New Satellite Channel launched in Assam

by Nava Thakuria

(January 02, Assam, Sri Lanka Guardian) A new satellite news channel NewsTime Assam, dedicated for the Assamese community living around the world has been launched in Northeast India.

Recognized as the first 24x7 Assamese news channel of the region, bordering Bhutan, Tibet (China), Burma and Bangladesh, was inaugurated by the Assam chief minister Traun Gogoi on the Christmas Day. In a brief function held at its premise at Ulubari, Guwahati, the State government head touched the mouse of the master computer and the test signal tag gone vanished.

The news channel launched by Brand Value Communications Ltd under Rose Valley Group of Companies, Kolkata started its experimental telecasting as test signal since December 4 and since then the news and other programmes remain available through cable network in the region. Soon the programmes will be available in various DTHs.

NewsTime Assam is the fourth satellite news channel of Northeast India to cater the immediate need of around 50 million population in the region. The other news channels of the region namely NE Television, News Live and DY365 beam news and other programmes in different languages including English, Hindi, Bengali and other dialects.

In his message, the State government chief Mr. Gogoi expressed hope that the new channel would pursue journalism with all ethical norms and maintains its credibility. Gautam Kundu, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Rose Valley Group was also present on the occasion. Kundu assured that NewsTime Assam would continue its mission with all honesty, transparency and credibility.

The project has been completed in six months with all the permissions from the Central and State governments. The channel has begun with a motto to uplift the aspirations of the rural people. With its launch, the NewsTime Assam has become a major player as a media organization in the North East as recently there has been an increasing demand for factual, impartial and analytically presented news with all round social, economic, political content.

Pratap Bordoloi, Editor-in-Chief of NewsTime Assam, Shivomoy Dutta, Rose Valley Group Director, Soumendo Das, Business head of Brand Value Communication Ltd, Sachidanda Singh, Chief Technical Officer were also present in the auspicious occasion.

The inauguration was followed by a grand cultural evening at Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, which was graced by the legendary Assamese singer Asom Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, APCC chief Bhubeneswar Kalita, AGP chief Chandra Mohan Patowary with many others.

Mentionable that Rose Valley Group has expanded its' footprints to cover multiple verticals and is poised to service the needs of the modern customers. It's a fast growing business conglomerate with more than ten thousand employees. The group has proved its unmatched capabilities in leveraging diversity in business, ranging from insurance to housing finance, from real estates and construction to chain of hotels, resorts and shopping malls, from amusement parks to manufacturing of fast moving consumer goods and from film production to operating TV channels.

"The USP for the channel (NewsTime Assam ) is its fair and balanced sensitively treated news with creative and original programming. It will be a mirror to the rich traditions and cultural heritage of the people in this region, particularly that of its various ethnic groups. The channel will also organize educational competitions with awards, reality shows, promote scholarships and customer care oriented programmes to attract viewers," disclosed Pratap Bordoloi, the chief editor of the channel.

Gogoi lays stone for University of Cooperative Management in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today laid the foundation stone of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Co-operative Management, the first of its kind in India, at Demow Pathar in Joysagar in this district of Assam.

The proposed university, expected to give the co-operative movement a new dimension and a big thrust to Panchayati Raj system and rural economy of the region, will be established on a 250-bigha plot.

Mr Gogoi hoped that co-operative movement would fulfill a long cherished dream of the people and said, "Panchayat and co-operative are the only means which will bring economic independence of the rural populace."

Terming 2010 as an eventful year for Assam, Mr Gogoi said the state witnessed all-round development in different sectors.

Saying that development cannot take place without peace, he hoped that peace will prevail in the state and different extremist organisations would come foward for talks with the government.

Co-operation and Culture Minister Bharat Narah said the government has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the preparatory work for the University.

"The state government shall sanction Rs 20 crore after submitting the concept paper and detailed project report (DPR). We have also sent a concept paper and DPR with an estimate of Rs 40 crore to the Union Ministry for Development of North-East Region", he said.

Assam Law, Sericulture, Handloom and Textiles Minister Pranab Gogoi inaugurated the website of the proposed university on the occasion.

Prof M R Dixit of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, who is heading a three-member consultative group for designing the academic programme of the proposed university, hoped that the institution would strengthen the economy of the state, in particular, and India, in general.

Peace talks a political gimmick: Prafulla Mahanta

GUWAHATI: Rejecting the Assam government's peace process with United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), leader of opposition Prafulla Mahanta today said the exercise will be futile without the presence of the outfit's elusive chief Paresh Baruah.

"The recent offer by the government for talks is only a political gimmick and unless Paresh Baruah, known for his anti-talk stance is not included, the process will be futile," Mahanta, also a two time chief minister, told reporters in Guwahati.

A change in the political leadership in Bangladesh, where the top ULFA leaders were taking refuge, paved the way for talks with most of the ultras arrested and released on bail.

"But there is no point in talking to different groups at the same time. The entire top leadership of ULFA have to be included in the talks process including Paresh Baruah," he said.

Baruah remains the only top and influential leader who is still underground as the other prominent ULFA ultras, including its 'chairman' Arabindo Rajkhowa have been arrested and released on bail.

BJP to move Parliament panel for probe

Guwahati, Dec. 31 : BJP MP Ramen Deka will seek a probe by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into alleged misappropriation of central funds in North Cachar Hills district of the state.

Deka, who is also a member of the PAC, told reporters here today that he would write to PAC chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi, requesting examination of the alleged misuse of central funds in the NC Hills that finds mention in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

“Taking into consideration the importance of the subject and the statewide interest evinced in it, I have decided to seek a PAC probe into it,” said Deka, the Lok Sabha MP from Mangaldoi.

“I am going to request the PAC chairperson to inquire into the misappropriation of money released under different central schemes like the National Rural Health Mission and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, among others,” he added.

The special audit carried out by the CAG points to some glaring financial irregularities in Dima Hasao (formerly NC Hills) district. The CAG audit report pertained to the fiscal 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.

The CAG report has stirred a political storm in the state with the Opposition parties cornering the Tarun Gogoi government on this issue.

The state government has already ordered a CBI inquiry into the financial scam in the NC Hills.

Even the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which probed the alleged politician-bureaucrat-militant nexus in embezzlement of funds in NC Hills, has found involvement of some public servants of North Cachar Hills Autonoumous Council.

Deka also said a four-member PAC sub-committee has been constituted to study utilisation of funds released to the northeastern states under the non-lapsable central pool of resources. Deka is the convenor of the PAC sub-committee. The non-lapsable central pool of resources was created by the Centre in 1989 from the 10 per cent unspent balances provided in the budget of Central ministries and departments for funding specific infrastructure projects in the Northeast.

NHPC submits status report on Subansiri project

NEW DELHI, Dec 30 – Amidst the raging controversy over construction of big dams in the region, the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) has held the delay in signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Government of Assam and the law and order problems, responsible for the slow progress of the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Power Project.

In its latest report on ‘Status of Hydro Electric Projects under Execution’ the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) without going into the controversies surrounding the project, has broadly categorised the problems beseizing the 2000 MW project.

Signing of MoU with State Government of Assam, washing away of coffer dam in 2008, slope failure of power house in January, 2008, change of surge shaft to surge tunnels, law-and-order problems, damage to bridge at Ranganadi River were cited as some of the reasons for the delays in the status report.

The project, scheduled to be completed by 2011-2012 (12th Plan period), has already witnessed cost escalation to Rs 8155 crore from Rs 6285 crore.

Notwithstanding the apprehension over diversion of the river, the report said that the river was diverted on December 25, 2007 and construction of diversion tunnel completed.

As reported earlier, Government of Assam’s reluctance to sign the MoU has led the NHPC to move the Union Power Ministry, seeking its intervention in the matter.

State Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi had told this newspaper that though the original no objection certificate (NOC) given by the State Government stated that Assam would be entitled to six per cent free power, subsequently NHPC has refused the same. No negotiation has taken place till now among the State Government, NHPC and Power Ministry, he had informed.

“Further we were promised 600 MW of power from the project, whereas what we were actually allocated was 208 MW of power, which is why we have not signed the MoU,” he had pointed out.

The uncertainties over the projects in Arunachal Pradesh led the Board of Directors of NHPC, recently to surrender two other vital hydropower projects including Subansiri Middle and Upper hydroelectric projects (HEP) in Arunachal Pradesh. The two projects are now likely to be handed over to joint venture companies selected by Arunachal Pradesh Government.

The 1,600 MW Subansiri Middle Hydroelectric Project is likely to be executed by joint venture (JV) formed by Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Limited and Jindal Power Limited (JPL), while the 2,000 MW Subansiri Upper Hydroelectric Project may be taken over by KSK Energy Ventures Limited, sources said.

Meanwhile, the 600 MW Kameng Project being executed by NEEPCO has also slipped deadline.

PM’s heart surgeon hurt in road mishap

Nagaon, Dec 30 : Cardiac surgeon Ramakanta Panda, who had conducted a heart surgery on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year, was today injured in a road accident while on a family vacation in Assam’s Nagaon district, official sources said. The doctor received injuries on his head and his son got wounded while
the driver of his car was seriously injured when they were travelling to the Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district.

Dr Panda’s VIP vehicle was travelling behind a truck that suddenly turned turtle causing the doctor’s car to hit against it at Somoguri, sources said.

His wife and daughter, who were also travelling with the heart surgeon were, however, unhurt. After an initial medical examination at the Nagaon Civil Hospital, they were airlifted to Guwahati in a special army helicopter.

Dr Panda, the vice-chairman of the Asian Heart Institute at Mumbai, had lead a team of doctors who successfully conducted a heart surgery on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh last year at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

The cardiovascular-thoracic surgeon had also done a successful complex bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement on Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi this August at the Asian Heart Institute.

Minority snub for Christian schools

Guwahati, Dec. 29 : Nearly 200 Christian schools in Assam, including Don Bosco, are facing an uncertain future with Dispur reluctant to accord minority status to them.

Sources said these schools had applied for minority status certificate two years ago but the education department had remained non-committal. They said Dispur was considering putting the prerequisite of admitting at least 40 to 50 per cent Christian students before the schools could be accorded minority status. But these institutes would find it impossible to adhere to this condition, they added.

Schools such as the Don Bosco, which were set up by missionaries, are open to all religions and communities. Enrolment of non-Christian students in these schools is over 90 per cent in the state.

Ravi Sagar, an advocate of Gauhati High Court who has taken up the matter with the government on behalf of the Christian schools, said it was surprising why the Assam government was not responding positively and promptly. He said the matter was pending despite chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s assurance to the chairperson of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui, on July 12 last year that the minority status certificates would be issued within three months.

The minority tag will give the schools protection from political intervention in their education policy and other academic activities. A teacher of a Christian school said the minority status would help the schools maintain the highest quality of education and prevent politics.

With Dispur remaining non-committal on issuing minority status certificates, these schools face the possibility of getting converted into general category institutions, raising fears that the state government would impose its education policy on them.

Sagar, who heads the NGO, Legal Cell for Human Rights, said, “We are running from pillar to post to acquire the minority status certificates. Unfortunately, the education department is complicating the issue. When we filed an application under the RTI Act in 2007, seeking information about the appropriate authority to issue such certificates, it said it did not have any such authority. Later, the government created an authority headed by Sohrab Ali, the joint secretary, education (elementary), to issue the certificates.”

Sagar said the latest ground being cited by the department for the delay was that it was awaiting a cabinet communication to determine the percentage of Christian students in these schools. “The department tells us that the percentage would be between 40 and 50, which would put the Christian schools in a quandary,” he said.

With the state government neither granting nor rejecting the minority status certificates, the schools are facing a predicament over approaching the national commission. Sagar said the schools could approach the commission only if the state government declined to issue the certificates or gave NOCs to the schools for approaching the central authority.

Sohrab Ali’s office said he does not talk to the media and no final decision had been taken on the matter of issuing minority status certificates.

Wanted: Home for shunned HIV orphan

Guwahati, Dec. 23 : A four-year-old HIV-positive girl from Nalbari, who was abandoned by her family after her parents died, has no place to go because orphanages in the state have refused to take her in.

The Assam AIDS Control Society is now looking to Manipur or Calcutta to find her a home because Assam does not have a shelter for HIV-positive orphans.

The child, who was born with the infection, lost her mother to AIDS in October. Her father had died of the disease two years ago.

Her paternal aunts, with whom she was living, abandoned the child who was left without food or shelter with villagers treating her as an untouchable.

A local NGO, Nalbari Barnibari Yuva Sangha, rescued her and handed her to the Indian Network of Positive People (INP+) in Guwahati on December 11.

The State AIDS Control Society has since been looking for a place for her to stay but has drawn a blank.

“We are in contact with officials in Manipur and Calcutta. We have been informed that there is no space in the only orphanage for HIV-positive children in Manipur, but we are trying to contact the Bharukha Welfare Trust head office in Calcutta. The NGO has a care centre in Guwahati but it does not have facilities for HIV-positive orphans. We are taking care of her, but we are struggling to find a care centre for the child,” the additional project officer of the State AIDS Control Society, N.N. Sonowal, said.

Sonowal said the girl is underweight and malnourished and doctors are taking care of her at a community care centre. But this is a temporary arrangement.

According to National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines, the child can stay at the centre for only 15 days, and she has already been there for 10 days.

Jahnavi Goswami, president of the Indian Network of Positive People, said they would extend her stay at the centre but they still needed to find a permanent shelter.

“Very few states in India have facilities for HIV-positive children and many states are facing problems while taking care of such children. We had predicted a similar situation in the state and moved the state government for a special care home for HIV-positive children. A shelter home is being constructed, but it is yet to be ready,” she added.

Goswami was the first woman in the region to declare her HIV-positive status and has been active in HIV/AIDS prevention and care for the past few years.

There are nearly 70 HIV/AIDS positive orphans in the state but they are staying with family members. This is the first case of an HIV-positive orphan being abandoned by family, Goswami said.

In November 2009, Dispur had announced an orphanage dedicated to children whose parents had died of AIDS or who were themselves infected with the virus, but it is not ready yet.

Among other government schemes, the state health department is providing free anti-retroviral treatment facilities for HIV-positive people in three government hospitals.

ULFA, scams, mega dams kept Assam in news in ’10

Durba Ghosh

Guwahati, Dec 22 (PTI) The arrest of top ULFA leaders and their eagerness for talks raised hopes of a negotiated settlement to the decades-long insurgency problem in Assam which witnessed a relatively peaceful year.

The year also saw the government and the opposition often locking horns over issues like scams and mega dams.

Most ULFA leaders, who were nabbed in Bangladesh and handed over to Indian authorities, were soon released by the state as they expressed desire to sit for talks.

The Centre and the state government's approach to the issue was also significant. The Centre appointed former IB Chief P C Haldar as interlocutor for talks with northeastern militants who, thereafter held several rounds of discussions with ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa and other prisoned leaders of the group in the Guwahati Central Jail, where they are lodged, to take the peace process forward.

North Cachar scam less than anticipated: Report

Guwahati December 22

An Assam government internal enquiry report has contradicted the principal AG’s recent special investigation report. The panel had been constituted to look into the swindle of funds in North Cachar (NC) Hills Autonomous Council on November 30.

The state government enquiry report found that the amount of irregularity was lesser in extent than as it was found in the recent special investigation report of the AG.

The state government’s report found the total excess release of fund to the Council was Rs 33.03 lakh, and not Rs 11.46 lakh as had been reported by the AG in the special enquiry report.

“Year wise position (with regard to excess release of fund to the council) comes to Rs 0.39 lakh as against Rs 744.64 lakh as reported by AG for the year 2007-08 and Rs 32.64 lakh as against Rs 401.95 lakh reported by AG for the year 2008-09,” said the state government report.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi had directed the chief secretary to initiate an enquiry into the matter of excess release of Rs 11.46 crore to North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) by the government over the budget provisions; as reported in the inspection report of the principal AG audit, Assam.

The recent special audit report by the AG had testified the financial irregularity and proved that funds in excess of budgetary allocation were sent to the NCHAC in 2007-08 to June 2009.

“During the course of enquiry, the report received from the NCHAC has been scrutinised with the available records namely the budget documents including supplementary demands and the information received from hill areas department and other departments concerned. From the final position emerging out of the enquiry, it appears that instead of Rs 1146.59 lakh excess release as reported by AG audit, the excess release is only Rs 33.03 lakh,” the report said.

The alleged Rs 1,000 crore financial irregularity in NC Hills is fast becoming into a political albatross for the ruling Congress party in Assam. With assembly polls due early next year, the multi-crore scam has heated up the political environment in the state.

The main opposition party, the AGP, has started training its guns at the Congress and had levelled charges that Gogoi was involved in the scam, as he holds the finance portfolio, thus preventing him from taking any action against seven cabinet ministers who too are alleged to be involved in the scam.

Micro finance helping poor in rural Assam

Dispur, Dec.22 : A micro credit scheme is helping people in the rural and interior areas of Assam to reshape their socio-economic conditions by empowering them.

Srimoni Das is an economically independent woman hailing from the Bhoalpara village in Kamrup district of Assam.

Srimoni took a small loan from a Micro Finance institution named ASOMI with which she set up a poultry business.

The business earned her ample money and she is able to support her family that includes her husband and four kids.

Srimoni has now invested her profits in handloom business and bought weaving looms to make the traditional 'Eri Chadars'.

"My family income increased after taking a loan from ASOMI. The loan has turned out to be a great help. Earlier, we had financial problems, but now I am happy and financially sound," said Srimoni.

Primarily, the scheme aims to empower women by providing them with seed money to start their own ventures.

The beneficiary after availing the facility for a pre determined period of time is supposed to pay the principal amount along with a meagre rate of interest to the Micro Finance Institution. There are many MFI's in the northeast region, which disburse loans to the enterprising poor and needy. Both private and public banks support these MFIs.

ASOMI is one such institution that was established in 2002 and has been able to benefit more than 26,546 families in the region since its inception. It operates in the villages through its various programmes such as Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), Enterprise Development Loan, Urban Micro Credit, Dairy Loan and Agriculture Transportation Loan.

"The entire ASOMI plans to reach 2 lakh homes by the year 2012 and it should be a brand name to every home. Apart from the micro finance schemes we also have a dairy plant where we process milk that we procure from our borrowers and sell it under the brand name of ASOMI," said Subra Bharali, chief executive officer, ASOMI.

ASOMI has 54 branches and provides employment to 214 persons. In past the MFI has also won several awards for rendering its services to the rural people.

More Assam areas under Saakshar Mission project

The Union government has sanctioned another seven districts in the state for this programme taking the number to 12 now

Guwahati: The centre has sanctioned another seven districts in Assam for the centre’s flagship program —Saakshar Bharat —taking the total number of districts to 12 for the program.

The Saakshar Bharat program is aimed at 100 per cent literacy of female adults, where 50 per cent or less female adults are non-literates.

Director General of National Literacy Mission Jagmohan Singh Raju here said, “The Saakshar Bharat is one of the 18 flagship programs directly monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office and we want that Assam provide a fillip to the implementation of the projects within the target deadline of March 2012.”

The program is already underway in five districts of Sonitpur, Karbi Anglong, Darrang, Dhemaji and Bongaigaon and would soon begin works in seven other districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Morigaon, Hailakandi, Goalpara and Tinsukia. Singh said the center has already sanctioned Rs 14 crore for the seven districts of the state.

Singh held a meeting with more than 400 representatives and panchayat heads from the 12 districts and reviewed the implementation of the program.

“Female adult literacy is very poor in Dhubri (35%) as per 2001 census and we have asked the state agency to expedite the implementation of Saakshar Mission program. We will take up steps to ensure that the problems being faced by the agencies are tackled as per the norms,” Singh said.

“Literacy of the women is very important because without basic education, we cannot ensure implementation of other important rights
of RTI, RTE and other fundamental rights. In Dhubri district, two-third of adult female is non-literates,” he said.

The Saakshar Bharat program was launched in September 2009 by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 365 districts were included for the program.