Page 32 - Assam

Assam govt hikes DA by 4% for employees, pensioners, says CM Himanta

The Assam government has decided to hike the dearness allowance by 4 per cent for its employees and pensioners on the occasion of Rongali Bihu in April, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. The increase in DA will be effective from January 1, and the arrears of the first three months will be paid in instalments in May, June and July respectively, Sarma said at a press conference here. The DA hike will benefit around four lakh government employees and 3.5 lakh pensioners, he said. The total DA payable to the employees will now be 50 per cent, and the 4 per cent increase in dearness allowance will involve a financial outlay of around Rs 1,175 crore, Sarma said. The chief minister also announced that to realise the benefit of 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana', the state government will invest another Rs 300 crore to offer additional assistance of up to Rs 45,000 to each household. 'High electricity bill is a matter of concern for many but we found that 3,000 urban ...

Modi launches 3 semiconductor units in Gujarat, Assam: Key things to know

At the event, PM Narendra Modi hailed chip-making as the fourth industrial revolution and said that India will not miss out on this opportunity

CAA insignificant in Assam, will have least applicants: CM Himanta

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday claimed that the CAA is completely insignificant in Assam, from where there will be the least number of applications for Indian citizenship. The Ministry of Home Affairs had on Tuesday launched a portal for people eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. CAA is completely insignificant in Assam; the state will have the least number of applications on the portal, Sarma told a press conference here. The Union government had on Monday implemented the CAA, notifying the rules to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Sarma said the act is very clear that the cut-off date for application of citizenship is December 31, 2014, and in Assam, with the updation of the National Register of Citizens, people who applied for it and did not find their names in that list, will only apply for CAA. The CM

Will resign if anyone who has not applied for NRC gets citizenship: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he will be the first to resign if one person, who has not applied for National Register of Citizens (NRC), gets citizenship. His comment comes after protests erupted across Assam with opposition parties flaying the BJP government at the Centre for implementing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) on Monday, paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. 'I am a son of Assam and if a single person who has not applied for NRC gets citizenship, I will be the first to resign', the chief minister said on the sidelines of a programme at Sivasagar. The protesters are claiming that lakhs of people will enter the state after the implementation of the CAA. 'If this happens, I will be the first to protest," he said. There is nothing new about the CAA as it was enacted earlier, the chief minister said, adding that 'now the time has come for

Assam Police orders Oppn to withdraw stir against CAA, warns of action

The Assam Police have issued notices to opposition parties "ordering" them to "withdraw" the hartal over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA and warned that "legal action" will be taken against them if they fail to follow the diktat, officials said on Tuesday. The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam (UOFA) has called a statewide hartal to protest against the implementation of the CAA. "It has come to the notice of the undersigned from the Press Note dated 11th March, 2024 released by 'United Opposition Forum' that you and your organization have called for 'Sarbatmak Hartal' in Assam on 12th March, 2024 from 6 am to 6 pm. Whereas, as a result of the 'Sarbatmak Hartal', there is every likelihood of breach of peace and security leading to disruption of normal life of peace loving citizens in the state," said the identical legal notices, dated March 11, sent to the office-bearers of different parties. "Further, calling of such 'Sarbatmak Hartal' will lead to

CAA copies burnt, strike announced in Assam as govt notifies rules

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 30 indigenous organisations on Monday burnt copies of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in different parts of the state, including Guwahati, Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Dibrugarh and Tezpur. The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam, (UOFA) announced a statewide hartal on Tuesday, besides taking up other agitational programmes in a phased manner. "We will continue with our non-violent, peaceful, democratic movement against CAA. Alongside, we will also continue our legal fight", AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya told PTI. Bhattacharjya asserted that the indigenous people of Assam and North East will never accept CAA. "On Tuesday, copies of the CAA will be burnt by the North East Student Organisation (NESO) in all state capitals of the region. AASU and 30 organisations will also take out torchlight processions in Assam, and launch a satyagraha from the next day," he said. In Dibrugarh, AASU members were engaged in a scuff

3 Myanmar nationals among 7 held for possessing unaccounted cash in Mizoram

A total of seven people, including three Myanmar nationals, were arrested in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district for possessing unaccounted cash, Assam Rifles said in a statement. Acting on a tip-off, the seven people travelling in a pickup truck were nabbed near RDS Bungtlang Junction on Sunday. A total of Rs 2.86 lakh in Indian Rupees and Myanmarese Kyat 47 million (4.7 crore) were seized from their possession, it said. The pickup truck used for transporting the currency notes was also seized, it added.

CM Sarma unveils infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,700 crore in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched various infrastructure development projects worth nearly Rs 1,700 crore in Sonitpur and Baksa districts, including a 50-MW solar power plant. Unveiling the projects as part of the ongoing 'Vikas Yatra', Sarma said these will improve the entire region's education, health and energy infrastructure. In Sonitpur, he dedicated various welfare projects to the tune of Rs 1,370 crore, and in Baksa, the amount was Rs 308 crore. Sarma laid the foundation of the 50-MW solar plant in Sonitpur, to be developed at an investment of Rs 300 crore. The plant, spread over an area of 864 bighas (nearly 286 acres), will come up at Barchalla. "With this, just in the last seven days, Assam has laid the groundwork of generating 130 MW of solar power. To make the state a green energy hub, we aim to produce 3,000 MW of 'Surya Shakti' by 2028," Sarma said. The chief minister also inaugurated the state government's first model residential school in

PM Modi spends time at tea estate in Assam, promotes tourism around it

Taking to his X handle, he urged tourists to visit Assam's tea gardens during their visits to the state

PM Modi accuses Congress of ignoring development of Northeast for decades

Asserting that the Northeast's development is crucial to fulfil the objective of 'Viksit Bharat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of ignoring the region for decades. Addressing a public meeting at Meleng Meteli Pothar here, after unveiling projects worth Rs 17, 500 crore in Assam, he said heritage and development was the "mantra of double-engine government". He also alleged that the Congress government's "insensitive and unplanned conservation strategy" led to poaching in the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around 27 rhinos were killed in 2013 but the number of such poaching incidents came down to zero in 2022 due to the NDA government's policies, he said.

PM Modi unveils 125 feet statue of Lachit Borphukan in Assam's Jorhat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a 125-foot bronze statue of 'Ahom general' Lachit Borphukan in Assam's Jorhat. The 'Statue of Valour' was unveiled by the PM at the Lachit Barphukan Maidam Development Project at Hollongapar near Teok. Modi, who reached Jorhat from Arunachal Pradesh by helicopter, was dressed in traditional attire and headgear. He participated in an Ahom ritual for the unveiling of the statue. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied the prime minister during the programme. The height of the statute, built by Ram Vanji Sutar, is 84 feet and it is set on a pedestal of 41 feet, making the structure 125 feet tall. The foundation of the statue was laid by former President Ram Nath Kovind in February 2022. Lachit Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826). He is known for his leadership in the 1671 'Battle of Saraighat' that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by the mighty Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, to take b

What's stopping PM Modi from visiting strife-torn Manipur, asks Cong

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam's Kaziranga National Park, the Congress on Saturday attacked the Centre over the "increasingly disturbed" situation in different parts of the Northeast, and asked why the PM had not found time to visit the violence-hit Manipur yet. Prime Minister Modi took the elephant and jeep safari inside Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Saturday morning In a swipe at Modi, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "We're glad that the Prime Minister has found time amidst his various travels to spend today morning in Kaziranga, an iconic national park which owes much to the great interest shown both by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi." However, beyond Kaziranga, there are four questions for him on the "increasingly disturbed" situation in different parts of the Northeast of India, he said. "On June 19th, 2020, at the all-party meet on China, the Prime Minister declared that not a single Chinese ...

Highlights: Interest rate on small savings scheme to remain unchanged

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Women focal point of all governance initiatives: Assam CM Himanta Biswa

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the focal point of all initiatives of his government is women. On #InternationalWomensDay, celebrating the women of Assam; courageous, enterprising, resilient and changemakers. We are committed to ensure that each women in the State gets a fair opportunity to grow as the focal point of all our governance initiatives are women! the CM said on X. In another post, Sarma thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing cooking gas cylinder prices by Rs 100. With the earlier cut of ?200 & latest cut of ?100 on LPG cylinders, our mothers and sisters can now significantly save and put this money to better use. On behalf of entire #ModiParivarAssam, I sincerely thank Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, for this bold decision, he added. Announcing the price cut on the occasion of International Women's Day on Friday, the PM said it will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, ...

Jail official held over gadgets seized from 'Waris Punjab De' inmates

The superintendent of Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam was arrested on Friday over the seizure of electronic gadgets, including a smartphone, from the possession of inmates belonging to radical outfit 'Waris Punjab De', police said. The jail official was arrested early in the morning for "laxity" and is currently at Dibrugarh Sadar Police Station, an officer said. He said the arrest was made in connection with the seizure of electronic gadgets cells of the National Security Act (NSA) detenues in the jail last month. Among the gadgets seized from the possession of the inmates belonging to the pro-Khalistani outfit were a smartphone along with a SIM card, a keypad phone, a TV remote with keyboard, a spy-camera pen, pen-drives, a bluetooth headphone and speakers. "Reference NSA Detenues at Dibrugarh Jail, Assam-On receipt of information about unauthorised activities taking place in NSA cell, additional CCTV cameras were installed in the public area of NSA block," Director General of ..

PM Modi to embark on Assam visit today, to inaugurate several projects

PM Modi will also inaugurate the Tinsukia Medical College and lay the foundation stone of Sivasagar Medical College under the PM-DIVINE scheme on Saturday

NDA will win 22 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Northeast: Assam CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asserted that the ruling BJP-led alliance will win 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Northeast in the upcoming elections. Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said only three of the 14 seats in Assam are "uncertain at the moment". "The NDA will win 22 of the 25 seats in the Northeast. Barring Assam, we hope to win all seats in other states of the region," he added. The convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the regional arm of the NDA, asserted that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are "simple elections" for the ruling front and it will win the polls without any difficulty. "This time, development is the only issue. Enormous works have been done to improve the overall infrastructure of the region," he added.

PM to inaugurate, lay foundation of projects worth Rs 18,000 cr: Assam CM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore during his two-day tour of Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. Addressing a press meet here, Sarma said that Modi will, for the first time, visit UNESCO heritage site Kaziranga National Park and undertake a safari. Modi will arrive in Assam on Friday late afternoon and will spend the night at Kaziranga National Park, he added. "The next day, he will inaugurate the 125-foot tall statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in Jorhat, following which he will address a public meeting," Sarma said. From the venue of the public meeting, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation of various infrastructure development projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore, he added. After the function, he will leave for West Bengal, Sarma added.

Assam CM launches country's largest PM Gramin Awas Yojana in Dibrugarh

The CM launched Rs745 crores of developmental projects in Dibrugarh and inaugurated 46 projects in Lakhimpur worth Rs807 crores on Wednesday as a part of the Vikas Yatra

LS polls: Congress will revoke CAA if voted to power, says Pawan Khera

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday asserted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 will be repealed if the party comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections. He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic strife since May last year. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Khera said, The cut-off date of 1971 is sacrosanct for Assam. But CAA will take it away and 2014 will be the cut-off date." He was referring to the cut-off date of March 25, 1971, for granting Indian citizenship to people entering Assam from Bangladesh, according to the Assam Accord. Under the CAA, the Modi government wants to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014. The Congress will repeal the CAA if voted to power, Khera said. There were massive protests in some par