Page 51 - Assam

Free electricity, jobs for unemployed if AAP forms govt in Assam: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised free electricity and jobs for all youths in Assam if his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power in the Northeastern state. He also claimed the AAP government changed the face of Delhi in seven years, and that nothing but dirty politics took place in Assam, even though BJP has been in power in the state for the same duration. AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab are giving free electricity to their states, and it will be the same in Assam, too, if the party forms government, Kejriwal said at a rally here. He promised jobs for all unemployed youths of Assam if AAP is voted to power, adding that the party has given employment to 12 lakh people in Delhi in seven years, and 28,000 people in one year in Punjab. Kejriwal also assured of providing piped water to all households of Guwahati within a year of the AAP government in the state. "AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of

Assam has more than 580,000 landless families: Minister Jogen Mohan

Assam has more than 5.80 lakh landless families, and the present government has allotted pattas to over 1.35 lakh families, the state assembly was informed on Friday. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan said that the government was in the process of clearing encroached land and also making allocations to landless families according to various laws and regulations. Replying to questions by Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi, Mohan said there are 5,80,709 landless families in the state and they are allotted land in a phased manner as per the state's Land Policy of 2019. He said eviction drives to clear encroached land are carried out according to the Assam Land and Revenue Regulations, 1886. The minister dismissed an allegation that people belonging to a particular religion are taken into consideration while conducting these operations. Altogether 1,36,140 families have been provided with land pattas since April 1, 2021, under the current regime in the state, he ...

Awaiting Centre nod to new action plan on climate change: Assam minister

The Assam government is awaiting the Centre's approval for its action plan for 2021-30 to tackle climate change, state minister Keshab Mahanta said in the assembly on Friday. The plan had been drafted after due consultation with various government departments and other stakeholders, he said. Responding to a query by CPI(M) legislator Manoranjan Talukdar, Mahanta said the Assam State Action Plan on Climate Change 2021-30 had been approved by the state cabinet in July last year. It has then been forwarded to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for its approval, he said, adding that the plan will be issued as soon as the Centre gives its nod. Mahanta, the minister for science, technology and climate change, said the draft was prepared after holding consultations with various government departments and incorporating their suggestions. Other stakeholders and organisations were also called for discussion during the process, he said. The minister said steps to .

Assam government to negotiate over erection of boundary wall by IAF

With the Indian Air Force purportedly erecting a boundary wall around the memorial of noted litterateur Chandradhar Barua in Jorhat district, the Assam government on Friday said it will initiate negotiations with the stakeholders concerned. State Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan gave the assurance in the state Assembly after the matter was raised by BJP legislator Hitendra Nath Goswami during the Question Hour. We will ask the Jorhat DC to call for a meeting with the IAF and other stakeholders at the earliest and negotiate the matter, Mohan said. Barua (1874-1961) was a writer, poet, dramatist and lyricist and the second president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha. Goswami pointed out that Barua's family had donated land to the IAF in the Rowriah area of Jorhat to set up its base. An area was earmarked in the name of Rowriah Tea Garden Pvt Ltd on which Barua's memorial was erected by the family in the 1960s, the minister said. However, the portion has now been included within the IAF premi

Assam tea gardens get Rs 63 crore govt assistance to tackle pandemic losses

The Assam government disbursed Rs 63.05 crore as a financial incentive to 370 tea gardens in the state to help them mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the tea industry was the backbone of the state's economy, making up nearly 90 per cent of its gross export value, besides providing direct and indirect employment to over a million people. "It is due to the tea industry's huge impact on the economy of Assam that the state government formulated the Assam Tea Industry Special Incentive Scheme, 2020 to help the sector absorb some of the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said at the disbursement programme on Thursday. Apart from providing interest subvention of 3 per cent on working capital loans, the financial grant was aimed at promoting orthodox tea over crush-tear-curl (CTC) tea, he said. Under this scheme, a subsidy of Rs 10 per kg of orthodox and other special varieties of tea have been given, Sarma said. To mark the 200th ..

Assam-Arunachal border row: Chief Ministers' level meeting held in Guwahati

The Assam Government has formed regional committees for talks with Arunachal Pradesh over the inter-state boundary issues with the neighbouring state

AFSPA to be extended in 8 Assam districts for another 6 months from April 1

The Assam government will extend the 'disturbed area' tag under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for another six months in eight districts of the state from April 1. It will be extended for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, according to a notification issued by the state home and political department. The tag, however, would be lifted from Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar district from April 1, following a review of the law and order scenario in the state. The Centre had earlier announced removal of AFSPA from April 1, 2022 from the entire state of Assam barring nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district. The state was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA during the intervening night of November 27-28, 1990, and this has been extended every six months since then.

Assam govt extends AFSPA in eight districts for another 6 months

The Assam government has extended the 'disturbed area' notification under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for another six months in eight districts of the state from April one next. The disturbed area tag has been extended for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, according to a notification, issued by the state home and political department, released to the media on Wednesday. The 'disturbed area' tag will, however, be lifted from Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar district from April 1, following a review of the law and order and security scenario in the state. The centre had earlier announced removal AFSPA from April 1, 2022 from the entire state of Assam barring nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district. The state was declared a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA during the intervening night of November 27-28, 1990 and this has been extended every six months since then. It was last extended for six months on

Ruckus in Assam Assembly on Rahul Gandhi disqualification, 3 MLAs suspended

There was commotion in the Assam Assembly on Wednesday as a the Congress sough to introduce an adjournment motion to discuss party leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha

Meghalaya-Assam official talks on border row to begin soon: Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said that the official talks with Assam on the remaining six areas of border disputes will begin soon this year

Assam CM Sarma inaugurates, lays foundation for Rs 545-crore projects

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation for Rs 545 crore-worth projects related to connectivity, healthcare and higher education at Rangia in Kamrup district. Reiterating his government's commitment to develop world-class infrastructure in the state, he directed officials to ensure timely completion of all projects. "As we observe 'A Day dedicated to Development', I inaugurated & laid the foundation for 23 projects worth Rs 545 cr at Rangia today," Sarma tweeted. "I have directed officials to ensure timely execution so these initiatives bear the fruits of development & prosperity for people of Assam," he added. Sarma said he started the day's programme by inaugurating a four-lane link road that will connect Rangia to National Highway 31. He said the government is committed to invest over Rs 10,000 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal to create world-class infrastructure in Assam. Inaugurating a 47-bed ICU at Rangiya Model Hospital, Sarma ..

Assam Govt signs MoU with Flybig to start flight in non-Udaan sector

In a bid to promote intra-state air connectivity, Assam government on Saturday signed a MoU with Big Charter Private Limited (Flybig) to facilitate air services in the non-Udaan sector. Flybig will operate flights between Guwahati-Dibrugarh-Guwahati and Guwahati-Silchar-Guwahati routes on a daily basis, an official of the company said. Assam Tourism Development Corporation managing director Kumar Padma Pani Bora and Flybig director Sanjay Natavarlal Mandavia signed the agreement in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. According to the terms of the MoU, the flight operations will be started in line with the Centre's Udan scheme with the state government operating the flights under viability gap funding. Speaking at the programme Sarma said the number of daily flight services will be enhanced and will add a new dimension to intra-state air connectivity. The services will give assured connectivity and price as it has been decided to keep a tab on the pricing with the

Bad in law: SC on its 2011 verdicts on membership of banned outfits

The bench said the subsequent decisions passed by high courts pursuant to its two-judge verdicts in 2011 on membership of banned outfits are bad in law and overruled

PM Modi to attend spectacular Bihu function in Assam on April 14: Report

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government will host a mega event to celebrate the upcoming Rongali Bihu where 11,000 dancers will perform in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on April 14, officials said. The spectacle, expected to be the largest in the Northeast in terms of the congregation of more than 10,000 Bihu dancers, may make an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Besides the prime minister, invitations for the event, to be held in Guwahati's Sarusajai indoor stadium, are being extended to all governors, chief ministers, union ministers, diplomats of G20 member nations and ASEAN countries and other dignitaries. Chief Minister Sarma is closely monitoring the preparations for the function to make it a roaring success. "The chief minister has been monitoring the preparations to the minutest details so that Bihu, the lifeline of Assamese culture, is known to the whole world," said a senior state government official privy to the development. Sarma also

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate AIIMS in Assam's Guwahati on April 14

The upcoming All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Changsari near Guwahati is almost ready and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14

Drugs worth Rs 400 cr seized by police in Mizoram, Assam; three arrested

Huge quantities of drugs valued at more than Rs 400 crore were seized from two neighbouring northeastern states Mizoram and Assam on Wednesday and three persons were arrested, officials said. The seizure of 39 lakh tablets of specific brands of decongestant and antihistamine worth Rs 390.4 crore was made from a house in east Mizoram's Champhai town bordering Myanmar. It is one of the biggest drug hauls made in the state, they said. Decongestants are a type of medicine that provides short-term relief for nasal congestion while antihistamine is commonly used to treat symptoms of allergies. A police officer said that heroin, estimated to be valued at over Rs 12 crore, was found in a car in Assam's Karimganj district. The Assam Rifles which conducted the raid in Mizoram along with the Customs department said in a statement that the consignment was sent from Aizawl to be delivered somewhere in Myanmar to make Methamphetamine tablets, which would have again smuggled to India. A ...

Assam CM distributes one-time retirement benefit to Anganwadi workers

Distributing a one-time retirement benefit to Anganwadi workers on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described them as the cornerstone of the healthcare system. The state government has taken several schemes for the welfare of retired persons and we have also taken a decision to provide the same to Anganwadi workers, he said at a programme here. ''The Anganwadi workers are the cornerstone of our healthcare system and we are taking several measures for their overall well-being'', Sarma said. For all those retiring at 60, Rs six lakh will be given to Anganwadi workers, Rs three lakh to small centre workers and Rs two lakh to helpers, the chief minister said. Anganwadi workers taking voluntary retirement will be given 50 per cent benefits after ten consecutive years of service. Fifty per cent benefits will be paid to families of workers/helpers in case of their death after ten years of service, he said. The state government was planning to include the Anganwadi wor

Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Mission Lifestyle for Environment in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched the Mission Lifestyle for Environment' (LiFE) in the state, a global mass movement under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sarma said it promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle, focusing on utilisation instead of wasteful consumption. Under this initiative, week-long activities will be carried out across all districts, addressing seven identified categories, including saving energy and water, reducing plastic and e-waste, and healthy lifestyles, he said. Sarma said in known and unknown ways we work against nature creating problems for humanity, leading to challenges with which humans, plants and the animal kingdom have to deal. Earlier, we could predict the seasonal changes but now things have changed mostly due to loss of green cover, wetlands and other natural bodies, and many research papers have pointed out that North East India will face severe impacts of climate change, the CM said. Over the l

Child marriages will be eliminated in Assam by 2026, says CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Monday that his government is determined to eliminating the child marriage menace by 2026 from the state.

Assam to discuss security for 4 Amritpal aides lodged in Dibrugarh jail

Assam Inspector General of Police (Law and order) Prashanta Kumar Bhuyan arrived here on Monday to hold a high-level meeting on security issues after four arrested members of an outfit headed by radical preacher Amritpal Singh were lodged in a Dibrugarh jail, officials said. The four accused who were arrested in Punjab were brought to the northeastern state by Punjab Police on March 19 and lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail. Security has been intensified in and around the jail leading to speculations that a very "important member of the outfit is among the arrested. Though senior police and district officials refused to comment on the identity of the arrested persons, a senior officer of the Punjab Police team identified them on Sunday as Daljit Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Pradhanmantri Bajeka. They were among the 78 people arrested on Saturday in the Punjab government's major crackdown against 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD), headed by Amritpal Singh, who is wanted in ..