ASSAM

Assam to use drones to keep tabs on Covid-rule violators

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For the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19 inAssam, the will be using drones to keep tabs on those defying guidelines in areas where cases are surging.
Amid fears that the pandemic might last beyond 2021 and the threat of a third wave looming large, chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmaon Sunday asked district authorities and the Police to conduct monitoring through drones to identify places where people are coming out in large numbers, violating Covid restrictions.

In a review meeting, carried out virtually, with authorities of nine districts, Sarma directed them to extensively move around the districts to ensure strict enforcement of Covid protocols and allot sector-wise responsibility to magistrates to monitor violations.

Assam needs to integrate rivers into citys master plan

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Assamneeds to move from making static master plans to strategic master plans for cities considering the rivers or water bodies as focal points in the planning process, director ofthe NationalInstitute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) HiteshVaidyasaid

Speaking at a training programme for urban planners on making river-sensitive master plans, Vaidya said non-strategic master plans have turned the five rivulets in Guwahati into sewage channels. Therefore, there is a need for action-oriented and strategic master plans for the cities so that the rivers can be covered.

It must be mentioned that Guwahati has five important rivulets and all of them are dying due to rapid encroachments and indiscriminate waste disposal. As many as 54 out of the 104 in the state have master plans but all are in the draft stage. Vaidya said, The plans implemented to date remained ineffective for some reasons. The demography as well as Geography have changed over the decades. Encroachment and lack of scientifically separate sewage channels have been stumbling blocks.

Assam body to go for Muslim census

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The Janagosthiya Samannay Parishad, an umbrella body of 21 indigenous Muslim organizations in Assam, will begin acensusto identify the states khilonjiya or indigenous Muslim Population to re-establish theseparate identityof these communities, which has been threatened of late.

Thestate governmenthad announced that it will conduct the census and state budget allocated welfare funds of Rs 100 crore to establish a development corporation for theindigenousMuslims.

The Assam government last year on February 6 announced a meeting with representatives of indigenous Muslim communities Goria, Moria, Ujani, Deshi, Jola, Maimal, Syed, etc. to discuss the implementation of socio-economic census of indigenous Muslims. Awal said there are 40 lakh indigenous Muslims in the state. According to Census 2011, Muslims constitute 34.22% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam.

AssamCM Himanta BiswaSarmasaid the state andMeghalayahave an agrement to maintain status quo on the border till the disputes are resolved and cautioned the neighbouring government that any of its action violating the constitutional boundary of Assam will not have legal validity.

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Sarmas statement has come after Meghalaya cabinet on Tuesday approved setting up of seven Police outposts inWest Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills,Ri Bhoiand East Jaintia Hills districts along the inter-state boundary with Assam.

Assam and Meghalaya have a constitutional boundary and maps are available to both state governments. I am sure Meghalaya government will not do anything within the constitutional boundary of the state of Assam.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma keeps his word, announces loan waiver for debt-ridden women

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Assam chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmakept his poll promise of coming up with a grand loan waiver scheme for the microfinancedebt-ridden Women.

Sarma on Sunday launched the Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme, 2021 at Tezpur in northern Assam, under which 24 lakhdebt-riddenwomen in the state will be given financial relief.

They will be given upto Rs 25,000 or outstanding balance, whichever is less,” said Sarma. Simultaneously, he said those women who could not repay the loans at all will have to apply for a waiver through a portal. Sarma said the number of such women will be 12 lakh.

Central Government Giving Top Priority to Mineral Exploration & Development of Northeast, Says Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi

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Ministry of Mines is making continuous efforts to encourage mining activities pan India. Accordingly, to further encourage exploration activities in the mineral rich North East region, the first Northeast Geology & Mining Ministers Conclave was held on today at Niathu Resort, Chumukedima, Dimapur, Nagaland.

In the event, North-East Mines and Coal Ministers committee put forward their concerns and demands before the Union Minister of Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi. Addressing the same, Shri Pralhad Joshi said that the North East region has been accorded top priority for development under the Prime Ministers agenda of transforming India. North-Eastern Region is the focus point of India’s ‘Act East Policy’.

Geological Survey of India (GSI) has taken up 108 projects in NER on different mineral commodities during the last five years and 23 mineral exploration projects on various commodities in NER in current field season 2022-23. The Government is also funding projects through National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET), Shri Joshi added. Two mineral exploration projects of limestone & Iron Ore of Nagaland funded by NMET have been already completed. NMET is also providing financial assistance for procurement of machinery/ laboratory equipment/ instruments etc. to State DGMs upto 10% of the total approved exploration projects in year.

Dholpur eviction ploy to encroach minority land

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An anti-displacement team of scholars from JNU andDelhi University, which visitedDholpurin Darrang district where a massive eviction drive in September had left hundreds of people homeless, said on Tuesday that the evicted minorities have become stateless within the state.

The Assam government has started a state Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture project in the Dholpur area involving local youths, but not the 1,000 odd evicted Muslim families who are now taking shelter in makeshift camps near the Brahmaputra.

The Brahmaputra and its tributaries have led to the erosion of vast tracts of land in different parts of the state resulting in forced voluntary internal Migration of the people within the state. The displaced Muslim farmers have found some solace in Dholpur.

Remove the Name of Rajiv Gandhi from National Park – Assam

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The Assam cabinet has decided to take away the identity of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi from the Orang .

Highlights:

Since the title Orang is related to the sentiments of the Adivasi & tea-tribe community, the cabinet has planned to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as Orang National Park. Orang National Park is situated the North Bank of Brahmaputra; Orang National Park, spread over 78.80 sq km, is the oldest wooded area reserve. It was recognized as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park in 1999.

: Amid the hostile situation on its southern front withMizoram,Assamsigned an agreement on Saturday withNagalandto end the standoff on its eastern front, both agreeing to withdraw each others police forces and instead use UAVs and satellite imagery to keep a watch on incursions across the disputed boundary between the states and maintain the status quo.

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The agreement was signed in the presence of Nagaland deputy CM Y Patton and Assam Education minister Ranoj Pegu. Thesuperintendents of Police of thedistricts of Mokokchung (Nagaland) and Jorhat (Assam) shall ensure orderly withdrawal of their respective forces and shall be responsible for it in the instant case.

Assam and Nagaland share a 434-km border. The boundary dispute between the two states is more than six decades old and has been marked by frequent skirmishes. In the last major clash, in 1985 at Merapani, 41 people, including 28 Assam policemen, were killed. There have been several attempts by the Centre to resolve the issue.

Introduce kids to sanatan culture, yoga and Gita, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

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Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said learningyogafrom a tender age can play a role in preventing youths from becoming victims of ‘love jihad’. He was speaking at an event organised in Dhubri on Wednesday to markInternational Day.

Amid concerns among minority representatives regarding their fate after the release of the delimitation draft by the EC, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma reached Dhubri, where Muslims have been playing a determining role in Elections. The opposition parties have alleged that the redrawing of the constituency was done to concentrate minority votes in “limited seats”.

There is only one solution – introduce children to sanatan culture from a young age, impart them lessons in yoga, and discuss holy books like theGitadaily. Our youths will never get misled. Considering the geographical location of Dhubri (close to Bangladesh border), the natives should practice yoga and imbibe the gyan and the noble qualities of sanatan culture, and preach the same to the younger generation,” he added.