Development / Assam

GUWAHATI, February 14: The Gauhati High Court, by an interim order, has directed the government of Assam and the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) to make a scheme to clear the outstanding arrear amount of Rs 654.21 crores due to the NEEPCO for supply of power to the state. A division bench, comprising Justice H K Sarma and Justice P G Agarwal passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Gautom Uzir regarding the threat by NEEPCO to curtail power supply to the state power grids. While the arrear amount of Rs 654.21 crore is due for the period from January 1997 to...

GUWAHATI, February 13: The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has served a closure notice on the Digboi Refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation for violating pollution norms, according to PCBA sources here. According to the PCBA, the digboi Refinery, the oldest refinery in the country, has been releasing pollutants beyond permissible limit and the effluents released by the refinery through the Mission Para Nullah are also not maintained well, while the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for treating the water to make it pollution free leaves much to be desired. The closure notice was served on...

PATHSALA, February 10: An environmental study report prepared by Dulal Goswami, Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Science, GU has been submitted recently to the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) on the Kothar Ali, a PWD road in Barpeta district to facilitate its conversion to a National Highway (NH). BRTF officials also assisted him in preparing the survey report. It may be mentioned here that much water has flowed down the Brahmaputra since the proposal for conversion of the road to a NH on mutual understanding and co-operation between the Ministry of External Affairs...

GUWAHATI, February 12: Majority of tea brokers operating in Guwahati are worried over the future of their business in the wake of amendment effected by the Union Ministry of Commerce to the Tea Marketing (Control) Order (TMCO), 1984, according liberty to tea companies to decide on their own whether to route their produce through registered public tea auction centres or go for private selling outside the auction centre. As per the TMCO, 1984 every registered tea manufacturer in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were required to sell not less than 75 per cent of the tea manufactured by...

MAJORKURI (Hajo), February 10: It is an area that was once infamous as a breeding ground for insurgency. Though the people living here are relatively well-to-do, development, in modern terms, is still quite a long way off. While most locals had resigned themselves to their fate, one man stood out and decided to make things happen rather than wait for it to happen. Bhupen Deka, the middle-aged man hailing from here, is today the guiding light for scores of youth in the area. Defying all odds, Deka has set up Brahmaputra Petrochemicals Pvt Ltd, a petrochemicals processing industry, here, on the...

GUWAHATI, February 10: A public meeting held at the Rabindra Bhawan here this morning to discuss the mitigation measures on the event of a major earthquake called upon the people not to panic and extend all sorts of help to the administration in matters of disaster management. Addressing the meeting, State Revenue Commissioner-cum-Relief Commissioner Chandra Kanta Das said that the State Government has drawn up a plan for disaster management and already Deputy Commissioners and Sub-divisional Officers have been instructed to interact with the people, to form disaster management committees and...

GUWAHATI, February 8: Noted seismologist Arun Bapat has said that though it might not be possible to stop construction of high rise buildings in Guwahati city in view of the threat of a big earthquake striking Assam, an interim stay could be enforced. In an interview with The Assam Tribune, Sir Bapat suggested that during the stay period, the builders must make suitable amendments to the designs so that the structures are able to withstand seismic force. For this purpose, suitable legal measure can be taken by the State Government. The urban authorities, after thoroughly checking the extra...

GUWAHATI, February 7: The State Government has revised the minimum rates of wages payable to the employees of hotels, restaurants and eating houses in the State, an official release said. According to the revised rates, the daily wage for the accountant has been fixed at Rs 70 while his monthly wage will be Rs 2100. Likewise, Rs 65 and Rs 1950 have been fixed as daily and monthly wages respectively for the clerk, cashier, cook, sweet and drink maker. The salesman, counterman, bearer and helper will receive Rs 63 as daily and Rs 1890 as monthly wage while Rs 60 and Rs 1800 have been fixed...

GUWAHATI, February 6: The Northeast Apartment Developers' Association (NADA) today called upon the multi-storied apartment dwellers of the city to ask their respective builders to give guarantee of safety in the event of a major earthquake so as to prevent a Gujarat-like situation. Addressing a press conference at the Guwahati Press Club here this morning, NADA president Bimal Phukan, its vice-president Jagat Prasad Barua, general secretary Amal Barua, architect Gautam Barua and soil tester L Karim, however, said that no one can guarantee whether the city apartments will collapse or not in...

GUWAHATI, February 3: Fishing activities are on their peak in the Deepar beel, the lone Ramsar site, i.e. the internationally recognised wetland, of the State. About 10,000 people of seven villages in the outskirts of this capital city, and about 200 families of Matihari district in Bihar are depending on this beel for their livelihood. For the residents of Keotpara, Natunbasti, Medhipara, Heerapara, Noapara, Hatuapara and Matia near Azara on the western fringe of the city, the beel is their Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of wealth. They offer a Ganga Puja to satisfy the beel in the Assamese...