Page 33 - Assam

Battleground 2024: In Bengal's tea belt, climate and politics boil over

As BJP, TMC fight for dominance, tea gardens hope for a change in the weather and, perhaps, their fortunes

Lok Sabha elections: Assam's Dibrugarh welcomes infra push but awaits jobs

Most of the young residents are voicing their frustration over lack of jobs, despite the rapid infrastructure growth in and around Dibrugarh

LS polls: Small tea growers fight for land rights in Assam's Lakhimpur

It has been a single-point agenda for small tea growers in Assam's Lakhimpur district, along the border with Arunachal Pradesh, before every government for several years allotment of garden land in their names. The repeated pleas have so far not yielded any positive result, though they remain hopeful whenever an election approaches that their demand will finally be met by the new regime. "Most of the areas under tea cultivation here fall under the tribal belt. And hence, we are not getting allotment. We have been repeatedly urging the government to de-notify the area or make provisions for allotment for us as the tribal population in this part is not even 10 per cent," Jatin Chandra Bora, advisor, Lakhimpur District Small Tea Growers Association, said. Mentioning specifically about Bholabari, Dhalpur, Rajgarh, Rangoti and Simojluguri panchayats in western part of Lakhimpur, he said, "As per information from the office of the deputy director of economics and statistics, these ...

Watch: PM Modi playing traditional instrument during rally in Assam | Lok Sabha Election 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries his hands on a traditional instrument during his public rally in Nalbari, Assam.

LS polls: 15 'crorepati' candidates in fray for five seats in Assam

Of the 35 candidates in the fray for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam going to the polls on April 19, fifteen are 'crorepati' with the richest being independent woman candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury from the Kaziranga seat. The five Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on April 19 are Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur. Five BJP candidates, three of Congress, two of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), one each of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP) and three independents have assets over Rs one crore, according to the affidavits filed by candidates. The average assets of AAP candidates are the highest at Rs six crore, followed by the BJP candidates at over Rs four crore, the Congress at Rs three crore, the AITC and the BGP at Rs one crore each. Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury who owns fuel stations has total assets of over Rs 17.58 crore, comprising Rs 4.65 crore as movable and Rs 12.92 crore as immovable

Lok Sabha elections: Different party, but same Dibrugarh seat for Sonowal

When the BJP won the Assembly elections again in 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma succeeded Sonowal, who was sent to the Rajya Sabha and inducted in the Union Cabinet

LS polls: Cong will raise tea workers' wages in Assam, says Priyanka Gandhi

Leading a roadshow in support of party candidate Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat district of Assam, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said daily wages of tea garden workers will be hiked if the opposition alliance wins the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a huge crowd while taking part in a roadshow here, she claimed the ruling party also wants to "change" the Constitution and if that happens, the common people of the country will suffer the most. "When I came to Assam and visited tea gardens before assembly polls 2-3 years ago, I had promised to raise the wages if Congress formed the government. But you chose BJP and the wages were not raised from around Rs 250. "I am again telling you that our manifesto has guaranteed to increase the wages of tea garden workers if we form the government at the Centre," Vadra said. She also claimed that the ruling party will "change" the Indian Constitution if it returns to power for the third term and the common people will suffer t

Nomination process for 4 Assam Lok Sabha seats in third phase begins

The nomination process for four Lok Sabha constituencies, including Guwahati, in Assam going to polls in the third phase began on Friday, the Election Commission said. The process started with issuance of the notification for the third phase across the country. Voting in Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar (ST) constituencies will take place in the third phase on May 7. As per the notification, the last date of filing nomination is April 19, while the scrutiny of the same will be done the next day. The last day for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on April 22. The counting of votes will take place on June 4 along with the rest of the country. In the high-profile Guwahati constituency, BJP's new face Bijuli Kalita Medhi, who is a vice president of Assam BJP and the former president of the party's women wing in the state, is likely to have a direct contest with Congress first-timer Mira Barthakur Goswami, the president of Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress. From the ruling

CAA unacceptable to Assam's indigenous people: AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi

The indigenous people of Assam can never accept the CAA, which will be a critical issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, asserted Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency's opposition candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi. The illegal influx of foreigners has been a long-standing cause for concern in Assam, and the BJP has now legalised it with this act, which is unacceptable to the people, Gogoi told PTI in an interview, amid campaigning here. "Assam has borne the burden of illegal foreigners till 1971, and now, another 43 years till 2014 has been added to it, he said. "How can the people accept this? There was a long-drawn agitation in the state against illegal influx and with the CAA, the identity of the Assamese is at stake, Gogoi claimed. The United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) had announced Gogoi, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president, as the candidate for the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat, from where Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting as a BJP nominee. The Centre had in March

Polygamy, child marriage not LS poll issues in Assam, says Assam CM Himanta

Asked if topics like polygamy or child marriage are election issues, Biswa replied in negative

LS polls: Assam CEO issues notice to Cong over model code violation charges

The Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued notice to the Congress on allegation of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), raised by the BJP. A complaint was filed by the BJP on Monday, alleging that the Congress 'guarantee cards', which are being distributed house-to-house, were in violation of the MCC. The CEO issued a show-cause notice to the state Congress president on Monday evening, seeking a response within 2 pm of April 11. "Whereas on the basis of a prima facie scrutiny, it appears that these Guarantee Cards bearing the Symbol and Photographs of Star Campaigners of your party are violative of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines," the notice said. It said the complaint by BJP stated that the 'guarantee cards' promised Rs one lakh to every educated youth in the first year and Rs one lakh per year to one female member of every poor family, without disclosing the source of funds to fulfil these promises. The CEO maintained that prima facie scrutiny indicated th

LS polls: Amit Shah to address rally, take part in roadshow in Assam today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Assam on Tuesday to campaign for BJP Lok Sabha candidates in the state. Shah is the first prominent national leader to participate in campaigning in this North Eastern state since the announcement of the poll schedule. "Tomorrow will be in Assam to attend a mega rally in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and a roadshow in Tinsukia (Dibrugarh Lok Sabha). Assam is set to secure Modi Ji's goal of '400 paar'. Eager to meet the state's vibrant people," Shah had posted on X on Monday evening. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be accompanying Shah during the two campaign programmes. Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting at Chukuli Bhoria in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in the afternoon, BJP party sources said here. Lakhimpur is held by the BJP, with incumbent MP Pradan Baruah seeking a third successive term as he is pitted against Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika. The Union Home minister will also take part in a road show from Chaliha

Only one application received so far in Assam under CAA: CM Himanta

Only one application has so far been received for citizenship under the CAA in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. The lone application was made in Barak Valley, he said, without elaborating further. "The anti-CAA movement was based on lies and they (who were at the forefront) will have to answer now. So many days have passed, and only one application has been made in the state till date," Sarma said. The CM was talking to reporters after an election rally at Sonari in Sivasagar district, which comes under the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat. The Centre had last month implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Sarma also said there will be no contest in the five constituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 19. Among the remaining ni

Supreme Court orders to maintain status quo at Doloo tea estate in Assam

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Assam government to maintain the status quo at the Doloo tea estate in the Cachar district of Assam, where Greenfield airport is proposed to be constructed. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra questioned the state government for clearing the shrubs in the tea garden without an environment impact assessment report. The top court also issued notices to the Centre, ministry of environment and forests, Assam government and others on a plea filed by Tapas Guha and others. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the NGT erred in decision and even for the grant of site clearance and in-principle approvals, environmental clearance is necessary. The NGT on January 25 had dismissed the plea by Guha and others on the ground that environmental impact assessment report is awaited and the environmental clearance for the airport in question has not been granted. "Counsel for

Lok Sabha polls: Atishi embarks on 3-day visit to Assam to campaign for AAP

Senior AAP leader Atishi will be on a three-day visit to Assam starting Monday to campaign for her party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. She will be campaigning in Dibrugarh and Tezpur districts, according to the AAP. "Kejriwal's revolution will come to Assam as well. For the next three days, I will be in Assam and share Kejriwal ji's dream of a developed India and his fight against dictatorship with everyone," Atishi said in a post on X in Hindi. AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy 2021-22 which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal has denied any wrongdoing, the ED told the Delhi High Court last week that the chief minister was the "kingpin" and the

Assam govt will provide 50,000 additional jobs: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that his government will provide 50,000 additional jobs, besides the one lakh appointments it had promised people previously. He also assured people that they would receive more benefits under ration cards as services would be expanded, and also more women beneficiaries would be added to the 'Orunudoi' scheme. Speaking at an election rally at Titabor in Jorhat district, Sarma said, "We had promised people of giving one lakh jobs and the Congress had laughed at us then. But we kept our promise and gave employment to one lakh youths." "Now, in the next few years, we will give 50,000 more jobs, spread across different departments such as home and education," he said. The CM said that more beneficiaries will be enrolled in different welfare schemes and the facilities will be further expanded. He said more beneficiaries would be added to Orunudoi scheme, under which Rs 1,250 is transferred every month to the bank accounts of wom

PM Modi to address rally in Nalbari, Assam on April 17 ahead of LS polls

He added that, for now, the schedule of Prime Minister Modi and the Union Home Minister was fixed and wasn't likely to change

Assam govt to take full responsibility for educating girl students: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday promised that the BJP government in the state will shoulder the responsibility of educating girl students up to the postgraduate level, and families with a ration card will receive life insurance paid for by the government. Currently, all girls who pass the class 10 examinations are given a cycle or a scooter, but from this year, an amount of Rs 10,000 will be deposited for two years in their bank accounts while they are studying for the class 12 board examinations, the CM said. He was speaking at public rallies before the filing of nominations by BJP candidates for Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri constituencies going to polls in the second phase on April 26. After the girls pass class 12, they will be given Rs 12,500 for taking admission in college, while those going for postgraduate studies will be given Rs 25,000, he added. 'Betak ma baap porhabo, betik Mama porhabo (Parents will educate their sons but Mama, as he is called by ...

Criminal cases against 4 candidates in 1st phase of LS polls in Assam

Four candidates, including Congress nominees Gaurav Gogoi and Premlal Ganju, in the fray for the first phase of Assam Lok Sabha polls on April 19 have criminal cases pending against them though none have been convicted, according to affidavits submitted by them at the time of filing of nomination papers. Besides Gogoi and Ganju, Sonitpur's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contestant Rishiraj Kaundinya and Kaziranga's Bharatiya Gana Parishad candidate Sailen Chandra Malakar also have criminal cases, related to corruption and cheating respectively, pending against them. There are 35 candidates in the fray for the April 19 first phase polls to five Lok Sabha constituencies of Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga and Sonitpur. Gogoi, the Congress deputy leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha and party candidate from Jorhat seat has a case filed against him at the Basistha police station in Kamrup (Metro) district under various sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 during the

Amit Shah speaks to CMs of WB, Assam, Manipur after storm hits 3 states

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the chief ministers of West Bengal, Assam and Manipur in the wake of severe losses suffered by the three states due to a storm, and assured them of all possible central help. Shah also appealed to the BJP workers in the three states to provide every possible help to the affected people during this hour of distress. "Deeply concerned about the severe loss suffered by West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur due to a storm. Spoke to the Chief Ministers and assured them of all possible assistance. I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he wrote on X. Four people died and over 100 were injured as a storm wreaked havoc in parts of Jalpaiguri district in northern West Bengal on Sunday, while a child died and two persons were reported missing after a boat capsized in the Brahmaputra in South Salmara-Mankachar district, amid heavy rain and hailstorm across Assam. There were a