Politics / Assam

GUWAHATI, April 3 — The Assam Electricity Bill, 2003 introduced in the State Assembly by the Power Minister on March 31 last, has stunned the power engineers here. The Bill seeks to restructure the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) with a view of creating independent corporate entities in the fields of generation, transmission and distribution.

The Power Minister, while introducing the Bill, said that the principal objective of the Bill was to provide universal access to electricity at competitive and affordable prices within a defined time frame. But, power engineers here maintain that...

GUWAHATI, April 3 – The Assam Legislative Assembly today passed the Bodoland Autonomous Council (Repeal) Bill, 2003 to pave the way for creation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) under the Provisions of amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Participating in the discussion on the Bill, Zoii Nath Sarma (AGP) asked the Government to clarify as to who would monitor the development of the area till the BTC is formed. Dilip Kumar Saikia (AGP) said that the Government should take steps to ensure proper utilisation of the funds released to the BAC till the BTC is formed.

Pramila...

GUWAHATI, April 3 — Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today informed that the Government of India was yet to take any concrete initiative to man the unguarded Indo-Bhutan border in the State to prevent infiltration of extremists from their camps in Himalayan kingdom. Talking to newsmen here this morning, Sri Gogoi said, “Although the State Government has been insisting on deployment of the BSF along the unmanned Indo-Bhutan border, the Centre has decided to deploy SSB personnel. However, no step has been taken so far to deploy even the SSB along the international border through which ULFA and NDFB...

HAFLONG, April 2— To create awareness among the public in demanding autonomous State under the Article 244(A) of the Constitution, and in protest against the misrule of Congress in NC Hills Autonomous Council a monthlong agitational programme has been chalked out by the NC Hills ASDC in its joint extended meeting of ASDC/DSU/DWS held on March 26 at ASDC office, Haflong.

On April 8, the ASDC/DSU/DWS would organise dharna from 10 am to 4 pm in front of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, Haflong in protest against the misrule of Congress(I) in NCHAC. From April 10 to 23, ASDC/DSU/DWS would hold a...

GUWAHATI, April 2 — The Assam Legislative Assembly today passed the Assam State Commission for Minorities Bill, 2003 to pave the way for setting up of a State Commission for Minorities. The Commission will consist of a chairperson and two members — one from the religious and one from linguistic minority groups — to be nominated by the State government. Retired judges of the High Court will be appointed as chairpersons and members and their term will be for a period of three years. The State government will provide the Commission with a secretary and such other officers and employees as may be...

GUWAHATI, April 2 — Cutting across party lines, members of the State Assembly today demanded Scheduled Tribe status to Koch Rajbongshi community. Raising the issue in the House, the Leader of the Opposition, Sri Bridaban Goswami pointed out that the Koch Rajbonshi community was given the status of Scheduled Tribe twice through ordinances, but the Centre failed to take necessary steps for giving the ST status permanently to the community. He pointed out that other tribes like Ahom, Motok, Moran and tea tribes are also demanding ST status. He suggested that the reservations should be increased...

Silchar, April 2: Dima Halam Daoga vice-president Dilip Nunisa has threatened to call off the ceasefire following an attack by a Hmar outfit on the Dimasas on Monday.

Nunisa told The Telegraph over telephone today that the outfit would be ?forced to call off the ceasefire, which came into effect on January 1, and return to the jungles if the government fails to protect the lives and property of the Dimasas?.

A red alert had been sounded in both Cachar and North Cachar districts apprehending retaliatory clashes between theHmars and Dimasas.

Assam veterinary minister G.C. Langthasa, a Dimasa...

GUWAHATI, April 2 – Three witnesses including BBC East India Correspondent Subir Bhowmik were today produced at the ad-hoc sessions court of Justice P K Phukan in connection with the killing of AVARD NE chief Sanjay Ghosh at the hands of the ULFA. The other two witnesses were Jagat Rajkhowa and Kamal Hazarika, both residents of Majuli. The next hearing of the witnesses will take place tomorrow.

DIBRUGARH, April 2 — Dreaded SULFA-man, ‘Guli’ alias Nayan Jyoti Das was hacked to death by a violent mob at the Santipara area of the city last evening. He was rushed to the Assam Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. His body had deep gashes on the cheeks, and he died of uncontrolled bleeding. Along with Guli, two others have been lynched by the mob: Santu Das, a cloth merchant and Ganesh Ghosh, a paan shop owner. The condition of the latter is critical. Guli and some anti-socials had been terrorising a section of the city’s population for quite some time now...

GUWAHATI, April 2 — The Assam Legislative Assembly today passed the Assam State Commission for Minorities Bill, 2003 to pave the way for setting up of a State Commission for Minorities. The Commission will consist of a chairperson and two members — one from the religious and one from linguistic minority groups — to be nominated by the State government. Retired judges of the High Court will be appointed as chairpersons and members and their term will be for a period of three years. The State government will provide the Commission with a secretary and such other officers and employees as may be...