Page 25 - Assam

Four Bangladeshi infiltrators pushed back by Assam Police: CM Himanta

Assam Police on Friday pushed back two Bangladeshis who attempted to cross the international border at Karimganj district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He said on Thursday also Assam Police pushed back four Bangladeshis who attempted to cross the border in Karimganj district. "In line with our zero-tolerance policy toward illegal infiltration, earlier today @assampolice successfully pushed back the following Bangladeshi nationals who attempted to cross the International Border at Karimganj," Sarma posted on X on Friday. The two illegal immigrants were identified as Dilara Begum and Shoel Hawladar, he said. In another post on the micro-blogging site on Thursday evening, Sarma had said four Bangladeshi nationals were pushed back. "Maintaining strict vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border, @assampolice identified four Bangladeshi nationals near the border in Karimganj," he said. They were identified as Romida Begum, Abdul Elahi, Marijna Begum and Abdul Sukkur. "They wer

Why Hemant Soren hosts Jinnah's party leaders but dislikes Shah: Himanta

Launching a frontal attack on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday accused him of hosting Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) leaders but "showing disdain" for BJP leaders including Amit Shah. A delegation of IUML comprising party MPs ET Mohammed Basheer, MP and Haris Beeran, besides MLA Mohammad Bashir, met Soren at his residence here during the day. A CMO statement said it was a "courtesy meeting". Sarma, who is also the BJP's co-incharge of assembly elections in Jharkhand that are scheduled later this year, took a jibe at Soren saying he has no hesitation in extending a warm welcome to a delegation of "Muslim League" founded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah but has objection to BJP leaders coming to his state. The Jharkhand government had earlier this month urged the EC to ask Union Home Minister Amit Shah to issue an advisory to BJP leaders Sarma and Shivraj Singh Chouhan to desist from "instigating" communal tension in the state fo

Assam's 3rd poverty alleviation scheme launched for 372K beneficiaries

The Assam government on Thursday rolled out the third edition of its flagship poverty alleviation scheme 'Orunodoi', covering 37.2 lakh beneficiaries for direct cash transfer. The 'Orunodoi 3.0' has upped the number of beneficiaries by over 12.5 lakh people across the state from 24.6 lakh recipients of the second edition of this scheme, and thus became the largest state-run DBT initiative in Assam ever. During the day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the process of distributing Orunodoi Cards to new beneficiaries at a programme held here. The scheme, which is designed to empower women members of poor families, will deposit Rs 1,250 per month directly to their bank accounts on the 10th day of every month. "As substantial time has elapsed since its first launch, it has become essential to update information and implement the scheme with improved standards and procedures. Therefore, it has become vital to phase out Orunodoi 1.0 and Orunodoi 2.0, without transferring any ..

Assam villagers vacate homes as deadline to clear encroached land ends

A large number of families in Kochutoli village in Assam's Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, which witnessed violence during a recent eviction drive, started vacating their homes with the deadline to clear "encroached land" ending on Monday, officials said. The villagers were seen going with their belongings, including livestock, in vans. According to officials, these villagers are "illegal settlers in the tribal belt". Most of the alleged encroachers have land in other districts, like Darrang, Morigaon and Barpeta, and have started returning to their homes there, the officials said. The Kamrup (Metropolitan) district authorities have set September 16 as a deadline to vacate the Kochutoli village. Eviction notices were served to those "illegally occupying government land" and stringent action would be taken against those who would remain there after the deadline, one of the officials said. A team from the Sonapur Circle office and the police had gone to Kochutoli village to evict .

Assam orders suspension of mobile net on Sunday for govt recruitment exam

The Assam government on Saturday ordered suspension of mobile internet services across the state for three-and-half hours from 10 am on September 15 during a written examination for recruitment to Grade III posts. Voice calls and broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines will remain functional, a notification said. The notification, signed by Ajay Tewari, additional chief secretary, Home and Political department, said it has been issued in the interest of holding free, fair and transparent public examination and also to prevent arising of any law and order issues having bearing on public safety. Mobile Internet/ mobile data/ mobile wi-fi services in the entire state will remain suspended from 10 am to 1.30 pm on Sunday. It is however clarified that the voice calls and the broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines may remain functional during the aforesaid period, the notification said. According to it, 11,23,204 candidates are scheduled to appear for the e

Centre grants in-principle approval to oil exploration in Assam's sanctuary

The Union environment ministry has granted in-principle approval to divert around 4.50 hectares of forest land in Assam, home to the endangered hoolock gibbon, for oil and gas exploration by a Vedanta Group company. Cairn Oil & Gas will carry out exploratory oil drilling in the ecosensitive zone of the Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat district, the sole habitat for India's only ape species. The ministry's Forest Advisory Committee approved the diversion of 4.49 hectares of forest land during a meeting on August 27, according to minutes published on the Parivesh portal. On August 8, Assam's principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden recommended the clearance, saying that the project served "national interest". The project site is located within the ecosensitive zone of the sanctuary, an area also used by wild elephants to move between the sanctuary and the Dessoi Valley Reserve Forest, the official noted. "Conservation and management

Assam CM urges ULFA(I) to refrain from activity jeopardising Assam's future

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday called upon proscribed ULFA(I) head Paresh Barua not to indulge in any activity that will jeopardise the future of the youth when the state is poised to "become a powerhouse" in the next ten years. The planting of bombs across the state on August 15 is a "matter of deep concern which may affect the ongoing growth and development of the state", Sarma said at The Assam Tribune's Dialogue 2024' here. "We are marching strongly and resolutely. I am sure if the state remains peaceful, the eco-system remains the same and there is cooperation and enthusiasm among the youth, then we will become a powerhouse in India's landscape in the next ten years'', Sarma said. There is, however, deep concern regarding the planting of explosives across the state, he said, adding, "I take this platform to urge the ULFA(I) chief not to indulge in any activity that will jeopardise the future of the state's youth". The police had unearthed bomb-like ...

Assam mulls withdrawing 81K petty and minor cases, cabinet approves SOP

The Assam cabinet decided to amend the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the withdrawal of petty and minor cases in subordinate courts to allow time for serious offences, and decongest jails by releasing undertrial prisoners. This will lead to the withdrawal of 81,000 petty and minor cases till March 2024, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said after the cabinet meeting on Friday. The council of ministers also approved the proposal to establish a Centre of Excellence in aerospace, defence, automotive and electric vehicle industries and others by Dassault Systems Private Ltd, he said. Dassault will invest Rs 200 crore along with external monitoring, advisory and implementation support, while the state government will put in Rs 40 crore in the project. As a part of this initiative, 3,000 engineering graduates will be trained in robotics, aerospace, defence, AI and more, Sarma said. The cabinet also approved the procurement of 100 mw of wind-solar hybrid power from NTPC, which

Two dead, 7 injured in police retaliation against mob attack: Assam CM

Sarma said that the eviction drive was conducted peacefully but the situation became worse after Congress' interruption

Ex-Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora returns to party from TMC after 2 years

Former Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora, who had recently resigned as the state Trinamool Congress president, returned to the grand old party on Sunday. AICC general secretary in-charge of the state, Jitendra Singh, welcomed Bora back into the party fold at the beginning of an Extended Executive Committee meeting at Charaideo. Besides Singh, state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and other leaders were present on the occasion. "On behalf of AICC, I welcome Ripun Bora back into the party. It is a 'ghar wapsi' (returning home) for him," Singh said. He maintained that though Bora may have joined TMC and became its state president, Congress is in his DNA. "We are happy that he has returned without any condition. He is with us as a party member," Singh added. Bora, expressing happiness on returning to the Congress, said, "For whatever reasons, I had left Congress for two-and-a-half-years. But it is the demand of the state and country that BJP

Assam Police form 14 SITs to investigate unregulated deposit scheme cases

DGP GP Singh detailed that the Assam Police's action against unregulated deposit schemes has spanned 14 districts, resulting in 28 cases being registered and 59 arrests made

'Will implement 52 recommendations on Clause 6 of Assam Accord', says CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that his government will implement 52 recommendations of the Justice Biplab Sarma committee on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to safeguard the interests of the indigenous people. These recommendations of the panel will be implemented by April 15, he said. The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord states that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards will be provided to protect cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. "The implementation of the committee's recommendations can be divided into three parts- 52 of which can be implemented directly by the state government, five jointly by the state and the central governments, while the rest comes within the purview of the Centre," Sarma said at a press conference here. Notably, the state cabinet, in its meeting on Wednesday, had decided to implement 57 of the 67 recommendations of the committee. The cabinet had discussed in .

New Aadhaar applicants in Assam need to submit NRC receipt number: CM Sarma

All new applicants for Aadhaar cards in Assam need to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. 'Applications for Aadhaar cards are more than the population...It indicates that there are doubtful citizens and we have decided that new applicants will have to submit their NRC application receipt number (ARN)," the chief minister said at a press conference here. This will "stop the influx of illegal foreigners" and the state government will be 'very strict" in issuing Aadhaar cards, he said. "It will not be easy to get Aadhaar in Assam," Sarma said. Submission of the NRC application receipt number will not be applicable for the 9.55 lakh people whose biometrics were locked during the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process, and they will get their cards, he added. Sarma also said his government will "intensify the process of identification of illegal foreigners as several Bangladeshis were apprehended in the last two .

No govt in 78 years provided 100K jobs in its tenure like us: CM Himanta

Stating that over one lakh recruitments have taken place during his tenure, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed no government since Independence provided jobs to so many youths in its ruling period. Addressing a function to distribute permanent appointment letters to 23,956 contractual teachers and state pool teachers, Sarma said the government will give jobs to another 50,000 youths by next year. "Prior to today's appointments, we have given jobs to 1,00,389 youths, which fulfilled our promise of providing one lakh jobs. If we consider today's appointments, there will be 1,24,345 jobs till now since May 2021," he said. The BJP had promised to provide one lakh government jobs every year in Assam, during the campaigning of the 2021 assembly polls, but later modified that the figure was for the entire five-year tenure. "In 78 years of Independence, no government could give one lakh appointments at one time. Our government has crossed that golden phase and we ho

Assam ADRE Admit Card 2024 out; here's how to check and download

The SLRC has released the Assam ADRE admit card 2024. Candidates who have applied for the examination can check and download the admit card through the official website, sebaonline.org

Assam TMC president Ripun Bora resigns, cites party's regional perception

Assam Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora on Sunday resigned from the party, claiming that the people of the northeastern state consider it as a "regional party" of West Bengal and are "not willing to accept" it as their own. In a letter to All India Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the former Rajya Sabha member said he had offered many suggestions to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to make TMC acceptable in Assam, but those were "not implemented". "Assam TMC has great potential, but several recurring issues have hindered our progress, including the perception of TMC as a regional party of West Bengal. To counter this perception, we made several suggestions," Bora said in his resignation letter. He claimed that he had suggested the need for an Assamese leader at the national level of TMC, declaring the residence of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a heritage site and converting the Madhupur Satra at .

Heavy rain inundates several roads in Guwahati, normal life affected

A spell of heavy rain early on Sunday inundated several arterial roads and residential areas in Assam's Guwahati, disrupting vehicular movement and causing inconvenience to residents of the capital city of the northeastern state. People were seen wading through knee-deep waters in some areas of the city while the water level reached up to the chest in several localities. Inundation was reported from Zoo Road, Nabin Nagar, Ganeshguri, Hedayetpur, Guwahati Club, Ulubari, Hatigaon, Gita Nagar, Maligaon, Lachit Nagar, Chandmari, Panjabari, Jorabat, Jatia, Jyotikuchi and Ghoramara and RG Baruah Road areas. The three-hour downpour also led to waterlogging in GS Road, Anil Nagar, VIP Road, Tarun Nagar, Rajgarh Road, Jorabat, Rukmini Gaon, Survey and Chatribari areas in the city. Vehicles on GS Road were stopped at Dispur from moving further towards Choy Mile due to flooding in Rukmini Gaon area. They were also diverted through the Last Gate point along Survey-Beltola Road, which was also

Wages of Assam tea workers meagre, welfare scheme implementation poor: CAG

Wages of tea garden workers in Assam are meagre, with several shortcomings and areas of concern in implementation of labour laws and worker welfare provisions, a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has said. It also found the state government's intervention in fixing wages as per the Minimum Wage Act (MW Act) insufficient, noting that efforts to improve the lives of the workers have fallen short of making any substantial change. The performance audit on Implementation of Schemes for Welfare of Tea Tribe' for the period 2015-16 to 2020-21 maintained that low income and lack of education have been major barriers to the overall development of the workers in the state. The audit was performed in four zones Cachar, Dibrugarh, Nagaon and Sonitpur. There are 390 tea estates in the four sampled zones, of which 40 estates (10 per cent) were selected based on the size of the plantations and number of workers employed. Apart from scrutiny of records, the exercise included ...

Focus on quality rather than quantity: Assam govt to tea industry

Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Saturday called for concerted efforts to revitalise the tea industry by focussing on promoting quality over quantity. Addressing the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of All India Tea Traders Association (FAITTA), he urged the stakeholders to ensure safe and quality tea. He also expressed concern over the ongoing trend of selling tea products at low prices and stated that it must be addressed immediately for the economic well-being of lakhs of small tea growers and tea garden workers across Assam. Kota also urged packers to promote high-quality teas with the government taking a firm stand by supporting the closure of production within November 30 to prevent the production of poor-quality teas. He said the Assam government has implemented several initiatives to ensure that tea as India's national beverage remains safe and its sales processes transparent. The state government remains committed to the tea industry and all associated ...

Assam govt to notify Poba Reserve Forest as wildlife sanctuary: State min

The Poba Reserve Forest, a rainforest located in the northeastern part of Assam, will soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary, state Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said. The proposed Poba Wildlife Sanctuary will encompass an area of 257.29 sq km, including the Poba Reserve Forest, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and the surrounding riverine areas, he said. Making the announcement on Friday, the minister said it is a testament of the government's commitment for conservation and sustainable development of the state's natural resources and biodiversity. Known for its rich wildlife, Poba Reserve Forest serves as an important migratory route for various animals, particularly elephants, as it connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, an official statement said. This corridor is the second significant elephant migration route from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra river