Shourie rules out in OIL divestment

Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie has categorically assured that Government of India would not go for disinvestments of the Oil India Limited. In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha recently, the Minister assured that all the non-strategic PSUs, irrespective of whether these are profit making or loss making, would be disinvested. But at the same time, he assured that the OIL India, Indian Oil Company, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Gas Authority of India Limited would not be disinvested.

Lapang opens power station at Byrnihat 

In an effort to fulfill the national norms that 100% villages should be electrified by 2007 a power sub station of the MeSEB was inaugurated by the Meghalaya Chief Minister at Byrnihat in Re-Boi district recently. The 13332 KV power sation has been set up to meet the power requirement of the nearby villages and the Export Promotion Industrial park at Byrnihat. Lauding the efforts of the MeSEB Chief Minister D. D. Lapang while inaugurating the sub station said ‘thanks to MeSEB for working out strategies to upgrade the power supply set up in the State of Meghalaya’. The Chief Minister said that the industries in the area would be the most benefited from the sub station in terms of power supply together with the villagers. He urged the management of the industries to judiciously use the power supply. The sub station has a vast potential for power generation and if the resource is properly tapped, Meghalaya would be having surplus power supply, the CM added.

NE MPs plea to retain Bangkok flight

The North-East MPs’ Forum  has pleaded with the Civil Aviation Ministry not to withdraw operations by Air India, which is operating the lone international flight connecting Guwahati with Bangkok. Reacting to reports that Air India was planning to withdraw from the region, the forum has argued that Guwahati may not offer  lucrative revenue right now but the potential is vast, which has not been explored properly and adequately. In a letter to Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the forum said the proposed winding       up of the international flight operation will be a setback to the people of the North-East and will only add to a sense of isolation felt by the people of North-East. The MP has also decried the delay in starting cargo operations from Guwahati airport. Guwahati has vast cargo potential including items like tea, agar, silk handicrafts, and floriculture. In fact, since cargo facilities are not available at Guwahati, all the cargo is routed throug

Bijoya condemns grenade attack

Union Minister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakravarty has strongly condemned the bomb blast in the Athgaon locality of Guwahati. She visited the injured persons, in the GMCH. She has appealed to the State Government to establish law and order to ensure security and safety of the common people.

Refinery staffs donate to CM Relief Fund

The employees of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Guwahati Refinery have donated their one-day’s salary amounting to Rs 5.26 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund recently. This is in addition to the Rs 25 lakh donated by Indian Oil Corporation to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund earlier. J. P. Guharay, General Manager, Guwahati Refinery accompanied by S. P. Bordoloi, DGM (HR), Biren Kalita, general secretary, Refinery Workers Union, Jogen Ch Das, working president, Refinery Workers Union along with Nayan Baruah, central executive committee member of Indian Oil Officer Association, formally handed over the cheque to the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, at the Janata Bhawan.

Electricity from grinding mills in Arunachal

It was a memorable day for the remote villagers of Singbir, in Arunachal Pradesh, as electricity was connected to the village, thanks to the efforts of the Assam Rifle. The personnel of 26 Assam Rifles had constructed a large number of hydel grinding mills in the Menchukha circle and started generating electricity with the help of a Dehradun-based NGO ‘HESCO’. Lauding the efforts of the force, senior officials of the State said the Assam Rifles had shown way as the project has not only electrified the village but also generated employment avenues.

Tea official shot

K K Upadhyaya, mahari of Dwarika Agarwala tea estate under Lekhapani police station of Tinsukia district was shot dead by unknown miscreants. 

Jacob calls for review of police methods 

Meghalaya Governor M M Jacob called for review of ‘traditional’ police strategies and methods so as to enable them to fight the growing militancy in the North-Eastern states. He cautioned, “Jehadi terrorist outfits were now using neighbouring countries to launch operations not only in the North East but also other parts of the country”. They have succeeded in doing so by forging greater coordination and cooperation amongst various militant outfits, he observed. The Governor was addressing the closing session of the 17th annual conference of the North East DGPs and IGs of para-military forces. 

Contract signed with Mumbai firm for Games  

In a significant move the Government of Assam signed the contract with M/S Stup Consultant Private Limited for consultancy services for   Project Management/Architectural and Design Services for the 33rd National Games, which will be hosted by the State in 2005. The Mumbai-based farm will look after the entire framework of the project. They will design all the infrastructures to be set up for the National Games. The State Government has to pay 3.5 per cent of the total amount of construction expenditure for the entire infrastructures. The contract was signed by C G Malkani, chief consultant on behalf of the farm and A K Abser Hazarika, Officer on Special Duty for National Games and Dhrubajyoti Hazarika, Director of Sports signed for the State Government in presence of Sports Minister Robin Bordoloi.

Rs 590 cr for Manipur plan

The Annual Plan allocation  for 2003-04 for Manipur was fixed at Rs 590 crore. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, who is also in charge of Finance, had requested the Centre for Rs 603 crore. In the last financial year Rs 550 crore was given. Manipur will get another Rs 140 crore as Special Assistance Scheme. After meeting with Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission K. C. Pant, the Chief Minister also  met Home Minister L K  Advani. It is believed that they discussed law and order problems, siphoning off of developmental funds to the armed insurgents. The issue of suspicious provisional census report 2001 was also discussed.

IGNOU to set up centre at AAU

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has recently made a proposal to establish a multipurpose Community Work Centre (CWC) in the Jorhat campus of Assam Agricultural University. The Centre would provide training to different categories of people in the areas of beekeeping, mushroom cultivation,   tailoring, sericulture and mulberry plantation etc. This is a part of the IGNOU scheme to set up one multipurpose CWC in each State, and it has identified  the main campus of AAU at Jorhat as most convenient for opening such a centre in Assam. The process is now on to develop a detailed  project by AAU for establishing the centre soon  so that it can promote self-employment among the youth through effective training in the identified areas.

UDF Govt fostering corruption: Mithi

Former Chief Minister Mukut Mithi has urged Governor V C Pandey to take steps against the United Democratic Front (UDF) government for its “gross mal-practices and misuse of development fund.” In a letter, Mr Mithi said that the present government had flouted all norms and ethics while transfering and posting group ‘A’ and ‘B’ officers particularly of Public Works Department by charging Rs two lakh to Rs 10 lakh for each field posting. He alleged that the practice was “not only demoralising government servants but also forcing them to adopt corrupt practices resulting into gross misuse of government funds earmarked for development.”

New Chairman of MHRC

Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Justice W. A. Shishak took over as Chairman of the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC). The Commission would examine in details every case about human rights violation, Justice Shishak said after taking over. He also sought cooperation of the people and media to help MHRC function in a more effective way. He would hold the post of MHRC’s Chairman for five years.

Rifle recovered at Panikheti

Police recovered a rifle, which was swept away by flash floods at Panikheti BOP on the Assam-Nagaland border. Heavy rains on the Naga Hills created flash floods in the bordering areas. The gushing waters swept away the rifle from the guard who was on duty at the BOP at that time.

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