Bodo women activist shot at

Nalbari (Assam), Oct 8 (PTI) The head of Bodo Women Justice Forum, a non-political organisation Anjali Daimari was today shot at by unidentified gunmen in Assam's Baksa district but escaped unhurt as she ducked on time.

The police said Daimari, who is also the head of Bodo Department in Burma College, was shot at by the gunmen shot who stopped her car at around 1.30 pm near the college.

The police said she, along with two colleagues, was stopped by two persons on a motorcycle about 50 yards from the college.

A complaint was lodged with the police and a search operation launched to nab the culprits, the police said.

Change of Guards to take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The over two centuries old tradition of ceremonial Changing of the Guard will take place on the lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 10.

The ceremony, which will begin at 9:00 am, will see the incoming 15th Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles replace the outgoing 6th Battalion of the Assam Rifles.

The about 45-minute long ceremony is free of charge for all visitors.

"The Changing of the Guard Ceremony has a very ancient tradition in which the Infantry Army Guards and the President's Body Guards change guard with clock-work precision. This tradition days back to the raising of the Body Guards in 1773," a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

Assam bandh passes off peacefully

DIBRUGARH, Oct 8 – The 12-hour Assam bandh, called by the Assam Labour Party and Chah Janagustia Adivasi Jatiyo Oikyo Mancha in protest against the recent killing of innocents in Sonitpur district allegedly by Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB passed by without any major incident here. Although a few educational institutions and shops remained opened, financial institutions and the business establishments responded to the bandh call. While long distance vehicles kept off the roads, plying of light motor vehicles in the city was not affected.

There were, however, several reports of stone pelting at buses and trains, causing damage to public and private property.

Our Correspondents add: Jorhat : The 12 hours Assam bandh here passed peacefully. During the daytime, all the shops remained closed in the town and the services of the long distance buses were cancelled. Only a few employees and other public were present in the government offices.

Gossaigaon : The 48-hour bandh called from Oct 5 by All Assam Adivasi Students’ Union in protest against the harassment of AASA supporters on suspicion of theft of arms from Sapkata outpost, and the 12-hour bandh called on Oct 7 by All Assam Labour Party in protest against the killings of innocents by suspected NDFB, passed off peacefully in Kokrajhar district.

However, in the wake of full response to the bandh, many hardships were faced by the common people. The worse affects were seen in Srirampur (Assam-Bengal border) where over 40 trucks carrying fish and over 200 trucks carrying other goods came to a halt for almost three days. Shops remained closed and bus-services were also affected.

Tinsukia : With the normal functioning of tea gardens, Oil India, Digboi Refinery, Coal India Ltd. Divisional Railway Offices, State Government Offices, some of the both private and Govt. educational institutes and private vehicles plying on the roads, the response to the 12-hour Assam bandh call in Tinsukia district was mixed today. Most of the shops and markets were closed as weekly holiday but many of the wayside shops remained open here. However, no public vehicles plied on the roads of the district and financial institutions like banks, insurance, etc., remained closed during the bandh period. No untoward incident was reported from any corner of the district during the bandh period.

India, Bangladesh swap border map

Shillong, Oct.7: India and Bangladesh exchanged boundary maps to facilitate erection of fresh boundary pillars in the border areas in a speedy manner on the concluding day of the 129th Indo-Bangladesh boundary conference here today.

Special director of Meghalaya land records and survey P.W. Ingty said the main points highlighted in the resolution also included correction of names of the newly created districts when the boundary pillars are erected.

Ingty said, “There is a need to include the names of the newly created districts on the border pillars erasing the old names.”

The other specific areas to be pursued include urgent measures for the erection of new boundary pillars in place of the missing, displaced or damaged ones according to the list furnished by the deputy commissioners and border guards of both the countries.

The modalities regarding the construction of the specially designed boundary pillars, drawing up of matters related to field visit for 2009-10, exchange of old boundary maps and strips and arrangement of travel documents were also discussed.

The next boundary conference will be held in Dhaka.

Bangladesh director of land records and survey, Md Rafiqul Islam and other delegations from the neighbouring country expressed hope that both nations would ensure proper maintenance of the pillars erected along the international border.

“We want to ensure that the boundary pillars are maintained without any damage along the 423km international border in Meghalaya,” Ingty said.

Regarding the construction of the specially designed boundary pillars in the vulnerable areas where there was frequent soil erosion and landslides, Ingty said the government was planning to construct 15-feet-long boundary pillars to check the damages.

Three militants gunned down in Manipur

Imphal, Oct 8 (PTI) Three militants were killed in separate encounters with security forces in Manipur, police said today.

Two militants of United Kuki Liberation Council were gunned down in an encounter with Assam Rifles jawans at Gngpimual village in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar last night.

In another incident, a militant was killed in a shootout with Assam Rifles personnel at a place near India-Myanmar border pillar 81 in Chandel district yesterday, they said.

Security personnel recovered two pistols, four magazines, several rounds of live ammunition and 132 extortion demand letters from the two spots.

Over 300 persons have been killed in militancy-related incidents in Manipur this year.

Indo-Bangla border well demarcated: Bangladesh official

Shillong, Oct 7 (PTI) Maintaining that the Indo-Bangladesh boundary was well demarcated, a top Bangladesh government official today said instances of trespassing and encroachment by people from both sides of the border are wilful.

"The demarcation of the Indo-Bangla border is completed.

We have strip maps of the exact boundary. If some people cross over to the other side, they do it wilfully and not due to ignorance," Director of Bangladesh's survey department Rafiqul Islam said after conclusion of the three-day Indo-Bangla boundary conference here.

He, however, underlined the need to create more awareness among villagers on issues related to the boundary problems.

"In the Meghalaya sector alone, we have 79 strip maps clearly showing the actual boundary. Some of the maps are with us and the remaining with the Indian authorities," Islam said.

Toll in Assam violence rises to 13

GUWAHATI: The toll in the weekend massacre by tribal separatists in an Assam village rose to 13 with a woman succumbing to her injuries at a hospital here Wednesday, government officials said.

A government spokesperson said a 23-year-old woman with bullet wounds in her stomach died early Wednesday.N. Bhattacharyya, a doctor at Guwahati Medical College, said: "We tried our best, but the injury in her abdomen was so extensive that she did not survive.

"Militants of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) late Sunday attacked Bhimajuli village in Sonitpur district, about 240 km north of Assam's main city of Guwahati, and massacred 12 villagers.At least 12 people are still in hospitals with multiple injuries.

Mass funeral of the dead were held Tuesday."We are trying our best to instil a sense of confidence in the area by deploying adequate army, police, and paramilitary troopers," state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The NDFB rebels reportedly attacked the villagers after they refused to pay extortion money.

Corruption rampant in NREGA in Assam Cong Govt: AIUDF

New Delhi: Thanks to systemic corruption and lack of transparency on the part of state Congress government NREGA officials have made NREGA a major source of corruption in Assam, alleged All India United Democratic Front of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, Lok Sabha Member from Dhubri in Assam and AIUDF chief.
The allegation was made by AIUDF General Secretary and party spokesman Dr Baharul Islam at a consultative meeting held in the Ministry of Rural Development today.

DR. C.P. Joshi, Minister for Rural Development invited representatives of the state political parties today to evolve suitable strategies for more effective implementation of NREGA. The minister sought cooperation of all political parties towards achieving the ultimate objectives and goals of NREGA.
In Phase-I, 200 identified districts were covered under NREGA. Additional 130 districts were covered in Phase-II in 2007-08. The entire rural areas of the country have been covered from April 2008. According to the ministry, out of the total expenditure of Rs.64,363 crore, an amount of Rs.43,875 crore i.e. 68% has been spent on wages. 7.56 crore institutional accounts of workers have been opened encouraging savings among the poor.
Dr Baharul Islam presented before the minister a list of more than 20 formal complaints filed by various people on corruption in NREGA in Assam and which are available on the ministry’s website. But, none of the complaint has been responded to by the state government as per the ministry’s website. During the meeting he presented a few major cases of corruption that were highlighted in the local media. He said that “the systemic corruption that engulfs the state today at all levels has also infected the implementation of the NREGA. Court cases in places like Karimganj and Barpeta have also showed that how officials have bypassed the Panchayati Raj institutions which were intended to play an important role in planning and executing this flagship programme to respond to the local needs of the people.” Specially, the issue of fake job cards, job cards deposited in the custody of implementing officials or political party middlemen, delayed payment are being used for nefarious purpose of minting money illegally, he alleged.
Dr Baharul Islam further referred to the recent study done by Rajya Sabha MP and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan, that highlighted that the official estimates of wages realized by workers are in fact inflated because the actual wages received by workers were much less than what is shown in the official documents. Cases of corruption, fudging in muster rolls, discrepancies in work days and payments have been reported in almost all studies, the study said. “Fraudulent payments and anomalies such as extraction of money have also been reported in (wage) payments through (bank, post-office and other) accounts. States including Assam, in fact, saw reduction in employment generation under NREGA as compared to SGRY,” the study found.
The Rural Minister assured AIUDF that some corrective steps will be taken by the Ministry to stop corruption in NREGA implementation in Assam and there will be a group of prominent persons who will visit NREGA works and submit reports to the Ministry for necessary action.
The meeting was attended by various other political party leaders like Sri Ajit Sing (ALD), Babulal Marandi (JVM), Sri TM Basheer (KULML) besides the Minister of state Pradeep Jain and other senior Ministry officials.

GAIL ties up funds for Assam project

NEW DELHI: State-run GAIL on Thursday said it had tied up funds for a major petrochemical project in Assam being set up by its subsidiary. The
gas utility, which holds 70% stake in Brahmaputra Cracker Private Limited (BCPL), has tied up Rs 1,756 crore debt from a consortium of seven banks led by Punjab National Bank, company chairman B C Tripathi said. Tripathi said the project, estimated to cost Rs 5,461 crore, will be completed by April 2012.

A K Purwaha, who was director (business development) in state-run gas utility GAIL, on Thursday took over as the chairman of engineering consulting firn Engineers India Ltd.

GAIL ties up funds for Assam petrochem project

NEW DELHI: State-run gas utility GAIL India Ltd on Thursday said it has tied up funds for a petrochemical project in Assam being set up by its subsidiary.

Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd (BCPL), in which GAIL holds 70 per cent stake, has tied up Rs 1,756 crore debt from a consortium of seven banks led by Punjab National Bank, BCPL Chairman and GAIL India Chairman and Managing Director, Mr B C Tripathi said here.

The Rs 5,461 crore “project will be completed by April 2012,” he said.

Of the project cost, Rs 2,138 crore have been given as capital subsidy and Rs 909 crore as feedstock subsidy by the central government. Of the balance Rs 3,124 crore, the equity component is Rs 1,041 crore.

“All of the Rs 2,083-crore debt component has been tied up. Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) has sanctioned Rs 327 crore loan and we have today signed loan agreements with a consortium of banks for the remaining Rs 1,756 crore, thereby achieving fin ancial closure of the project,'' he said.

Oil India Ltd, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd and the government of Assam hold 10 per cent stake each. The funding of this project has been envisaged with a debt-equity ratio of 2:1.

The petrochemical complex will comprise of ethylene cracker unit, downstream polymer and integrated off- site/utilities plants, he said, adding that the plant will produce 2,80,000 tonnes per annum of polymers.

Devotees throng Assam’s Kamakhya temple for Kumari Puja

Guwahati, Sep 25 : Hundreds of devotees thronged revered Kamakhya temple in Assam state on Thursday for Kumari Puja organised during Hindu festival of Navratri, in which young girls are worshipped.

Kumari Puja is held at the Kamakhya temple every year prior to Durga Puja celebrations that began on Saturday and end on “Navami” (the ninth day of the Navratri festival). The tradition is as old as that of the origin of Kamakhya temple.

It is believed that the Goddess, although omnipresent, surely exists in the virgin. Reverence to female children as goddesses is an age-old custom of India.

The Kamakhya temple situated in Guwahati, main city of Assam, on the banks of river Brahmaputra, is dedicated to goddess Kamakhya, consort of Shiva, Hindu God of destruction.

It is believed that at Kamakhya, the Goddess appears in the form of a virgin. So some of the pilgrims worship the living virgin as Goddess in this temple.

Worship of a living woman as Goddess is of purely Tantric origin. It is stated that virgin worship is nothing but Shakti worship.

The virgin worship is performed along with Durga, Kali and other Mahavidyas. The salutation mantra of virgin worship is the same as vidya’s salutation mantra. Sometimes, it is also seen that the virgin is fed and clad and saluted without any mantra. The tantrics believe that the virgin is the Goddess incarnate.

“Her name is not Kamakhya but Kamakshi. People come here as their wishes are fulfilled here and that’s why we have come all the way from Bihar,” said Chandreshwar Pathak, a devotee from eastern Bihar.

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/devotees-throng-assams-kamakhya-temple-for-kumari-puja_100251992.html#ixzz0S6LVISMh

New silk industry brings in job opportunities for locals in Assam

But now, the Government has officially declared Chaygaon as an industrial area, and more and more industries are likely to set up their units here, which would provide an opportunity for the locals to engage themselves in factory work.

“There are many girls and boys who are sitting at home doing nothing. But, after this factory was inaugurated, we got employed and now we don’t have to sit at home and waste our time. Many local boys get involved in some insurgent groups but rather they should find some work in this factory. At least they will be in the mainstream and won’t join the militant groups,” said Archana Kalita, a woman trainee in the factory.

The setting up of the factory would go a long way in organizing the silk industry in Assam to continue in a systematic line to ensure sustained production of high quality yarn and in the process address the basic needs of employment and socio-economic upliftment of the region.

“This factory is although small in terms of quantity, but it is going to be instrumental in helping or contributing about 4000 families surrounding this village and also the whole of northeast,” said Dilip Bora, Managing Director of Fabric Plus.

Bora further said that the factory produces designer fabrics, customized goods, A to Z in silk and fashion fabrics, which are exclusive in the markets and are well appreciated by the customers.

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/feature/new-silk-industry-brings-in-job-opportunities-for-locals-in-assam_100251942.html#ixzz0S6LMeqR1