Page 38 - Assam

Margins of North Indian tea gardens to shrink in FY24, predicts ICRA

Leading credit rating firm ICRA said that tea gardens of North India will suffer from shrinkage in the margins due to rise in input costs and wage hike in West Bengal and Assam during the current fiscal. Margins will also be affected due to low export demand and sluggish rural consumption, ICRA said adding that the outlook for the sector has been revised to negative from stable. The credit rating firm said that all-India auction prices of the orthodox variety in the first 10 months of calendar year 2023 witnessed a significant decline of around Rs 51 per kilogram on a year-on-year basis. The price drop in South India was lower at Rs seven per kilogram during the same period. ICRA said that the slump in orthodox tea realisation was due to lower export demand, primarily from Iran. Similarly, the all-India cumulative auction average of CTC variety also witnessed a decline during the first 10 months of 2023 to the extent of Rs six per kilogram. ICRA said that sluggish rural demand alo

Assam aims to attain food self-sufficiency in next two years: CM Sarma

The Assam Chief Minister said that, during the recent Assembly election campaigns in five states, he had an opportunity to see the "best practices of farmers in other states."

BTR alleges Rs 1,500 crore financial irregularities under previous regime

Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) chief Pramod Boro on Saturday alleged that financial irregularities of over Rs 1,500 crore had taken place under the previous regime in the sixth schedule area. He said a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been sought and the Assam government approached with a request to pursue the matter. "When we took over the reins of BTR, we inherited a financial liability of Rs 3,000 crore, which is a huge amount for a council like ours. We got the accounts audited, and now the liability has reduced to about Rs 1,200 crore," Boro, addressing a press conference here marking the completion of three years in office, said. Boro maintained that a work order for over Rs 1,500 crore was given by the previous BTR regime without putting it under any financial heads. "The Bodoland council had adopted a resolution last year seeking a CBI probe into these irregularities," the chief executive member (CEM) said. The BTR, then known as Bodoland Territori

Bill to ban polygamy to be introduced in assembly by Feb, says Assam CM

A bill to ban polygamy will be introduced in the next session of the Assam assembly to be held in February, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Friday. The bill has been formulated after months of consultations with various individuals and organisations. Talking to reporters, Sarma said, "The bill to ban polygamy will be placed on the floor of the Assam assembly which will commence from February 4." The chief minister had earlier said that some points would be incorporated in the bill with the objective to stop "Love Jihad" in the state. Officials said that the state government had received as many as 149 suggestions in response to a public notice seeking feedback on the proposed law to ban the practice of marrying multiple times. Out of these, 146 suggestions were in favour of the bill, indicating strong public support, they said. Three organisations have expressed their opposition to the bill. The state government had issued a notice on August 21 inviting publ

ULFA(I) claims responsibility for blast near army station in Assam's Jorhat

ULFA (Independent) on Friday claimed responsibility for the blast near the gate of the army station in Assam's Jorhat district. The 'mild blast' had occurred on Thursday night in a dustbin near the army gate in the town's Lichubari area, a defence spokesperson said. Bomb experts have reached the spot and are ascertaining the explosives used in the blast, the spokesperson said. There was no casualty or damage due to the blast, the third such incident near security establishments after Tinsukia and Sivasagar since November 22. A massive search operation has been launched in the district and also in adjoining areas of Jorhat to nab the culprits. Security has been tightened and patrolling intensified across Upper Assam districts. ULFA(I), in the statement claiming responsibility for the blast, said the indigenous people had no cause to panic as the outfit is not against them but are carrying out the blasts due to the alleged efforts by the Director General of Police GP Singh to esta

Assam's multicultural identity

Through her exploration of Assamese identity, culture, cuisine, and politics, journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty's book paints a full portrait of a state and its people

'Will try to delete forged names from NRC list': Assam Chief Minister Sarma

The Assam Chief Minister made this statement at the time when there was an allegation that a large number of people's names were enrolled in the NRC list by forgery

IMD issues fog alert for five states including MP, Bengal for next two days

Dense fog during the morning hours is very likely in isolated pockets over north Madhya Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya on December 10 and 11

Socio-economic study of indigenous Assam Muslims to be conducted: Himanta

The Assam government said it will conduct a socio-economic assessment of indigenous Assamese Muslims of the state. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Friday. "A socio-economic assessment of indigenous Assamese Muslims will be conducted through the Directorate of Minority Affairs and Char Areas," Sarma posted on X. The meeting decided that the Directorate of Char Areas Development, Assam, will be renamed as the Directorate of Minority Affairs and Char Areas, Assam. The cabinet also gave in-principle approval to the issue of detailed procedure/standard operating procedure (SOP) for permitting traditional buffalo and bullfights that are organised during Magh Bihu. The SOP aims to ensure that no deliberate torture or cruelty is carried out on the animals and their well-being is provided for by the organisers during the annual buffalo fights, an integral part of the centuries-old Assamese cultural tradition. The council of

Tata Group planning Rs 40,000 crore semiconductor unit in Assam: CM

Tata Group is planning to set up a semiconductor processing plant in Assam at an investment of about Rs 40,000 crore, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday. Addressing a function here, he said it has approached the Centre for the final nod after discussions with the state government, and the go-ahead is expected soon. "There is a very good news for us. Tata Electronics Ltd has submitted an application for setting up an electronic centre at Jagiroad," Sarma said. "They have submitted a proposal to the Government of India with an outlay of about Rs 40,000 crore," he added. Jagiroad, in Morigaon district, is about 55 km from the state's largest city Guwahati. Sarma said the Tata Group held initial talks with the state government about the semiconductor assembly and packaging plant, and satisfied with the discussions here, they have approached the Centre. "If all goes well, we will see a major investment in the state which will create a positive environment for ...

RITES enters into pact with Oil India to develop Duliajan Township in Assam

Transport infrastructure consultancy and engineering firm RITES Ltd has signed a pact with Oil India Ltd to develop Duliajan Township in Assam as a mini smart city, according to an exchange filing. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), RITES will undertake an extensive study, review the existing system and prepare a suitable, feasible design to develop the township which is managed and operated by Oil India. The collaboration which aims at reviving the township, involves infrastructure works such as review of existing drainage system and design, detailed project report (DPR) for integration of solid waste management system, review of road and traffic network and plan for parking facilities, the company said. RITES will offer its expertise in buildings, horticulture and beautification works. RITES Ltd shares dropped by 1.7 per cent to close at Rs 474 on BSE.

Govt must be given latitude to make adjustments crucial to save nation: SC

Observing that several northeastern states are affected by insurgency and violence, the Supreme Court Wednesday said the government must be given "latitude and leeway" to make adjustments necessary to save the nation. Referring to section 6A of the Citizenship Act applicable exclusively to Assam, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said governments have to make compromises for the overall well-being of the nation. "We must also give the government that latitude. Even today there are parts of North East, we may not name them, but there are states affected by insurgency, affected by violence. We have to give the government that leeway to make adjustments necessary to save the nation," Chandrachud said. He made the observation after senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that section 6A operates in a "blanket manner" and rewards illegal immigrants who continue to stay in Assam in violation of the citizenship law. "Assam

Assam immigration: SC hears pleas to examine validity of Citizenship Act

A five-judge Supreme Court bench on Tuesday commenced hearing on 17 petitions to examine the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam. The Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is hearing submissions advanced by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for petitioners, in the matter. Besides the CJI, Justices Surya Kant, M M Sundresh, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra are part of the bench. Divan is presently referring to the historical background of the litigation and the 2014 judgement of the apex court by which the pleas were referred to the larger Constitution bench. Section 6A in the Citizenship Act was inserted as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord. The provision provides that those who have come to Assam on or after January 1, 1966 but before March 25, 1971 from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985,

Over 75% UAPA cases in 2022 from J-K, Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh: NCRB

Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Assam and Uttar Pradesh together registered over three-fourth of all UAPA cases in India in 2022, while one-fourth of sedition cases were registered in West Bengal alone, according to the latest NCRB data on 'Offences against the State'. Altogether 20 cases of sedition under the Indian Penal Code section 124A were lodged across India in 2022 while 1,005 were registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, showed in its annual crime report. Notably, sedition cases have come down since 2020 while those lodged under the UAPA saw a rise in the last three years, according to the data. In 2021, 76 cases of sedition and 814 cases of UAPA were lodged in the country, while in 2020 the figures for the same were logged at 73 and 796, official data from corresponding years showed. Among states and Union Territories, the maximum number of UAPA

Assam illegal immigrants: SC to examine Citizenship Act's validity on Dec 5

The Supreme Court is scheduled to commence hearing on December 5 to examine the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam. Section 6A in the Citizenship Act was inserted as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord. The provision provides that those who have come to Assam on or after January 1, 1966 but before March 25, 1971 from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and since then are residents of Assam must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship. As a result, the provision fixes March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. As per the cause list uploaded on the apex court website, a five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices Surya Kant, M M Sundresh, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra would take up the matter for hearing on ...

Uttarakhand tunnel: 21 workers from Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam reach home

It was a grand homecoming for 21 Silkyara tunnel workers from Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam who reached their respective states on Friday. In Jharkhand capital Ranchi, 15 workers, who spent 17 gruelling days inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi, were given a rousing welcome when their plane landed shortly after 8pm from Delhi. State Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta who received the workers at the airport said, "A big mission has been accomplished. The government will extend all help to them." The workers were taken to Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence in a special bus where he interacted with them and enquired about their wellbeing. Interacting with workers, Soren said, "Glad you all have returned to Jharkhand after emerging victorious from the Uttarakhand tragedy. The whole country was praying for all of you. All of you will be connected to employment related and other schemes of the state government. I have given instructions about this to the officials. I will keep taking ...

Assam govt employees to intensify agitation for Old Pension Scheme

Lakhs of Assam government employees on Monday resolved to intensify their agitation demanding the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Leaders of opposition political parties and prominent personalities of the state have also lent their support to the demand of the government employees, claiming that adequate pension is a right of the workers. The decision was taken at a meeting organised by the All Assam Government NPS Employees Association (AAGNPSEA) and supported by the Joint Coordination Committee for OPS Assam and the Joint Forum for Restoration of OPS Assam here, a release said. The AAGNPSEA, along with other workers' bodies and unions, have been carrying out phased agitations for the restoration of OPS in the state. Among the resolutions adopted at the meeting was the demand to cancel the National Pension System (NPS) and to provide pensions to all workers, employees and teachers of the state government under the OPS. The meeting also demanded the repeal of the Pens

Would be different, if Modi had been PM: Assam CM on 26/11 anniversary

Meanwhile, PM Modi on Sunday paid homage to the victims of the dastardly 26/11 terror attack

75 army personnel who entered Mizoram taken back to Myanmar: DGP

Two major camps were overrun and because of that around 75 Myanmar army personnel entered Mizoram. We rescued them and also handed over them to our border guarding force Assam Rifles :DGP

CM Shinde consents to Kamakhya temple proposal in Maha: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde has given consent to a proposal for providing land for the construction of a Kamakhya temple in the western state. While interacting with a group of visiting journalists from Maharashtra recently, Sarma said he plans to build a Namghar, a place of worship for Vaishnavites, along with the temple. "We want to build a good Kamakhya temple in Maharashtra. I have already spoken to (Eknath) Shinde. Maharashtra CM is a big devotee of Maa Kamakhya," he said in a video of the meeting shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. The Kamakhya temple atop the Neelachal hill on the bank of the Brahmaputra river is one of the biggest and oldest Shakti Peeths in the country. This temple of Goddess Kamakhya is an important pilgrimage centre for tantric worshippers and Hindus. When Shinde had visited Assam last time, Sarma requested him to provide land to construct a Kamakhya temple and Namghar in Maharasht