Stressing the importance of cooperative credit structure in rural areas, Gogoi said that the government will focus on micro financing to boost the agricultural sector.

The government will start ATM services and core banking network of the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank by February next year. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who is also the Chairman of the bank informed that both the services will be launched in February 15.

Sarma further said that the bank has recovered around Rs 100 crore from different creditors and has succeeded in registering profit of Rs 15 crore upto September in the current financial year. In the last financial year, the bank, Sarma said, had made profit of Rs 6.44 crore.

It needs to be mentioned here that the bank had incurred immense loss almost to the tune of Rs 150 crore in the last two decades and to recover the loss, the government took a major step by clearing most of its pending liabilities to the bank. “The bank is on the path of revival,” said Sarma adding that the deposit ratio of the bank has increased to Rs 1400 crore as of now and it is in a position for major investment.

On the other hand, Chief General Manager (CGM) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) AK Srivastava who was present at the function said that it was a great positive development for the State that the government has come forward to strengthen the cooperative movement. “We expect progress in agriculture and rural credit in the next one or two years,” he said.

Source: Assam Tribune

‘Everything is in place, we are just waiting for the chief minister to recover fully and resume office,’ Lodha told reporters on the sidelines of an interactive session organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi underwent a bypass surgery and another surgery to replace an aortic valve with 70-80 percent blocks in two blood vessels. A 20-member team operated on him earlier this month.

The company would be sourcing limestone from Assam, for which a separate pact would be signed with the Assam Mineral Development Corp, he said. Coal would be sourced from Meghalaya for the project.

Source: IANS

NDTV investigated the scam of illegal check gates in the state and found documentary proof of a well organized extortion racket run by government employees.

In reply to a RTI filed, the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests informed that the state has 32 approved forest check gates.

However, on taking a tour of the city, atleast seven check gates that had no mention in the list were found including one at Khanapara, right below the Chief Minister’s residence.

Another check gate at Lokhra in Garalia in South Guwahati, curiously had the word ‘Checkgate’ replaced by ‘Forest camp’ when camps are ideally inside forest reserves or national parks and not on national highways.

Even though Amulya Mahanta, in charge of the camp, says these temporary shelters are only meant for checking transit passes but money is extorted from every vehicle carrying forest produce without issuing any receipts.

At yet another unlisted check gate in Saraighat Bridge on the Brahmaputra, just outside Guwahati city, money was being collected from every vehicle carrying forest produce. On being asked, the staff refused to explain why they were collecting money and ran away.

Even National Highways Authority of India trucks carrying material for East West Corridor are not spared.

“We have to pay every time we pass by. It’s around 150 rupees,” said a driver.

Sand and stones get away with a hundred and fifty rupees but timber comes at Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 for a truckload. It’s unlikely that such an extortion racket is run without the approval of the highest officers in the department.

Source: NDTV

“In the coming days when these recruits will go in battle field, they can handle very well with the poachers and the anti-elements and definitely they can stop poachers,” said Girish Dutta, commando trainer.

“We will give theoretical, physical training, and also train them in games and sports. After this we will show them all forests of Assam from one corner of Assam to another corner. After the short-term programme, recruits would be given a further year-long training,” said Ritesh Bhatacharjee, the director of Assam Forest School.

Source: ANI

Two motorcycle-borne NDFB ultras came to the house of Madhab Bhatta Rai and called him out from his Kalamati Naharanigaon residence at around 10.30 pm last night.

The insurgents then kidnapped 25-year-old Rai and took him away to an unknown destination, the police said.

An intensivec search operation by police and para-military forces assisted by army intelligence was on to trace him out, the police said.

Source: PTI

“We shall take stern action against teachers for indulging in corporal punishment in schools. No teacher should use the rod or the cane to beat students,” Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters.

He was reacting to an incident Saturday in Lakhimpur district in which nine Class 6 students were beaten up by Chandreswar Miri Baruah, headmaster of Gurudev Middle English School at Bordeori.

The headmaster is absconding.

All the students were admitted to a hospital. The headmaster, allegedly inebriated, beat them as they failed to answer some questions in the class.

“The students came to the hospital with visible injuries on their bodies, clear marks of injuries due to caning,” said Atul Khound, a doctor who examined the students.

The education department has ordered an enquiry into the incident.

“We have asked for a thorough probe. If the headmaster is found guilty, he would face action,” said Loknath Sharma, the district elementary education
officer.

“There were complaints against the headmaster on earlier occasions as well for coming to school drunk. He had given an undertaking not to repeat the same mistake,” Sharma said.

Last week, a Class 6 student became Assam’s first fatality to corporal punishment. The kid was tortured by two teachers for not completing his homework.

Mousam Raj Mahanta, 12, died at a hospital in Guwahati June 7. Doctors said his death was due to septic shock followed by multiple organ failure.

The incident took place at the Saraswati Siksha Niketan, an English medium school, at Mirza on the outskirts of Guwahati.

“We are not going to tolerate such action by any teachers in Assam. Very soon we are coming up with a regulatory authority for private schools,” the chief minister said.

The government in February this year drafted a tough legislation banning corporal punishment in schools with provisions for prosecuting errant teachers, including with termination from service.

The Assam Corporal Punishment for Educational Institutions (Prohibition) Bill is likely to become law next month.

The decision to introduce the bill follows a recent Unicef study that gave Assam schools the dubious distinction of topping the list of Indian schools where corporal punishment and humiliation of students were rampant – 99.56 percent of students in Assam were victim of corporal punishment.

More recently, a Class 8 student in Guwahati attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the second floor of the building alleging he was humiliated for speaking in Assamese inside the school.

Once the bill becomes an act, a teacher could be prosecuted on a criminal charge, suspended from service, and even be sacked if he goes for corporal punishment.

Source: IANS

The six-member citizens’ delegation comprising social activists and intellectuals is in New Delhi.

Citing other important engagements, the proposed meeting had to be postponed.

As for the postponed meeting with the Prime Minister, Hiren Gohain, a key figure of the delegation, noted that they would utilise their stay in the national capital by holding discussions with the Home Minster P. Chidambaram and other important leaders.

“This time we are going to meet leaders of political parties and Home Minister, if he can spare some time,” said Gohain.

The delegation seeks to hold talks about the basic and allied problems faced by the people of Assam, paving the way for restoration of eternal peace in the region.

Apart from Hiren Gohain, the other members of this team are Nirmal Kumar Chowdhury, Dr. Rohini Baruah, Hiranya Bhattacharya, Indibar Deuri and Prof. Khurshed Alam.

“In Assam also I think Paresh Baruah is no position; by itself (he) is no barrier to settlement. He is an individual member of the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) organisation however high ranking, (and) however powerful, he has to work as the member of the central committee and when the central committee takes a decision he cannot go against it unless he wants to leave ULFA and form a separate organisation,” said Hiren Gohain.(ANI)

“He was beaten up for not doing his computer homework. Even the vice principal beat him. He died after the infection aggravated yesterday (Tuesday),” alleged his father Achyut Mahanta

Doctors at the hospital where he was treated say Mousham’s legs bore severe bruises. They have been unable to determine if he had any prexisting medical condition which compounded his injuries. The two accused teachers went missing after angry locals gathered at the school on hearing the news.

Police had to be called in to guard the school building. The school principal has been detained.

“The accused teachers are missing. Principal has been detained for questioning but he is not an accused,” said Mirza Police Station Inspector GK Kalita.

The school administration though is blaming Mousham, saying he was highly irregular in classes.

Assam has banned corporal punishment in schools and the accused teachers can be prosecuted on criminal charges. But even if they are found guilty, it is little consolation for Mousham’s parents who have lost their young son.

Source: CNN-IBN

“The BJP wants Paresh Barua to come for talks or else the problem will linger on”, BJP state unit President Ranjit Dutta told reporters here.

The Assam cabinet on Wednesday last decided to initiate talks process with the banned ULFA irrespective of whether the outfit’s ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua comes for negotitations or not.

Gogoi had on March 23 urged the ULFA leader to come forward for talks if he was ‘really interested’ in solving the problems of the people of the state.

The BJP leader today also urged the state government to resolve boundary disputes with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland which had resulted in loss of several bighas of the state’s land.

He criticised the ruling Congress government for failing on all fronts with the party planning to organise protest meetings throughout the state during June and July.

“Several Congress and AGP members, including some MLAs have expressed their desire to join the BJP and we are examining the options, he added.

Referring to the existing AGP-BJP alliance in the state, Dutta said they were exploring the option of continuing with it for the forthcoming assembly polls scheduled next year though the party was looking forward to strengthen its base in 80 of the 126 constituencies of the state.

Source: Times of India

‘I have spoken to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and finalised the date for discussions on the boundary dispute,’ Sangma told reporters.

He said he has also spoken to Home Minister P. Chidambaram and updated him on the latest development on the boundary dispute.

The Meghalaya chief minister rang up Gogoi after Assam officials had forcefully occupied a health sub-centre at Psiar village, which is under the jurisdiction of Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district.

‘I also took up the issue (Assam encroachment in Jaintia Hills district) with Gogoi and the Assam officials have vacated the centre this afternoon,’ Sangma said.

Sangma said he has suggested to Gogoi to facilitate a meeting between the district administrations of Jaintia Hills and Karbi Anglong to instill confidence among the people living in the border area and to help rid them of the mistrust that has cropped up.

Asked what would be the reason behind Assam’s aggressive encroachment on Meghalaya land, the chief minister said his government’s priority is to solve the border issue with sincerity.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of Social Organisations (JACSO) of Jaintia Hills Tuesday asked Sangma to immediately set up permanent police outposts at Psiar, Mukroh and Khanduli with maximum strength in the wake of the ongoing encroachment by Assam.

On May 14, four Khasi people were killed and several injured in firing triggered by Assam Police personnel at Langpih village.

Langpih, a village on Meghalaya-Assam border, has been a bone of contention between the two neighbouring states.

A committee headed by the chief secretaries of both states has been formed to amicably resolve the boundary issue.

Source: IANS