Lucas Perez netted before Bournemouth captain Simon Francis was sent off, setting the stage for Giroud's headed equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time.

The Gunners' gritty 3-3 draw left them in fourth place, eight points behind leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand at Tottenham on Wednesday.

At Selhurst Park, Clement saw Swansea climb off the bottom of the table just hours after his appointment and in the day's other match Stoke won 2-0 against a Watford side on the slide.

Wenger had bemoaned the fixture schedule that had Arsenal back in action just 48 hours after their victory against Palace and the Frenchman wore a furious expression as his sluggish side were torn apart in the first half.

Bournemouth took the lead in the 16th minute when Daniels collected a Junior Stanislas pass, cut past Hector Bellerin and slotted home.

Fraser earned a 21st-minute penalty with a surging run that teased a needless foul from Granit Xhaka.

Wilson sent Petr Cech the wrong way with a cool spotkick and Fraser made it three for Bournemouth when he got away with a nudge on Bellerin and fired home in the 58th minute.

Sanchez's 70th-minute header from Giroud's cross gave Arsenal hope and Perez set up a tense finale when the striker bagged his first Premier League goal with a superb volley five minutes later.

Francis's red card for a rash lunge on Aaron Ramsey stacked the odds against Bournemouth and France striker Giroud capped the fightback when he scored with a glancing header from Xhaka's cross.

Giroud celebrated by replicating the scorpion kick that

brought him a memorable goal against Palace on Sunday.

Clement, who had been working as Bayern Munich's assistant coach, is Swansea's third boss this season following the sackings of Bob Bradley and Francesco Guidolin.

Having been appointed earlier in the day, Clement was at Selhurst Park to watch his new team, although caretaker Alan Curtis picked the starting line-up, and the presence of their new boss energised Swansea.

Their pressure was rewarded in the 42nd minute when Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick was headed in by Alfie Mawson for his first Premier League goal.

Sam Allardyce, taking charge of his first home match as Palace boss, trudged off with boos ringing in his ears at half-time.

Palace drew level in the 83rd minute when Wilfried Zaha met a Martin Kelly cross in midair with a superb scissor kick from 15 yards.

But Clement, who had been in the dug-out since halftime, was celebrating five minutes later when Angel Rangel smashed the winner to lift Swansea to 19th place, one point behind fourthbottom Palace.

Stoke moved away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 win against Watford at the Britannia Stadium.

Ryan Shawcross put Stoke ahead on the stroke of half-time with a confident finish from Charlie Adam's corner.

Adam was the provider again when Stoke increased their lead, this time sending over a cross that Peter Crouch converted in the 49th minute.

sweep of Delhi

Ajay Jayaram.

PTI Mumbai, Jan 4 : Local lad Ajay Jayaram and Kerala-born H S Prannoy pulled off spectacular wins over more fancied rivals to power Mumbai Rockets to a clean sweep of all five matches and a 6-0 score-line against holders Delhi Acers in the Premier Badminton League here.

The home team fired on all cylinders in a clinical display to beat the defending champions at the NSCI Stadium with Ajay providing the early momentum with a shock opening men's singles victory over world no. 2 Jan Jorgensen of Denmark.

The India world no. 19 won the first game of the trump match, for Delhi, in dramatic fashion over extra points at 15-14 before breezing through the second 11-4 in the two players' first-time meeting to give the hosts an early advantage late last

night.

While Jayaram's win was huge, Prannoy fought off a nervy Korean world No. 4 Son Wan Ho to hand Mumbai a 2-0 lead. The 11-9, 119 win over Son meant that the loud Mumbai crowd saw yet another top-5 player losing.

Such was the pressure Prannoy put on Ho that the Korean ended up netting his serve when the home boy was up match point.

The mixed doubles, which was a do or die encounter for Delhi, saw their team of Russian Ivan Sozonov and India's Maneesha K put up a fight, but eventually it was Mumbai's KoreanPolish combine of Lee Young Dae and Nadiezda Zieba who won 11-5, 8-11, 11-9.

Mumbai Rockets then had Ji Hyun Shung win her trump match, downing Delhi's Mumbai-born lass Tanvi Lad 11-6, 11-

8.

And finally, Lee Young Dae and Nipithphon P carved out a straight game win over Ivan Sozonov/Vladimir Ivanov 11-9, 10-9 to complete the rout.

The fine victory also boosted the Rockets to the second place on the table with a 6-0 points advantage behind Chennai Smashers who yesterday demolished Bengaluru Blasters 5-0 for their first win in two contests Results: Mumbai Rockets bt Delhi Acers 6-0 (Ajay Jayaram bt Jan Jorgensen (Trump) 1514, 11-4; H S Prannoy bt Son Wan Ho 11-9, 11-9; Young Dae Lee/ Nadiezda Zieba bt Ivan Sozonov/Maneesha K 11-5, 8-11, 11-9; Ji Hyun Shung (Trump) bt Tanvi Lad 11-6, 11-8; Lee Young Dae/Nipithphon P bt Ivan Sozonov/Vladimir Ivanov 11-9, 10-9).

Coe says sport must innovate, backs new Bolt event AFP Sydney, Jan 4 : World athletics chief Sebastian Coe threw his support today behind a new team event spearheaded by Usain Bolt, saying the sport needed "brave, bold ideas" to stay relevant.

Nine-time Olympic champion Bolt will headline the inaugural Nitro Athletics in Melbourne next month, captaining the 'All-Stars' in the competition.

The meet will feature six teams -- including Australia, China, Japan, England and New Zealand -- and feature non-traditional events such as middle-distance and hurdles relays in an attempt to broaden athletics' appeal.

IAAF president Coe said the new-look format across three days was exactly what the sport needed to keep fans interested.

"Athletics, in its traditional form, remains the cornerstone of the Olympic Games," he said in a statement released by the event organisers.

"And our world championships remain an incredibly strong and attractive event.

"However we need innovation and more opportunities for our athletes to interact with fans and show

Coe says sport must innovate, backs new Bolt event. their personalities.

"Nitro Athletics is a great example of what can be done and what needs to be done to revolutionise how we present our sport and how our fans connect with the sport and the athletes."

Coe, who has been pursuing a reform agenda since becoming president in 2015, said athletes and fans wanted to have more fun, and the team element in Melbourne was a way to achieve this.

"Athletics is a global sport with a global following, but we need events that bring back the fun, the kids and the crowds and... add a different dimension to the record-setting events like

the world championships," he said.

"We need brave, bold ideas that engage fans in events and across a range of platforms. The only thing stopping us is our imagination and the courage to try something new."

The meet will involve 24 athletes, both men and women, with all eyes on Bolt who will kick off preparations for what is expected to be his final major competition, the world championships in London in August.

The Nitro series will take place at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium on February 4, 9 and 11, with Coe attending the final day.

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Editor: Prahlad Hammey

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