ASSAM

The Assam government andSpices Boardhas joined hands to develop in the spices sector in the state.

Chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmainaugurated the International Buyer Seller Meet and Spices Conclave (IBSM) organised by Spices Board.

The CM said, The government of Assam and spices board will establish a quality evaluation laboratory and training centre for spices in Guwahati for further developing the spice Industry in the region.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF) discovered a few tigers in Assam’s Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of Assam’s smallest WS (Wildlife Sanctuary).

About the Sanctuary:

It is located in the northern Assam districts of Baksa and Udalguri, bordering Bhutan,
It is bounded to the west and east by the Barnadi and Nalapara rivers, respectively.
Barnadi was created specifically to protect the Pygmy Hog (Sus salvanius) and Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus).
Approximately 60% of the BWS is reported to be Grassland, with the majority of it now being grassy woodland.
The main forest types are tropical moist deciduous (northern edge of the Sanctuary) and mixed scrub and grassland (southern part).
Commercial plantations of Bombax ceiba, Tectona grandis, and Eucalyptus, as well as thatch , have replaced the majority of the natural vegetation.

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for two national highway (NH) projects in Assam.

The minister also inaugurated two NH projects in the northeastern state. The total cost of all the four projects is about Rs 1,450 crore.

Gadkari virtually laid the foundation stone for the construction 4-lane Mangaldai Bypass (15 km) on NH 15 at a project cost of 535 crore, and the construction of a 13 km four-lane Daboka-Parakhuwa stretch on NH 29 worth Rs 517 crore.

It is the direction of the Prime Minister to give priority to the development of road and projects in Assam and the entire northeast. In this regard, agencies have been created to undertake road and infra projects in the northeastern states to provide them with better connectivity throughout the year, he said.

CMHimanta Biswa Sarmahas advocated a return to natural or as the way forward for a healthier planet.

Addressing the Natural Farming Conclave,Sarmasaid, Though modern Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture practices give high yields, they lead to depletion of Soil quality as well as the Environment.

He said the State Government is trying to increase agriculture produce and help double farmers income through natural farming. Exhorting farmers to return to natural farming, he said they should make it a jan andolan (mass movement) and turnAssaminto a model state for natural farming. It is the way forward towards Health and wealth, he added.

Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon will be conferred the Bhupen Hazarika Award 2023 by Beltola Bohagi Utsav Samiti during the Beltola Bohagi Utsav 2023 celebrations.

Raveena Tandon was closely associated with Bhupen Hazarika. She played the protagonist in Kalpana Lajmis film Daman in 2001. Raveen played the role of Durga Saikia which brought her the national award for best actress. Bhupen Hazarika composed the music for the film.

Article 244(A) of the Constitution allows the establishment of “autonomous states” in certain tribal areas of Assam.

The Congress government inserted it into the Constitution in 1969.

It also includes the provisions of the legislature and the Council of Ministers.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution (Articles 244(2) and 275(1)) is a special provision that allows the implementation of decentralized and greater Governance in certain tribal areas in the northeast through autonomous councils managed by elected representatives. If we talk about Assam, then Karbi Anglong, West Karbi, Dima Hasao and the mountainous areas of the Bodo territories are all within the provisions of the sixth schedule.

On the other hand, Article 244(A) provides more autonomous power for tribal areas.

Assamwill attempt a shot at Guinness World Records for the “largestBihu dancein a single venue” by over 11,000 participants on April 14 here with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The will also invite governors and CMs of all states and all the ambassadors and high commissioners of the G20 countries and Southeast Asian nations in India to witness the spectacular programme, Sarma said.

The event will be held atSarusajai Athletics Stadiumhere on the first day of theAssamese New Yearand the start of the seven-day-longBohag Bihu festivities.

The state assembly was informed on Thursday by the government that since 2006, about 97 elephants have been sent outside of the state. Most of these elephants were sent for religious activities and many over-stayed there even after the completion of the lease period.

Replying to a question by Nazira MLA and leader of the opposition, Debabrata Saikia, state forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary informed the state assembly that all these are domestic elephants and were transported with permission from the state forest department. The elephants were transported to states across the country including Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Nadu and Karnataka.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative,Assamwill conduct aleopardcensus in the non-protected forest areas from Tuesday and the exercise will continue for the next six months.

North Kamrup Forest Division has taken the initiative and will cover an area of 100 sq km, which will include the leopard-dense areas such as Sila Reserve Forest Changsari, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education And Research (NIPER) campus and All India Institute of Medical Science (Aiims) campus in Amingaon in Kamrup district.

He added that the counting would be done through the camera-trapping method. As many as 50 cameras would be installed in the identified areas for six months. “However, we will get a figure about the leopard Population within two months. But we will keep the cameras installed for six months for a better monitoring. Data from each camera will be extracted every seven days. The census will help us get data on leopard population outside the ,” he added.