GUWAHATI, March 12? The State Government has imposed a ban on private tuition by college teachers and action will be taken against teachers taking private tuition if any specific complaint is received, said the Education Minister, Sri Hem Prakash Narayan. Replying to a question by Sri Bimalangshu Roy (BJP) in the State Assembly today, the Education Minister said that the governing bodies of the colleges had been authorised to prohibit private tuition by the college teachers. The Education Minister said that the minimum working days in colleges in an academic year were 180 days and a student was required to attend classes in at least 135 days to quality for university and council examinations., He said that the Government had issued instructions to the universities and the principals of the government and deficit colleges to ensure holding of minimum number of classes. He also assured that the Government would not compromise on the issue of regular holding of classes in the colleges it was connected with the future of the new generation.
Earlier, raising the issue, Sri Bimalangshu Roy said that the college teachers, who were concerned about their rights should also take their duties seriously. Sri Zoii Nath Sarma (AGP) demanded that the government should formulate a proper academic calender for colleges. Sri Premadhar Bora (TGP) said that steps should be taken to ?disqualify? teachers who fail to attend minimum number of classes.
Flouride content: The public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister, Sri Dinesh Prasad Goala, today informed the State Assembly that the PHE department, in collaboration with the UNICEF, had chalked out an action plan to thwart the menace posed by excessive flouride content in drinking water sources in different parts of the State, particularly in Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts. Replying to a call attention motion by Sri Khalilur Rahman Choudhury (AGP), the PHE Minister said that as a part of the action plan, awareness programmes had been launched and a sample collection process was also on. Water filters were also distributed in some affected areas, he added.
Abduction: The Minister of State for Home, Sri Pradyut Bordoloi today expressed the view that all members of the House should condemn the incidents of kidnapping like the unfortunate abduction of 10-year-old Chiranjiv Nath from Sankardev Sishu Niketan in Mangaldai recently. Replying to a zero hour question by Sri Zoii Nath Sarma (AGP), Sri Bordoloi said that one person came to the school around 11.30 am and told the Principal that the grandfather of the child was sick and took him away in an autorickshaw (AS-03-5508). Only when the child?s mother came to fetch the child, the Principal became aware that the child was kidnapped. Immediately, Mangaldoi police was informed and three persons had been picked up for questioning. The police also recovered an extortion note. Sri Bordoloi said that the police was almost sure that no extremist outfit was involved in the incident. Earlier, raising the issue during zero hour, Sri Zoii Nath Sarma referred to the kidnapping of the son of MLA Chandan Sarkar and said that the House should pass a resolution appealing to the abductors to release Chiranjib and the MLA?s son.
DRDA: Congress legislator Nilamani Sen Deka today alleged that the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Hajo diverted rural development funds for the construction of an office of the AGP during the tenure of the previous government. He demanded immediate action against the BDO. The Rural Development Minister, Dr Bhumidhar Barman, in his reply, said that an amount of Rs 13,32,600 was spent from two schemes to construct the ?Panchatirtha Bhawan? at Hajo on government land. One room of the building was used by former Minister Nurul Hussain, who was the local MLA. He said that he would send a senior officer for a proper probe into the matter.