Tuesday, 15 nov 2016

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ASSENG/2015/64205

CASH-STARVED FARMER ENDS LIFE IN FRUSTRATION

Vol. II

Issue 119

P8

Dibrugarh, Tuesday, November 15, 2016

BJP govt fails to keep poll promises, says Tripura CM

Price -

Country has welcomed the move, says Govt The government on Monday ruled out any rethinking on the issue of demonetization saying the country has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

At a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, leaders from across the country said that there is an overwhelming support for the government's bold move to fight black money and corruption, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said.

Mood of the nation is in favour of Modi government, everyone agreed that it is a historic decision, Naidu said giving details of the BJP meeting.

He ruled out any chance of government rethinking on the issue.

Allegations levelled by the opposition are baseless, we

Government has ruled out any rethinking on the issue of demonetisation There is an overwhelming support for the government's bold move to fight black money and corruption: BJP will answer them at an appropriate time, the Union minister added.

In Parliament, we will get to know which people are on the side of black money hoarders, Venkaiah Naidu said.

Meanwhile, all NDA allies have also supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation issue at a meeting of the coalition parties.

At NDA meeting chaired by PM Modi, all the allies extended their support on the demonetisation issue, Union

PM thanked all parties for the support and said "the credit for the move will not go to him personally" but to all parties that are standing firm with the government.

The remarks come amid a united opposition assault against the government's demonetisation move.

The Congress and seven other opposition parties met on Monday to formulate a joint strategy to corner the government over various issues including demonetisation in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 16.

Earlier today, attacking the opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the corrupt were upset while the poor were "enjoying a sound sleep" after his decision.

He also urged people to bear some inconvenience to root out graft. The government has announced a number of steps to help the people.

UDWJA lifts boycott on Khangkhui Khunou, FEELS NGO

Arrested ex-ADC of Jorhat sent to jail

ET Bureau Ukhrul, Nov 14:The Ukhrul District Working Journalists' Association (UDWJA) has unconditionally revoked its indefinite boycott on ‘Khangkhui Khunou’ village and Ukhrul-based NGO ‘FEELS’ and resumed normal relationship with the latter with immediate effect.

The former ADC of Jorhat, Anjanav Chaliha, who was arrested by Jorhat Police on Saturday accused of corruption, committed in General Caste Development Council and other development works of District administration was sent to Jail on Monday.

The development came after reaching a compromise settlement during a joint meeting of UDWJA, Khangkhui Khunou and FEELS director AC Johnson held at UDWJA office at Viewland on November 14.

Accordingly, a resolution was adopted to the effect that as per the settlement reached between the three parties in the interest of resuming cordial relationship, UDWJA has unconditionally revoked its boycott on Khangkhui Khunou and FEELS director AC Johnson with immediate effect.

UDWJA had earlier boycotted any events or news conferences of Ukhrul-based NGO ‘FEELS’ and ‘Khangkhui Khunou’ village over failure to settle issues of “disrespect and irrational threat” to Ukhrul-based journalists.

Mamata rattled by Modi govt's blow to black money: BJP New Delhi : Targeting TMC President and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP said she has become a "cheerleader" of hawala operators and smugglers, alleging that the "queen of Saradha scam" is losing her mental balance due to the Modi government's strike at black money with the demonetisation exercise.

P8

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NO LOOKING BACK

Minister Ananth Kumar said.

ET Correspondent Jorhat, 14 Nov

Chaliha was posted in Golaghat as the District Development Officer.

Another accused on the case,

Pravat Kalita, Chairman of General Caste Develop Council of Jorhat has been reported as absconding and police are on a hunt to nab him.

Ex ADC Anjanav Chaliha along with Pravat Kalita were accused to have swindled Lakhs of Rupees from General Caste Development Council and other development works of Jorhat administration.

Chaliha was arrested under IPC section 409, 419 and 420 against a case filed by Virender Mittal, DC of Jorhat.

APCC equates Modi’s demonetization move to "financial and economic emergency" ET Bureau Itanagar, Nov 14

President of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Padi Richo said that the demonetization of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes by the Modi Government has badly affected the common people, which disrupt and standstill the economic life. It is something, like financial and economic emergency in the country. He was speaking at the celebration of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary in Itanagar.

Without any proper planning, why the Modi government executed the decision to scrap the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes. Before announcement, they should first expand more ATMs throughout the country and

currency should be made available in the banks in advance. The people are totally confused; feel insecure as they are getting unnecessary harassment in the name “surgical strike” against the black money and corruption.

The patients, daily wages labourers, farmers, vendors, shopkeepers and indigenous tribal people living in the far flung areas having no any bank account or bank facilities are going through the toughest time for survival since last 5 days. Bringing back black money from aboard in 100 days was the first promise of Mr. Modi in his election campaign in 2014 and also promises that every citizen will receive Rs.15 lakhs in their bank accounts.

Contd. on Page 2

Drugs menace needs unified fight, says Jatongko Kiyang Singpho Laxman Sharma Bordumsa, Nov 14

Taking strong stand against fight against drugs and narcotics, Jatongko Kiyang Singpho has described the drug menace as “vicious and venomous” which has penetrated deep into the system crippling societies cutting across communities and gender.

The Singpho leader was speaking on the occasion of a charity show organized by All Bordumsa Singpho Student Union (ABSSU) based on the theme ‘Say No To Drugs.’ Among the host of galaxy of dignitaries in

attendance was the former MLA CC Singpho, Chairperson Anchal Samity Sindunong Singpho and public leaders and teachers of the locality. The proceedings began with welcome speech and deliberation of aim and objectives by Gumsaw Singpho, President of ABSSU, which was followed subsequently by an awareness-cum-counselling session by Koing Samon Umbon, Headmistress, Gidding Secondary School and Jatong Kiyang Singpho a teacher at Goju ME School,Bordumsa.

Contd. on Page 3

Pages- 12

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P5

“No rethinking on demonetization decision” ET Bureau New Delhi, Nov 14

5.00

P9

Pema pleads voter to elect Dasanglu to pay homage to Lt Kalikho Pul Bishnu Rana Hayuliang, Nov, 14

Addressing the huge gathering Public Rally at the scenic Hayuliang general ground Pema Khandu CM begs vote for the window of Late Kalikho Pul former CM who is the official candidate for the bye – poll of the 45th Hayuliang constituency to be voted on 16th Nov next. Pema vows to review road compensation rate from existing Rs 11, Promote Large Cardamom cultivation by developing marketing and making available better seedling, shifting of present firing range of Army at Cherang to elsewhere to woo the voters.

He also expressed regretful for not elected unopposed to Dasanglu Pul as a mark of respect to the departed soul of late Kalikho Pul and criticized Lapalum Kri adamant stand to

field his wife into the election.

The CM further assures to extend all sorts of support and assistance for the overall development of the border district if BJP candidate is elected.

Tapir Gao BJP President, Kumar Wai Home Minister also made earnest plea to the voter to elect Dasanglu for the overall development of the Anjaw district and complete all the ongoing work of the district. Dr Mohesh Chai MLA Tezu also rues over the election of 45th Hayuliang constituency where sympathy to those widow of the pioneer leader is not shown.

Citing example of Daporijo, Dambuk and Tawang where all death of leaders were replaced unopposed by their widow, Kapha Bengia President PPA also laments over the electioneering and said that entire communities from all district have deep respect and

regard to our untimely demise of late Pul but this contest of bye election is unfortunate. He termed Pul as builder of Anjaw and elect Dasanglu Pul to compensate his sacrifice.

Jali Sonam All Arunachal Construction Worker Welfare Board (APCWWB) Chairman in his election speech assured to gift LCD TV to all the laborer of the Anjaw district if BJP candidate is elected.

Begging votes in her folded hands from the rostrum, Dasanglu Pul BJP candidate appeal the electorate to cast their valuable vote to complete the all incomplete work of the Anjaw district and commit to proof her stand if voted to power.

Meanwhile, later over 200 bikers and four wheeler vehicles made a road show to exhibit their support that started from Hayuliang to Khupa.

Arunachal Civil Society requests early implementation of 7th Pay Commission A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Nov 14

that there would not be much financial burden on the state government.

The Arunachal Civil Society (ACS) today in a press communiqué requested the state government to implement the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) in Arunachal Pradesh at the earliest for the welfare of all government employees.

As per Fundamental Rules (FR) 56, every government employee will retire at the age of 60 years as part of the 5th CPC, which the Government of India has accepted and implemented since 1998.

Saying that the Central Pay Commission is adopted by the state of Arunachal Pradesh as well as it has no separate pay commission, the ACS claimed that the budget provision for 7th CPC of Rs 642.56 crores, while the actual additional implication is Rs 415.13 crores only, and

The ACS said that every state has accepted the minimum retirement age of 60 years and Arunachal Pradesh is the only state with different retirement ages, with teachers and MTS retiring at the age of 60, doctors at 62 years and others at 58 years.

“This is a big injustice and we appeal to the state government to adhere to the demands placed by the Confederation of Services Association of Arunachal Pradesh.

It also appealed to the state government to provide other necessary facilities like children education and transport allowances, and reconsideration of the NOC system, while at the same time suggesting that the government look for an alternative mechanism as the NOC system causes unnecessary hurdles to the employee with no proper guidelines regarding the system.

Meet Dhiraj Chandra Kalita: the man behind DEMU train services in Tinsukia A Staff Reporter, Dibrugarh, Nov 14

An Assamese railway officer, the Divisional Operations Manager of the Tinsukia Division, Dhiraj Chandra Kalita is currently on cloud nine as he is calling the shots in planning of DEMU train services in Tinsukia. The Assamese officer is certainly in the centrestage of planning of train services including the DEMU services in Tinsukia division. Kalita’s immediate response to public demands was instrumental in getting the timings of the newly introduced DEMU train services changed from the Maligaon Head Quarters and it is also gathered that Kalita’s dynamism and hard work to make the train services in this division best suit the needs of the general public of Assam has started to yield results and during his incumbency to the post of the Divisional Operations Manager at Tinsukia, many new and

effective train services including renovations of stations have been planned and executed, revealed by a top source in the NF Railway, who did not wish to be named.Responding to public demand specially from the Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association and active role played by the Dibrugarh and Lahowal MLAs, Prasanta Phukan and Rituparna Baruah respectively, the NF Railway has changed the timings of the DEMU train services in the Dibrugarh Town-TinsukiaLedo section on an experimental basis for 15 days, with effect from today, the 14thNovember. According to the new timings, DEMU train no. 75901 departs Tinsukia at 5:00 AM and stopping only at Digboi reaches Ledo at 6:30 AM and DEMU train no.

75902 departing Ledo at 7:00 AM reaches Dibrugarh Town at 10:00 AM stopping at all designated stoppages. In this way, DEMU train no. 75903 departs Dibrugarh Town

DEMU train no. 75903 departs Dibrugarh Town station at 5:10 PM reaches Ledo 8:00 PM stopping at all designated stoppages station at 5:10 PM reaches Ledo 8:00 PM stopping at all designated stoppages and DEMU train no. 75904 departing Ledo at 8:25 PM reaches Tinsukia at 9:50 PM

stopping only at Digboi. On the other hand, DEMU train no. 75905, departing Tinsukia t 5:25, stopping only at Chabua reaches Dibrugarh Town at 6:40 AM and DEMU

train no. 75906 departing Dibrugarh Town at 7:10 AM reaches Ledo at 10:00 AM stopping at all designated stoppages. Again, DEMU train no. 75907 departing Ledo at

4:45 PM, stopping at all designated stoppages reaches Dibrugarh Town at 7:45 PM and DEMU train no. 75908 departing Dibrugarh Town at 8:10 PM, stopping at Chabua only reaches Tinsukia at 10:00 PM. However, DEMU train nos. 75902 and 75911 between Ledo and Tinsukia and DEMU train nos. 75909 and 75910 between Dibrugarh Town and Dangari will remain cancelled as of now. Sources in the NF Railway informed that the train services in the DibrugarhTinsukia-Dangari section will be resumed with timings as requested by the public as and when new rake of DEMU train is available in around a month’s time. Moreover, a second platform and a foot overbridge is also coming up at the Namrup station and the tendering process for the same is in progress.Noted litterateur and former Rajya Sabha MP, Dr Nagen Saikia has expressed his despair regarding disruption of train services due to some bandhs and said, ‘Train is a public property. For

the common public, train is the most convenient, safe and economic mode of transport, which everyone uses. Hence those who call for Bandh or blockade of train services, actually harm the common public who cannot afford to travel in a personal car or a rented taxi. We all have to work hand in hand with the rail administration to make qualitative and quantitative improvements of the train services.’

Amitabha Das and Sobhakaran Kohain, the organizing secretaries of the Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association have condemned the subversive activities including cutting of seats of the newly introduced DEMU trains. They said, ‘It is the duty of every good passenger to keep a vigil on anti-social and subversive activities including ticketless travel in trains and they should inform the railway authorities as and when they come to know about the same.’

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PAGE 10

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

P2 Raas festival can transform Dr. Bora expresses gratitude to Gorkhas, Bengalis and Nalbari into ‘epicenter of Adivasis for adopting Assamese as their second language tourism’ : CM Sonawal ET Correspondent Nalbari, 14 Nov: Terming Raas as the biggest cultural and religious festival Sonowal said, “Raas festival has got the potential of transforming Nalbari into an ‘epicenter of tourism’ and my government will do the needful with the Centre for including Raas Festival into the National Tourism Calendar.” The CM was here to inaugurate the 83rd Raas Festival of Sri Sri Harimandir of Nalbari this evening. In the inaugural meeting which was attended by the thousands of devotees, Minister of State for Railway Rajen Gohain, MLA Ashok Sarma, Deka Satradhikar of Barpeta Sattra Ghanashyam Nath were also present. Celebrated on the full moon day of the Autumn, the Raas Festival is the most famous

religious and cultural event of the North East, where a 13 day long programme becomes a centre of attraction for the people belonging to all faiths. Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that Nalbari is always credited to producing intellectual resources and the district has contributed immensely to the intellectual enrichment of the State. He also said that since, during Raas Festival horde of tourists assemble in Nalbari, his government will make a ‘Yatri Niwas’ with all modern amenities in Nalbari.

Sonowal also said that Raas Festival with its inherent tenets can lead to spiritual refinement and hence holds potential of creating an ambience of peace, tranquility and co-existence. Sonowal also advocated for hard

HOROSCOPE Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

You might feel like you're getting worked up from all angles today, Aries. Find comfort in knowing that things will definitely improve by tomorrow. You might get the feeling that somehow you're all alone despite the circle of friends that surrounds and loves you. You may be called to action by a strong force. Try to stay abreast of information and developments around you so you can make the most informed decisions possible.

Try to rise above the potential tension and rough spots of the day, Taurus. Do yourself a favor and don't feel like you have to stoop to another's level. Take pride in your actions and do things with confidence. Work with the negativity. The worst thing to do would be to ignore it. Approach problems squarely as soon as they arise. Don't dredge up the past. It's time to move forward.

You might want to escape the frenzy of the day by going shopping, Gemini. Align yourself with partners and allies who share your views. Try to keep the disagreements to a minimum. There is enough tension and war raging in the world around you today that you don't need to add to the negative force by contributing disputes and ailments to the situation.

Your mood should be quite good today, Cancer, although there may be some strong forces at work trying to subvert this positive attitude. Try not to let other people's disagreements bring you down.

Take the high ground and you will certainly prevail. A peaceful nature is extremely important in order to balance the anger and hostility that's present all around. Be the one to promote this harmony.

Today's arena is one in which you can find a great deal of material, Leo. There will be no shortage of energy to work with or opinions coming from you. Realize that your words have a greater potency about them as people become more intent on uncovering the truth.

Apply yourself to peace and cooperation among groups. Help people work together toward a common goal.

Virgo

Peace and harmony are in the regularly scheduled program for the day, but there is a good chance that there could be a warring force with strong opinions and vindictive tendencies.

Hold onto your hat, Virgo, and make sure you have your actions well aligned with your soul or else you could be thrown into a battle that has nothing to do with you.

Libra

I told you so might be your motto of the day. Try not to rub this in other people's faces, Libra. Indeed, you have the foresight to witness an action and see the consequences right away. These consequences might rear their ugly heads on a day like this. Use your incredible perception and intuition to hone in on the best solution possible and work toward that goal before things get out of hand.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

You may know exactly the right thing to do today, but for some reason, the action required may be a hard thing for you to implement, Scorpio. Take an active role to get involved. Say your peace, but don't get so attached to the results that you get upset and discouraged if things don't exactly work out according to plan. Independence is an important virtue to hold onto today.

Make sure your opinion doesn't get lost in the frenzy of the day, Sagittarius. Your words may not quite fit with the things that people want to hear. Try not to take this personally. Realize that this isn't an indication that your words are any less important. You have an incredible gift of being able to see things that others can't. Cherish and nourish this ability instead of invalidating it.

You have two choices today. Either jump into the thick of the mess with both feet or stay out of it altogether.

There are definitely two distinct camps setting up their arsenals for battle. Realize that there is also a soft, tender, harmonious aspect that just wants peace. It will be hard to ignore the fact that your usual warring nature is ready to do battle.

Aquarius

Pisces

You may end up being the peaceful savior that calms everyone down today, Aquarius. Use your artistic nature and love of beauty and harmony to inspire others to put away their differences and concentrate on the positive aspects. Generous acceptance of others is the only way to go, especially today, when people are riled up and ready to fight. Do your best to promote peace.

Your unique ability to communicate with many different groups and personalities will be extremely important today to maintaining a bridge between warring camps, Pisces. Keep things moving and try not to let the situation stagnate on any one issue. If the conversation turns to raging and ranting, it's in your best interests to stop it right away. Don't be afraid to step up and take a leadership role.

work with complete dedication for Nalbari district to go forward in all spheres.

The Chief Minister also vowed to make Assam one of the most developed States with the help of 3.20 crore people and called upon the people belonging to all walks of life to extend their cooperation in the government’s pursuit of making the State as one of the front-runners in development. Minister of State for Railway Rajen Gohain also spoke at the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner of Nalbari Anant Lal Gyani, President Nalbari Hari Mandir Managing Committee Chandra Kalita, Secretary Nalbari Hari Mandir Managing Committee Nagen Deka, former MLA Jayanta Malla Barua along with a host of dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Mithun Baruah Margherita, Nov 14: “Asom Sahitya Sabha is thankful to Gorkha Community,Bengali Community and Adivasi Community people who have adopted Assamese as their second Asom Sahitya Sabha vouch for that Nepali Language to be introduced in all the Educational Institutions of Assam,” said Dr Bora. President of Asom Sahitya Sabha, Dr DhruboJyoti Bora was earlier speaking on the third day celebration of Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha.

It is worth mentioning that Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha Programme entered its third day as once again the third day witnessed the attendance of many distinguished persons from various facets of life.

The third day programme commenced with the inauguration of Babu Chabilal Upadhaya Statue inaugu-

rated by Bhaskar Sharma Margherita LAC Legislator followed by cultural rally which was flagged off by Bhaskar Sharma Margherita LAC Legislator.Wide ranges of

Year-long celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy of the Catholics Concludes in Dibrugarh A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Nov 14: Amidst a huge gathering of pilgrims and devotees, the year-long celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy of the Catholics in Upper Assam concluded at Sacred Heart Cathedral Church at the Bishop’s House here on Sunday.

Thousands of Christian pilgrims from various parts of Upper Assam thronged the decked up Sacred Heart Cathedral since pre-dawn hours today. The huge congregation also included about 200 priests, over 300 nuns and seminarians.

Bishop Joseph Aind, the head of the Catholic Church in Upper Assam, presided over all the liturgical events during the ceremonious conduct of the programmes.Catholics across the globe observed the Year of Mercy from December 8 last year as declared by Pope Francis. The ‘Year of Mercy’ called for universal pardon by showing mercy to the repentant.

Traditionally, a holy year is

proclaimed by the Pope every 25 years. The holy year features special celebrations like self-retrospection, repentance from sin and other spiritual events that offer special opportunities to experience God’s grace.

In Upper Assam too, the Catholics observed the yearlong celebration with spiritual events like examination of conscience, penance, fasting, pilgrimage, prayers and absolution in different Churches. The parish Churches of Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Doomdooma were identified and declared as pilgrimage locations for the special spiritual programmes. “The actual conclusion of the ‘Year of Mercy’ is November 22, 2016, but for local convenience of the Church, the Diocese of Dibrugarh concluded the jubilee today,” said Fr Lazar Kakkasery, Vicar General of the Diocese.

“God is all merciful and forgiving. He forgives our sins. We need to shun evil ways, repent and come back

to him. The Church has called for reunion with God through the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy,” exhorted Bishop. He also prayed for universal peace, especially for those in conflict and war.

The Bishop also led a huge religious procession from the venue to Thana Chariali and back. People prayed and intoned hymns during the procession. The jubilee event concluded with the benediction service and ceremonious closing of the ‘Holy Door’ of the Cathedral. As the Holy Door was closed, Bishop Aind, the main celebrant thanked the Almighty for the extraordinary opportunity to experience his love and divine mercy through the ‘Holy Year’.

The last extraordinary holy year was observed in 1983.

Pope John Paul-II (now Saint John Paul- II) had declared 1983 a ‘holy year’ in commemoration of the 1950th anniversary of the year of redemption.

APCC equates Modi’s demonetization move to "financial and economic emergency" Contd. from Page 1 Two & half years in power, but still no deposit of Rs.15 lakhs in the bank account?" It is a high drama of Mr. Modi to divert his failure for could not fulfill his promise to the people of the country.

Richo also termed the

Centre's decision to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as "surgical strike" on common man's "small savings" and not on "black money holders".

It will vastly affect the tribal people of the State who were exempted from Income Tax. Rs

2000 note will only facilitate the black marketers and underground elements. He alleged that BJP had well informed all its "big corporate friends" to settle their black money before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of demonetization.

programmes were organised, especially the Ramdhenu programme which was held with different dialects was the highlight of the day. Subsequently, Second Open Ses-

sion began with Asom Sahitya Sabha President Dr DhruboJyoti Bora,Prag Thakur Vice President of Asom Sahitya Sabha,Dr Brat Raj Acharya President of Bhanu Pratisthan,Dr Inu

Mahanta Kalita in attendance. Noted Litterateur and former President of Asom Women Writers Association and many other litterateur persons were also present in the open Session programme.

Dr DhrubobJyoti Bora said in his speech that Gorkha People are the integral part of Greater Assamese Society and hence they have contributed a lot for the Development of Assam. “Human being irrespective of Caste,Creed,Religion and Language who came from anywhere in the world and adopted Assamese Language are regarded as Assamese People,” said Dr Dhrubo Jyoti Bora. After that prizes were distributed subsequently. At night Indian Idol Season 3 Winner Prashant Tamang and comedian-actor Wilson Bikram Rai have enthralled the audience with their mesmerizing performances in the late evening.

Motabil Primary School celebrates Foundation Day and Children Day Programme Mithun Baruah Margherita, Nov 14: The Managing Committee and the teachers of Motabil Primary School today celebrated its Foundation Day and Children Day Programme with gaiety and enthusiasm.

The Programme began with cleanliness drive which was inaugurated by Runjun

Konwar, Member of 5 Number Bhittor Powai Gaon Panchayat, which was followed by Hoisting of Flag

by President of the Foundation Day Organising Committee. Lighting of lamps paying homage to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was led

by Smriti Tarpan and Nikunja Saikia, Headmistress of Motabil Primary

School. Padma Baruah Chairperson of Bhittor Powai Gaon Panchayat planted the saplings.

Later, students of the school participated in different sports competition. The programme concluded with an open session and felicitation of achievers of the school.

Mrinaljyoti Rehabilitation Centre celebrates Children’s Day with differently abled children; Digboi MLA extends 3 lakhs Laxman Sharma Digboi, Nov 14: Children’s Day was celebrated with a purpose sending social messages this time around in oil town of Digboi. Mrinaljyoti Rehabilitation Centre Duliajan with its Digboi unit of sub center deserved special mention to this effect as the celebration was made more meaningful with the participation of the differently abled students and children of Tinsukia and Dibrugrah District at an event organized for the purpose here at the premises of Golai Gaon Panchayat in Digboi. The programme was attended by a host of dignified personalities including Asish Mishra the C.O at Digboi based Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army who was the chief guest of the significant episode, Suren phukon the MLA Digboi , Amiya pathak the Principal cum secretary of Mrinaljyoti Rehabilitation Centre Duliajan.Special children participating on the occasion exhibited their talent in a surprising brilliant ways.

Mrinaljyoti School Duliajan performed dance, songs, mimickery, recitation and poems. Thus adding added meaning to the Children’s Day. Underlining the objective and significance of the Day, Mr Mishra appreciated the efforts of the NGO for their true commitment towards the service of the children born with different abilities and talents equally determined to surpass the odds and challenges of life andcontribute their best for the society.

Meanwhile, Mr Phukon the local MLA Digboi who has set a record of disbursing one crore for social welfare schemes to the beneficiaries on a single day recently too lauded the efforts of the organizing committee for celebrating the day in a much special way for the special creation of God and further assured to extend all kinds of support to the NGOsimultaneously extending Rs 3 lakhs of financial aid from the MLA fund for the development of the

infrastructure of the center at Digboi.Mr Phukon sending humanitarian message further remarked, “You may take your child to visit some NGO or children's home on this day. You can imbibe some precious values in him though generous acts. Your child can give away some of his belongings to other poor children. In such a way he will get to know the real significance of this day. Make every 14th November special for your child. After all, 'Children will not remember you for the material things you provide them but for the feeling that you cherished them.”Binod Roy, one of the members of Digboi Unit of the said NGO told Eastern Today that the Mrinaljyoti Rehabilitation Centre is a registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) working the field ofchildren, disability, labour and employment, micro finance (SHGs), rural development and poverty alleviation, tribal welfare, vocational training, womens development & empowerment, youth affairs.

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The Sikhs in Tinsukia celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak along with the rest of the country. The sikhs organised colorful processions in Tinsukia town on Monday. Photo by Siddhart Singh

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

P3

63rd All India Cooperative week starts in Naharlagun Rupay ATM Debit card launched ET Bureau Naharlagun, November 14: A weeklong all India cooperative week started today at Polo Colony, Naharlagun here today with the theme “Role of cooperatives in Sustainable Development and Growth”.

economic model.

The national cooperative week is a weeklong celebration during which the cooperative societies take part to increase the public awareness by organizing the events like debates, seminars, discussions and etc.

All the cooperative institutions are given a new opportunity during the whole week celebrations in India in order to evaluate their growth, problems as well as emphasize the great achievements.

Minister Cooperation, Tamyo Taga who grace the occasion as Chief Guest said the cooperative union is very helpful to overcome all the disadvantageous of the weaker-sections of Indian economy over therefore time has come to develop the Cooperative society by makingpeople aware about the goal of the movement and strengthen the movement.

The Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and etc have also supported cooperative movement. A weeklongcelebration of the national cooperative week is not restricted to the debates and considerations only. It aims the involvement of the general public to get aware about the new

In Arunachal Pradesh, the cooperative week started with the launch of Rupay ATM Debit card and installing of ATM machines and Micro ATM machines in the agenda.

It is celebrated in the India at a large scale by organizing a lot of activities where people from all the society take part. It is greatly enhanced by the cooperation for the youth to make their own societies to actively take part in the cooperatives movement to make their livelihood more institutionalized, the Minister added.

The Minister further, ad-

vised the participants to make full use of the weeklong programme and hoped that the programme will bring huge change in sustaining their life.

Kathina Civara Dana at the Golden Pagoda concludes

Earlier Advocate Techi Tolu, ZPM Borum-I, advised the participants to awareness amongst their own respective villages about the importance of Cooperative societies and how it can help them in sustaining their life.

He further, said as Arunachal Pradesh has many resources such as in forest, agriculture, poultry, floriculture, dairy etcthe role of cooperative society should be strengthen and the department should create awareness in the society.

Chairmain, APSCU Bengia Hemanta also spoke on the occasion.

The “Dorjee Khandu Memorial Best Cooperative Society” was given to M/S Poultry Cooperative Society Ziro and “Best Cooperator” was given to Bengia Hemanta. These awards will be conferred to the respective winners at Statehood day next.

Hundreds take part in Mechuka Adventure Festival

ET Bureau Itanagar, 14 Nov: Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee has celebrated the birth anniversary of beloved leader and former Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on 14th November 2016 at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Itanagar.

ET Bureau Namsai, Nov 14 : The two day Kathina Civara Dana ceremony concluded on Monday with ritualistic offering of yellow robes to the monk by Thai devotees who are here to celebrate the Kathina Civara Dana at the Kongmu Kham (Golden Pagoda) in Namsai district. The Thai delegates also presented specially designed Kalpatru (Money tree) to the monks.

The lay devotees who thronged the Kongmu Kham to celebrate the religious occasion with the Thai delegates undertook the five precepts which was followed by offerings of alms to Bhikkhu

sangha and religious discourse led by Head monk of Chongkham temple Venerable Pingyasiha Mahathero.

According to religious belief of the Theravada Buddhists, the day being purnima is considered a sacred day for the entire Buddhist communities which also coincided with appearance of the super moon that added grandeur to view of the Golden Pagoda was witnessed by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein who is also the patriarch of the Kongmu Kham with the people including the reverend monks from Thailand and the Thai delegates.

In the evening celebration of Loi-Krathong (Poi-Phong) the ceremony of releasing floating lamps in the Mungchalinda Buddha pond was organised.

The Abbott of the Kongmu Kham Venerable Vimalatissa Bhikkhu underlying the significance of Poi – Phong informed that it was performed to seek blessings for good health, peace and prosperity and usher in prosperous and vibrant New Year as per the Tai lunar calendar.

In the intervening night of the 2-day fest, Pung the Tai Khampti melodrama enthralled the crowds.

Drugs menace is “vicious and venomous”, needs unified fight, says Jatongko Kiyang Singpho Contd. from Page 1

ANI Mechuka, 14 Nov: Hundreds of people recently took part in the three-day Mechuka Adventure Festival, organised to promote adventure tourism in Arunachal Pradesh.

The festival was jointly organised by Indian Tourism Ministry, the state tourism department and the Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD), to promote Mechukha as a preferred adventure tourism destination.

The festival was also attended by Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.

"Whatever festivals are celebrated in places across Arunachal Pradesh, they are based on religion, culture, music and adventure. We have Ziro festival, Bomdila festival, Tawang festival.

All the communities and tribes have their own festival. They need to be promoted. These festivals are our strength," said Rijiju.

Besides promoting adven-

ture sports like rock climbing, rappelling, angling for snow trout, paramotor, horse riding and bullet-riders, local food competition, fashion show, singing and dancing competition and musical nights were held during the festival.

Tourism and hydro resources are the key sectors that generate revenue for Arunachal Pradesh.

Mechukha is unique for its tourism potential and draws global tourists for adventurous sports.

Arunachal Pradesh Congress remembers Jawaharlal Nehru

Meanwhile, with the increasing circulation and consumption of drugs in various forms in and around Bordumsa, both the resource persons expressing concern over degrading morale values among the youth due to drug abuse told that irrespective of community, territory and gender, all must come forward take the stride together and counter the menace with an uncompromising hand.

Primary role and responsibility of the parents and guardians of concern affected house was stressed and suggestions were rendered so that the addicted youth starts finding interest on other fronts of life too including singing, dancing, sports and other attractive avenues to be created and

made available for those already under the grip of narcotics.

The Guest of Honour Sindunong Singpho expressed lamentation of the deteriorating state of affairs due to dreaded face of drugs menace looming in and around Bordumsa.

“Drugs menace has been adversely affecting the domestic peace, and I urge upon all to stand as one and fight against this the menace with determination.”

“We have to also identify the peddlers who sells the contravened narcotics while in driving and constantly changing the delivery location most of the times serving on home delivery mode,” he further added. On the same note, Nonja an employee at Oil India limited Duliajan is of the firm opinion that networks of drug peddlers are stronger than the forces to

counter the menace; thus the ill effects of drugs abuse is seen in every alternate house in and around Bordumsa circle.

While, CC Singpho urged the people to extend support to local people, remain vigilant and seek administrative assistance to realize the desired end. He was at the event as Chief Guest.

The charity show had plenty to offer to people as a series of cultural items including traditional and modern songs, dances of various forms and drama were staged by troops of various communities including tea tribe, Singphos and Gallo. Students from different schools also participated in the event.

The significant programme with meaningful objective was lauded by people and noble efforts of the ABSSU was termed ' small efforts for yet bigger cause '.

The programme started with floral tribute to the portrait of Nehruji by Nabam Tuki, former Chief Minister, Padi Richo, and President APCC, all the PCC office bearers, senior Congress leaders, Frontal Organizations and party workers.

Nabam Tuki, former Chief Minister termed Pt. Nehru as a visionary leader, a global statesman and a profound humanist, who was a stalwart of India’s freedom struggle. As the 1st Prime Minister of India, he laid the foundation of a strong & modern India based on secular ideals. He held enor-

mous compassion for the poor and also believed that science and technology would truly enable the emergence of a modern national outlook. He recalled the contribution and special attachment of Panditji towards Arunachal Pradesh.

The glaring example is Panchsheel system to protect the rights of the tribal people including system of Inner Line Permit to protect and safeguarding the life and property of the indigenous population of Arunachal Pradesh. He appealed the party men and women to take a pledge to follow his values and ideals and spread the message of communal harmony, unity and integrity.

Padi Richo, President APCC recalled Panditji’s struggle and contribution in nation building and said that Panditji had great love and affection for children for which he is popularly known as “Chacha Nehru”.

APMC market shed inaugurated in Ziro ET Bureau Ziro, 14 Nov: The laborious spirit and the work culture of the Apatani women should be emulated by all the womenfolk across the state, said Lower Subansiri DC Kemo Lollen, while inaugurating the APMC market shed at Khoter, Hapoli today.

Addressing the farm women from different SHG and farming clubs, Lollen said that the concept of SHGs has been implemented in true spirit by Apatani women.

“Better training and exposure trips will equip them better to generate more revenue”, he added and assured to incentivize these SHG to strengthen them.

Bank officials should proactively assist these laborious womenfolk in securing loans, he said, and suggested the sponsoring departments to pursue the matters with the banks whenever applications are received under certain schemes. This way SHGS and entrepreneurs will be encouraged, he reasoned.

On the occasion, he also donated a set of farming equipments.

Chairman of Dilyang Dibo Multipurpose Society, Nani Jailyang highligthed the activities of the farmers clubs and the SHGs under the society.

As the new market shed is located between Old Ziro and Hapoli it can become a buffer zone for vegetable growers of the nearby villages. The shed would initially start as a Saturday wholesale market and then based on the production the market will be open twice a week, She informed while appealing to all the farm women to avail the facility.

Agriculture Deputy Director Boria Nakum informed that a soil testing laboratory is being set up at Yazali Agriculture Farm, which would facilitate nutrient treatment of the soil and increase productivity.

Much to the joy of kiwi and cardamom growers, he also informed that both have been approved by Mission Organic Value Chain Development under National Mission for Sustainable Development, thus paving way for a higher market value.

Hage Taru a progressive farmer and the owner of Himalayan kiwis also shared his experiences as a kiwi grower.

Later, the DC interacted with the farm women and inspected the market shed, the nursery and the emporium run by the Dilyang Dibo soceity.

The inaugural programme was attended by officials from the Agriculture Department, Nani Lajie, ADO Joram Robi, progressive farmers and SHG members.

Anti-China sentiments reopen 1962 wound for a Gaon Burah in Arunachal Agencies Itanagar, 14 Nov: AntiChina sentiments in India have reopened a 54-yearold wound for the chief of an Arunachal Pradesh village close to the Tibet border in the eastern Himalayas, reports Hindustan Times Newspaper.

Tapir Samchung was a porter with the Indian Army when China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) attacked Nesanggang in midOctober 1962. Almost all Indian soldiers at Nesanggang, about 20km northeast of Mechukha, were killed.

Samchung, a Bokar tribal adhering to the indigenous Donyi-Polo faith, caught a bullet in his left thigh. His friend and fellow porter

Cheda Naksang, a Buddhist Memba tribal, died after being shot in the chest.

“I fell unconscious after getting hit. I woke up to find myself on a makeshift hospital bed. Some Chinese soldiers came and apologised for shooting me and killing my friend,” Samchung, now the government-nominated gaonbura (GB, village chief) of Dorjeeling village, told to Hindustan times.

Dorjeeling is 7km from Mechukha, a sub-divisional headquarters 492km northeast of Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar and 29km from the nearest point of the McMahon Line separating India and China-occupied Tibet.

Samchung remembers Naksang whenever winter

taken care not to kill or injure locals. They repented killing Naksang and shooting me, and let me go with gifts — after taking out the bullet lodged in my thigh — only after I was properly healed,” Samchung said.

The language the tribes of Mechukha subdivision, particularly the Membas, speak is similar to the Tibetan language.

arrives; the PLA had in 1962 entered Arunachal Pradesh on October 10 and withdrew by November 20.

He also recalls the generosity and friendliness of the Chinese soldiers whose “enmity is only with Indian sol-

diers”.

ing” Pakistan.

The advent of this winter, for Samchung, happens to coincide with calls to ban Chinese goods in a bid to hit Beijing economically for backing “terrorist-breed-

“Some soldiers in the Chinese Army were our ethnic cousins and we could easily communicate with them.

They said we were their own people and they had

Sangey Khandu Sona, GB of Sanggang village near the 1080-km long border between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet, said the Chinese Army took over the rations depot of the Indian Army at Mechukha and advanced more than 100km inland.

“But they never misbehaved with the local people, and were courteous. They kept reminding us the locals

were not their enemy. They remained in this area for some 45 days before packing up and leaving suddenly,” Sona, an uncle of local MLA Pasang Dorjee Sona, said during an assembly of GBs during an adventure tourism festival at Mechukha from November 7-9.

Lack of communication, locals said, was the primary reason why the PLA overran the Indian Army in 1962. “The Chinese built roads right up to the border years ago, but the first road to Mechukha from Aalo (West Siang district headquarters 190km south) was built only in 2005,” Norbu Naksang, a social activist, said.

The condition of the AaloMechukha road — lifeline for 13,310 people in the Mechukha subdivision —

has deteriorated since. It takes locals Rs 500 per person in a Tata Sumo, the only means of public transport, and 12 hours to reach Aalo for healthcare and other basic necessities.

“The advanced landing ground here was rebuilt and modernised last year but it is more for use by army and air force. The occasional private helicopter service is too expensive. Earlier, locals could fly in and out on the army’s AN-32 aircraft at a nominal cost but the service has been discontinued,” Mechukha Bazaar Committee secretary KL Mosing said.

New Delhi, he added, should give a thought to reintroducing such flight services to one of the most landlocked parts of the country.

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

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Govt of Assam informs notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 to be accepted till midnight of November 24 ET Bureau Guwahati, November 14: The Finance Department of the Government of Assam has informed that the bank notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 which were in use till the midnight of November 8, 2016 will be accepted by

State IPR to celebrate National Press Day ET Bureau Guwahati, 14 Nov: The Information and Public Relations Department, Assam in association with Journalist Association of Assam is organising the State Level Celebration of the National Press Day, 2016 on November 16, 2016 at Srimanta Snakardev Kalakshetra Auditorium, Panjabari at 11 a.m.

Media Advisor to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam Shri Hrishikesh Goswami will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Distinguished Journalist and Editor of Amar Asom Prasanta Rajguru will deliver the keynote address on the theme, “Reporting from conflict area and challenges for Media”.

the concerned Government Departments/agencies, Municipalities/local bodies etc. for making payments towards any fees, charges, taxes or penalties, payable to the Central or State Governments including Municipal and local bodies; and for

making payments towards utility charges including water and electricity till the midnight of November 24, 2016 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

All the concerned tax payers, stakeholders and mem-

GURU NANAK JAYANTHI IN GOLAGHAT

bers of the public can use this opportunity since this exemption was provided for their convenience. All concerned Government Departments, Agencies, Local Bodies can also ensure receipt of such bank notes as permitted above.

Currency found Guwahati in torn condition, suspected black money ET Bureau Guwahati, November 14: Currency notes worth above Rs 30 lakh was found in a drain in Guwahati in torn condition on Monday morning. Local people had spotted the torn notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination in a drain at Ghoramara

Chandan Nagar in the city on Monday morning and immediately informed to police.

Later police seized samples from the heap for forensic tests.

According to local reports, the notes could be part of unaccounted money that

someone wanted to dispose off after the demonetisation of currency.

Another cache of notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, packed in a polyethylene bag, were found at Bahini river near Rukminigaon in the city on Monday.

Sikhs people in Golaghat today celebrated the birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak with much religious fervour in Golaghat Gurudwara. Sikhs across the globe today are celebrating the 546th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. Gurudwaras around the world are decorated in beautiful colours and lights. Believers, on this day attend ‘Katha’ session and listen to the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, they sing hymns in the praise of their lord and also engage themselves in ‘sewa’ or service. Photo by Amit Nagori.

Drones to check poachers in Kaziranga National Park ET Bureau Kaziranga, 14 Nov: In a significant development, the Government of India has given the green signal to the Kaziranga National Park authorities to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) over the national park in order to check the activities of antisocial elements including poachers. This was informed by the Additional Director General, Wildlife and Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, (NTCA), Government of India, BS Bonal, at the com-

plex of Forest Convention Center, Kaziranga on Saturday.

flying of drones, the menace of poaching in Kaziranga would be greatly checked.

would be reflected back to a computer at the base office.

Speaking to reporters, Bonal said that all the requisite formalities in this regard including the clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence , Government of India had been completed and very shortly, one can witness the flying of Drone over Kaziranga National Park.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Swachh Bharat Abhijan Mission at Kohora.

Bonal informed that with the

He added that electronic surveillance, also called ‘e-surveillance’ with eight towers is already in place within a 20km area. These towers have thermal, infrared cameras which would immediately alert the forest staff of Kaziranga, if images of any kind of moving objects are captured by them. This would help the forest staff to take immediate action, as the captured images

When pointed out by this correspondent about the growing conflicts between humans and tigers in various parts of Assam, Bonal said that people must understand the nature and habitat of these tigers, especially leopards and should avoid killing them.

He added that the Government would definitely provide due compensation if any cattle or livestock are killed by tigers.

He also added that in some

cases, mortality of tigers is due to infighting for acquiring individual territory. He said that plastic and polythene must be banned inside protected areas like Kaziranga, suggesting that a local advisory committee may be constituted with the participation of all stakeholders to review and monitor all tourists facilities, noise pollution norms, environment safeguards, etc., within a five-km radius of protected areas. (With inputs from agencies)

Sabal Bidhayak by Assam Assembly: Arnab Goswami urges politicians and media to put people first Agencies Guwahati, 14 Nov: Noted journalist Arnab Goswami Sunday said that it is important for legislators to put people first in their agenda.

“We are all here because of the people. People should come first whether it is in politics or media,” said Goswami while addressing legislators on the topic: “Legislators and Relationship with Media” during the third phase of Sabal Bidhayak, a series of orientation programmes initiated by the Assam Assembly.

The series that will continue on select days until January 2017 next year have been designed and coordinated

by Guwahati based thinktank Centre for Development and Peace Studies.

Describing the quality of journalism Goswami said that Indian journalism is stronger than journalism elsewhere because the media here can question every-

thing including religion, something not practiced by the western media. At the same time, Indian media is independent and secular- it can cover issues for instance as to why a woman cannot enter a place of worship.

While in UK the media is very structured, in India it is not. Stating that his channel Times Now has broken six major scams so far and each case has been followed by the judiciary, he said that the media in India has kept the judiciary on its toes.

Media in India has come a long way. Today’s media is an unusual media. It is con-

frontational unlike media in earlier days which had information but little impact.

“Politics is about taking responsibilities. Development follows when the media behaves responsibly and politicians too work responsibly,” he said. Terming the New Media as an Activist Media or Campaign driven Media, he said that today’s media followups news until there is response from the concerned quarters. He said that today journalists are no longer disseminators of information only, they have become activists. Media is a reflection of the changing

CM IN CHILDREN DAY CELEBRATION

country. Legislatures should open up new relations with the media and both should think about how they can work together and not how they can fight, he added.

Veteran politician and former minister Abdul Muhib Majumder highlighted the participants on procedural devices available to members to raise matters of urgent public importance on the floor of the house. Former Assam Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta also addressed the participants and spoke on Parliamentary etiquette, ethics, customs and conventions. He said that if legislators follow the rules and procedures of the Assembly, it will be beneficial both for them and the public.

Phani Bhushan Choudhry, who has been representing his constituency for the seventh consecutive term, threw light on general rules of procedures of the Assem-

lators and media and said that for legislators media is the medium to reach the masses. Senior journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap stated that media and politics are inseparably related and while media plays the role of a watch dog, it also has its own responsibilities.

Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board Dipok Kumar Barthakur speaking on “Skilling and Regenerating Assam,” said that courses must be developed with an eye on the employability sectors of the region.

He was of the opinion that a Skills University is necessary in the region to boost employment. In the programme that followed the Centre for Development and Peace Studies Executive Director Wasbir Hussain presented an overview of skill development initiatives in Assam. Intense interactions between the legislators and resource persons marked the sessions.

Durlov Gogoi developed an Assamese and English bilingual dictionary app ET Bureau Guwahati, 14 Nov: Durlov Gogoi, an Assamese lexicographer-cum-software expert, has developed an Assamese and English bilingual dictionary app that can run offline.

The app, named Aadarxa Bilingual Dictionary, was released a couple of days ago at the ongoing North East Book Fair. It already has more than 1, 20,000 words as well as pictures and took over a year to be developed.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal celebrated Children's Day with the young ones at a function organised by Assam Sishu Sahitya Nyas & Kamrup District Administration at Latasil, Guwahati today.

bly – questions, legislations and resolutions. He said that it is very important for a legislator to know how to put a question in the Assembly, which question is to be given priority and how to frame a question. According to him, the question must be focused and proposals should be such that it includes the problems and issues important for the state as a whole apart from then problems of a particular constituency.

Speaking on the occasion Director, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Guwahati, Gautam Barua said that new and relevant courses should be introduced in the ITIs along with vocational courses for students who cannot pass tenth standard. State Minister for Water Resources Department, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Keshab Mahanta sensitized the legislators on the relationship between legis-

The app, available on Android and iOS platforms, was developed by Gogoi with technical help from Valentina Padydora of Romania.

"I downloaded and installed around 10 similar apps

which were developed in various parts of the country and for various languages.

But I was not completely satisfied with any of them.

So I approached Valentina for the hard bits," said Gogoi.

Even though the app can work offline, Gogoi said a user must be online to be able to view the pictures.

"The images take up a large amount of space, hence a user has to be online to view them," Gogoi said. "There are facilities for searching words by categories. For instance, one can key in names of animals and birds, special days and even scientific terms to find a particular word," he added.

Another helpful feature that has been added to the 13.14 MB app is an Assamese keypad. For an Assamese user who wishes to search

Assamese words, a keypad in the language is a godsend.

The app is not free, however. A user has to shell out Rs 100 for a first-time installation. "If a user formats his or her device, they can re-install the app free of cost," Gogoi said. Updates, too, will be made free.

The total production cost of the app was a little over Rs 2,50,000, said Gogoi who had developed a software called 'Xahaj Xandhan Axomiya Abhidhan' (easysearch Assamese dictionary) four years ago. The software made it possible for students and language facilitators to pursue their activities in Assamese. It also helped users with grammar, usage, syntax and pronunciation. (With inputs from agencies)

Man-Animal Conflict ; 2 Trampled to Death at Baksa ET Bureau Baksa, November 14: In yet another incident of mananimal conflict, a man was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants at Kumarikata in Assam's Baksa district on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Theblai Basumatary.

Another person identified as Dashilal Bhuyan was trampled to death by wild elephants on Friday, in the same area.

Depredation by wild tuskers in various parts of Assam has become a regular feature these days.Attacks by elephants have been on the rise in Assam. Rapid encroachment of forest areas including wildlife sanctuaries by ‘desperate’ humans has given rise to man-elephant conflicts in different parts of Assam. In this battle of survival, many people and elephants were killed in the last several years in different parts of the state.

Sainik School of Goalpara celebrates 52nd Raising Day Ranjan K Baruah Goalpara, 14 Nov: Sainik School Goalpara (SSG) celebrated its 52nd Raising Day on Saturday. The eventful day commenced with a ceremonial parade reviewed by Capt (IN) Edwin Jothirajan, the Principal who hoisted the school flag.

In his address, the Principal greeted the entire school community on the auspicious occasion and lauded their efforts and dedication towards making the school one of the premiere institutes in the North-Eastern region. Students along with teachers from different schools in Dudhnoi and Krishnai also witnessed the programme. The children also witnessed the Inter House Science & Arts Exhibition that was inaugurated by Cdr Reena Magdalene (Retd) and saw the infrastructure of the school.

Lieutenant General Pranab Kumar Bharali, VSM & DG Army Aviation Corps, New Delh was the chief guest on the occasion. The Chief Guest reviewed a ceremonial Guard of Honour. The General is a distinguished alumnus of the school. In an exclusive interaction with the senior cadets, he exhorted the cadets to exploit every opportunity provided by the school in the best possible manner and serve the nation by joining the

Defence Services. Along with a good number of other distinguished alumni, members of the Old Boys Association, who graced the occasion, the General also witnessed the Inter-House Science Exhibition.

The Old Boys Association (OBA) witnessed a cultural extravaganza in the school auditorium and joined the cadets for lunch in the cadets’ mess. They felicitated Cdt Siddharth Nandan for scoring the “Highest Marks scored in All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) by an Assamese Medium Student”, Cdt Vishal Kumar of Class X for standing first in Inter-House Cross Country and Cdt Partho Pratim Nath for “Scoring Highest marks in PCM in Class XII Board Exam”. The School Volleyball Team that has won the CBSE Cluster-I for the last five consecutive years and the U-14 Football Team that represented IPSC in Subroto Cup were also felicitated.

The celebrations ended with a friendly football match between the “Old Boys’ XI” and the school cadets. The visit of the Old Boys to the School every year on the Rising Day is an honoured tradition that the school follows and is a binding factor between its alumni and the cadets on training.

State to observe National Press Day on November 16 ET Bureau Guwahati, November 14: The Information and Public Relations Department, Assam in association with Journalist Association of Assam is organising the State Level Celebration of the National Press Day, 2016 on November 16, 2016 at Srimanta SnakardevKalakshetra Auditorium, Panjabari from 11 a.m. ?Media Advisor to the Chief Minister of Assam Hrishikesh Goswami will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. Eminent journalist and former Editor of Dainik Asom Dhirendra

Nath Chakravartty will attend the programme as the Guest of Honour.

Distinguished Journalist and Editor of AmarAsom Prasanta Rajguru will deliver the keynote address on the theme, “Reporting from conflict area and challenges for Media”.

It may be noted that Six journalists of the Sate, namely, Prafulla Rajguru of Jorhat, JyotilalChoudhury from Silchar, Dilip Chakrabarty of Dhubri, Himen Bhattacharya of Tinsukia, MunindraDas of Barpeta and Ron Duarah of Dibrugarh will be felicitated in the programme.

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

NORTHEAST

BJP govt fails to keep poll promises, says Tripura CM Agartala, Nov 14 : Coming down heavily on the BJP led government for not keeping its poll promies, Chief Minister on Sunday alleged the coutnry is heading towards uncertainty.

While addressing an election rally at Nutannagar of West Tripura's Barjala Assembly constituency, he said Narendra Modi has spent office as the Prime Minister for almost three years.

"What the people have wit-

nessed so far is nohting but a disasterious experience.Modiji had promsied to bring black money stashed in foreign coutnry and would be deposited to each citizen's bank account to the tune of Rs. 15 lakh if the BJP is voted to power. Does anybody receives money? No citizen will receive it in future too", he said.

On the black money issue, the Chief Minister said the country has only 10 percent currency of the total

economy of the country- Rs. 1,30,000 lakh crore. "The recent decision of banning high value currency has created trouble for the common people.

There is a lack of will to recover black money on the part of the Modi led government. It is because big fishes pumped house amount of fund to bring the BJP to the power. Now, it has become a compulsion for the BJP led government to safeguard the interest of these people", he alleged.

Sarkar said youths were misleaded after hearing tall promise- providing jobs to two crore youths each year.

"What is the reality? Only 1.30 lakh job is being created in each year during the Modi led government while every year over one crore educated youths are registering their names in different employment exchange offices", he said.

Barjala Assembly segment, Sarkar also sharply criticized the BJP for pushing reforms on fast-track. " Modi led government has opened the country's market to the multi-national companies to loot the people", he said.

In his speech, Sarkar did not spare Left political opponent- Trinamool Congress.

"Mamata Banerjee flolated party has created a total mess like situation in West Calling upon the voters to Bengal by adopting elimivote for Left Front in the nating opponent less upcoming by-elections to state", he said. (Agencies)

Governor showers praise on NIT, Agartala's academic excellence grees to the students of different streams.

Among the degree holders, 11 students from postgraduate courses and 8 more students from degree level with first class got gold medals. Apart from these, a total 243 students got M.Tech degrees, 15 students MBA, 20 students of M.Sc, 34 students of MCA and 646 more students got B.Tech degree papers.

Agartala, Nov 14 : Giving full-scale showering on the performance of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, Governor Tathagata Roy said the institute has secured second position among all NITs in the Northeast region.

Addressing the 9th convocation of (NIT), Agartala , he appreciated the director of NIT, Agartala for attaining excellence in academic activities.

In his messages to the success students, Governor Roy said 'human life is very small and you have to achieve a big one within your life span to establish'.

Duing the convocation, Governor Tathagata Roy has been honoured with award of 'Honoris Causa D (engineering) and renowned film actor Nata Patekar was

DENSU to mark 25 years Dimapur, Nov 14: To mark its 25th years of existence on November 26, Delhi Eastern Nagaland Students' Union (DENSU), formerly known as Eastern Nagaland Students' Union Delhi, with the support from advisor NBDA, Naiba Konyak will construct an indigenous Morung along with a log drum at Nagaland House Lawn, 29 Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi.

The celebration will be graced by minister of health and family welfare P. Longon and former MP and advisor ENPO K. Asungba Sangtam as chief guest and guest of honour, and Fingerprint (Event & Design) Nagaland will be the official event partner.

(Agencies)

Hindi teachers postpone stir Dimapur, Nov 14: CSS Hindi teachers and All Nagaland Hindi Teachers Union (ANHTU) have postponed the agitation scheduled on November 15 due to some technical problem. However, the agitation will resume on November 22, informed convener Ilika Aye in a press statement. All CSS Hindi teachers have also been asked to reach DoSE at 8am on November 22. CSS executive and ANHTU office bearers further requested CSS Hindi teachers to co-operate and bear with the inconvenience. (Agencies)

During the convocation programme, chairman of of Broad of Governors ofNIT, Agartala, Prof. Dipak B Pathak, Prof. Sandeep Sancheti, President Manipal University of Jaipur along with director Addressing the 9th convocation of (NIT), Agartala , he appreciated the director of of NIT, Agartala Prof.

NIT, Agartala for attaining excellence in academic activities.

Gopal Mugeraya with other also honoured with the including 21 gold medals for dignitaries and faculty award of 'Honoris Causa D Altogether 27 students were their researches, post- members of NIT were (letters). awarded with Ph. D degrees graduate and B.Tech de- present. (Agencies)

Three drowned in separate incidents Dimapur, Nov 14: Three boys, all in the age group of 13-17 years, drowned in separate incidents at Dimapur, according to police and family members. On Sunday morning, a 13-year old boy drowned in Dhansiri river, Purana Bazar while playing with his friend. Relatives said, efforts were on to retrieve the body with the help of Assam Rifles and local divers. Family has also requested to contact

9856237321 in case anyone finds the body along the riverside.

In another incident, two students, both class 11 of Don Bosco Hr. Secondary School, Dimapur identified as Pohwang Konyak (16) and Konpha Konyak (17) drowned while on a picnic with friends at T.L. Angami Park on November 12. The bodies were retrieved by youths of New Chumukedima village, police said.(Agencies)

State doing its bit to arrest currency shortage Shillong, Nov 14: The State authorities are doing their bit to ensure the problem of currency shortage is addressed and notes are made sufficiently available to the distressed people.

Chief Secretary K.S Kropha on Sunday said the Additional Chief Secretary had had a meeting with RBI and bank officials to make all arrangements.

In East Khasi Hills, there have been allegations of traders trying to take advantage of the current situation by making illogical demands asking consumers to purchase commodities amounting to a thousand

rupees or more. Refusal to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes only aggravated the problem.

Meanwhile, West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Arun Kumar Kembhavi has allayed fears of shortage of Rs 100 notes and stated that it is only an artificial shortage. He observed that people's refusal to part with the Rs 100 notes, which are high in demand after demonetization, has created a temporary shortage.

"We have issued orders to traders not to sell more than the MRP or indulge in black marketing or hoarding," he said.

(Agencies)

Hawkers' body to appeal against eviction Shillong, Nov 14: Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association will file an appeal against the recent eviction order of the High Court of Meghalaya.

Sources said on Sunday that since a portion of the judgment had mentioned that the Chief Secretary should ensure implementation of the Hawkers' Act, there is a scope for them to appeal as the Act has not been implemented in the State. The High Court on November 10 had ordered eviction of hawkers from all footpaths in the city.

According to sources, the hawkers may also insist that the State government should follow the guidelines of the central Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

The sources added that no eviction can be carried out without providing the hawkers an alternate place for their daily business.

As per the Act, the hawkers will also form part of the Town Vending Committees which, however, is yet to be implemented in the State.(Agencies)

P5

Trinamool to take lead role after 2019 polls, predicts Mukul Roy Agartala, Nov 14: Predicting a coalition government after 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress is going to play a lead role in forming new government in Delhi, said party's vice president Mukul Roy. Roy, who was addressing an election rally in favour party nominee for Barjala Assembly constituency, on Sunday said Trinamool Congress looks set to win 41 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

"Both the CPI(M) and Congress will face yet another defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections for their own mis-

takes. The BJP, which has so far failed deliver good show, will also meet the same fate", he said.

Roy said the people will not give 10 years to BJP to rule the country. "The people are fuming over the performance of Modi led government and will be teach a lesson in the next general elections", he said.

"Laluji and Nitishji may manage to secure 20/25 seats while BJD is likely to win 18/20 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections. DMK or AIDMK will secure 39/40 seats while Netaji or Mayawatiji may won 25/30

seats", he predicted.

He continued, " It means Trinamool Congress will emerge as largest party after the 2019 general elections. And naturally, Mamata Banerjee will become the next Prime Minister".

In his speech, he also criticised banning of high value currency saying that it has created a lot of problems for the common people.

"Narendra Modi led government will not take any stern action against capitalists as it was funded by them during the last elections", he added.(Agencies)

Second edition of Arshinagar unveiled Agartala, Nov 14: Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Bhanu Lal Saha inaugurated second edition of Arshinagar, a special magazine focusing on travel, trade and folk culture.

Dy Speaker Pabitra Kar and Editor of Bangladesh Dainik Sambad Maneruzzman remained present in the programme held at Agartala Press Club here on Sunday.

While speaking on the occasion, the Minister said

this kind of magazine will boost the cultural practice amidst flourishing culture of social media.

"Now we are facing various social problems because of various reasons. This kind of initiative- publishing of magazine like Arshinagar will certainly have a positive impact on the young generation", he stated.

The first issue of the magazine was published in the last book fair which earned

words of appreciation from literary society of the state.

"In the second edition of the magazine, focus was given on travel, trade and folk culture of the state. Besides, a regular chapter on English version of stories and songs panned was there in the magazine", said Subhash Das, editor of the magazine.

The next issue will be special one with focus on traditional rural fairs, he added.

(Agencies)

D Block colony mass social work

VCs support to candidates unlawful, says LKMCECC Dimapur, Nov 14: Langpangkong Students' Conference Clean Election Campaign Committee (LKMCECC) has joined ACAUT in condemning the "unlawful" public declaration of the five village councils- Kelingmen, Yaongyimti (old), Yaongyimti (New), Phangsang and Chakpa- to support certain candidates in the forthcoming 2018 assembly polls.

LKMCECC in a press note said, the public declaration has directly challenged "adult suffrage"- a right to vote given to every citizen by the constitution of India.

In this regard, LKMCECC said it has decided to take up the matter with the Election Commission of India (ECI) with certain practical proposals for necessary action to ensure free and fair election.

The committee alleged that the VCs have "simply and thoughtlessly" breached the "Pledge signed in the

name of God" on September 3 at Chuchuyimlang village, where all 33 villages and town units under Langpangkong range in Mokokchung district took the pledge for clean election in their respective villages and town units.

Taking the issue as an eyeopener and reminder, it urged the range people to be more determined and committed towards cleansing the mess of election from Langpangkong range in particular.

The committee also said the public declaration was unfortunate and embarrassment, when the people of Langpangkong range under the banner of LKMCECC were making all efforts to cleanse the corrupt and unlawful system of electioneering from the range.

It therefore, appealed the people of Langpangkong range to uphold the September 3 pledge in letter and spirit. (Agencies)

D block colony citizens conducting mass social work at the main road at Kohima town.

Kohima, Nov 14: Hundreds of D block colony residents swept the dusty main road and filled up the deep pot holes with cement in the heart of the Kohima town from Razhii point till the Assam Rifles during its mass social work without depending on the concern department on Saturday.

With the festive season approaching, the colony residents also beautified the road sides by cleaning the weeds, drainage system and painted the walls of hundred metres sponsored by minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr.

Nicky Kire.

Hundreds of colony residents participated the mass social initiated by the D block Panchayat Kohima.

The panchayat chairman Kevisatuo Yhome and panchayat secretary Gilbert Patton expressed gratitude to minister Dr. Nicky who also visited the social work site, encouraged the residents and supervised the work and also to some individuals for their contribution towards social work namely Lhoulalie Zumu, Sachin Pradhan, Zakiebie-u , Nielasielie Kire,

Kewengulo Lasushe, Kewepu Tepfo and Kezhalie Keretsii.

Meanwhile, the D Block youth organization informed the general public not to occupy their colony's jurisdiction for anti-social activities and disturb the residents especially the election office premises and it's adjacent. The organization warned that there would be surprised checking any time and the defaulters would face the stern action initiated by the youth organization. (Agencies)

Govt goes all out to promote Cherry Blossom Festival Shillong, Nov 14: The city is all set to celebrate the pink and white blooms of the season from Monday with the State government leaving no stone unturned to make India's first Cherry Blossom Festival a success.

To promote the festival, the government has started a Facebook Festival Events page called CherryBlossomFestivalofIndia. There is also a website called www.cherryblossomfestival.in. The four-day festival, which is being organised in collaboration with the Institute of BioResources and Sustainable Develop-ment

(IBSD) at Polo Grounds, with its line-up of events aims to attract hundreds of locals and tourists.

Cherry blossoms in full bloom can be spotted in several parts of the city, but the government noticed it only recently, an official of the Forest and Environment Department said.

"The IBSD has seen that cherry blossoms are found in Sikkim, Manipur and Meghalaya," the official told The Shillong Times, and added that more such trees would be planted along the Mawiong and Umroi stretch.

Stating that the trees have adapted the climatic condition found in the region, the official said the trees found here are rough and is not as uniform as found in Japan, the country known for its cherry blossoms spectacle and picnics.

from the road leading to Golflinks. Entry to the 5th ground parking area will be from road to Kim Hyundai Workshop onto 3rd Gate (behind Tennis House). The exit will be from the rear gate at 5th Furlong.

Traffic arrangements for the festival are also in place. East Khasi Hills SP M. Kharkrang said there will be two parking lots for visitors at 2nd Ground Polo Parking Lot and 5th Ground. Vehicles entering the Polo parking lot will be from the gate opposite to the CRPF Camp and exit will be

Kharkrang said those parking their vehicles at Polo parking lot and other visitors will enter through the point at the end of the parking lot and exit from the main gate opposite to the CRPF Camp or 2nd Gate in front of Tennis Court.

He also said that those parking at 5th Ground will enter the venue from the

second gate in front of Tennis Court. The first gate will be for VIPs and invitees and those with car passes.

No parking will be allowed on the road to Golflinks, that is between CRPF Junction and Police Guest House and from Polo Junction to NEEPCO. For events at Wards Lake and Taraghar, vehicles should be parked at S.M.B. parking lot opposite SBI Main branch and VIPs and those with car passes can park their vehicles in The Shillong Club. The festival will be over on November 17. (Agencies)

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Today's quote

“

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure.

I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

Marilyn Monroe

The big deal with Japan When India conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, Japan was the country that took it the hardest: it put all political exchanges with India on hold, froze aid and announced economic sanctions within hours. A thaw in ties didn't come until 2001, when sanctions were lifted.

And then, in 2009, the two countries began an annual strategic dialogue. This has now come to fruition with the signing of the nuclear cooperation agreement in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. The deal is critical to India's renewable energy plans. Japanese companies that produce cutting-edge reactor technology were previously not allowed to supply parts to India. In addition, Japanese companies have significant holdings in their U.S. and French partners negotiating for nuclear reactors now, and that would have held up the deals. This is Japan's first nuclear deal with a nonsignatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty, and it recognises India's exemplary record in nuclear prudence.

It is indeed a much-needed moral boost as New Delhi strives for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The move will boost the meagre, and dipping, bilateral trade of $15 billion, and lift the strategic military and defence relationship.

There are several riders to this rosy prognosis, however. First, the nuclear deal has to be approved by Japan's Parliament. This will not be aided by unhelpful references such as those made recently by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, about revisiting India's no-first-use nuclear weapons policy. In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may face criticism that he extracted too few assurances from India on a nuclear test ban. In India, Mr. Modi may be criticised for giving in too much, as a note slipped into the agreement now accepts an emergency suspension of the deal if India tests a weapon. The clock is ticking, and Mr. Abe must bring the deal to Parliament in early 2017 to ensure that the commercial agreement for Westinghouse's six reactors in Andhra Pradesh that is due in June 2017 comes through. This will also coincide with the next plenary of the NSG. Both New Delhi and Tokyo must also be wary of the impact on Beijing of this new stage in their ties. China has been hedging against deeper Japan-India ties in Asia by investing in its relationship with Russia and Pakistan. As the two Asian rivals to China, India and Japan might need the partnership even more in the days to come, as the U.S. President-elect has indicated a lower level of interest in "playing policeman" in the region.

Punjab's politics of defiance With the Supreme Court responding to the presidential reference and terming illegal the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, politics in the State has predictably acquired a defiant edge.

Amarinder Singh, who was Chief Minister when the legislation was passed more than a decade ago in order to deny the neighbouring States their determined share of river waters, lost no time in announcing his resignation as a member of the Lok Sabha and that of all Congress MLAs from the Punjab Assembly. As an act of protest it has an absurd edge, but with Assembly elections due in early 2017, the party obviously wants to raise the stakes by identifying itself with the emotive water issue. In fact, it allows Mr. Singh the ideal launch pad to take on not just the Shiromani Akali DalBJP government, but also the Congress campaign strategist, Prashant Kishor, with whom he has been at odds. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had upped the ante earlier this year by shepherding a law in the Assembly to return to the original owners land acquired decades ago for the SutlejYamuna Link canal meant to enable sharing of river waters. Even as the State Governor refrained from giving consent to the legislation, bulldozers were employed to fill part of the canal with uprooted trees and soil to mark the Punjab government's defiance. In response to the Supreme Court's advisory on the 2004 law, Mr. Badal has called a session of the presumably Congress-less Assembly.

If there is a case for recalculating what may be a fair sharing of river waters given the changes in water availability, then Punjab's government and politicians are unwilling to even consider this. It is an all-or-nothing game in an election season in which the established political coordinates have been scrambled. Over the past couple of decades, Punjab politics had settled into a two-party/alliance dynamic, the Congress versus SAD-BJP. The 2014 Lok Sabha election changed that, with the Aam Aadmi Party taking four of the 13 seats. The implication of the AAP record for the Assembly elections is not clear, whether it was a one-off that put the older parties on notice, or whether it signalled a search for a party that would break the State's fossilised, often vengeful, politics that has eschewed attention to grassroots issues of agrarian distress, drug addiction, corruption, and discrimination. It is unclear whether the SAD's or the Congress's high defiance on water agreements will help them electorally in this landscape. But it would amount to further undermining the larger national profile that both Mr. Badal and Mr. Singh have built over the decades if they rallied passions so irresponsibly.

P6

Watering the green shoots More than ever, non-economic factors will play a key role in determining whether the investment sentiment is sustained or not. Policymakers need to be conscious of this, and keep away from divisive and disruptive issues We are now in the middle of the fiscal 2016-17. The main monsoon is also over.

This is an appropriate time to take a look at the economy and assess where we are headed. Two important questions that spring up are: are there green shoots which show a decisive revival of the economy, and have we laid the foundation for a faster rate of growth of the economy in the medium term?

In analysing the trends in the economy, we continue to be plagued by conflicting sets of data. National income data are available only for the first quarter (AprilJune). These data show that GDP grew by 7.1 per cent and that value added in manufacturing grew by 9.1 per cent. However, according to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) during this quarter, manufacturing fell by 0.6 per cent. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) now uses IIP data for measuring only a small segment of manufacturing. It uses the corporate data for estimating 75 per cent of the manufacturing sector. While one cannot fault the CSO for the new methodology, it has to carefully cross check the data it relies upon. Analysts need some amount of reassurance from the CSO. All the same, an attempt can be made to find out whether the current year will be better than the last year by looking at the performance of different segments.

Agricultural production Looking at the problem from the supply side, the one segment that will do better is agriculture. This is

based purely on the better duction of consumption performance of the mon- goods will be seen only in soon. In the short run, rain- the second half. There is fall is an important factor evidence of some sectors influencing agricultural pro- like two-wheelers growing duction. The rainfall during fast. The impact of the good the monsoon over the coun- monsoon on rural demand try as a whole was 97 per may also show up in the seccent of the long period av- ond half. erage (LPA). This is somewhat lower than what was Total Central government originally predicted. But expenditures in the first half this is distinctly better than were 52.0 per cent of the last year when the rainfall budgeted expenditures for was only 86 per cent of the year. This is only a shade LPA. The Southwest Mon- higher than previous year. soon rainCapital exfall in the penditures C. Rangarajan current year have shown is 100 mm a rise of 4.6 higher than last year, which per cent over the previous is approximately 13 per cent year. Increase in capital exhigher than last year. Based penditures is welcome as on a study of the impact of they lead to greater investrainfall on agricultural pro- ment. In September 2016, duction, this should lead to capital expenditures grew an increase in value added by 20 per cent on year-onin agricultural and allied ac- year basis. However, this tivities by 2.7 per cent. was mainly due to the increase in loans disbursed. It Demand side perspec- is to be noted that the bulk tive of the public investment comes from public sector From the demand side, enterprises. As of now, there there are four elements that is no information how much we need to examine: private additional investment has consumption expenditure, been made by PSUs. Roads government expenditure and railways seem to be particularly on investment, doing well. private investment particularly corporate investment, The third important segand external demand. As far ment is corporate investas private consumption ex- ment. In the last several penditure is concerned, a years corporate investment major factor contributing to has been roughly one-third a push is the implementa- of the total Gross Fixed tion of the recommenda- Capital Formation. Theretions of the Seventh Pay fore it is critical to watch its Commission. Government's behaviour. The Reserve salary and pension expendi- Bank of India has been maktures are expected to rise by ing a forecast of corporate 20 per cent. As those recom- investment based on a methmendations were made ef- odology outlined by me. In fective only from August the September 2016 issue of 2016, the impact on the pro- RBI Bulletin, it has pro-

vided the outlook that emerges for 2016-17. Bulk of the investment expenditures in any year are the result of the projects initiated in the previous two to three years. With the slowdown in new projects undertaken in recent years, it is unlikely that investment expenditures by the corporate sector in 2016-17 can be higher than in 2015-16. The study

by RBI staff indicates that substantial investment in the projects initiated in 2016-17 will be required to equal previous year's total investment expenditures. The total cost of projects initiated with institutional assistance in 2015-16 was Rs.954 billion, and Rs.878 billion in 2014-15. All this is a far cry from the figure of Rs.2,754 billion in 2006-07.

External environment The external demand is largely a reflection of the world economy which shows a sluggish recovery.

All forecasts indicate a slowing down in the world growth rate in 2016. The expectation is a slight improvement in 2017. World trade is also slowing. Exports of India started declining in 2015-16. For the year as a whole, the decline was 15.5 per cent. Much of this was due to the fall in the value of oil exports. However, some improvement in the current year is seen. The decline in exports during April-September was 1.26 per cent. This is on a base which had already declined.

In the month of September 2016, exports grew by 4.03 per cent. In an environment of declining world trade, it

is not surprising that India's exports fell. However, data for 2015 showed that the India's share in world exports has had a small decline, which indicates our exports are slowing down more than world exports.

But as indicated earlier, India's exports are doing a little better this year. We need to maintain this momentum. India's current account, however, has been comfortable because of the sharper decline in imports.

The external environment may not provide much stimulus by way of demand.

control. Both CPI (consumer price index) and WPI (wholesale price index) inflation are below 5 per cent.

Improved agricultural performance may further moderate food prices. The fiscal picture has been under control, even though as of now the fiscal deficit is running high. The current account deficit remains subdued. For the current year, it may be lower than last year's level of 1.1 per cent of GDP. All these are favourable factors for sustained economic growth.

The banking system is however under stress.

Green shoots Thus, the positive signs in the economy are an improved agricultural performance and a pick-up in rural demand, some increase in private consumption expenditure primarily due to the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and an enhanced capital expenditure by government. The negative indicators are a continued stagnation in corporate investment and a poor external environment.

The growth rate of GVA (gross value added) at basic prices in 2015-16 was 7.2 per cent. This year it may be slightly better at 7.6 per cent mainly because of improved agricultural performance. This estimate of the growth rate will undergo a downward revision if the disruptions caused by demonetisation persist for a long time.

The Indian economy has acquired a certain amount of stability. Prices are under

On the reforms front, there has been some improvement. Initially, there was the amendment to the Insurance Act to facilitate larger foreign investment.

The Bankruptcy Act has been enacted. The real estate sector now has a regulator. Finally, the goods and services tax is becoming a reality. All of these are enabling legislations. The impact of these legislations on the economy will take some time to come. But they are moves in the right direction.

To maintain a high growth rate in the medium term, a kick start in investment is imperative. This is yet to happen, even though the investment sentiment is slightly better today. But more than ever, non-economic factors will play a key role determining if this sentiment will be sustained or not. Policy-makers need to be conscious of this and keep the focus on growth, and away from divisive and disruptive issues.

Citizenship on a divisive agenda The BJP has factored in the realpolitik in Assam where it has to go for a grand consolidation of the Hindu votes across linguistic divides and ethnic identities Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Lok Sabha during the last monsoon session to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. The Bill, since sent to a 30-member joint House panel on August 11 for a "thorough examination", contains proposals for bringing in changes to sections 2 and 7, and the Third Schedule of the principal Act. The Bill states that persons belonging to the minority communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India with or without valid documents would now onwards cease to be treated as "illegal migrants" and be eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the provision of naturalisation.

Even as the Bill covers the whole of India - citizenship being a Union subject - its implication is expected to be far more pronounced in Assam, a State with a unique social matrix. Already the Bill has evoked sharp reaction from the vo-

taries of Assamese nationalism as they see in the proposed legislation a design of the Central government not only to dilute the Assam Accord of 1985 but also put the 'indigenous language and culture' at peril. Postaccord, due to the insertion of Section 6A in the Citizenship Act, 1955, the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam is March 25, Joydeep 1971. The proposed piece of new legislation seeks to extend this to December 31, 2014, rendering Section 6A infructuous.

The political subtext A significant section of Assamese intellectuals, regional vernacular press and various outfits is clearly peeved at the Centre's manoeuvring of the sensitive issue of foreigners. In fact, the call for reprising an '80s-like-agitation' is renting the air. The All Assam Students' Union has already declared a State-wide agitation programme against the Bill from October 18. For

Assamese chauvinist forces, all Bengali-speaking people, irrespective of religious affiliation, are suspected Bangladeshi nationals.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has clearly two reasons at work behind mooting the idea of offering citizenship to the religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh Biswas and Afghanistan. One, it is simply catering to the Sangh Parivar's long-running agenda of making India a 'Hindu state', and, as an immediate sub-plot of that larger agenda, of treating this country as the 'natural home' to Hindus all over the world. Second - and this is of more urgent consideration - the BJP is trying to further consolidate its Hindu constituency by wedging the religious divide in a very subtle way in the diverse demography of Assam. Even a cursory look at the Bill would tell us that it straightaway sends the Muslim immigrants of the

post-1971 stream to a stateless state while giving a safe passage to their Hindu counterparts.

The BJP has factored in the realpolitik in Assam where it has to go for a grand consolidation of the Hindu votes across linguistic divides and ethnic identities. Such social engineering proved successful in the last Assembly elections, but to sustain it the party needs to complete the process of 'othering' the Muslims sooner rather than later.

Both the Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Assam are now busy convincing the Assamese constituency how embracing the Bengali Hindu would save the State from the economic and political aggression unleashed by the Muslim Bengalis who are in a majority in nine out of the 30-plus districts.

In this political theatre, the most passive actors are the Partition-hit Bengali Hindus who are the only likely beneficiaries of the Bill. In the absence of any State-wide organisation or leadership of their own, this

Nothing is written My all-time favourite film is "Lawrence Of Arabia" and, if I have a favourite scene from the movie, then I guess it is the one of Lawrence's triumphal return from the Nefud desert, having gone back to rescue the Arab Gasim. The crossing of the Nefud desert is considered impossible, even by the local Arabs, but Lawrence persuades them that, in this way, they can take the Turkish port at Aqaba from the rear.

Having carried out the superhuman

feat of traversing this furnace, it is discovered that one of the Arabs, Gasim, has fallen off his camel and is no doubt dying somewhere back in the desert.

Lawrence is told that any idea of rescue is futile and, in any event, Gasim's death is "written". When Lawrence achieves the impossible and returns with Gasim still alive, Sherif Ali admits to him: "Truly, for some men nothing is written unless they write it".

As an impressionable teenager when this film was first released, I was stunned by Lawrence's courage and unselfishness in going back into the hell of the Nefud to attempt to find a man he hardly knew among the vast expanse of a fiery terrain and I was so moved by the sense of purpose of a man who is determined to take nothing as "written" but to shape his own destiny. This sense of antideterminism and this belief that anything is possible has stayed with me always and continues to inspire me in small ways and large.

section, which numbers more than five million, has always preferred to be with the power that be. No surprise then that Bengali Hindus in Assam have become a steady support base for the BJP. Legal scrutiny Even as Assam heads for another spell of intra-community tension, doubts loom large over the fate of the very Bill that is the bone of contention. Noted constitutional experts such as Subhash C. Kashyap have raised serious questions over the legal tenability of the Bill in its present form.

As the House panel takes it up, its members need to take a hard look at both the legal nuances and the political niceties or otherwise of this rather communal intention in awarding of citizenship.

India can ill-afford to offer naturalised citizenship on the basis of religious identity of migrants.

Apart from the fact that the proposed amendments in the Citizenship Act, 1955, are likely to collide with the Section 6A therein,

they violate Article 14 of the Constitution guaranteeing equality before the law.

Most significantly, however, this Bill does not actually give citizenship to anybody. It only proposes to enable the post-1971 stream of non-Muslim migrants to apply for Indian citizenship via the route of naturalisation; they are proposed to be decriminalised by lifting the prefix 'illegal' before 'migrants'. The Bill, even if enacted, shall remain just an enabling piece of legislation. Future governments may very well take shelter under Section 14 of the Citizenship Act to refuse what the present government is seemingly granting - the much-coveted citizenship.

It only brings out the starker truth that the BJP might lack sincerity in finding a permanent solution to the long-drawn-out issue of citizenship for the displaced Hindu Bengali settled in Assam, but has proved to be politically expedient in garnering its electoral catch in the troubled waters.

Show me the money The government's sudden decision to demonetize Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes has led to an unprecedented rush to banks, causing panic in many places. But a word must be said about the bank employees because of whom exchanges are going on smoothly in a lot of places. The policemen who are posted at these branches are also doing an excellent job of managing the crowds. In some branches, shamianas have been put up to guard people against the sun. Some people are even offering drinking water, buttermilk, biscuits and toffees! Last year, in Chennai, we had the generosity to commend the services of volunteers during the floods. Similarly, this year, we should commend the bank staffers for doing a great job in a difficult time like this.

Dwijen Gogoi Gaurisagar

TECHNOLOGY

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Walmart India posts 7% rise in revenue as losses decrease The Indian unit of Walmart Storesposted a 7% rise in revenue and narrowed losses. It posted sales of ` . 3,996.8 crore for fifteen months ended March 2016 compared with ` .

2,991 crore during twelve months ended December 2014.

While sales grew 34%, the company grew 7% on an annualised basis. Losses declined from ` . 140.4 crore in the same . 232.2 crore to ` period. In the year the company opened one store after a gap of more than two years to take its store count to 21. The new store opened in Agra was also its first after becoming a fully-owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores.

"We are excited with this continuous progress and our contribution to the Indian

economy through job creation, supporting `Make in India' through local sourcing, supporting women entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, startup entrepreneurs and farmers," said Krish Iyer, CEO of Walmart India, where more than 95% of goods sold are locally sourced.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Specs and Mileage

The sub-4m Ignis SUV will be powered by the four-valves-perhead, inline, four-cylinder, DOHC petrol power unit which has a displacement of 1197 cc. The VVT, K-series petrol engine, also found under the engine bay of Swift, is capable of pushing out a maximum power output of 83 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. Maruti Suzuki Ignis is set to come with the 1.3 diesel SHVS engine as well with 75 PS of power and 190 Nm peak torque.

Considering the weight and length of the car and same engines as the Baleno, expect petrol to deliver above 22 km/l and diesel to deliver above 29 km/l easily.

"Through our growing footprint across the country , we will continue to grow our business profitably while contributing to the growth and prosperity of the nation."

About three years ago, Wal-Mart agreed to buy Bharti's 50% stake in their wholesale business that operated Best Price Modern

Wholesale stores and terminated franchise and supply agreements related to almost 200 EasyDay retail stores. With the joint venture getting dissolved, WalMart now sells goods only to traders, institutions and kiranas.The termination of supply agreement with EasyDay stores affected overall sales a year ago, when its revenue dipped 32%.

Mobile phonecompanies have taken a string of measures to help staffers facing a hard time withdrawing cash from ATMs and banks following the demonetisation of `500 and `1000 notes.

Most wholesale operators are bullish on expansion rival Metro, which had not been able to capitalise on its first-mover advantage wants to double wholesale stores to 50 by 2020. While latest performance isn't available, Metro Cash & Carry India incurred a loss of ` . 142 crore on a turnover of `. 3,439.9 crore for 2013-14.

Over the past 48-hours, they have sought faster cash replenishments at ATMs inside office premises and encouraged employ ees to use their digi tal mobile wallets to pay at office cafeteria. Telcos, however, have refrained from giving any cash advances or shortterm loans yet to employees due to shortage of cash in lower denomination notes.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Dimensions The Maruti Suzuki Ignis will have 3,700 mm of length, 1,595 mm of height and 1,660 mm of width and it will surely take customers by surprise and parts are being readied for Ignis as we told you in a recent post. Maruti Suzuki Ignis is set to create a new category for itself and should take customers by storm as an entry-level SUV or Micro SUV with the practicality of a hatchback by rivaling against the Mahindra KUV100.

Length Width Height Wheelbase

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Exterior The exterior features that could be available in the Ignis mini SUV are chrome-lined grille, blacked-out A and B pillars, projector headlights, turn indicators on ORVMs, clam-shell bonnet, 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, bumpers with black inserts, rear mounted spoiler and windscreen wiper and flared rear arches ditching three-slats above rear wheel arch.

3,700mm 1,660mm 1,595mm 2,438mm

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Interior Not much details of the interiors have been known as of for now but it could be adorned with dual-tone theme, dashboard with integrated touchscreen infotainment system and SmartPlay function with Apple CarPlay in the topof-the-range variants.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Features

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Price Range As always Maruti Suzuki Ignis will be completely manufactured in India with more than 95% localisation of parts and will have a competitive price tag. We think the pricing should start from Rs.5.6 Lakh and end at a very competitive around Rs. 7.2 Lakh because other products in the same category need not have to face cannibalisation.

Maruti's huge ambitions of entering a new SUV market is finally coming true. Ignis will kick things up for the country's largest car maker in this segment and the rest will be followed with a premium higherlevel SUV. S-Cross is already here to help but it is more of a crossover with soft-roader SUV credentials besides the popular Vitara Brezza.

Chrome-lined large grille with infused LED headlights, blacked out A and B pillars, flared wheel arches, dual-tone interior theme, touchscreen infotainment system and much more. The Harman Kardon audio system will offer smartphone integration.

Vodafone asks employees to use its M-Pesa service

It will also support Apple CarPlay, offering Apple iPhone users various functions like making and taking calls, music playback and messaging, to be controlled through the car's display. The system will also be equipped with a voice-recognition function and navigation.

Vodafone India, the second largest mobile carrier, asked employees across the country to liberally use the company's M-Pesa mobile money services to pay for cafeteria usage while at work.

Market leader Bharti Airtel said employees already have the option to use either cash or the company's Airtel Money to pay for office food bills.

Top telcos have also alerted banks that have installed ATMs at their offices to replenish cashwith lower wait times.

P7 Rs 500 & Rs 1000 ban: 'Good news' for phone buyers Mobile phoneretailers have started offering zero down payment options to stir sales that have slowed down drastically over the past week, as consumers preserve cash on hand for making basic necessity purchases amid a liquidity crunch caused by demonetisation of large denomination notes.

"Saturday morning onwards, we're asking consumers to pay nothing upfront and take mobile phones, and pay the amount in equal monthly installments over 12 months," said Subhash Chandra, managing director of Bengaluru based Sangeetha Mobiles,

which has 300 stores in several states of South India.

Retailers have typically followed the method of financing, where a part of the cost of the phone is paid upfront while the rest is paid in monthly installments at a certain rate of interest, besides accepting payments through credit cards, debit cards and all cash. About 3040% transactions are done in cash.

Since launching this scheme, "we have got some breather from the horrible sales", Chandra said.

Consumers have put purchase of large appliances

and small electronic items such as phones, lower down on their priority lists after the government demonetised the `500 and `1,000 currency notes from Wednesday. The move has led to a drop in demand at retail stores across the country, and analysts expect the trend to continue for a few weeks to a month, or more, till the time the cash crunch subsides.

Retailers, especially of consumer electronics and phones, have started rolling out various schemes to incentivise purchases with the aim of selling as much inventory as possible.

Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Ignis Micro-SUV Spied Again Maruti Suzuki Ignis to be launched with 1.2-L petrol engine & 1.3-L diesel engine Derived from the i-M4 concept, the production version of Maruti Suzuki Ignis was unveiled first at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo.

It was originally showcased at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show before getting launched at the Japanese market. Now, as the Vitara Brezza was launched, Maruti R&D team has started testing the Ignis Micro-SUV in India and the test mule has been spotted somewhere in DelhiNCR and around other

parts of the country already. It will be the compact entry-level crossover from Maruti Suzuki retailed through the NEXA

dealerships which offers premium experience to buyers. If believe on source, Maruti may put AWD drivetrain as well.

Soon a plane could fly through Venus's atmosphere The ambitious project would see the plane cruise through the sulfurous skies of Venus for years, sampling the acidic alien atmosphere directly and observe the venusian surface from 50 km up.

A US aerospace company is planning to build an inflatable propeller plane that could fly through Venus's atmosphere in 2021.

The ambitious project would see the plane cruise through the sulfurous skies of Venus for years, sampling the acidic alien atmosphere directly and observe the venusian surface from 50 kilometres up.

However, the plane faces a battle to get USD 1 billion in funding from NASA in order to get off the ground.

Called the Venus Atmo-

spheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP), the concept for the vehicle is currently being drawn up by the company Northrop Grumman. VAMP would have a wingspan of 55 metres with an estimated top speed of 220km/h.

The ground temperature on Venus hovers around

460 degrees Celsius. Ambient surface pressure is about 90 Earth atmospheres, 'Space News' reported.

"Surviving on the surface for any longer than four hours and getting high-resolution data is a challenge," said Constantine Tsang, a re-

searcher at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

VAMP, however, would fly in a more forgiving environment.

It would be flown 50 to 70km above the surface of Venus, in a region of the atmosphere where the pressure is roughly equal to that on Earth.

The temperature at that altitude on Venus is about 15 degrees Celsius.

The plane would be carried to Venus by a spacecraft, and upon arriving in orbit around the planet, it would detach and enter the atmosphere by itself.

The next New Frontiers competition is set to begin in the US government's 2016 fiscal year, which starts October 1.

The winning mission would have to be ready for launch around 2021.

Top 4 Gadgets to Look Out for in 2016 New Year brings us new hopes and prosperities along with the challenges we have to face to get our job done. The New Year 2016 is also the most awaited one for tech-savvies, after witnessing many inventions in the technology; we can expect to see innovative gadgets in our real life, compiles RevLift.

Here are some of the tech gadgets scheduled for release in 2016 that we can't wait to get our hands on.

Foldable Smartphones

iPhone 7

This year Samsung has announced the foldable smartphones and devices in 2016. The leaks by some unknown sources have shown the foldable smartphone and there are some good reviews of bringing up foldable smartphones, which are easy to carry in your pockets

Apple never fails in bringing out the best in design and user-friendly gadgets. This New Year we might see all new iPhone and we might even see many more from the company. This iPhone comes with a sapphire-like screen and drop-resistant casing by Gorilla Glass. Also features a frontfacing flash and an 180p front-facing camera.

Virtual Reality Headsets Virtual Reality Headsets are now a revolutionary in the market. It has taken watching videos to another step; the user can involve himself in the game or video like never before. While technically released earlier this year, virtual reality headsets will be available in the market in 2016, with releases by HTC, Sony and more.

HoloLens HoloLens is an augmented reality device created to be used in conjunction with Windows 10. It was introduced by Microsoft this year and the user can watch movies and play games on a blank wall.

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

P8

NATION

Poor are having a sound sleep, the corrupt are upset: PM "You (Nehru) are no more, leaders from your party and your family are levelling false allegations, still on your birthday I am starting work to complete your unfulfilled desire for the development of people," Modi said.

Ghazipur (UP), Nov 14 : Pummelling the Congress and other parties which are opposing demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the corrupt were upset while the poor were "enjoying a sound sleep" after his decision and urged people to bear some inconvenience to root out graft.

"Nobody would have offered a tribute which an MP from Uttar Pradesh is giving," Modi, who represents Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, said, adding those who did not work towards fulfilling Pandit Nehru's dream should be exposed.

"After demonetisation, the poor are enjoying a sound sleep while rich are running from pillar to post to buy sleeping pills," Modi said as he tried to rally public support in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, picking up from where he left yesterday in his speeches laced with emotion and aggression in Goa and Belagavi.

Stating that he understood the inconvenience being faced by people due to demonetisation, Modi compared his action to a new whitewash which gives out pungent smell, but is necessary.

"My decision is a little harsh. When I was young, poor people used to ask for

Accusing opposition leaders of misleading people, he asked whether corruption and dishonesty should be allowed in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'kadak' (strong) tea but it spoils the mood of rich," he said at BJP's Parivartan Yatra rally here.

Particularly stinging in his criticism of Congress which has accused him of causing harassment to the common people, the PM recalled that Congress governments had

imposed Emergency, stifling rights of the people and the media, and had banned 'chavanni' (25 paise coins).

"Under which law did they ban 'chavanni', it is another thing that they could not move beyond 'chavanni' ... you took the step as per

your stature and we did what matched ours," he said taking a swipe at the opposition party.

Invoking Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister said he purposely chose his birth anniversary for the visit here to launch projects.

"Don't mislead people...I want to ask Congressmen who claim people are facing problems how you turned the entire country into a jail for 19 months by imposing emergency," he said, adding it was done only to save the seat of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi after the Allahabad High Court verdict against her, and not out

of any concern for the poor.

He said there was no dearth of money for development, but the fact was that money was stashed away somewhere else and not where it should have been.

The Prime Minister said he knew he was up against the powerful but vowed to continue his "fight for the poor, farmers and villagers".

"I know what all I will have to bear as those who have their coffers full are very strong people...they have the strength to buy governments. They have the power to topple and can spoil the future (of anyone) but should I be afraid of such people?

"Should I shun the path of honesty and run away...it is with your blessings that I have taken up such a big fight," he said.

Defending the decision on demonetisation, Modi said the menace of fake currency could not have been checked if such a big offensive was not initiated. (PTI)

Cash-starved Farmer Amarinder asks Badal Ends Life in Frustration to spell out agenda for

special session

Long queue outside an ATM in New Delhi on Sunday Raigarh, Nov 14: A 45-yearold farmer allegedly committed suicide as he was apparently upset over not being able to get his high-denomination notes exchanged for fresh ones due to serpentine queues in banks.

The farmer Ravi Pradhan's wife Pushplata claimed that he was in urgent need of money to help their two sons who were in Tamil Nadu, but was facing inconvenience after old high currency (Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) notes were banned.

"Pradhan's body was found hanging at his house in Maharajpur village under Saria development block on November 12 night," Sarangarh Sub Divisional

Officer of Police (SDOP) Junas Bada said.

"The exact cause that prompted him to take the extreme step was yet to be ascertained as no suicide note was found at the spot," he said.

As per preliminary information, Pradhan was ailing and was undergoing treatment.

The statement of his wife was yet to be recorded, he said.

A case has been registered in this connection, the SDOP said, adding that further probe was on.

"My two sons Sunil (22) and Anil (20) were working at a yarn mill in Tamil Nadu.

On November 10, one of my sons called his father

(through his mobile) and informed that they urgently need money as their contractor escaped without giving them their wages. They wanted to come back home for which they were in need of cash," she said.

As old currency notes were scrapped, Pradhan had to immediately go to the bank for the exchange. He stood in queues for two consecutive days at a bank branch in Saraia, around two kms away from Maharajpur, to get exchanged Rs 3,000, but unfortunately he could not reach the counter (before the bank shut down), she claimed.

"He was extremely upset with it," she said. (PTI)

J&K govt orders opening of schools in Jammu district Pakistan has violated ceasefire agreement 286 times since the September 28 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army Srinagar, Nov 14: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday ordered the opening of schools along the international border (IB) in Jammu district that were closed following the heavy cross-border firing from the Pakistani side.

On November 1, the government had ordered the closure of 174 schools situated along the IB in Jammudistrict following heavy shelling and firing from the Pakistani side.

"The order dated November one regarding closure of 174 schools in the border areas of Jammu district stands withdrawn. All schools will re-open from

tomorrow," Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.

Pakistan had violated the ceasefire agreement 286 times along the line of control (LoC) and IB since the army carried out surgical strikes on the terror launch pads in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

kilometer Line of Control.

The worst ever Pakistani shelling targeting civilian population took place on November one when 8 persons, including two children and four women, were killed and 22 others injured along the IB and LoC in five sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.

Twenty-six persons, including 14 security personnel, were killed in the cross-border firing.

The incident had forced the Indian troops to give a befitting reply by destroying 14 Pakistani posts and killing two of their troopers.

There have been 186 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the over 190 kilometer international border in Jammu frontier, while 104 violations took place along the over 500

Following the heavy firing from across the IB and LoC, the government had ordered closure of over 400 schools in the entire Jammu region.

(Agencies)

Chandigarh, Nov 14 : With SAD-BJP government deciding to hold a special Assembly session on November 16, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to spell out the agenda for the sitting.

The former Punjab CM also demanded an assurance that any new legislation on SYL issue, passed during the session, would be approved by the Governor and BJP at the Centre.

Reacting to Badals appeal to the Congress to participate in the special session, Amarinder said in the absence of a clear agenda, Congress could not take a stand on attending it.

The Punjab Congress chief said if the Badal government was not ready to spell out the special sessions agenda it should also join the Congress MLAs in resigning from the Assembly and call early elections in the state.

"Let there be elections to the Punjab Assembly next month," said Amarinder, reiterating his party would go all out to resolve the SYL issue in the states interest once it is in power with twothirds majority.

He said his party was ready to extend all possible support to the government in the matter of protection of Punjabs water.

He wanted to know if the Akali government had taken the approval of the Governor, as well as its ally - the BJP - to bring out a new legislation on the SYL to protect the water rights of the people of Punjab.

While the Punjab Congress had always supported any government move to save the water of the state, no decision could be taken on participation in the special session without clarity on the agenda and an assurance that any new legislation would be approved by the Governor, the Punjab

Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president said.

He said the Governor was yet to give his approval to the De-acquisition Bill passed during the last session of the Assembly with the support of the Congress.

He said Badal should clarify how he proposes to convince the BJP and the Governor to accept the same.

Demanding that the resignations of the Congress MLAs be accepted immediately, he said Presidents rule was the only way elections in the state could be held in a free and fair manner.

If Badal and his team want to prove their credibility, and convince the people of Punjab that they are sincere about protecting the states water, they should either come out with a clear agenda for the special Assembly session or quit and pave the way for free and fair elections in order to safeguard Punjabs interest, said the PPCC president.

(PTI)

Nation pays tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his 127 birth anniversary New Delhi, Nov 14: President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday led the nation in paying tributes to first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 127th birth anniversary.

While homage was paid to Nehru at his memorial Shantivan by Mr. Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan led Parliamentarians in paying floral tributes at Nehru's portrait in Central Hall of Parliament.

"Tributes to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary," Mr. Modi said in a tweet.

Besides Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi's former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit paid floral tributes at Shantivan.

The leaders also released tricolour balloons amid playing of bands and singing of patriotic songs by school

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairperson, Ethics Committee, L.K. Advani, several MPs, former parliamentarians, Secretaries-General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Anoop Mishra and

TMC President and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

New Delhi, Nov 14: Targeting TMC President and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP said she has become a "cheerleader" of hawala operators and smugglers, alleging that the "queen of Saradha scam" is losing her mental balance due to the Modi government's strike at black money with the demonetisation exercise.

TMC has become a mirror image of the Left, BJP's National Secretary and West Bengal co-incharge Sidharth Nath Singh said, adding that Banerjee has sought Left support against demonetisation as it has hit hard the chit fund companies born under the Left's rule and "nursed" by her government.

"Mamata Banerjee has declared herself a cheerleader of hawala operators, smugglers and other anti-nationals. She is trying hard to unite opposition parties to corner BJP over the issue.

The queen of Saradha and parties like Congress, SP and BSP have been shaken

due to the Modi government's blow to the foundation of black money.

"TMC has become a mirror image of the Left. The Left gave birth to chit fund companies and Banerjee has nursed. She is seeking its support to save their child," he told reporters.

Referring to the NIA probe into Burdwan blast, Singh said her "frustration" has also been caused by the agency's crackdown on jihadis from Bangladesh as they had found "safe haven" in the state and were involved in training TMC's "anti-social workforce".

"Mamata Banerjee should rather answer as to why terrorists involved in Gulshan bakery attack in Bangladesh got hold of guns manufactured in Malda. There is an NIA report in this regard.

The manufacturer had come from Pakistan and that is why the gun used was AK 22 which is made in Pakistan," he alleged. She must answer the questions raised

by BJP, he said. (PTI)

J&K: Four militants, one jawan killed as Army foils infiltration bid near LoC This is second infiltration bid foiled by the security forces along the LoC in Kashmir.

Srinagar, Nov 14: Four militants and a soldier were killed Thursday as the Army foiled an infiltration bid in north Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC).

On Tuesday, Army had foiled a similar infiltration attempt in the neighbouring Machil sector. A militant and a soldier were killed and four soldiers sustained injuries in that incident.

A Defence spokesperson told The Indian Express that army patrols Thursday spotted a group of militants

near the LoC in Tanghdar sector. In the gun battle that followed, four militants were gunned down, he said.

"We killed four infiltrators and lost a soldier in the operation,'' he said.

The spokesperson said the dead soldier has been identified as Havildar Prem Bahadur (37).

He added that the operation is still on and security personnel were checking if more infiltrators are present in the area.(PTI)

Maoist commander killed in Sukma district Raipur, Nov 14: A Maoist militia commander was on Monday gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said.

the early hours, they came under heavy fire from Maoist which led to gunbattle between both the sides, the ASP said.

Shumsher K. Sheriff respectively were also present.

A booklet containing the profile of Nehru, brought out in Hindi and English by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, was presented to the dignitaries.

The skirmish took place in the wee hours between District Reserve Group (DRG) and rebels in the jungles of Dornapal Police Station limits, Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police (Anti-naxal operations), Jitendra Shukla, told PTI.

During the search, body of a naxal clad in 'uniform', a country made rifle, some 12 bore live ammunition, wire and other items were recovered from the spot, he said.

The portrait of Nehru was unveiled by the then President S. Radhakrishnan, in Central Hall on May 5, 1966.

Nehru was born to Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and his birthday is celebrated as Children's Day. He remained in office until his death in 1964. (PTI)

Acting on a specific input about the presence of a group of armed ultras in the forest between Arlampalli and Medwahi villages, around 500 kms from here, a squad of DRG was dispatched to the location late last night, he said.

When the DRG party reached the target area in

Hamid Ansari (C) and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi (L) after paying homage to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru on his 127th birth anniversary, in New Delhi on Monday. children.

In Parliament's Central Hall, Ms. Mahajan and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi paid floral tributes to Nehru.

Mamata rattled by Modi govt's blow to black money: BJP

However, ultras soon fled from the spot.

The killed Maoist has been identified as Vanjam Nanda, a very active Militia commander against whom at least 12 warrants issued by various courts in grave naxal offences were pending, the ASP said.

Nanda had served as the head of Janatana Sarkar group Maoists in Arlampalli, Medwahi, Tonguda and Toyapara villages of the region, he said. (PTI)

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

EDUCATION P9 to Write a Good Essay How to Memorize Quickly How in a Short Amount of Time

Memorizing quickly is an important talent to have.

Whether for school, work or simply to improve yourself, exercising your memory adds to your capabilities as a person and helps to keep your brain healthy. The art of memorization is ancient and history is filled with clever ways of committing things to memory. By applying modern psychology, these approaches to memorization can be divided into five core methods.

Rote Memorization Imagine you're memorizing a few states and their capitals from west to east For the following steps in this method, we'll be trying to memorize these states and their capitals: m For rote memorization, we simply repeat and repeat what we need to memorize until it's committed to memory. This repetition makes your brain form new connections and patterns to help you produce what you're memorized - as neurologists say, "neurons that fire together wire together".

Imagine you're memorizing a few states and their capitals from west to east For the following steps in this method, we'll be trying to memorize these states and their capitals: m For rote memorization, we simply repeat and repeat what we need to memorize until it's committed to memory. This repetition makes your brain form new connections and patterns to help you produce what you're memorized - as neurologists say, "neurons that fire together wire together".

Know that rote memorization is better for some types of memory than other types Memorizing through repetition encourages your brain to form the necessary connections to say or do what you've memorized. mRote memorization is very good for manual tasks and short lists of items like a shopping list, starting a car, or ironing a shirt. mRote memorization is not very good for memorizing a large number of separate items or single complex

you remember what goes in the last two blanks? mAt first you'll get a lot wrong - don't get frustrated!

This is just your brain getting used to the work. Keep at it and within a few minutes you'll be able to remember everything you've memorized.

Chunking Imagine you have to memorize the countries on the UN Security Council There are 10 countries that could be organized according to some scheme or another.

Know what chunking is good for Chunking works well when you're memorizing things that are composed of smaller things in a sensible order.

Our example could subdivide by continent; the elements of the periodic table could be broken down by type; or if you have to memorize the components of an engine, you could divide it up into sub-assemblies (intake, engine, exhaust, electrical). mIf you've ever memorized a phone number, you might have noticed the way we write them - they're set up to be chunk-memorized. For instance, the White House phone number, (202) 4561111 is easier to remember as three numbers - 202, 456 and 1111 - than it is to remember as a single complex number, 2,024,561,111. m Chunking isn't a great

reciting one of the continents and their countries from the list above: Practice combining the chunk Mastering each individual portion or chunk is just the beginning - to fully memorize something using this method, you'll need to get the entire list down. Try scrolling down so the previous list is covered. How much of this list can you remember?

Chaining Items into a Sentence or Concept Imagine you have to memorize a shopping list Your list is composed of a bunch of different items that have no relationship to each other.

Understand what chaining is good for If you have a very large number of things to remember, this will be unwieldy; for this reason, the chaining method is best for shorter lists of hard-to-remember items. mChaining is great for a limited number of items in an arbitrary list without any seeming relation to each other (for instance, the list tree, bird, keyboard, bottle).

It's hard to apply a strategy like chunking because there aren't any real categories to break stuff down.

Make a sentence or image composed of all the items you have to memorize This is the fun part of this

Using Mnemonics Imagine you need to memorize basic trigonometry Suppose for this task we're memorizing how to figure out the sine, cosine and tangent of the base angle of a right triangle.

Understand what mnemonics are Mnemonics is simply a fancy word for a process you're probably familiar with from grade school. If you've ever used ROYGBIV to remember the colors (red orange yellow green blue indigo violet), or a nonsense sentence like "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" to remember the planets (Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto), you've used a mnemonic.

Know what mnemonics are good for If you have to memorize more items than you can make a short sentence or phrase for, this will be hard to work with; for this reason, the mnemonic method, like chaining, is best suited for limited numbers of items you have to memorize that can fit into a scheme. Mnemonics are better suited for memorizing a list of words, for instance; it is not as good for memorizing big lists without clear organization, like a list of phone numbers or the digits of pi.

Create a mnemonic scheme A mnemonic scheme is simply a "key" sentence or a phrase for what you have to memorize. For our example, we can make up a simple, easy to remember nonsense word.

Practice remembering your mnemonic and what you have to memorize from your mnemonic Your mnemonic serves as the 'key' to your memory.

Scroll down to cover the previous list - can you remember what the mnemonic stands for?

ideas like the elements of the periodic table from left to right, the idea of dialectical materialism, or the components of a car engine.

Make a list of what you need to memorize Make sure your list is complete and in the sequence that you need it.

Practice reading what you've memorized For these states, that's simply reading off your table, over and over again, the names of the states.

Practice producing what you've memorized without looking at your list Try covering part or all of your list with a piece of paper and reciting what you've just covered over.

Scroll down so that the previous table is covered - can

strategy for big, complex things and concepts that don't break down into parts easily. For example, it's not easy to figure out what "memorizable" chunks would be for memorizing the concept of civil rights, the definition of nationhood or a list of similar phone numbers.

Divide what you have to memorize into smaller, easier-to-memorize pieces Since you'll have to create smaller pieces from big ones, this strategy works best with items that you can actually break down according to some sensible scheme.

Practice producing your your small items (the chunks) from memory For our UN Security Council example, you might try

method: the more outlandish and weird your sentence or image is, the easier it will be to remember. For instance: m Peanut butter and espresso bean sandwich wrapped in ethernet cable with a screwdriver going through it.

Repeat and memorize your sentence or image then practice producing the items you've memorized from your sentence or image You'll use your sentence or image as a key that will bring up what you've memorized. m Peanut butter and espresso bean sandwich wrapped in ethernet cable with a screwdriver going through it = peanut butter, espresso beans, bread, ethernet cable, screwdriver bit

Memorizing through Association Suppose you need to memorize the components of a 1911 handgun slide From the front to the back, a list of what you have to memorize would look like: m slide m barrel bushing m barrel m firing pin m extractor m hammer stop Understand how the associative method works The human mind is very good at associating things.

This talent runs so deep, in fact, that it's possible to use that ability to memorize things. For this memory, you'll create an imaginary journey or walk-through that you'll associate with what you have to remember.

Going on your imaginary journey or walk-through will

bring up your memories.

Know what the associative method is good for The associative method is very powerful, especially if you have a strong imagination. Throughout history, people have used some variation on the associative method (like imagining walking through mental houses, looking around an imaginary room or flipping through a pretend book) to organize memories. · Memories that are easy to split up and spatially organize are best suited for the associative method - things like the stanzas of a poem, components of a machine or the procedure for cooking eggs. · Memories that can't be divided up are less wellsuited - like the basic idea of Abstract Expressionist painting, the history of the War of the Roses or remembering how to ask someone out.

Imagine a set of second memories and associate them with what you have to remember You'll use your second set of memories as a "key" for what you have to remember. · For this reason, if you have a list of discrete items that don't fit together in any way, it'll be harder to shape your second "key" memories. For our example, we'll simply imagine being a tiny little man walking around inside a 1911 slide.

Sometimes, you need to be able to write a good essay in a short amount of time for a timed exam, such as the Advanced Placement exams in high school. At other times, you might find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having to write an essay fast because you procrastinated or let it sneak up on you.

Although an essay written at the last minute will almost never be as good as an essay you spent more time on, putting together a decent essay quickly is still feasible.

With a little planning and a lot of hard work, you can write an essay that’s good (or good enough!) in just a short time.

Doing the Prep Work for Your Essay Develop a plan Consider how much time you have to write the essay and develop a writing plan based on that. This will help you figure out how long to spend on each part of the essay writing process, and will also keep you on task.

Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses when devising your plan. For example, if you are a good researcher but not great at editing, spend less time on the research section in favor of spending more time on the revising section. Ø Make sure to schedule breaks for yourself to refresh your brain and recharge yourself. Ø An example of a plan for a one-day essay writing project might look like this: Ø 8:00 – 9:30 – Consider an essay question and argument for the

don’t, first consider the question and different ways you could make arguments about the topic.

Doing this preliminary brainstorming will not only direct you towards the appropriate research, it will help the writing process go more quickly. Ø Make sure you understand what the question is asking for! If you provide a summary when the essay prompt asked you to “analyze,” you’re unlikely to do very well. Ø If you don’t have an essay topic, choose a subject that interests you and consider the essay question afterward. You are more likely to write a good essay on a topic that you’re interested in.

Develop your argument or thesis statement Your argument or thesis statement is the point you’re making in the essay through evidence and analysis. Develop your argument to help direct your research and make the writing process go more quickly. Ø If you don’t have much experience with your topic, it might be difficult to develop an argument. You can still consider your argument and then use your research to support or refute the claims you want to make. Ø A good exercise to help you quickly figure out your essay question and argument is to write “I am studying (choose a topic) because I want to know (what do you want to know) in order to show (this is where your argument goes).”

search. For example, the library and internet offer many different options for sources. Ø Just make sure that you use reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, government and university websites, and newspapers and magazines written by professionals. Don’t use personal blogs, obviously biased sources, or sources that don’t have professional credentials. Ø You can draw upon information you know to speed up the research process. Simply find a (reliable!) source to support it and include it in your sources. Ø Doing preliminary research online can point you to sources in a library such as books and journal articles. It can also point you in the direction of web sources including newspaper article archives or other research on your topic. Ø If you're reading books, "gut" the book to get through it quickly and move on to other sources. To "gut" a book, skim the introduction and conclusion to find the main arguments, and then pick a few details from the body of the book to use as evidence.[10] Ø Take notes on your research sources. These will shows that you’ve legitimately researched the topic while giving credit to the person who forwarded the idea. This is especially important if you plan to use direct quotes and will also help you add footnotes and bibliographic information to your essay without having to look them up

Rehearse walking through or traversing your mental map and bringing up what you have to memorize This can be as cool and interesting or simple and easy to remember as you want to make it. For our example, a tiny man walking through a 1911 slide might say: · "First we'll encounter the barrel bushing, and inside it, I can see the barrel poking out. Behind the barrel and the breech face as we walk further back I'll see a tiny hole through which I can see the firing pin, and to its left will be the extractor against the side of the slide; when I make it to the very back, I'll reach the hammer stop."

Practice traversing and exploring your mental map A few times a day, concentrate and visualize going back through your walkthrough. The more that you practice, the easier it will be to remember.

Rehearse producing what you've memorized from your mental map As you perform this visualization exercise, your mind will get better and better at shaping your "key" visualization, but that's not enough - you need to remember the individual components you fit into your key. Try "working backwards" - starting from a list of items, see if you can reproduce your original mental journey or "key". (wikihow)

topic. Ø 9:30 – 9:45 – Take a short break. Ø10:00 – 12:00 – Conduct research. Ø 12:00 – 13:00 – Outline the essay. Ø 13:00 – 14:00 – Take a lunch break. Ø14:00 – 19:00 – Write your essay. Ø19:00 – 20:00 – Take a dinner break. Ø 20:00 – 22:30 – Revise and copy edit your essay. Ø 22:30 – 23:00 – Print and prepare your essay submission.

Consider the essay question You may know the topic of an essay when your teacher assigns it to you, but even if you

Ø For example, “I am studying the medieval witch trials because I want to know how lawyers employed evidence in their cases in order to show that the trial process influenced modern medical techniques and legal practices.” Ø Consider counter-arguments in order to strengthen your essay.

Research your essay topic You’ll need to strategically research your topic to find the evidence that will help you construct your argument and form the body of your essay.

There are many different types of sources you can use for research, from online journals and newspaper archives to primary sources at the library. Ø Since you don’t have a lot of time to write, focus on one or two places where you can do re-

in the sources.

Write an outline of your essay Construct an outline of your essay to guide you through the writing process. By structuring it in the same form as your essay and adding evidence, you will simplify and expedite the writing process. You’ll also be able to identify any areas that need better development. Ø Structure your outline as you will your essay, with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Ø The more detail you put into your outline, the easier and more quickly you can write the essay. For example, instead of just writing a basic paragraph about the body, flesh it out into bullet points or sentences that present argument and supporting evidence. (wikihow)

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

INTERNATIONAL

Donald Trump says will not take any salary or vacation as US President

China cautiously backs India-Japan nuclear deal

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he would take USD 1 as his salary a year and not the USD 400,000 that comes with the US president's job and will refrain from going on any vacation.

US President-elect Donald Trump said, "I think I have to by law take USD 1, so I'll take USD 1 a year. But I don't even know what it is."

Washington, Nov 14: US President-elect Donald Trump has said he would take USD 1 as his salary a year and not the USD 400,000 that comes with the US president's job and will refrain from going on any vacation. Asked whether he

was going to the president's salary, 70-year-old Trump said, "No, I'm not gonna take the salary. I'm not taking it," confirming a promise he made in a campaign video in September.

"I think I have to by law take USD 1, so I'll take USD 1 a

year. But I don't even know what it is," Trump told CBS's "60 Minute" in an interview aired Sunday.

Trump said he did not know what the salary of a US President is and also said he would not take any vacation.

"We have so much work.

There's so much work to be done. And I want to get it done for the people," he said. "I want to get it done.

We're lowering taxes, we're taking care of health care. I mean, there's just so much to be done. So I don't think we'll be very big on vacations, no," Trump said, ruling out a vacation for himself.

Trump defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's presidential vote, in a result which shocked many who had expected her to win following favourable opinion polls.

(Agencies)

Myanmar says 34 people killed after they attacked troops Bangkok, Nov 14: Myanmar's government says 34 people were killed after they attacked government troops in western Rakhine state over the weekend, but villagers belonging to the Muslim Rohingya minority say the victims were unarmed civilians.

The government has been c o n d u c t i n g

counterinsurgency operations since nine police officers were killed in attacks last month on guard posts along the border with Bangladesh generally blamed on Muslim insurgents. Tensions have been high in Rakhine since fighting in 2012 between Buddhists and Muslims.

The government said in a

statement Monday that 28 people described as violent attackers were killed on Sunday. An earlier statement said six attackers died on Saturday, in addition to two government soldiers.

Human rights groups accuse the army of abuses against the Rohingya minority, including killings, rapes and burning of homes. (Agencies)

Panama Papers:Imran submits proof agn'st Sharif kin Islamabad, Nov 14 : Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan today submitted to the Supreme Court evidence relating to the Panama Papers Leak case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, showing that premier's family laundered Rs 145 million since 1988 through illegal business to evade taxes.

Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman submitted the documents containing details of alleged bank accounts held by the Sharif family and loan write-off schemes.

Dawn Online reported that the documents showing that the premier's family has laundered Rs 145 million since 1988 through illegal hundi/hawala business to

evade taxes.

During this period of money laundering of Rs 145m, the documents claim, "Sharif paid only Rs 897 in income tax".

The documents submitted

by Khan through Advocate Naeem Bokhari.

The papers also contain excerpts from a book by journalist Asad Kharal, in which he made several revelations regarding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khan claimed in the documents that the Sharif family sent an amount of over Rs 56 million out of the country between 1988 and 1991.

It is alleged in the documents that two hawala deal-

ers from Peshawar were used to "siphon off" large amounts of money abroad in order to "whiten Sharif's black money" and to evade income and wealth taxes.

The money laundered to a bank in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere was exchanged into foreign currency and "repatriated [to Pakistan] in the name of 43 Sharif family members".

The alleged transfer of funds and purchases of assets overseas was disclosed in a statement by Khalid Siraj, "first cousin and business partner" of Sharif, the documents claim.

The Supreme Court hearing five identical petition against Sharif will resume hearing the Panama case tomorrow. (PTI)

Anti-Trump Protests Continue in New York, LA, Philadelphia New York, Nov 14: Immigrants, their advocates and others opposing a Donald Trump presidency continued to protest Sunday, speaking out against the presidentelect's support of deportation and other measures.

Organizers in Manhattan carried signs in English and Spanish saying things like "Hate won't make us great," and chanted, "We are here to stay."

More than 1,000 people joined the march that started mid-afternoon and extended into the evening.

It was the latest in days of demonstrations across the country, and even throughout the world. Protests were held Sunday in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and more cities.

Several hundred protesters Sunday marched around Philadelphia's City Hall and then down Market Street to Independence Mall, carrying signs and chanting "Donald Trump has got to go!" and "This is what democracy

looks like."

In Los Angeles, a few hundred people gathered outside CNN's Los Angeles headquarters, and in San Francisco, hundreds of people, including many families with children, marched from Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach chanting "Love trumps hate!" By nightfall, a few hundred people marched across downtown San Francisco's main street, blocking traffic at an intersection when they held a sitdown protest.

Elsewhere in California, about 800 people marched through Sacramento and thousands others formed a human chain around the nearly 3.5-mile perimeter of Oakland's Lake Merritt. Rallies in Oakland have at times become unruly, but those who came to the lake held hands and chanted, "We reject the president-elect."

In Oregon, protesters marched through Portland again Sunday night following a gathering of anti-Trump

demonstrators earlier in the evening. Television footage showed dozens of chanting but peaceful marchers moving through downtown streets. Sunday night's protest came after police said they arrested 71 people late Saturday and early Sunday during downtown protests.

Demonstrations also took place internationally. On Saturday, a group of Mexicans at statue representing independence in Mexico City expressed their concerns about a possible wave of deportations. One school teacher said it would add to the "unrest" that's already in Mexico.

About 300 people protested Trump's election as the next American president outside the U.S. Embassy near the landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Mostly, the demonstrations were peaceful. However, in Portland, Oregon, a man was shot and wounded Saturday morning during a confrontation. Police arrested two teenagers in the shooting. (Agencies)

P10 direction".

Beijing, Nov 14: China on Monday cautiously backed India-Japannuclear deal signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Tokyo visit, saying all countries are entitled for peaceful use of nuclear energy if they meet the international non-proliferation obligations.

"We have been repeating that we should come back to the right track of peacefully resolving the relevant dispute through negotiations and consultations.

"We hope that the countries outside the region would respect efforts made by countries in the region and safeguard as well as consolidate the sound momentum in the South ChinaSea and and do more that is conducive to regional peace and stability," he said in a cautious response.

Beijing also reacted mildly to the references to South China Sea in the India-Japan joint statement, reiterating its earlier stand that countries outside the region should respect efforts made

by China and other contestants to resolve the dispute.

"With regard to nuclear agreement signed between India and Japan and on the use nuclear energy, we believe that under the promise of absorbing international obligation of nuclear non-proliferation, all countries are entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing here.

"At the same time, the relevant cooperation should be conducive to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," he said.

Contrary to the write-ups in the official media here prior to the recent signing of the

Indian PM Narendra Modi (left) shaking hands with Japan's PM Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

civil nuclear deal, Geng made no reference to the media criticism of Japan selling its nuclear technology shedding its past objections.

Japan has traditionally adopted a tough stand on proliferation issues having been the only victim of atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. India is the first country

which has not signed nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) with which Japan has signed the civil nuclear agreement.

China opposes India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), citing India's refusal to sign NPT. An article in the state-run Global Times earlier criticised Japan for relaxing its rules to sign civil nuclear deal for India and said that

India's carbon emissions increased by over 5pc in 2015: study London, Nov 14: India's carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by 5.2 per cent while China's decreased by 0.7 per cent in 2015, according to new research which found that global CO2 emissions remained nearly flat for three years in a row.

behind the 3-year slowdown.

India contributed 6.3 per cent of all global CO2 emissions, with emissions increasing 5.2 per cent, in 2015 continuing a period of strong growth, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK and the Global Carbon Project.

"This is a great help for tackling climate change but it is not enough. Global emissions now need to decrease rapidly, not just stop growing," Le Quere said.

Global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels did not grow in 2015 and are projected to rise only slightly in 2016, marking three years of almost no growth, they said.

The projected rise of only 0.2 per cent for 2016 marks a clear break from the rapid emissions growth of 2.3 per cent per year in the decade to 2013, with just 0.7 per cent growth seen in 2014.

The data shows emissions growth remained below one per cent despite GDP growth exceeding 3 per cent. Decreased use of coal in China is the main reason

"This third year of almost no growth in emissions is unprecedented at a time of strong economic growth," Professor Corinne Le Quere, Director of the Tyndall Centre at UEA who led the data analysis, said.

China - the biggest emitter of CO2 at 29 per cent - saw emissions decrease by 0.7 per cent in 2015, compared to growth of more than 5 per cent per year the previous decade.

A further reduction of 0.5 per cent is projected for 2016, though with large uncertainties, researchers said.

sions. The EU's CO2 emissions went up 1.4 per cent in 2015, in contrast with longer term decreases.

Although the break in emissions rise ties in with the pledges by countries to decrease emissions until 2030, it falls short of the reductions needed to limit climate change well below 2 degrees Celsius, researchers said.

"If climate negotiators in Marrakesh can build momentum for further cuts in emissions, we could be making a serious start to addressing climate change," said Le Quere.

The Global Carbon Budget analysis also shows that, in spite of a lack of growth in emissions, the growth in atmospheric CO2 concentration was a record-high in 2015, and could be a record again in 2016 due to weak carbon sinks.

The US, the second biggest emitter of CO2 at 15 per cent, also reduced its coal use while increasing its oil and gas consumption and saw emissions decrease 2.6 per cent last year. US emissions are projected to decrease by 1.7 per cent in 2016.

"Part of the CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and by trees. With temperatures soaring in 2015 and 2016, less CO2 was absorbed by trees because of the hot and dry conditions related to the El Nino event," Le Quere said.

The EU's 28 member states are the third largest emitter causing 10 per cent of emis-

The study was published in the journal Earth System Science Data. (Agencies)

selling nuclear technology to New Delhi will "taint Tokyo's reputation of advocating for a nuclear weapons-free world".

About the reference to the South China Sea in the joint statement issued at the end of Modi's visit, Geng said "under the concerted efforts of the countries in the region including China, the situation in the South China Sea is developing in a positive

On the South China Sea, the joint statement issued by India and Japan said "the two Prime Ministers stressed the importance of resolving the disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law including the UN Convention on Law of Sea (UNCLOS)".

Ahead of Modi's visit, another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Chinahopes that India and Japan would take into consideration the "legitimate concerns" of their neighbours.

China claims the whole of South China Sea. Its claims are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. (PTI)

French reporter expelled from Turkey Paris, Nov 14: A French reporter was expelled from Turkey after being detained near the Syrian border in the country's southeast, his employers said.

Olivier Bertrand "has arrived in Paris (CDG airport) and is in good shape", said Isabelle Roberts, head of online news media Les Jours.

Bertrand was detained on Friday in Gaziantep province, where he was working on a series of planned stories on postcoup Turkey.

Turkish news agency Anadolu said earlier that Bertrand was being held in the northwest and would likely be expelled in the evening.

It said he had been detained for failing to seek proper accreditation.

But it also described him as writing articles "favourable" to those allegedly behind the failed

coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday said his detention was "deeply shocking, unacceptable".

Other French media and internet users also threw their weight behind calls for Bertrand's release.

"In a democratic country, Olivier Bertrand would have been able to continue reporting without being expelled by a government which has things to hide," said Christophe Deloire, general secretary of the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

His arrest came the same day that Turkey detained the board chairman of opposition daily Cumhuriyet, which has faced an intensifying crackdown since the failed coup. (Agencies)

Mexico moves to help migrants after Trump win Mexico City, Nov 14 : Mexico is scrambling to ready its diplomats in the United States to handle millions of undocumented migrants' potential needs following Donald Trump's election, its foreign ministry said.

The ministry's North American team huddled with Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu Saturday to "analyze the

results of the US election and discuss concrete actions concerning the future of the bilateral relationship" between the two countries, according to a statement.

border.

sular assistance.

Not only has Trump vowed to make Mexico pay for the wall, but he has also threatened to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

This includes help "avoiding provocations, as well as protecting against fraud," the Foreign Ministry statement said, referring to the potential for crime rings to prey on migrants by selling fake documents, for example.

The meeting follows the Republican billionaire's victory last Tuesday in a campaign which saw him call illegal Mexican migrants "rapists" and Ruiz Massieu urged dip- The US president-elect pledge to build a wall lomats to get ready for on Sunday told CBS along the southern US a possible surge in con- television that as many

as three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records would be deported or incarcerated.The United States has an estimated 11-12 million undocumented migrants, mostly of Mexican origin."The rights of Mexicans, inside and outside their country, are not negotiable," the Foreign Ministry stressed. (Agencies)

DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

P11

BUSINESS

Naxal-hit village gets electricity for the first time in Jharkhand Garu village had long been ignored in development schemes as Naxals were not allowing any work to be undertaken by carrying out attacks.

Latehar, Nov 14: A Naxal-hit village in Jharkhand has celebrated Diwali in its "true sense" this year as electricity has reached here for the first time. Garu village, about 1,400 kms from New Delhi and 175 kms from the state capital Ranchi, comes under the jurisdiction of Latehar district which is among the most Naxal-infested areas of the state.

"We were waiting for electricity for a long time. Government representatives had been assuring us of providing electricity for a long while but finally this year only, we experienced it," says Shiv Shankar Singh, Garu village head.

"Farming has improved after electricity came here as we don't need to bother about buying diesel.

"We were waiting for electricity for a long time.

Government representatives had been assuring us of providing electricity for a long while but finally this year only, we experienced it," says Shiv Shankar Singh, Garu village head Though the voltage is low, people are happy with the

step," Sukhdev Oraon, a village council member, said.

Demonetisation move 'bold' but far from enough: Chinese media Beijing, Nov 14: Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision todemonetise high value currency notes as "startling and bold", Chinese official media has said it is "far from enough" and India may "look at ideas" from China's crackdown against corruption which has shown "efficiency".

Modi in "a startling and sudden move" demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes to "demonstrate that he is truly up for a fiercer fight against black money and corruption", an op-ed article in the state-run Global Times said.

"Modi means well and his decision was made based on the reality in India, since most illegal business in the underground economy is cash-only, and 500 and 1,000 rupee notes constitute over 80 per cent of all cash circulation in India. Nevertheless, we can hardly count on the new rule to fully root out corruption," the article titled 'Beijing offers clues for Modi's new anti-corruption moves'.

Since Modi assumed office, he has carried out a number of measures to crack down on black money, corruption and tax evasion. However, many of them are believed

to be "without teeth and can't begin to scratch the surface of the problems he faces", it said.

India's new policy to scrap high value notes is considered a "risky, but a bold and decisive step", it said.

"And yet, delivering a corruption-free country requires more than banning currency notes. The key should be reforming systems. In this regard, New Delhi might need to look for ideas from Beijing," it said, referring to the massive anti- graft campaign carried out by President Xi Jinping in which over a million officials at different levels were punished.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party in 2012, during which Xi was elected as its general secretary, and taking over as the President and military chief launched the anti-graft campaign which also attracted criticism that he used it effectively to consolidate his power emerging as the most powerful Chinese leader after party founder Mao Zedong.

"Over the years, China promoted anti-corruption laws, improved the supervision system, deepened judicial system reforms and adopted

measures to make sure the system is transparent," it said without referring to criticism about the campaign.

"For instance, China's foreign ministry has lately published information about the families of 12 senior officials on its website in an effort to fight against corruption through familial networks by improving transparency. These steps are taken to ensure that achievements made in the struggle against corruption can be consolidated by laws and systems," it said.

China is still on its way toward building a comprehensive anti-corruption system.

But "compared with India, Beijing's method has already shown its efficiency", it said.

"More time is needed to see whether Modi's new policy will turn into a huge blow against corruption in India.

The hard truth is that the corrupt and fraudulent won't just conduct shady deals by using cash, but with gold, real estate and overseas assets.

"Corruption can be bred in a variety of ways. Blocking the circulation of large currency bills is without question far from enough," it said. (PTI)

GST Row: States Adamant on Sole Control Over Small Businesses New Delhi, Nov 14: With states and Centre set to meet this week to chalk out jurisdiction over assessees under GST, a majority of states, including Kerala, West Bengal and Delhi, are sticking to their stand of sole control over entities with turnover below Rs 1.5 crore.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Monday said that a vertical division of assessees for collection of taxes and for the purpose of audit would create problems for small taxpayers.

"Kerala, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Delhi, Odisha... majority of states want a combination of vertical and horizontal (dual control structure). Below Rs 1.5 (crore turnover), states should tax, above Rs 1.5 crore, it can be vertical division," Issac said.

After nailing a four-tier rate structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, the GST Council at its meeting on November 4 failed to reach a consen-

sus on which category of assessees would be governed by the Centre and which by states.

The finance ministers of states will now informally meet Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on November 20 to evolve a political consensus on the sticky issue. The next meeting of the GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is scheduled for November 24-25.

Differences on the issue of cross empowerment to avoid dual control arose with states demanding control over 11 lakh service tax assessees, and Centre proposing to do away states having exclusive control over all dealers up to an annual revenue threshold of Rs 1.5 crore -- an issue which was settled in the first meeting of the GST Council. The Council has arrived at an option of two proposals-- horizontal division and vertical division.

'Horizontal division' would mean taxpayers would be divided both for administrative and audit purposes based on a cut off turnover.

Those with a turnover over Rs 1.5 crore would be administered both by the Centre and states, while those with below Rs 1.5 crore would be administered solely by the states.

'Vertical division' based on ratios assigns taxpayers to a tax administration, Centre or state, for a period of three years for all purposes including audit. Taxpayers could be divided in a ratio which would balance the interest of the Centre and the state, both with respect to revenue and spread of numbers.

According to sources, the Centre feels that horizontal division would be lopsided as 93 per cent of Service Tax assessees and 85 per cent of VAT taxpayers have a turnover below Rs 1.5 crore. (Agencies)

Garu village had long been ignored in development schemes as Naxals were not allowing any work to be undertaken by carrying out attacks. "As Naxals were opposed to any kind of development in the area, no private builder was ready to take the contract. It is only after the CRPF gave them assurance about the safety and security, they started building roads," Ramesh Kumar, Commandant of 112th battalion of CRPF said.

This also allowed other development works in the area. "Our armed troops used to provide them cover so that Naxals could not attack or hamper the work.

Now, the entire area is well connected with the road," Kumar said. "We try to create as mush trust among

people for security forces as we can. We approach people and involve them in our planning. We distribute our numbers and remain in touch with them," he added.

Ram Lal Prasad, MLA representative of Garu, says there has been a lot of change after CRPF came in the area. "This is the first time that Garu village has got electricity. People here celebrated Diwali for the first time in a true sense," Sanjay Prasad, a local resident, said. "You can imagine how people feel here as some elderly said their life is successful as they got to see how a bulb works," said Sudhir Yadav, a villager.

"I bought a television after my wife insisted. We use it to watch mostly news and sometimes TV serials. Now, several families in the area

are buying TV sets. Electricity here is round the clock," Raju Prasad Yadav said. The electrification of the village was almost impossible without the involvement of Labhar area, which was once a training camp and launch pad of Naxals, Deputy Commandant of CRPF Prakash Chandra Badal said.

"Labhar was liberated by CRPF from Naxals in 2011.

It is now a CRPF camp from where they are operating in the area. CRPF has assisted the local administration in the all round development of the area," Badal said.

"Now we are not scared of Naxals. We are safe and secure here. It feels like the CRPF is our guardian in the area," Jugal Kishore Prasad of Haratu village said. (PTI)

FinMin begins daily review exercise to ease cash crunch New Delhi, Nov 14: Keen to end the misery of millions of cash-starved citizens, the Finance Ministry today began a daily review exercise to assess problem areas and put in place remedial measures.

Nearly a week after the government withdrew Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as part of a crackdown against blackmoney and corruption, queues outside banks and ATMs have only got longer.

Senior officials in the Finance Ministry have been allocated different states and banks to daily monitor currency supply situation and plan remedial actions quickly, official sources said.

Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, today chaired a meeting of the Joint Secretaries tasked with currency man-

agement.

He asked seven joint secretaries in the Finance Ministry to comply with decisions taken in the high-level meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi held last night to assess the situation following demonetisation of high-value currency notes.

Das reviewed state-wise status with three joint secretaries each of the Department of Economic Affairs and Department of Financial Services and one of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

The officials are to monitor cash availability at each bank branch as well as recalibrating of ATMs which will start dispensing new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes.

Sources said each Joint Sec-

retary has been given fourfive states to monitor and an equal number of banks to coordinate with for effective remedial plans.

DEA Secretary held separate meetings with the seven joint secretaries co-opted in the operation, they said.

The government has eased cash withdrawal restrictions as well as ordered installing new micro cash vending machines (micro-ATMs) across the country to ease the situation.

It has also asked banks to waive off transaction charges on debit and credit cards.

Besides allowing individuals to withdraw and exchange higher amounts from ATMs and bank accounts, the government has also raised the cash withdrawal limit of at least three-month old current accounts to Rs 50,000 per week. (PTI)

Toyota to pay up to USD 3.4 billion to settle US truck lawsuit Washington, Nov 14: Toyota will pay up to USD 3.4 billion to settle a class action lawsuit brought by US pickup truck and SUV owners whose vehicles lacked adequate rust protection.

Court filings show that the settlement reached on October 31 covers 1.5 million vehicles, dealing a financial blow to the Japanese automaker whose trucks were subject to corrosion that could harm their structural

integrity.The settlement applies to Tacoma trucks made from 2005 to 2010, Sequoias from 2005 to 2008 and Tundras from 2007 to 2008.

The settlement estimates the value of replacing the frame at roughly USD 15,000 per vehicle. Under the settlement, Toyota will inspect vehicles for 12 years from their initial sales or lease date to decide if the owner is eligible for a replaced frame or reimbursement. (PTI)

Enough Cash Available, Efforts On To Augment Note Supplies: Shaktikanta Das For the urban population, Das said recalibration of ATMs has already started and they will start dispensing the new Rs. 2,000 currency notes from today or tomorrow.

New Delhi,Nov 14: Allaying fears of shortage, the Finance Ministry today said there is enough cash in the system and delivery channels are being augmented across the country to help cash-starved citizens.

Giving details of the high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last night, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said it was decided to activate all channels for dispensing cash.

With regard to rural areas, he said the cash holding limit for 1.2 lakh banking correspondents (BCs) has been increased to Rs. 50,000 and banks have been given flexibility to increase this limit on case to case basis.

It has been also decided to provide cash multiple times to the BCs, so that rural population is served.

Besides, supply of cash to 1.3 lakh branch post offices would be enhanced so that public can get banknotes.

Together, these 2.5 lakh de-

Shaktikanta Das livery points, mostly in rural areas, would be able to give bigger quantum of cash to the public, he added.

For the urban population, Das said recalibration of ATMs has already started and they will start dispensing the new Rs. 2,000 currency notes from today or tomorrow.

However, he clarified that the higher cash withdrawal limit of Rs. 2,500 is only for recalibrated ATMs. Additionally, a large number of micro-ATMs will be deployed to help people withdraw cash through debit cards.

To mitigate their hardship, the RBI has started distributing high security Rs. 500 notes from yesterday. (PTI)

President Mukherjee No toll charges on inaugurates the India National Highways International Trade Fair till November 18 New Delhi, Nov 14: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday inaugurated the India International Trade Fair which will see participation of over 150 companies from 27 countries.

This year's edition of the mega trade fair with 'Digital India' theme is being held between November 14-27.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, he observed that "digital technologies, e-commerce, e-enabled and mobile services are major components of e-governance and will over the time contribute significantly to GDP growth."

The President further said that government's recent initiatives in e-governance have started showing results in terms of delivery of public services in more efficient and effective ways.

As India strives to become a manufacturing hub in diverse sectors, the country needs to increase its energy resources without compromising on the environmental aspects, he noted.

"Factors such as demography, development and urbanisation exert tremendous pressure on availability of resources. Large-scale utilisation of resources impacts adversely on the environment. Industry, therefore,

needs to adopt eco-friendly measures and technologies," the President said here.

He further said, the range of reforms being undertaken, including the GST, shall enable the states and union territories to compete with each other in attracting investments and business opportunities.

"Over the medium and longterm, these reforms shall also hopefully result in job creation. Thus, contributing to the growth impulses of the economy," Mukherjee said.

The President termed the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 'a mega projection of the new India', that is fast taking shape.

"I believe that IITF will reinforce Indian brands. Brands that will, in the first instance, compete and win against the dominant international players in the domestic market before venturing overseas," Mukherjee said.

the investors, manufacturers and retailers," he said.

He also said, the recent BRICS and BIMSTEC Summits have created a great reservoir of goodwill which is vital for consolidating our economic and cultural linkages and societal bonds with countries across the world.

"India has always believed in the stability and growth of our neighbouring countries.

Putting people first is the guiding philosophy of our development cooperation partnership.

"Focused on an agenda aimed at regional harmony, peace and prosperity, we look forward to working together in priority areas such as infrastructure, development connectivity, capacity building, education, healthcare and the setting-up of development projects," he said.

The President further said that IITF showcases an unparallelled investment opportunity through the prism of Make in India and Digital India initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The President noted that India is working with likeminded countries in multilateral organisations including the United Nations to play an enhanced role in diverse fora - from the Arctic Council and the Pacific Alliance to the UN Security Council where the country "has made a legitimate claim for a permanent membership".

"I am confident that the 36th edition of this fair will promote business convergence and cohesiveness amongst

This year, IITF has South Korea as the partner country while the focus country is Belarus. (PTI)

midnight New Delhi, Nov 14: No toll would be charged on National Highwaystill the midnight of November 18, with the government today extending the earlier deadline by four days.

"The government has decided to extend the deadline till midnight of November 18," an official told PTI. The official said the decision has been taken to ensure smooth traffic movement across all National Highways and provide relief to cashstarved people who are queuing up outside banks and ATMs after Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were demonetised.

Instructions have been issued to all concessionaires, including BOT, OMT operators and other fee collection agencies, about the extension of toll suspension date.

A day after Prime Min-

ister Narendra Modi announced ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to tackle corruption and black money, government had on November 9 said that no toll fee would be collected on National Highways till November 11 midnight.

The deadline was again extended till November 14 midnight.

The government had earlier decided to accept the withdrawn notes at toll plazas till November 11 midnight but that led to chaos in the absence of adequate change, causing massive traffic jams.

"We reviewed the situation and decided to suspend the collection of fees," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said.

When asked about the loss due to non-collection of toll fee, Gadkari said the government will bear it. (PTI)

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DIBRUGARH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

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Assam end Day Odisha 1 in Command 150/2 after Assam make 301

PTI Hyderabad, Nov 14: Odisha were comfortably placed at 150/2 after Assam were were all out for 301 in their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match here today.

A moment of the match between Assam & Andhra at DDSA stasium in Dibrugarh on Monday.

Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Nov. 14: In an absorbing day of the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy match between Assam and Andhra Pradesh at the DDSA stadium, one witnessed the fall of sixteen wickets for 290 runs on day 1.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, the hosts were bundled out for 192 runs. They got off to a cautious start as the opposition bowlers bowled in good areas and made full use of the early morning moisture. Openers Subham Mandal and Riyan Parag upfront were patient and batted with lots of determination.

However, the Andhra bowlers were relentless

and were rewarded with wickets at regular intervals. Assam were saved the blushes as Akash Sengupta (42) and Rahul Singh (31) put on an entertaining partnership of

Cooch Behar Trophy 51 runs for the final wicket after their side were reduced to 141/9 at one point of time. The home teams' middle order crumbled like a house of cards with the only notable contribution coming from Sandip Paul Mazumdar who scored 40 runs with the help of seven boundaries.

Opener Subham Mandal

chipped in with 28 runs.

In reply, Andhra Pradesh ended the day at the score of 98/6 in 29 overs. Assam's new ball pair of Mukhtar Hussain and Akash Sengupta ripped past the Andhra top order. They shared four wickets among them, two a piece for 20 and 9 runs respectively.

Jitumoni Kalita and Hrishkesh Borah snared one each. For Andhra Pradesh, Maheep Kumar and P Girinath Reddy contributed 26 and 23 runs each.

With the away team still in arrears of 94 runs, the hosts will look to take full control of the match by dismissing them cheaply tomorrow.

Vijender Singh to defend title against ex-World Champion Francis Cheka New Delhi, Nov 14: |Vijender Singh will face the most accomplished opponent of his professional career when he defends his WBO Super Middleweight Asia Pacific title against former world and current intercontinental Champion Francis Cheka on December 17.

The 34-year-old experienced boxer from Tanzania is a veteran of 43 fights with 32 wins including 17 knockouts and has tested himself against top super-middleweight talent including WBA world champion Fedor Chudinov from Russia and WBC international Champion Matthew Mecklin from UK. Cheka has racked up 300 gruelling rounds under his belt in the 16 years of his career compared to Vijender’s 27 and has no fear fighting in India.

Cheka was formerly a WBF world champion and currently he holds the Intercontinental Super Middleweight Championship title, which he won in February against Serbian Geard Ajetovic.

Vijender, on the other hand, is undefeated in his sevenfight career so far. Cheka is Vijender’s most experienced opponent to date and will prove a stern test for the big-hitting Indian boxer.

Vijender currently has a record of seven out of seven wins including 6 knockouts. Vijender claimed his first title at the Thyagaraj Stadium in July this year against Australian Kerry Hope.

On fighting Cheka, Vijender said,”Cheka is a highly experienced boxer, he has many bouts under his belt, but none of this demotivates me. I am training harder to match up to his level and hoping for another win.

“Once again my fight will be at home, just like last time the support that I got from the crowd was overwhelming and I am sure there will be more people who will come out to support me. I am confident of my win; I feel my stance is becoming better with every training session that I am undergoing.

“My trainer also feels that my punches are stronger than before and he has also put me under high intensity training. I am sure of protecting my title with as much pride as I won it. I am going to leave no stone unturned to make sure my title stays with me,” he added.

Cheka was more aggressive with his words and promised to knock out Vijender.

“I am ready to give this kid a lesson of boxing…I will come to India. I have heard a lot about this Indian boxer and there’s a lot of hype around him, I just can’t wait to be the one to put him in his place,” he said.

“I know he trains in Manchester, UK, but it will be a great fun to beat Indian lad in his own country and take away his title. If you see my record, I have a total of 17 knockouts, I have played way more rounds than he has, I am sure I will be able to knock him out in

the first round itself.

“I have seen his previous fights, he has fought absolutely nobody so far and I am sure he will get rid of facing me in the ring. The day he will meet me in the ring, he won’t have a reply for anything I throw at him and once I start landing my punches at him it be will game over for India’s golden boy. There’s no doubt in my mind that I will knockout Vijender,” he added.

Vijender has been training in Manchester for his title defense fight next month.

Lee Beard, trainer of Vijender, said, “We have been working on Vijender’s strength and power in the gym and he is punching a lot harder. I can already see the benefits of the high intensity training sessions we have been putting him and everyone will see an even better Vijender on December 17th.

“Of all the fighters I have trained, he is one of the best when it comes to learning; he is an extremely quick learner. He will be prepared and ready to defend his title in style.”

Neerav Tomar, Promoter, IOS Boxing Promotions, which manages Vijender, is excited for this next stint of his organisation. “Just like last time, this time around also I am confident of a houseful on the fight night.

People came out in large numbers to support their favourite boxing sensation; the response from the media as well as the social media was overwhelming,” he said.

with the help of 10 boundaries and a six.

Subhranshu Senapati (34) was the other unbeaten batsman at stumps on the second day.

Assam were 224/5 when the stumps were drawn on the first day.

Batting at number 10, seam bowler Abu Nechim chipped in with an useful 20.

Overnight on 88, Kunal Saikia top-scored for Assam with a fine 135, while skipper KB Arun Karthik contributed 62 as they were bowled out in 121.5 overs at Rajiv Gandhi Interna- For Odisha, Basant Mohanty (3/18) and tional Stadium.

Suryakant Pradhan (3/ In reply, Odisha made a 90) were the most sucsolid start with Govinda cessful bowlers, while Poddar scoring an un- Biplab Samantray beaten 81 off 155 balls picked up two wickets.

Force India almost seals 4th place after good show in Brazil PTI Sao Paulo, Nov 14: Sahara Force India has virtually sealed a historic fourth position in the constructors championship after securing 18 points from the rainhit Brazilian Grand Prix as Sergio Perez finished an impressive fourth and Nico Hulkenbergseventh, here.

With this performance, Force India now have 163 points, 27 more than closest rival Williams, who failed to secure a single point from the penultimate race of the season.

Valtteri Bottas finished 11th, just outside the points bracket while local hero Felipe Massa crashed out early into the race.

Last season, Force India had finished fifth with 136 points and with one race to go in Abu Dhabi, the team is set to record is best ever finish unless Williams come up with a dramatic show in the season-ending race.

It was second-best performance of the season for Perez, who has savoured two podiums this season.

laps, but Max [Verstappen] just had a different pace. He was the fastest on track and there was nothing I could do to keep him behind," Perez said.

"Even though I am a bit disappointed, we can still celebrate a great race and an incredible result, especially considering the conditions we had out there today. Just getting to the finish line on a day like this feels like a victory, and to bring home fourth is a very important result."

Hulkenberg said it was an intense race.

"What a fun but tense race today. It's a shame to lose a podium place in the last two

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry because I think a possible podium slipped

Warner leads way as Aussies lose Burns early AFP Hobart, Nov 14: Crisis-hit Australia made another shaky start losing Joe Burns in the opening over as they set out to save the second Test against South Africa in Hobart on Monday.

Burns lasted just four balls before he was caught behind, tickling at one down the leg-side from Kyle Abbott.

Lightning had struck twice for Australia with fellow opener David Warner out to a reckless shot in the opening over in the first innings of the Hobart Test.

But Warner was a different proposition on the easier batting conditions the second time around and scored freely with Usman Khawaja in support.

At tea, the home side were 54 for one, still trailing by 187, with Warner on 29 and Khawaja on 24.

Australia, routed for 85 in Saturday's first innings, face a struggle to prevent South Africa, already 1-0 up, claiming their third successive series in Australiawith only next week's day-night third Test in Adelaide still to play.

South Africa earlier extended their first innings lead to 241

runs before they were all out for 326 with Josh Hazlewood finishing with six for 89 off 30.5 overs.

Hazlewood captured three of the last four wickets to fall after lunch for his second best haul after his six for 70 against New Zealand in Adelaide last year to take his tally to 88 Test wickets.

Quinton de Kock plundered his second Test century to frustrate Australia's efforts to restrict the Proteas' lead.

Shortly after lunch, Tembo Bavuma was surprised by a rearing delivery to spoon an

easy catch to Nathan Lyon at point and give Joe Mennie his first Test wicket for 74.

Keshav Maharaj followed shortly after, bowled by Hazlewood for one and Kyke Abbott lasted nine balls before he became the speedster's fifth dismissal for three.

Vernon Philander was the last man out for 32 off 28 balls, caught behind off Hazlewood.

After Sunday's second day was washed out, the Australians chased early wickets but de Kock and Bavuma batted South Africa into a position of strength with a century stand

before the swashbuckling wicketkeeper was bowled by Hazlewood just before lunch for 104 off 143 balls with 17 boundaries.

His stand of 144 with Bavuma was the highest by a visiting team in Hobart for the sixth wicket.

De Kock became only the fourth South African to register 50 or more in five consecutive Tests after he swept spinner Nathan Lyon for four over wide mid-on.

He has proven a thorn for Australia in this series following scores of 84 and 64 in the first Test victory in Perth.

away today. I had great confidence in the car, felt comfortable and I had the pace to push and overtake," the German said.

"There were some scary moments in the race, especially when Kimi crashed in front of me. Some of his debris hit my car and caused a lot of damage. At least I survived that, but then I picked up a puncture from the debris, which was so frustrating because it dropped me down to the back of the field. Without the puncture, who knows where I might have finished? I'm happy and proud of myself and the team. We did a great job, but we were just missing a bit of luck.

Egypt 2-0 Ghana: Pharaohs maintain perfect start to World Cup qualifying A first-half Mohamed Salah penalty and a late goal from Abdallah Saied guided Egypt to a 2-0 victory over Ghana in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

Egypt, who won 2-1 in their opening match in Congo last month, sit firmly on top of Group E with six points while Ghana are now at serious peril of failing to qualify with just four more games to come.

Ghana full-back Harrison Afful brought down Mahmoud Trezeguet in the box two minutes before the break and Roma forward Salah made no mistake from the resulting penalty, calmly converting into the middle of the goal.

Ghana came back strongly after half-time, with Egypt's 43-year-old goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari forced into making key saves from Christian Atsu just after the hour mark and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu in the 79th minute.

However, Saied finished off a counter-attack with five remaining to seal victory for Egypt, who are bidding for a first World Cup spot since 1990.

Victory secures revenge for the Pharaohs, who were heavily beaten by Ghana in a qualification play-off for the 2014 World Cup.

Cash-strapped Vidarbha Ranji team to seek CAB help IANS Kolkata, Nov 14: The Vidarbha Ranji cricket team, who are currently playing against Maharashtra at the Eden Gardens here in a Group B encounter, are facing a cash crunch after the government's decision to demonetise Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes last Tuesday.

Like the common man who has been hit hard by

the currency ban, resulting in serpentine queues in front of banks and ATMs across the country, sport also seems far from being immune as domestic teams playing the Ranji are facing the heat.

After reports that the Goa team is struggling to make ends meet, the Vidarbha side have also, according to sources, complained of running

dry.

"I have not got any formal request yet. But if they approach us we will definitely try and help them," Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya told IANS on Monday when asked if he has received any such request.

Vidarbha team manager Kishore Wakode, it has

been learnt, is running out of cash after being on the road for four matches due to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s neutral venue policy for Ranji matches.

According to CAB sources, Vidarbha might soon approach them for help and Monday being a public holiday for Guru Nanak's birthday, they are yet to get an official call from them.

Dalmiya said the CAB is doing everything it can to help the Bengal team currently playing against Tamil Nadu in Rajkot.

"We give a daily allowance of Rs 1,500 to all our Ranji players. If need be, we will transfer the money to their respective accounts. Also, on non match days we have arranged for lunch at the team hotel," Dalmiya said.

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