Page 2 - Assam

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 ..

No information when delimitation will be over, says Assam CM Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said his government has no information on when the process for delimitation of constituencies will be over. Speaking in the assembly, Sarma said any question the opposition may have about the process can be placed before the Election Commission (EC) when its full team visits the state next week. "The state government cannot say when the process will be completed as we are not directly or indirectly involved. EC is a central agency. Our work is only to provide the data," he said in reply to a question on the delimitation process by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed. The process began on January 1, the chief minister said. The delimitation exercise was not stalled in the state due to the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he said. "The then Congress government had written to the delimitation commission that the law and order situation was not conducive for carrying out the process then. "When we were asked if it can b

PM Modi lauds Assam guv, CM's gesture of visiting 3 iconic places in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the gesture of Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the state government's ministers to visit the National War Memorial, National Police Memorial and the PM Sangrahalaya here. In a tweet, Kataria said, "I along with CM Dr. Himantab Biswa Sarma and his cabinet colleagues, had the profound privilege of visiting the National War Memorial in New Delhi today." "We paid our tribute to the valiant soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in safeguarding our nation's territorial integrity," he said. "As the day progressed, we embarked on an awe-inspiring journey through the remarkable National Police Museum and the distinguished Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, marveling at the extraordinary exhibits on display," Kataria said. Tagging Kataria's tweet, Modi said on Twitter, "A great gesture by the Assam Governor @Gulab_kataria Ji, CM @himantabiswa Ji and Ministers of the Assam Government to visit three iconic pla

34 more Amritpal supporters held, key aides shifted to Assam prison

Police on Sunday conducted flag marches and searches across Punjab in their manhunt for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, arresting 34 more supporters and shifting four men in custody to a jail in far-off Assam. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has, however, asked the state government to respond on Tuesday to a habeas corpus petition, that claiming that the preacher is already in illegal police custody and should be released. Justice N S Shekhawat held the hearing at his home-office as the courts were closed. Police stuck to their version that the Waris Punjab De chief gave them the slip during a car chase in Jalandhar district on Saturday, when the crackdown against the group began. They have slapped fresh FIRs against the Khalistan sympathiser and his supporters. Section 144 of the CrPc, which prohibits congregations, was imposed in the union territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Prohibitory orders were already in force in some parts of Punjab. Polic

4 Assam Civil Service officers suspended for MPLAD fund 'irregularities'

Four Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers have been suspended for alleged financial irregularities in the execution of projects under the MP Local Area Development Fund, officials said. The CM's Special Vigilance Cell had carried out an inquiry into the allegations and detected "irregularities and anomalies" in the execution of works and utilisation of funds of Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan for 2021-22 and 2022-23, they said. All the accused have been placed under immediate suspension, pending drawal of departmental proceedings, an official order said on Saturday. The suspended officers include the deputy secretary in the Home and Political Department, and the additional deputy commissioner and the assistant commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan.

Election Commission's full bench to visit Assam for delimitation exercise

Prior to the delimitation exercise of constituencies in Assam, the full bench of the Election Commission of India will meet and hold discussion with various stakeholders, including political parties and civil society. According to an official release on Saturday, the full bench of the Election Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and two Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, will be visiting Assam from March 26 to 28 to hold talks with various sections. "The Commission has decided to visit Assam for knowing the ground reality and expectations of the stakeholders and general public on the ongoing delimitation exercise in the state," it added. The Election Commission of India has been entrusted for the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies of Assam. "During this period, the Commission will interact with political parties, public representatives, civil societies, social organizations and state administration ...

Over 857,000 people encroaching 5,404 sq km of land, says Assam govt

Over 8.57 lakh encroachers are occupying more than 5,404 sq km of land across Assam, the state assembly was informed on Friday. Of them, 2.12 lakh are landless people, 1.24 lakh are from the minority community and 31,839 are erosion-hit people. In a written reply to a query by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan said a total of 8,57,060 people are living on government, forest, wetland, Satra and railway lands across the state. Sharing a table, the minister said these people include at least 2,11,698 landless people, 31,839 erosion-affected, 1,03,422 from the economically weaker section, 68,981 Scheduled Castes, 77,616 Scheduled Tribes, 1,21,089 from the general category and 1,24,150 from the minority community. The table further termed 1,18,265 people in Charaideo and Dhemaji as encroachers, but did not elaborate on their class, caste or community. Mohan said these people have encroached more than 40,39,450 bighas (over 5,404

Entire exam system to be analysed, rectified: Assam minister after leaks

With two tests of the state board-conducted Class 10 exams cancelled within a week following leak of question papers, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Friday asserted that the entire examination system will be analysed and rectified. Admitting that there are lapses in the system, he said the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) has to figure out where the problems are and take corrective measures. We have to rectify it together, Pegu told reporters here. Days after the general science question paper leak of the Class 10 state board exam, the Assamese paper also got leaked, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Thursday evening. All the Modern Indian Language (MIL) subject papers, including Alternative English, which were to be held tomorrow, have been cancelled as a precautionary step, as one of the accused revealed about leaking the Assamese question paper. The new dates will be announced by SEBA today, Pegu said. In Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima

Assam boards question paper sold for up to Rs 3,000 on WhatsApp: Police

Investigations have revealed that the General Science question paper of class 10 state board examination in Assam were sold for up to Rs 3,000 on WhatsApp, Director-General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Singh said WhatsApp's assistance was being sought to identify the origin of the leak of the question paper. "The investigation has revealed that the question paper of the General Science examination were sold for anything between Rs 100 and Rs 3,000. We have found that somewhere it was sold for Rs 100, somewhere for Rs 200-300, and it went up to Rs 3,000. Assistance is being sought from WhatsApp to identify the origin of the leak," he said. "I am happy with the investigation and the progress we made over the last three days. Hopefully, we will crack this case soon. We will send some more packets of the question paper from upper Assam to the CID headquarters for the purpose of the investigation," he added. The General Science question paper

First case of H3N2 detected in Assam, health dept keeping close watch

The first case of H3N2 influenza was detected in Assam, and the Health Department was keeping a close watch on the situation, an official bulletin said. According to the bulletin issued by the National Health Mission, Assam on Wednesday night, a confirmed case of H3N2 influenza was detected. "The Health Department is keeping a close watch on the evolving seasonal influenza situation in Assam through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network on real-time basis," it said. The district surveillance officers under the IDSP network are fully geared to meet this public health challenge in Assam in line with the guidelines formulated by the Centre and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it added. "Globally, influenza cases are typically seen to increase during certain months of the year. India usually witnesses two peaks of seasonal influenza: one from January to March and the other one in post-monsoon season," the NHM said. The cases arising from seasonal influ

Over 150k illegal foreigners detected in Assam, more than 30k deported

Over 1.50 lakh illegal foreigners have been detected in Assam, and more than 30,000 of them have been deported from the state, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday