ASSAM

After being hit hard by Covid-induced lockdowns last year, Assams tea is reeling from rainfall deficit this year, and as a result tea production till May is projected to drop by about 60 million kg as compared to the same period in 2019.

Adviser of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) Bidyananda Barkakoty said, 2021 has been an unusual year so far for the Assam tea industry as far as tea production is concerned.

A study has been carried out to assess crop losses due to the impact of prolonged drought-like situation. This study has also considered the rainfall received in the last few days.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the Geographical Indication Registration Certificate for Asomiya Gamosa.

The GI Registration is for eight Gamosa, namely Uka or Xadharan Gamosa, Phulam Gamosa, Bihuwan, Tiani or Pani Gamosa, Anakata Gamosa, Telos Gamosa, Dora Boron or Jor Gamosa, and Gossain Gamosa.

After the GI Registration, others are not allowed to make or market the product. The registration is a legal acknowledgment of the goods for a certain geographic area or territory. Millions of weavers in the state will be protected due to the GI Tag.

Microplastics — plastic pieces smaller than one-fifth of an inch — are now found in almost all Oceans and marine animals. What’s worse, sea salt has been found to have considerable amounts of microplastic.

The researchers claimed that while there have been many studies to identify and quantify microplastics in various food products, including salt, there have been fewer attempts at finding ways to remove them.

Hollow fibre membranes are already used extensively in daily life applications such as RO pre-treatment, industrial water or waste water, juice processing, and other biotech applications, including in dialysis membranes used for kidney ailments.

Announcements were made for funds for promoting micro- and fresh recruitments in different departments inAssam, during budget presentation. State finance ministerAjanta Neogpresented the budget.

The finance minister said the government will invest Rs 5,000 crore to “transform” over 2 lakh unemployed youths into job creators.

Thus, the estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs 660.96 crore, Neog said.
“This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 1,596.19 crore will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 935.23 crore at the end of the year 2023-24,” she added.
Neog said the GSDP is estimated to grow to Rs 5.5 lakh crore during the next financial year from Rs 3.93 lakh crore in 2021-22.

Days after the Gauhati observed that the crackdown on child marriages in Assam created “havoc in the private life of people”, a cross-section of Society on Sunday appealed to the State Government to look at it from a humane angle and focus more on creating awareness to end the social evil. With the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government stating that the ongoing drive against child marriages will be intensified, the opposition termed the exercise as a “political stunt” with a “communal design”.

The state cabinet recently approved a proposal to book men who have married girls below 14 years of age under the POCSO Act, 2012. Cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will be registered against those who have married girls in the age group of 14-18, the cabinet had decided.

Being a culturally diverse country, India is also considered to be the land of festivals. Rightfully so, when a particular event is celebrated in various forms and has imbibed itself into the local tradition.

Magh is celebrated in the Assamese month of Magh (i.e., mid-January). The celebrations start on the last day of the month of ‘pooh’ in the Assamese calendar and the celebrations continue for about a week. This marks the time when the winter ends. It is also called Domahi or the convergence of two months. This day is considered auspicious in the Hindu lunar year and is known as Makar Sankranti, i.e., the day when the sun begins its northward journey or Uttarayan. This day is also marked by worshiping the sun in various parts of the country in the form of different festivals such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab and Uttarayan in Gujarat.

As an agrarian country, the harvest season is celebrated at different times throughout the year, owing to the diversity in Climate and differences in the staple crop of the region.

The first yield of the new crops is the joyful time of the year and is widely celebrated by farmers throughout the country. Moreover, the celebrations do not remain confined to the rural areas and are also celebrated by the urban populace, albeit in different ways.

Magh or Bhogali Bihu

Well known as the ‘festival of feast’, the Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu is celebrated by the people of Assam with the spirit of harmony and togetherness. Following the harvest, the Bhoral (granaries) are filled with surplus food and the idea is to thank the gods for the blessing of a good harvest. Community feasts are organised and various forms of Jolpan (sweets and savouries) are prepared.

The festival begins with Uruka or the Bihu Eve. While Women prepare food items like- Chira, Pitha, Laru, Curd for the following day of celebrations, the men folks remain engaged in preparing makeshift huts or Bhelaghar, which are built using bamboo, leaves and thatch.

A bonfire known as Meji is lit early in the morning of Bihu and prayers are offered to the gods. Later the huts are burned down and people immerse in the festive mood by taking blessings from their elders, feasting and playing traditional games.

The main highlight of the festival is the various delicacies being prepared, Pithas being quintessential which are made of rice powder. Rice is the staple food of the region and Pithas are being prepared with sesame, jaggery and Coconut.

Chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmaexpressed hope thatAssamwill achieve 13% state GDP (SGDP) Growth this year, with the states economy becoming more vibrant with significant decline in bandhs and agitations. We have achieved a high growth trajectory in Assam.

In the last fiscal, our state GDP (SGDP) growth was around 12.66% and this year too, we are aiming to achieve the target of 12% to 13%. This is unique in the entire country.

He added that Assam has achieved a milestone in the preceding year by becoming a state, which is no longer a dependent state on the Centre for paying salaries to its employees. He credited organisations for shunning bandhs and protests for the conducive created for the growth story.

Sarma said of the Rs 2,500 crore that Assam receives from the Union Government, except for Rs 900 crore that is being spent for payment of pension, the rest Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400 is being spent on development projects. He said Assam has registered rapid growth of 26% in tax collection.

A month after the Dholpur eviction inAssam’s Darrang district, the Hojai District Administration evicted around 550 out of 670 total families, who had allegedly encroached around 500 hectares of land in the Lumding reserve forest.

The evicted families belonging to Garo, Chakma and Muslim communities were living in the forest land growing ginger and turmeric since 2011-12. The people used to produce turmeric worth around Rs 25 crore a year.