Development / Assam

KARIMGANJ, Feb 20— The Central Government released Rs 2.77 crore from the CRF fund to Assam PWD for renovation and construction of the Silchar-Hailakandi road via Silkuri. Santosh Mohan Deb, MP, Silchar earlier requested the Ministry concerned for releasing the necessary funds to the State PWD.

The PWD has decided to expand the present stretch of the Silchar-Hailakandi road from 3.10 metre to 3.75 metre. The work will commence from 14 km uptil the point of 33rd km.

One RCC bridge will also be constructed. The Central Government has also sanctioned Rs 54 lakh for undertaking construction...

DIBRUGARH, Feb 20 — It is a grim situation. The man-elephant conflict in the State remains unresolved, and at the end of it, all are suffering: humans, elephants and the eco-system. Unofficial figures point to an annual human toll of 40, and on the wildlife side, it is estimated that 65 elephants have fallen to poachers’ bullets in the last three years. The crop damage caused by elephant depredation is yet to be officially quantified. It is known fact that dwindling forest cover and a rapid decrease in the quantum of available fodder for the pachyderm has forced the mammal to venture into...

GUWAHATI, Feb 20 — Dilly-dally by the State Forest Department in allotting the required 285 hectare shallow water sandbank (riverbed shoal) to the National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) to facilitate commencement of construction of 2000-MW Subansiri Lower Basin Hydroelectric Power Project has raised many a eye-brows in authorities concerned.

Peeved at the delay on part of the State Forest Department to allot the riverbed shoal, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has set March 15, 2003 deadline for issuing clearance for allotment of the riverbed portion to NHPC which...

Kokrajhar, Feb. 19: The fashion scene in Assam’s Bodo heartland is making way for trendy outfits with contemporary lines created from muga and eri. The fashion show organised by a local co-operative society, Roje Eshanshali, in association with the Central Silk Board and directorate of silk here yesterday points to how ingenuously muga is being used to create outfits in tune with the times.

The show was organised as part of a two-day workshop on “Development of muga and eri silk industry” and an exhibition-cum-sale under the aegis of the United Nations Development Programme.

Titled “Fashion...

JAMUGURIHAT, Feb 19 – Coming from Panpur Reserve Forest (6th addition of Kaziranga National Park), depredation of wild elephants is becoming a common feature in the southern part of Jamuguri area which includes revenue villages like Amdara, Hokoma, Panpur, Puraniveti, Nepali Panchigaon, Panchigaon, Habipal, Mohmorapar, Erabari and Borbhagiagaon under Naduar revenue circle (NRC) within East Sonitpur Forest Division of Sonitpur district.

A herd of the giants consisting of 20 to 25 elephants including three menacing ones have been continuously damaging sugarcane cultivation, dwelling houses of...

KOKRAJHAR, Feb 19 — More than 1.61 lakh persons, affected by the ethnic riots in Kokrajhar district in 1996 and 1998, are still languishing in 49 relief camps spreading all over the district. Though the State Government has started the process of rehabilitation of the relief camp inmates, the process is very slow because of paucity of funds. According to records available, as many as 1,10,269 persons, including 71386 adults and 38883 minors of 21,523 families, are living in 26 relief camps in Gossaigaon subdivision, while, 51,393 persons including 34,063 adults and 17,330 minors of 8660...

Guwahati, Feb. 18: Unable to resist the lure of a Rs 2,000-crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the cash-strapped Assam government has finally drafted a memorandum of understanding with the Centre on fiscal reforms. Highly-placed sources in the finance department told The Telegraph that the MoU, including a commitment to reduce the size of the workforce, would be signed after the state Cabinet approved it.

Dispur is under pressure from Delhi to sign the MoU as early as this month. The rewards are a special financial package of Rs 750 crore from the Centre and the huge ADB loan...

Guwahati, Feb. 16: A latest report brought by the department for development of northeastern region (Doner) has pointed out how previously-funded projects are being allowed to rot, thanks to the Assam government’s lack of initiative.

The state government has yet again faced flak from the Doner for not starting work on a 1,250-capacity auditorium in the city, as is the case with many other projects.

The Doner had released Rs 5 crore in 2001 for the purpose, but it is yet to be implemented by the culture department.

The tenders, too, have not been floated.

A Doner report says power projects...

GUWAHATI, Feb 16 — The first phase of the National (Natural) Resource Information System Project, aiming to create a national-level database on the resources of the country, is expected to be completed in Assam by March this year. The initial phase of the project in the State will cover Kamrup district.

Other districts will be covered in the next phases, sources in the Assam Science and Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) said. The NRIS project was launched by the Government of India in 1999-2000 to have a total database on the resources like forests, soil, water, etc., to help policy...

GUWAHATI, Feb 15 ? A staggering amount of Rs 850 crore due to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) from the State Government is seriously affecting functioning of the Corporation which has been engaged in development of the power sector in the North-east since 1976.

Revealing this, the Confederation of NEEPCO Trade Unions, a united platform of all the registered trade unions within the Corporation, today said it was not at all happy with the State Government and the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB), and appealed to the Government to ensure that NEEPCO got its dues. ?This...