North East - Developments & Debate

[Oracle]

Demand for review of Bodo Accord
Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 2 – Several organisations including the O-Boro (non-Boro) Surakshya Samiti, today told Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that formation of the BTC under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution was a Himalayan blunder.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister at his office chamber here, these organisations also placed the demand for reviewing the Bodo Accord and evolving an alternative to the Bodo autonomy issue.

The organisations explained in detail as to how the 2003 Bodo Accord has created a favourable condition for permanent ethnic clashes in Lower Assam districts and the Chief Minister talked to the delegation of the organisations for about 45 minutes.

The members of the delegation told the Chief Minister that permanent peace could not be established in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) areas through mere administrative measures and speeches of the political leaders. Because, the Bodo Accord has provided political encouragement to the Bodo chauvinist forces to launch ethnic cleansing drives.

The Accord was signed without taking into confidence the people of the other ethnic groups living in the BTAD areas, said the delegation members. They also told the Chief Minister that the inmates of the relief camps have been facing inhuman condition.

The delegation included Jogesh Kalita, Purnakanta Mahanta, Nagen Deka and Dilowar Islam of the O-Boro Surakshya Samiti, Dibyajyoti Barua, Kalidas Baishya and Saddam Hussain of the Sachetan Gana Mancha, Brajen Mahanta of the Janagosthiya Sangram Samiti and former URMCA president Hareswar Barman, said a press release here.

AT

 

[Oracle]

17 injured as police cane mob at Borkhola PS
Correspondent
SILCHAR, Aug 2 – Atleast 17 people, including two police personnel were injured after police lathicharge on a mob after they ghareaod the Borkhola Police Station demanding the whereabouts of one Muslim Uddin, a businessman of Balachara tea garden area. Police also recovered 25 batons and three knives.

According to sources, one Muslim Uddin was missing from Borkhola area from July 28 night which resulted in tense situation in the area. People of the nearby area gathered at the Borkhola PS on July 29 to enquire about the whereabouts of the missing person and investigation done by the police. Later, heated argument took place at the police station following which police had to resort to lathicharge to bring the situation under control.

Sources said that Muslim Uddin went to Durgapur on business purpose and before his disapperance he had talked with his family members and said he was in Borkhola market. After the phone call he went missing and the family members did not receive any call. The matter was informed to the officials of Borkhola Police Station, but they did not respond.

Finding no other options, the local public gathered at the police station and also raised the issue of Gaouri Malakar, who was brutally killed in Borkhola where the police allegedly failed to take necessary steps.

Later, NK Das, officer in-charge of Borkhola Police Station said that some people from the gathering came to the police station with an evil intention. The main motive of those persons was to create trouble in the police station so that panic ky situation prevails in the area. The missing case is under investigation and public has to cooperate with the police in tracing him out, the official said.

AT

 

[Oracle]

Lack of contractors hitting northeast projects: ADB

Shillong, Aug 9 (IANS): The biggest hurdle in implementing infrastructure projects in the northeastern States is the lack of competent contractors, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official said on Wednesday.

"One of the biggest challenges for the region is to attract big construction companies to complete the projects within a time-frame," Hun Kim, ADB's country director for India, said.

The bank is funding the Northeast Capital Cities Development Investment Programme in Agartala, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok and Shillong. The $200,000 project was sanctioned in 2009.

In Assam, the bank has funded close to $1 billion. One of the projects is Assam's Power Sector Enhancement Investment Programme (facility concept), where the bank approved $200,000 in 2009.

Hun was here to discuss issues and challenges in developing and executing infrastructure of projects in the landlocked region.

The meeting was also attended by officials of the central government, states, World Bank, International Finance Corporation and International Fund for Agricultural Development.

"We need competent contractors. But because of the geographical location of the region and distance, it is difficult to attract competent contractors to the region," Hun said.

Moreover, he said factors such as the hostile terrain and scarcity of human resources and contribution of the states towards the projects were some of the other challenges.

However, he said multilateral developmental agencies, including the ADB, were constantly trying to build capacity of the project states to help bring in competent contractors for the ongoing projects.

He said externally-aided projects was a new phenomenon for the region and only during the past five years, multilateral developmental agencies entered the region largely with the assistance of the central government.

Hun said that once the region's infrastructure was developed, it would help build a favourable investment climate, which would eventually lead to overall development of the region.

 

[Oracle]

/\/\/\ Why would private companies send their resources to a region infested with 25 terrorist groups, get kidnapped, pay extortion money? Our leaders can't see that it is terrorism that is hindering the development of the region. There seems to be no urgency in settling the decade old issues.

The part in bold - I don't see the effects on the ground. Barak Valley has as many as 13 hrs of power cuts everyday, and I'm talking about towns, not villages.

 

[Oracle]

Law needed on rainwater harvesting
AJIT PATOWARY
GUWAHATI, Aug 8 – Guwahati needs a stringent legislation for rainwater harvesting to save it from rain-caused flash flood. In this respect the city should emulate the example of the Chennai city.

This observation was made by noted drainage and sanitation expert Dr Binoy Kumar Das. He was speaking to The Assam Tribune.

Dr Das, who was one of the key persons in preparing the 1971 drainage master plan of Guwahati, also called for sincere steps to implement the said legislation in letter and spirit. There should be a strong determination at the highest level of the administration, he said.

The amount of rainwater which cannot be harvested should be channelized for recharge of the groundwater table.

These steps will not only save Guwahati from flash flood but will also strengthen its groundwater table and will thus improve the drinking water availability position in the city, which is getting its groundwater table sinking at a fast rate due to reckless exploitation of groundwater.

The Tamil Nadu Government has demonstrated the political will to enact a piece of legislation for harvesting rainwater in Chennai. Moreover, within a year, it implemented this legislation thoroughly for all private and Government buildings.

Can the Assam Government demonstrate such a political will to save Guwahati from flash flood, asked Dr Das.

It needs mention here that as per the figures available with the India Meteorology Department (IMD), Guwahati (Borjhar Airport) receives a total rainfall of 11.8 mm during January, 17.2 mm of rainfall during February, 55.1 mm during March, 147 mm during April, 248.9 mm during May, 316.8 mm during June, 351.2 mm during July, 269.4 mm during August, 187 mm during September, 90.9 mm during October, 18.5 mm during November and 7.3 mm during December.

The above rainfall figures have been worked out on the basis of the city's 1951-2000 rainfall data.

 

[Iamanidiot]

The BTAD and and these riots are a blessing in disguise for Western Assam.Most Bangladeshis will not be able to settle areas where bodos reside.This will cause emigration out of a very critical region

 

[Oracle]

ONGC's 1st Power Project in Tripura to Start Generation This Month

The 726 MW first commercial power plant of state-owned ONGC at Palatana in southern Tripura will start generating electricity this month-end, company officials said here Monday. ONGC, the Tripura government and infrastructure and financial service company IL&FS have jointly floated the ONGC-Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC). The plant will help ONGC to monetise its huge gas reserves and assets in Tripura.

"Last month, we successfully conducted pre-trial runs of the entire plant twice. The first unit (363 mw) of the project would go for production of electricity by September end followed by the second unit (363 mw) by this year end or early next year," said Mukul Banerjee, general manager, OTPC. "Already a 400-kv high transmission power line has been drawn up to Silchar in southern Assam from Palatana to connect with the Bongaigaon national grid in western Assam to transmit electricity to various northeastern states," he added.

Also, the project is a hallmark of cooperation between India and Bangladesh, which ensured smooth passage of the heavy project equipment and turbines to Palatana through its territory by water ways from Haldia port in West Bengal. The Bangladesh government has sought electricity from the project, a Tripura government official said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone of the project in October 2005.

The state-run North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) is also commissioning another gas-based power project of 104 MW at Monarchak in western Tripura. According to NEEPCO chairman-cum-managing director, P. C. Pankaj, who visited Tripura last week, the project would start generating electricity by July next year.

 

[Oracle]

Major railway projects in NE delayed
Spl CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, Sept 7 – All major railway projects in the North-east including the much-hyped national projects have suffered cost and time over-runs.
A status report on the mega rail projects tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Railways, Bharatsinh Solanki in reply to a question by Biren Baishya revealed that all national projects including Bogibeel-rail-cum-road-bridge, Rangia-Murkongselek and Lumding-Silchar Gauge conversion projects have suffered delays.

The status report said that 17 major projects have slipped deadlines. Some of the projects were sanctioned almost a decade back but are yet to be completed. The Dudhnoi-Mendipathar Project was sanctioned in 1992-1993 and the project is now targeted for completion in March 2013. The earthwork, bridges and track work are in advance stages of execution, the report said.

The much-delayed Lumding-Silchar Project has been affected due to militant activities. Earthwork, bridge work and tunnelling have been taken up all along the alignment.

The Railways have sanctioned Rs 400 crore in the current year's budget, the report said.

The fate of the six national projects hangs in balance and in case of some projects like the Dimapur-Kohima (Zubza) Project sanctioned in 2006-2007, final location survey has been completed , while approval of alignment is pending with the State Government.

The Bogibeel Project, sanctioned in 1997-1998, another national project has missed its deadline and is now scheduled for completion in December 2015. The work of construction of embankment, major and minor bridges has been completed in north and south bank. The 44 Km Moranhat-Chalkhowa in south bank has been completed and commissioned, and contract for main bridge superstructure awarded, the status report said.

A couple of other projects are scheduled to be completed by 2014-2015. The Teteliya-Byrnihat Project, a national project was examined as alternate alignment to Azara-Byrnihat. Entire land has been acquired, in Assam portion he said.

The final location survey including staking of alignment on ground of the Bhariabi-Sairang Project has been completed and is scheduled to be completed by March 2015, the report said.

 

[anoop_mig25]

^^^^^ why this projects are running late . doesn`t minister gave reason for it

 

[Oracle]

^^^^^ why this projects are running late . doesn`t minister gave reason for it

The report says 'militant activities'.

 

[Oracle]

Silchar-Lumding BG line by Dec 2013''
CORRESPONDENT
BADARPUR, Sept 16 – The Silchar-Badarpur-Lumding broad gauge railway line will be completed by December 2013 and the Badarpur Railway Station will be declared as full-fledged railway subdivision with all modern facilities, said Ranjit Singh Virdi, general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway.
Talking to media persons here, the general manager said that looking at the progress of work, the dream project of the Barak Valley people will be completed timely. He also said that work on the Silchar-Agartala project will also be completed in time.

The railway general manager who was here for personally inspecting the progress of work said that any problem in connection with Badarpur railway sports complex, railway quarters, various roads of railway colonies, electricity and drinking water supply etc., will soon be solved. He instructed the departmental officials to look into the matter. Virdi also inspected the entire Badarpur Railway Station and other departmental offices.

Regarding the miserable condition of the railway hospital, the general manager said that stern action will be taken against those doctors who are not punctual and do private practice. Violating the Railway service rules and regulations of the medical department, if any doctor is found guilty, then timely action will be taken, he assured. The GM also inspected Karimganj Railway Station and said that no decision has been taken yet by the railway authority whether the Karimganj Railway Station will be included in or excluded from the new BG line between Silchar and Agartala.

Earlier, the GM along with Rakesh Kumar Goel, DRM and senior railway officers were offered warm felicitation by the railway employees, besides Scouts and Guides.

Several memoranda were submitted to the general manager by the NF Railway Mazdoor Union and Employees' Union, All India Railway Employees' Confederation of Badarpur branch and other organisations highlighting their grievances. Some of the demands include an anaesthetic doctor, personal officer, increase in fund allocation for the development of LMG division, setting up mini store depot at Badarpur, provision of additional passenger coaches and others. Submitting the memorandum, the NF Railway Mazdoor Union highlighted the plight of Badarpur Railway Hospital where there are no facilities for ECG and ultra sonography etc. Even surgical and delivery cases are not done in the hospital due to non-appointment of an anaesthetic doctor.

The memorandum also urged the higher-ups of the Railway department to tie up with Narisikkha Hospital of Silchar for delivery cases at economic rates, connection of railway lines directly from ASEB, Pachgram, upgradation of railway quarters etc.

Another memorandum submitted by Badarpur Players' Welfare Association, urged the authority to renovate the Badarpur Railway playground, ensure proper drainage system, to construct a full-fledged boundary wall, to electrify the playground and to improve the nutrition of the railway players.

Meanwhile, the Badarpur Rail Division Demand Implementation Committee (BRDIDC) in a memorandum addressed to the general manager and signed by its general secretary Sukumar Ghosh has demanded immediate declaration of Badarpur as a railway subdivision. Badarpur junction plays an important role in the railway map and is well connected with various States, namely Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Brahmaputra valley as well as with Lumding and NC Hills, it said.

 

[splinter]

ah ha, let people there have self determination - they're closer to Burmese ethnically than Indian

That is definitely true, not only because of the linguistic and genetic links, in fact, part of India's NE used to be under the administration of Burma before they were defeated by British, and historically there has been only limited Hindu influences.

 

[cobra commando]

Boost Economic Ties, Better Infra for NE States: V K Singh

NEW DELHI: Enhancing infrastructure, providing job opportunities to youths and boosting economic growth in the North Eastern states will be top priority of General (Retd) V K Singh, who assumed charge as Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) today. Singh said the government will focus on improving road infrastructure in entire North East including border areas besides trying to ensure robust economic growth in the region. "I have a plan for overall development of North East. We will try our best address all the problems facing the region. There is tremendous amount of work to be done for the region," the Minister of DoNER with independent charges said. The 63-year-old former Army chief said he has a fair idea about the region and will make sincere efforts to ensure that it progresses on par with rest of the country. Singh has the experience of serving in the North East in different capacities as an Army officer. He was also the GoC-in-C of the Eastern Command looking after the Eastern and entire North Eastern region. Singh said he will try to find a solution to complaints of harassment of people from North East in the Delhi and will also focus on addressing the sense of alienation among people in the region. "Creating job opportunities for the youths will be another priority area for the government," he said.

Boost Economic Ties, Better Infra for NE States: V K Singh - The New Indian Express

 

[cobra commando]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BbDOCTh5kQ4

 

[cobra commando]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdzDRasjbs

 

[cobra commando]

Decline of Insurgency Paves Way for the Revival of Tea Industry in Tripura - The New Indian Express

 

[cobra commando]

APTOA wants new tourist circuits in Arunachal Pradesh - The Economic Times

 

[ladder]

North-east India sees spike in foreign tourist visits

North-east India sees spike in foreign tourist visits - The Hindu

 

[brational]

Silchar-Lumding BG line by Dec 2013''
CORRESPONDENT
BADARPUR, Sept 16 – The Silchar-Badarpur-Lumding broad gauge railway line will be completed by December 2013 and the Badarpur Railway Station will be declared as full-fledged railway subdivision with all modern facilities, said Ranjit Singh Virdi, general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway.
Talking to media persons here, the general manager said that looking at the progress of work, the dream project of the Barak Valley people will be completed timely. He also said that work on the Silchar-Agartala project will also be completed in time.

The railway general manager who was here for personally inspecting the progress of work said that any problem in connection with Badarpur railway sports complex, railway quarters, various roads of railway colonies, electricity and drinking water supply etc., will soon be solved. He instructed the departmental officials to look into the matter. Virdi also inspected the entire Badarpur Railway Station and other departmental offices.

Regarding the miserable condition of the railway hospital, the general manager said that stern action will be taken against those doctors who are not punctual and do private practice. Violating the Railway service rules and regulations of the medical department, if any doctor is found guilty, then timely action will be taken, he assured. The GM also inspected Karimganj Railway Station and said that no decision has been taken yet by the railway authority whether the Karimganj Railway Station will be included in or excluded from the new BG line between Silchar and Agartala.

Earlier, the GM along with Rakesh Kumar Goel, DRM and senior railway officers were offered warm felicitation by the railway employees, besides Scouts and Guides.

Several memoranda were submitted to the general manager by the NF Railway Mazdoor Union and Employees' Union, All India Railway Employees' Confederation of Badarpur branch and other organisations highlighting their grievances. Some of the demands include an anaesthetic doctor, personal officer, increase in fund allocation for the development of LMG division, setting up mini store depot at Badarpur, provision of additional passenger coaches and others. Submitting the memorandum, the NF Railway Mazdoor Union highlighted the plight of Badarpur Railway Hospital where there are no facilities for ECG and ultra sonography etc. Even surgical and delivery cases are not done in the hospital due to non-appointment of an anaesthetic doctor.

The memorandum also urged the higher-ups of the Railway department to tie up with Narisikkha Hospital of Silchar for delivery cases at economic rates, connection of railway lines directly from ASEB, Pachgram, upgradation of railway quarters etc.

Another memorandum submitted by Badarpur Players' Welfare Association, urged the authority to renovate the Badarpur Railway playground, ensure proper drainage system, to construct a full-fledged boundary wall, to electrify the playground and to improve the nutrition of the railway players.

Meanwhile, the Badarpur Rail Division Demand Implementation Committee (BRDIDC) in a memorandum addressed to the general manager and signed by its general secretary Sukumar Ghosh has demanded immediate declaration of Badarpur as a railway subdivision. Badarpur junction plays an important role in the railway map and is well connected with various States, namely Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Brahmaputra valley as well as with Lumding and NC Hills, it said.

Dec'13 has gone. We have seen at least 15 deadlines in the past and still the line is dead. It is not surprising that every project in NE is moving in the same manner. The silchar lumding section (meter gauge) was built by the British India Railway in 1903 in merely 6 years and the Indian Railways is converting into broad gauge for 2 decades.

Even the NHAI projects are not exceptions. This is how govt looks into the east and framed a policy too, they are dreaming to connect with ASEAN. Govt. should name it as "Wondering East Policy"

 

[cobra commando]

Sikkim gets highest number of foreign tourists among Northeastern states

Sikkim has become the most favoured destination of foreign tourists in the Northeastern states of the country. While the state received 23,602 tourists in 2011, the figures were 26,489 in 2012 and 31,698 in 2013 respectively, a press release issued by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) quoting the latest figures of the Tourism Ministry issued by the Centre said. Sikkim is followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura respectively, the release said. Tourism development has been the "priority" of the SDF government and the state government has been working for tourism development for a long time creating "world class tourism infrastructure in the state", the SDF release said. The release said the state has already been recognised as the best place to visit, in the world famous travel guidebook 'Lonely Planet'.
Sikkim gets highest number of foreign tourists among Northeastern states | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis