Page 30 - Assam

Assam MLA Bharat Chandra Narah quits Cong after wife fails to get LS ticket

Bharat Chandra Narah, the MLA of Nowboicha in Assam's Lakhimpur district, resigned from the Congress on Monday. The resignation comes two days after Congress announced Uday Shankar Hazarika as its candidate for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat. Narah was hopeful that his party would nominate his wife Ranee Narah, a former Union Minister, for the seat. He sent a one-line resignation letter, which he shared with PTI, to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. "I do hereby resign from the Indian National Congress with immediate effect," the MLA said in the letter. On Sunday, Narah resigned from the post of the chairman of Assam Congress' media cell.

Lok Sabha elections: Assam CM Sarma meets AGP leaders to discuss strategy

The Assam Chief Minister, while talking about the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, said that, in this election, the BJP and its ally parties will win the seats with a record margin

Assam's Nehru Stadium to be rebuilt into world-class football venue: AFA

The Nehru Stadium here will be rebuilt and transformed into a 30,000 seater exclusive football venue with world-class facilities, a top official of Assam Football Association (AFA) said on Sunday. AFA's general secretary Sangrang Brahma said this ahead of the India-Aghanistan 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier to be played in the city on Tuesday. "Nehru Stadium will be demolished and rebuilt into a football exclusive stadium which would be of international standard. It would be an exclusive football stadium of international standard in India. Work on it would start soon," Brahma told PTI Videos. Brahma informed that the AFA also plans to set up 10 football academies in the state for developing grassroots level talent besides a dedicated centre of excellence in the capital. "We are planning to establish at least 10 academies in Assam in various locations. We also have a plan to establish a high-performance training centre that would be based in Guwahati." India and Afghanistan settled f

Bengali-speaking Muslims must stop child marriage, polygamy: Assam CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asserted that Bengali-speaking Muslims must forsake practices like child marriage and polygamy to be considered 'khilonjiya' indigenous people of the state. Sarma had also previously held the Bengali-speaking Muslim community of the state, most of whom have roots in Bangladesh, responsible for these social evils. "Whether 'Miyas' (Bengali-speaking Muslims) are indigenous or not is a different matter. What we are saying is that if they try to be 'indigenous', we have no problem. But for that, they have to forsake child marriage and polygamy, and encourage women education," Sarma said on Saturday. 'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance. He said the Assamese people have a culture in which girls are compared to .

IIT-Guwahati student on way to join Isis detained in Assam, says police

An IIT-Guwahati student who had allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and was travelling to join the terror group was detained at Hajo on Saturday evening, police said. The student was nabbed four days after the ISIS India head Haris Farooqi alias Harish Ajmal Farukhi and his associate Anurag Singh alias Rehan were arrested in Dhubri district after they had crossed over from Bangladesh. "Reference IIT Guwahati student pleading allegiance to ISIS - the said student has been detained while travelling and further lawful follow up would take place," Director-General of Police GP Singh posted on X. Additional Superintendent of Police (STF) Kalyan Kumar Pathak said, "After receiving an email, we got about to verify the authenticity of the contents and started an investigation." The email was sent by the student, in which he claimed that he was on the way to join ISIS. Pathak said the IIT-Guwahati authorities were immediately contacted, who informed them that the said student had been ...

EC transfers police chiefs who are kin of politicians in Punjab, Assam

The Election Commission on Thursday transferred district police chiefs in Assam and Punjab, who are kin of prominent politicians, and shunted out "non-cadre" district magistrates and superintendents of police in some states. The poll body said the non-cadre district magistrates (DMs) and superintendent of police (SPs) have been shunted out as the posts are meant for IAS and IPS officers. The EC said it has adopted a tough stance against posting of non-cadre officers at leadership positions by transferring eight non-encadred SPs/SSPs and five non-encadred DMs in Punjab, Odisha, Gujarat and West Bengal. Wherever relatives of prominent politicians were holding charge as DM or SP, have also been transferred, it said, adding SSP Bathinda (Punjab) and SP Sonitpur (Assam) have been transferred. The EC said the officials in these two districts have been transferred as a "pre-emptive measure" to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised. The mov

Lok Sabha elections 2024: All you need to know about Phase 1 of elections

Lok Sabha polls: As many as 21 states and UTs will go to polls in phase one of the Lok Sabha elections. Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand are among states to have their polls in one go on April 19

Over 24.3 mn to vote in upcoming LS polls in Assam; polling in 3 phases

The Chief Electoral Officer in Assam said that there will be 1,409 women-managed polling stations, 262 model polling stations and 15,777 polling stations where webcasting will be held

Assam secured over Rs 13,000-crore investments in last 14 months: CM Sarma

Assam has secured investments to the tune of Rs 13,364 crore with employment generation for more than 17,000 people in the last 14 months, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The investments have been committed through 21 proposals, approved by the state cabinet, under the Industrial and Investment Policy of Assam (IIPA), 2019. The IIPA was amended in 2023 to attract mega investments of Rs 100 crore and more, with permanent jobs for 200 or more, he said in a post on X on Friday. While MoUs for 14 of these proposals were signed earlier, seven agreements were inked on Friday, he said. "In January 2023, we announced a policy to customise incentives for mega investors. Today, 7 more firms committed to create 6,500 jobs through Rs 2,000 cr of investment," Sarma said. In last 14 months, through this policy, Assam has secured investments of Rs 13,364 crore and 17,700 jobs, the chief minister said. Among the companies that have entered into MoUs so far are PepsiCo India, Star Cement

Centre approves Rs 645 cr for 10 waterways projects on Brahmaputra in Assam

The shipping ministry on Friday approved Rs 645 crore for 10 new waterways projects on the Brahmaputra river in Assam, according to an official statement. The statement said projects will be implemented under 100 per cent funding from the central government under the Sagarmala programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways. "New projects aimed at building new capacity along the Brahmaputra to boost River Tourism, public commute in Assam," the statement quoted Shipping Minister Sarbananda as saying. The statement further that from the construction of slipways at strategic locations such as Maya Ghat in Dhubri district and Majuli district to the establishment of passenger terminals at Ghagor in North Lakhimpur district and Bahari in Barpeta district, each proposal is meticulously designed to enhance connectivity and facilitate seamless transportation across the region. Additional passenger terminals are set to be established in Goalpara, Guijan, Kurua, Dhubri, Disangmukh, .

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.