ASSAM

A United Nations Development Program (UNDP), India report has recommended GoalMart, an E-Commerce initiative inAssams Goalpara district, for countries where regional disparities in the development status persist.

The report, which was handed over by UNDP India resident representative, Shoko Noda, to vice-chairman,Rajiv Kumar, and CEO Amitabh Kant on Friday, captures the progress of the Aspirational Districts Programme launched in 2018.

GoalMart has been an initiative of the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) and District Administration to promote rural, ethnic and agrarian products of the district in national and global markets. Known for its farm fresh organic agro products, rice and leafy vegetables, the portal was helpful during the pandemic for the procurement of household produce.

Inhabited mostly by tribals and minority communities, Goalpara is one of the seven aspirational districts of the state. Prime MinisterNarendra Modiand chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmalauded the best practices of the aspirational districts that have been selected in the UNDP report.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarmaon Monday said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA) is likely to be completely withdrawn from the state by the year-end as the situation in the state is constantly improving.
The controversial act is in force in eight districts-Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and one sub-division, Lakhipur of Cachar district bordering Manipur. The had withdrawn the act from 23 districts and one sub-division from April 1 last year.

On November 27, 1990, the entire state was declared disturbed area and was brought under AFSPA. Since then, it has been extended seven times. In September 2017, the Centre delegated the power toAssamas well as Manipur to impose or withdraw AFSPA from their respective states.
Elsewhere in the region, AFSPA is no longer in force in Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Barring three districts, the act is not in force in Arunachal Pradesh and in areas under 15 Police stations each in Manipur and Nagaland.

The Assam government said it will provide free power to all the new Oxygen Plants that are coming up in the state.

In a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a number of decisions were taken in view of the rising Covid-19 cases and availability of medical oxygen.

If any new oxygen plant is set up, the will provide 100 per cent free power supply. For reviving closed oxygen plants, 100 per cent free power will be provided.

The methodology has changed in tiger count compared to 2018 when indirect evidence, without camera trap, was also considered. The estimated figure in NEHBPL was 219 in 2018. The estimated big cat Population in NEHBPL increased considerably from 100, detected in 2006. The maximum-minimum range of tigers in NEHBPL was 194 and 244 respectively in 2018.

According to “Status of Tigers in India-2018” report NEHBPL counted 219 tigers, which was an increase of 18 tigers from the 2014 figure of 201 tigers. NEHBPL spans the landscapes ofAssam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and the contiguous forests of north West Bengal.
Nevertheless, considering the Growth of tiger population over the years, NEHBPL is one of the three zones alongwith Shivalik & Gangetic floodplain and Central India where tiger population has shown substantial rise, read the report. “There may be an estimated decline compared to the last survey, but since 2010, it has been a substantial rise from 2006 – it’s almost doubled,” said Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, acclaimed wildlife expert, who was present at the event.

Overall, Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains Landscape has 804 camera trapped tigers, while landscape-wise Central Indian Highlands & Eastern Ghats Landscape has the highest 1,161 individual tigers photo captured.

Assam’sper capita debt burdenat the close of the last financial year 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 26,771 while the per capita income has been pegged at Rs 1,02,965 (by quick estimate), state finance minister Ajanta Neog informed the assembly.

Quoting reports from the statedirectorate of economics and statistics, Neog stated that the state’s per capita income according to quick estimates was Rs 1,02,965 andGDPRs 4,12,162 crore registering a Growth rate of over 16% in 2021-22.
The minister said in last three financial years, the availed a total loan of Rs 17,148 crore during the last financial year from several sources for various purposes.

During 2021-22, the state government has taken Rs 12,753 crore from market borrowings for development work, another loan of Rs 1,385.94 crore has been taken for developing rural Infrastructure from financial institutions, central loans of Rs 157.34 crore for implementing development schemes and Rs 600 crore for implementing capital schemes and Rs 2252.10 crore from state provident fund for development and welfare projects.

Gulab Chand Kataria takes oath as the Governor of Assam. 78-year-old Kataria was sworn in as the 31st governor of Assam at Srimanta Kalakshetra in Guwahati. Kataria, a resident of Udaipur in Rajasthan, would succeed professor Jagdish Mukhi, who demitted office on February 19 after completing his term. Earlier, Kataria had served as the Home Minister of Rajasthan and a leader of opposition in the State Assembly there.

State Govt./ UT Administration set up such centre/camps as per Model Detention Centre/Holding centre/Camp Manual 2019. No data in respect of such centres/camps is maintained centrally, he said in a written reply. But Rai stated that the Union Home ministry has since allocated a total of Rs 69 crore for FTs in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
All FTs in the country are in Assam and as per the , the total number of FTs currently operating in Assam is 100. The total cases pending in these FTs as on 31.12.2021 is 1,23,829. The total number of people declared as foreigners as on 31.12.2021 is 1,43,466. The total number of people declared as Indian as on 31.12.2021 is 1,21,598.

Assams total tea production witnessed a plunge of nearly 8% last year as compared to 2019 for the period of January to November. The states tea production in 2020 was hit by the Covid-19 lockdown, and hence not taken into account by the tea . For the period of January to November, the total tea production in 2021 was 641.23 million kg as against 593.58 million kg in 2020 and 693.62 million kg in 2019.

Significantly, Assams tea production for the entire year of 2019 was 716.49 million kg, which constituted 51.54% of the countrys total production of 1,390.08 million kg. In 2020, due to the Covid lockdown, Assams total tea production declined to 618.20 million kg, which was about 100 million kg less compared to 2019. The countrys total tea production was 1,257.53 million kg that year.