Development / Assam

GOLAKGANJ, July 28: The bamboo-based cottage industries in Dhubri play a pivotal role in improving the socio-economic condition of the people of the char area of the Dhubri district. In absence of any comprehensive planning to wipe out the growing unemployment problem, encouraging bamboo-based cottage industries seems to be an alternative source of income for people living below the poverty line. These industries are concentrated in some char villages like Balurchar, Newghat char, Pahari char, Yogmaya Dham etc. The products are being marketed from South Salmara char bazar on the South bank of...

GUWAHATI, July 25: Steps have been initiated to shift the wholesale market from Fancy Bazar to the outskirts of Guwahati city and several rounds of discussions were held between the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the business community in this regard. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner, DN Saikia, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the GMDA, said that the wholesale market would be shifted to Tetelia near the National Highway by pass in the outskirts of the city. He said that several rounds of discussions were held with the business...

GUWAHATI, July 26: The Gauhati High Court has issued directives to the NEEPCO, ASEB and the Assam Govt to prepare a scheme, whereby the outstanding dues to NEEPCO amounting to approximately Rs 670 crore, can be liquidated. The division bench also directed the state and ASEB to pay Rs 20 crores per month in the next two months to NEEPCO for power supplied to ASEB. The PIL filed regarding the threatened action of the NEEPCO to discontinue power supply has been posted for further orders after two months. Chief Justice Brijesh Kumar and Justice DN Chowdhury indicated in their order that while...

GUWAHATI, July 21: At a time when the Centre is talking about to bring in revolution in the information technology, one of its important wing, the Army, has not only been opposing the expansion of cellular networking in the Northeastern states but have also asked to withdraw the pager services from the region. Expressing apprehension that militants may use these services, the 4 Corps Army Headquarters has asked the ministry concerned not to grant permission for the expansion of the cellular networks in the region, including Assam. This has left the cellular operators high and dry, even as...

GUWAHATI, July 19: Lt Gen Mahesh Vij took over the command of 4 Corps of the Army today from Lt Gen DB Shekathar. He will now be the GOC of 4 Corps as well as the operational head of the Unified Command structure, an Army release said. Lt Gen Mahesh Vij was born on February 3, 1944 at Trichinapally. He joined the National Defence Academy in June 1960 and was commissioned to 9th Battallion of the Rajputana Rifles in 1964. From 1981 to 1983 he commanded 7th Battallion of the Mechanise Infantry Regiment (I Dogra). In these 19 years of regimental service he attained vast experience of operating in...

GUWAHATI, July 19: Tribal Students Federation (TSF) of Assam has vowed to foil bid to set up a coal-based thermo electric project by the Northeastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) at Longtong Udoipur under Tirap tribal belt in Margherita. The primary reason for which the TSF is opposed to setting up of project that is the state government is preparing to allot 1000 bighas of land for the project evicting total 305 families from the area. Already the Government has evicted 200 families in Udoipur village without paying compensation. The leaders of the TSF on Tuesday informed the Press...

IMPHAL, July 18 Manipur Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh today said his government has ordered another survey of the proposed Tipaimukh dam to determine its height. A final decision would be taken only after studying the final survey report, he told the Assembly. Earlier, raising the issue, former Chief Minister Rishang Keishing of the Congress said he wanted to know the government's stand on the power project. The government had earlier opposed the dam on the ground that it would submerge large areas of the state. The Chief Minister said Northeastern Electric Power Corporation has been...

GUWAHATI, July 17: Way back in the 1990s, there were at least 10,000 hectare of land under coffee cultivation in the Northeast. Today it is just about 3,000 hectare. Production, which should ideally have been in the range of 4,000 tons a year, hovers around the 400 tons mark. But these are only rough estimates. Ask the Coffee Board's Guwahati office for data on coffee cultivation in the region and you are likely to be refused. The Coffee Board, incidentally, is the main agency entrusted with the work of prompting coffee cultivation in the region. The Board's reluctance to part with the data is...

GUWAHATI, July 17: The Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Project (JMBP) in Bangladesh will ultimately lead to devastating flood and severe erosion in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, warned noted geographer Manik Kar of Nowgong College. Jamuna is the name of the Bangladesh part of the Brahmaputra. A PhD in flood hazard, Kar said in his paper Flood Hazard Mitigation is an International Riddle : A Case Study of the Brahmaputra Valley (India), represented at an international conference on disaster management organised by CARE, UNDP and Dhaka University recently, that the around billion-dollar JMBP...

ROHMARIA, September 10: This place is hardly 20 kilometres by road from Dibrugarh's municipal limits, but even a four wheeled Gypsy ride took an hour and a half to reach the place. This is rural country, once famous for its lush agriculture. Most of the paddyfields have been eroded away by the Brahmaputra. If unchecked, the erosion threatens the existence of an Air Force base, Dibrugarh's civil airport at Mohanbari, several tea gardens and the residences and agricultural lands of the people of the area. The Rohmaria area falls under the Lahowal assembly segment and the population is mainly...