Development / Assam

New Delhi, Jan. 1: Two government projects in the Northeast, one in Assam and the other in Tripura, have been declared “success stories”, having achieved their “intended goals”. Making it to the Planning Commission’s list of top 20 “success stories” are the rubber plantations of Tripura and a landmark irrigation project of the Assam government.

Originally launched to wean tribals from jhum cultivation, the rubber plantations have now earned Tripura the sobriquet of “India’s second rubber capital”. Kerala leads the sector in terms of production.

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NEW DELHI, Dec 30 — Flood control works in Assam is likely to hit as funds were curtailed by Planning Commission because of a delay by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) in submitting schemes for approval by competent authority. The MoWR did not submit flood control schemes among other critical proposals for approval leading to a drastic cut in budgetary allocation. As against a proposal for allocation of Rs 1,063.82 crore, all that the Ministry get was Rs 550 crore, which is almost half of what was sought. The reason the Planning Commission said was the apprehension that a higher...

GUWAHATI, Dec 28 – Illegal felling of trees in the vast tracts of reserve forest along the Assam-Meghalaya border to the south and south-west of Guwahati is going on unabated, exposing the rich, biodiversity zone with its unique flora and fauna to the gravest possible danger. That the smugglers are having a free run should be evident from the fact that an area of 25 sq km of the Garbhanga reserve forest which is among the biggest protected areas in Kamrup district with a total area of 188.6 sqkm, has been totally degraded, at Luki. An area where the smugglers’ writ runs and forest personnel...

AGARTALA, Dec 28 — As the clickety clicks of the rail wheels reverberated in the high hills of Langtarai range and thousands of people rejoined. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off the first train on Kumarghat-Manu sector in North district on Friday afternoon. This was the beginning of a new era of communication in this hilly land-locked state. With the opening of the 21-kilometre rail track that pierced through high hills and deep forests, the total length of the rail line in the state stands at 64 km. And it took long 38 years of wait, speculations and movements at various levels. Now...

NEW DELHI, Dec 27—With the floods just a season away, the Centre has cleared several flood control and anti-crosion projects including a proposal to protect Dhubri and South Salamara areas. The projects sanctioned by the Planning Commission in the past few days are expected to be completed by March 2004. According to sources, the latest in a series of projects cleared by the commission included raising of Brahmaputra dyke from Biswanath to Panpur at an estimated cost of Rs 4.87 crore. Another project cleared the same day included anti-erosion measures on river Brahmaputra at Assam Bangiya...

BAROIGAON (Assam-Meghalaya border), Dec 27 – Guwahati, the business hub of the entire north-eastern region is a modern city. But the fact is Guwahati is not reflective of the entire picture of the State. Strictly speaking, far-off rural areas reflect badly on the picture of our state. The case in point is Baroigaon, a village about 45 km south off Mirza. To take stock of the prevailing situation, Palasbari Press Club paid a day-long visit to the village which is affected by many problems. More than 2000 Garo people living in this area under Palasbari constituency are going through a bad patch...

GUWAHATI, Dec 26— Assam government today took strong exception to the statement made by Union Minister for Department of Development of North eastern Region (DONER) Arun Shourie that the Centre would consider the request for a ‘special development package’ for North East provided peace was restored in the region. The statement made by Shourie here yesterday has evoked sharp reaction from the Assam government. Minister of State for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sharma who claimed to be speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, today informed that the State government would dash...

GUWAHATI, Dec 26 – The Central government’s promise of providing an amount of Rs 500 crore during the 9th Five Year Plan period for taking up flood control measures remained on papers only as the State received only Rs 54 crore during that period, highly placed Flood Control Department sources said. Sources told The Assam Tribune that during the last two years of the 9th Plan period, the Department did not receive any money from the Central Water Resources Ministry. The funding pattern for the 10th Five Year Plan period is yet to be finalised, but the Department has submitted detailed project...

DIBRUGARH, Dec 25 — Assam Medical College, a name that was once looked upon in awe, was once-upon-a-time one of the five best medical institutions in Asia. Today, all that is history. And the Assam Medical College (AMC) epitomizes sheer neglect and despondency. Talking to The Assam Tribune here, office bearers of the AMC unit of the Federation of Junior Doctors, Assam spoke in detail of the decrepit condition of the institution. They stressed that the sole blame for the state of affairs here falls on the Assam Government, which has lost interest in the medical college after the demise of the...

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 — The Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) owes a whopping Rs 993.73 crore to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) even as the power company’s outstanding dues have touched an all-time high of Rs 1,474.92 crore. Even as the tussle among the State electricity boards and NEEPCO for payment of dues continues, interest on oustanding has been piling. Assam for instance owes Rs 795.63 crore as on November but its interest component has touched Rs 198.10 crore. The interest on outstanding dues of all the seven States has been estimated at Rs 259.52 crore.

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