Work on road to Bhuban temple starts

GUWAHATI, Nov 19 – Santosh Mohan Dev, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises laid the foundation stone for construction of a 3.5 km road and footsteps for going to Bhuban temple at a function at Khasiapunji near Matinagar in Cachar district on Moday. This was stated in a DIPR press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Dev said that an amount of Rs 52.23 lakh has been sanctioned by the Union Tourism Department for the purpose and Rs 25 lakh has been released now. He expressed hope that on completion of this project, the religious minded people going to Bhuban Shiv temple will be benefitted. He assured to sanctisPs’ Local Areas Development Fund.

The foundation laying ceremoney was presided over by Gautam Ganguly, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar while Ajit Singh, Parliamentary Secretary, Finance, Parimal Suklabaidya, MLA and Karnendu Bhattacharjee, ex-MP addressed the function.

The Union Minister later laid the foundation stone of a Rs 3 lakh road at Matinagar under the Non-Lapsable Pool Fund. The road will connect Matinagar with the foothills of Bhuban hills and the portion from Khasiapunji to the foothills will be connected by road under the Prime Minister’s Gramin Sadak Yojana. source: assam tribune

Rumi Nath set for Silchar fight

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 20: Borkhola BJP MLA Rumi Nath has emerged as the favourite to get the party ticket for the Lok Sabha polls for the Silchar constituency.
This came to light after sources in the BJP disclosed that in all probability, after the AGP-BJP alliance, the BJP will get hold of the Silchar and the Karimganj seats and with Rumi Nath camping in Silchar, indications are strong that the party leadership have given her the informal nod to fight the elections.

Rumi Nath, who is the only BJP woman candidate in the Northeast is busy doing the spadework in Silchar for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

She along with party grassroot workers were seen touring various areas of Silchar town and meeting the cross-section of the citizens.

There are other two contenders for the Silchar seat. One is Kabin Purkayastha and the other one is ex-DSP Ajit Bhattacharjee. But sources say that these two stand a minimal chance of getting the party ticket.

Many see Purkayastha to have a secret understanding with Congress heavyweight Santosh Mohan Dev and Bhattacharjee is not popular among the grassroot workers. Moreover, with the no other women candidates in the BJP eyeing poll tickets, Nath is seen as the winner in the situation. Rumi Nath herself admitted that she will try for the party ticket and will always work in the interest of the party. source: sentinel assam

Vigilance awareness week observed across State paper mills

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NAGAON/SILCHAR, Nov 9: As per directives of the Central Vigilance Commission, the Vigilance Awareness Week was observed from November 3 to 7, 2008 in Nagaon Paper Mill at Kagajnagar. The observance of the week started with vigilance pledge taking ceremony at the mill’s main gate. P Goswami, General Manager (Works) and A Bordoloi, General Secretary of the Kagaj Nigam Karmi Union administered the pledge in Hindi and Assamese respectively.The other activities of the week long programme included display of banners in three languages in different conspicuous places of the mill, vigilance slogan and essay competitions amongst the employees and CISF personnel. A training programme on ‘Vigilance Complaint Handling (with special emphasis to Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers)’ was organized with internal faculty where in twenty four officers of the mill participated. The week long observation came to an end with a concluding ceremony.DD Adhikary, Chief Executive of the mill addressed the gathering and chaired the concluding ceremony. In his speech, Adhikari stated that corruption not only indicates earning of illegal money but also includes all known deviations from the standards of integrity and impartial exercise. He urged the mill employees to be vigilant and maintain transparency in all activities of the mill and thus contributing in enhancement of productivity. P Goswami, General Manager (Works), S M Chetri, DGM, Ashok Kumar Rai, Working President, Kagaj Nigam Karmi Union and Atul Mahanta, Vice-President, Officers and Supervisors Association deliberated their speeches on the role of preventive vigilance in an industrial organization. The concluding ceremony ended with prize distribution to the winners of the slogan and essay competitions. J Kakati, I/C Vigilance proposed the vote of thanks.The Cachar Paper Mill, Panchgram celebrated Vigilance awareness week from November 3-7. The celebration began with pledge taking ceremony. The pledge was administered by T Range Gowda GM(O and M) in English and Gaurav Jaswani ET (Elect) in Hindi. Various competitions were organized during this celebration to propagate Vigilance awareness where HPC employees along with CISF personnel & Teachers from Kendriya Vidyalaya participated. This celebration concluded on November 7 with a valedictory function held at administrative building Training Hall. The function was attended by employees and CISF Personnel. T Range Gowda GM (O and M) presided over the function. K P Biswas, DGM (Commercial), N K Upadhaya, DGM(CPO), M. Roy DGM (Engg) , N K Singh, Assistant Commandant/CISF Fire wing and V H Panchmukhi, Chief Chemist spoke on this occasion and highlighted initiatives taken for improving transparency in the system. After the prize distribution, T Range Gowda GM (O and M) addressed presidential speech. In his address, he stressed upon rendering services with utmost honesty, sincerity and efficiency. In his concluding speech he called upon the everyone to renew their commitments to improve transparency and efficiency on public spending. This was stated in a press release. source: sentinel assam

‘India’s weak policy behind growing terrorism’5

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Special Correspondent SILCHAR, Nov 8: New Delhi blames Pakistan and Bangladesh for serial bomb blasts across the country. But, it has to go for introspection how far it is armed with proper legislation to deal with ever growing spectre of terrorism as one after another state capital and city are coming under its jaw. In the absence of any effective legislation, jehadis, terrorists and extremists are becoming stronger to take the security forces for a ride.In no way different was the reaction of Sheikh Kamal Hasan, first Secretary, Commerce, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh, based at Kolkata, while talking to mediapersons at Karimganj Circuit House on Friday. He was in the border town to have an on the spot study of the status of trade and commerce that his country as with India through riverine and land routes. Besides, taking stop of various trans-border problems between the two countries.Hasan said with its anti-terror law till date executed 7 jihadis and terrorists for their mayhems and subversive activities through fast trial proceedings. With the assumption of power by the present Caretaker Government, there has been no terrorist act, he pointed out.He scoffed at the accusation of Delhi that serial blasts in India were masterminded by jehadis, particularly HuJI (Hakat-ul-Jihadi-al-Islami) based in Bangladesh. He at the same time denied existence of any camp or base of any north east militant organization despite assertion by BSF with documentary evidences; that these extremist groups are operating from 141 camps in that country. He rather turned the accusing finger at India, saying terrorists on the run in his country have taken shelter here, a safe haven for them. He cited the specific case of Subrata Pain, most wanted terrorist of his country, working in league with Dawood Ibrahim, who was arrested from Kolkata recently.Even New Delhi can learn from Dhaka how to deal with terrorism. Jamait-ul-Mujahideen (JUM) which carried out simultaneous blasts in 63 districts of Bangladesh in August 2005 along with Jagrata Muslim Janata was not only banned but all its top leaders were taken into custody and dealt with firmly. The most notorious jihadi leader Bangla Bhai was executed within a year of his arrest and trial. In fact, what Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party failed to contain was reined in by the Caretaker Government.There is no threat of internal or external aggression in Bangladesh. It again speaks of the courage and boldness of that country that the terrorist and extremist organizations operating against India are safe there. It is again a reflection on the weak policy of Delhi. source: sentinel assam

Police recovers Rs 36 lakhFictitious Mizoram bank

From our Staff Reporter SILCHAR, Nov 16 : In a major catch, Silchar police recovered Rs 36.60 lakh and picked up two youths in the sensational cheating case in Mizoram where hundreds of crores of rupees had been laundered by a racket in the name of a fictitious bank.The Cachar police led by Additional SP Pradip Ranjan Kar picked up one Paritosh Shuklabaidya from his residence in the Dhamalia Bazar area in Uttar Krishnapur near Silchar and recovered Rs 20.90 lakh cash last night. The police then raided the house of one Ripon Das at Dohalia in the Patharkandi area in Karimganj district and recovered Rs 15.70 lakh.The kingpin of the racket, Ms Lalmonpui from Aizawl had been arrested by the Mizoram Police on November 8 from the house of Ripon Das in Dohalia. A top official of the Aizawl police informed The Sentinel that at least 30 people, including two government employees who had allegedly deposited crores of rupees from their respective departments, have so far been arrested. Till now 800 FIRs have been lodged in various police stations in Mizoram and the total amount involved might touch Rs 3,000 crore, a police source from Aizawl said.Silchar police today showed the money packed in a gunny bag and a carton. Kar said Shuklabaidya first contacted him and confessed that Lalmonpui had recently left a bag in his house. Kar, along with Silchar Sadar Thana OC Ashoke Saha, rushed to Uttar Krishnapur residence of Shuklabaidya who handed them over the bag. Shuklabiadya, an agent of Sahara financial company working in Mizoram, said Lalmonpui is known to him. He, however, denied his involvement in the fictitious bank that Lalmonpui was running. Lalmonpui, along with Ripon Das, came to Shuklabaidya’s house during Diwali and kept the bag there saying that she would be coming back within a few days and take the bag back.While reading the news of Lalmonpui’s arrest, Shuklabaidya sensed some foul play and thus called the police. Kar then talked over telephone to Das who also said that Lalmonpui had left a bag with him before she was arrested by Aizawl police. Kar along, with DIG (Southern Range) YK Gautam, rushed to Dohalia last night and picked up Das, who worked as painter in Mizoram. Kar said this was the biggest-ever seizure of cash by Cachar police.Meanwhile, OC Mate from Bongkong police station of Mizoram reached Silchar tonight. He will take Shuklabaidya and Das to Aizawl for interrogation.Another source quoting Lalmonpui said that she had actually left Rs 53 lakh with Das. The source said that Rs 2 crore had been recovered from Lalmonpui’s possession.Meanwhile, the Mizoram Government suspended two government employees who had allegedly deposited crores of rupees from their departments. One Ms Changbin Sangi, a cashier in Health Department had invested Rs 1.30 crore in the fictitious bank that promised eight per cent interest per week. Another cashier from the Cooperative Department was also suspended for the same reason.This massive scam has already become an election issue in the State that goes to poll on December 2. source: sentinel assam

Centre identifies 46 influx points

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From our Correspondent HAILAKANDI, Nov 16: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has identified 46 points along the Indo-Bangla border as infamous for illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. Sources close to MHA in Kolkata authenticated the 46 points in West Bengal, Asom, Tripura and Meghalaya. In Asom, Karimganj, Dhubri and Goalpara borders are repeatedly used by the infiltrators and terrorists outfit, while in West Bengal Malda, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, North 9 South Dinajpur Coochbihar, Nadia district borders are used. In Tripura Dhalai, Sabroom, Ramgarh, Rabiraipara and North Tripura; and in Meghalaya West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills districts are used by the infiltrators. source: sentinel assam

Karimganj border remains vulnerable despite intelligence warning

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Special Correspondent SILCHAR, Nov 17: “It is really amazing that despite intelligence warning for long, Karimgang border with Bangladesh still remains porous. It appears that neither the Centre nor the State Government has learnt anything from the serial blasts across the country and recently in Asom in which Bangladeshi link has been more than pronounced”, this is how Biswaroop Bhattacharjee, BJP President of the border district observed while talking to The Sentinel today. He said this border sector has assumed notorious significance because of unabated cross-border infiltration and terrorists’ movement. He revealed after ground study that of the 92 km border in this sector, 41 km is riverine and the rest 51 km land. He referred to the stretches of border between Makhan-Putni hilly areas which are yet to be fenced. The Centre has been under constant pressure from the people to fence the entire border area of Karimganj, he said. On the area between Sarisa and Tilabazar (3.5 km), near the town, no work on fencing has been taken up. The same is the story of the portion of border form Patharkandi to Lathitila and Dumabari (3 km). Malegarh area near Latu, the scene of the first ever Sepoy Mutiny in northeast is also porous. In all 7 km of border is completely unprotected which encourages the influx of illegal migrants, militants and terrorists. Bhattacharjee pointed out his party sent a memorandum to the President of India on the sensitive issue of national importance, but he regretted to say, “there has been no acknowledgement of it, leave aside initiating any action”. The Deputy Commissioner was requested to arrange floodlights for effective vigilance and surveillance along the vulnerable areas of the border. There is no action on this front either. The overall scenario, he added to say, remains unchanged. In the given situation, it is difficult to prevent the cross border movement. It is to be recalled that a Bangladeshi identified as Helal Ahmed (30) who was arrested by BSF hours after explosions in Jaipur that killed 63 people from Patharkandi area in May last while infiltrating to Karimganj border was the sector commander of HuJI in Sylhet. Later on, it came out that he was one of the masterminds of the Pink City genocide. The officer in charge of Patharkandi police station, Gyanendra Prasad Bania, is on record to say, “we are sure that he is a hardcore jehadi and a senior HuJI militant. We have collected all evidence from across the border. A narco-analyst test is necessary because he has not made his identity clear”. He has also links with Jamat-i-Islamic, a Bangladesh based jehadi outfit and operates from Dhaka.Intelligence wings of Union Home Ministry, army and BSF have umpteen times cautioned hoe illegal Bangladeshi migrants help terrorists. These agencies believed that the Bangladeshis are not only providing a safe haven to HuJI men but also extend other services to them. This act of terror is widening in the country because migrants have spread their enclaves to various parts of the country. Their estimate is that over 2 million illegal Bangladeshis have crossed over to India in the last three decades.Yet, there is no urgency on the part of the Union Home Ministry to seal the border. Considering the gravity of the situation, security and intelligence agencies say the 8 existing infiltration check posts at Sheralipur, Chargola, Jharapata, Jagannthi, Kalkalighat, Lathu, Kukital and Malua should be strengthened with more staff and that a few more check posts be added. It is also demanded that 34 border out posts manned by BSF should be enhanced by adding a few more. Biswaroop Bhattacharjee expressed his concern at the fact the 186 Bangladeshis who entered to the three border police posts of Karimganj, Suprakandi and Mahisasan with valid passports did not return even after expiry of their stay order. There is no information about them with the State Government. He fears these Bangladeshis might have entered with forged or fake passports. He demanded that since it poses security threat, they should be identified and pushed back. source: sentinel assam

A minister named Goutam Roy

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From our Staff Reporter
SILCHAR, Nov. 14 : All of a sudden, Asom Excise Minister Gautam Roy has done a volte-face and showered praise on Union minister Sontosh Mohan Dev just a day after Dev influenced Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to release the first instalment of the Rs 63-crore CRF project for development of roads of Cachar district. Roy, who earned much publicity by challenging Dev’s leadership in Barak Valley, was allegedly among the 27 MLAs along with Dinesh Prasad Goala who stalled the release of the fund in Guwahati. Significantly Roy, who openly said just a few weeks ago that Dev wanted everybody to be his slave but he (Roy) was not a slave, today said: “Dev is the general and I am a mere soldier.” He was speaking at a function at Shishu Udyan celebrating the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Addressing the gathering, Roy said certain quarters have been spreading baseless news that he is obstructing the road project to harass Dev. Roy said those who created problems at Dispur for the project will be identified. “Dev is a God-gifted leader, he is our general, and we are just soldiers, working for the party and the country,” a modest Roy said. He further added that Dev was the pioneer of development in Barak Valley. So much so for this chameleon leader. source: sentinel assam

Silchar Cricket Academy in Silchar

SATANANDA BHATTACHARYA

Hailakandi, Nov. 2: The District Sports Association (DSA), Silchar, has decided to set up a cricket academy in Silchar for the all-round development of cricket in Cachar district. The secretary of DSA, Babul Hore, said they have taken the initiative to form the cricket academy in Silchar according to the directives of the BCCI and the Assam Cricket Association (ACA). Hore said they have already held a meeting of the governing body of the DSA in this connection. Cricket secretary of the DSA, Arijit Gupta, was elected the co-ordinator of the academy. Veteran player Sujay Duttaray was appointed technical director of the academy while Niranjan Das will be the chief coach. The academy will look for talented cricket players from all over the district and will train them at the DSA to better their prospects under the guidance of the BCCI and the ACA. source: the telegraph india

Pact answer to bamboo deficit in Hindustan Paper Corporation

The paper mill in Panchgram

Nov. 4: Erratic supply of bamboo has cut into the annual output of the Cachar mill of Hindustan Paper Corporation, prompting the unit to prepare an agreement with the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council to ensure that it gets an adequate quota of raw material.

The pact was to be signed at Haflong today but a peace rally in North Cachar Hills following the serial blasts forced the company to change the venue to Guwahati and the date of agreement to Thursday.

The 24-year-old Cachar paper mill of HPC at Panchgram township, some 20km from Silchar, has been struggling to meet targets despite the best machinery and manpower because of inadequate supply of bamboo, which comes primarily from North Cachar Hills.

The annual output of the mill dropped by 20 per cent this year though it managed to churn out 1,00,631 tonnes of paper in 2006-07.

Senior HPC officials, at the Calcutta headquarters and at Panchgram, ascribed this output loss to the North Cachar Hill Autonomous Council’s failure to supply adequate quantity of bamboo.

Chief executive councillor of North Cachar Hills, Depolal Hojai, however, said contractors failed to arrange for transportation of bamboo after trains were stopped on the route for three months.

Transportation by road is difficult given the condition of the 95-km Haflong-Silchar Road.

The executive director of the HPC’s Panchgram plant, Mohan Jha, hopes that the pact on bamboo supply will take care of the mill’s biggest hurdle.

He said the HPC’s Cachar plant would be able to achieve its targeted 1.5 lakh tonnes of paper if North Cachar Hills does not let them down again.

The plant requires a supply of three lakh tonnes of bamboo each year to achieve its targeted annual output of one lakh tonne of paper.

According to an estimate prepared by the HPC’s Cachar plant officials, from October 11, 2006, to October 10, 2007, the HPC received only 41,217 tonnes of bamboo by rail, against the target of 80,000 tonnes.

The mill reeled under a crisis during the past year as no bamboo could be ferried from the jungles of North Cachar by road.

Insurgency and bad roads compounded the transportation problems.

Jha said besides a supply from North Cachar Hill, the bamboo requirements for the mill could be met from the forests of Mizoram and the Barak valley districts. source: the telegraph india

Security tightened in Cachar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Silchar, Nov. 2: The army took up positions in Cachar district since last night in a bid to foil the attempts by Bangladeshi saboteurs to plant bombs in this sensitive border district. Superintendent of police of Cachar Violet Barua said the security situation in the district was discussed at a high-level review meeting in her office yesterday. Apart from the army officers from the 57 Mountain Division, the senior commanders of the BSF and the CRPF were also present at the meeting. She said the meeting had drawn up a security blueprint to thwart any possible attempt at subversions by fundamentalists in collaboration with the local Islamist extremists to foment trouble in Cachar district, which has 32km of almost porous border with Bangladesh. Barua added that one such step would be the patrolling by the army along with the other paramilitary forces and local police in some trouble-prone and sensitive areas identified by their agencies so that the security forces could secure in those places an “area domination”. Police sources in Cachar said such precautionary steps there had become quite necessary in the wake of the bomb runs by the alleged Huji elements in the adjacent country and their local collaborators in the acts of subversions. source: the telegraph india

Silchar Football Academy Camp for UK soccer meet

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Hailakandi, Oct. 16: Silchar Football Academy today started a 15-day coaching camp for the east and northeast zone qualifying round matches of the Manchester United Premier Cup Football Championship, at Police Parade Ground in Silchar. The academy has invited 25 players for the camp being conducted by Karna Mushahary and Babu Singha. Sithil Dhar, the secretary of the academy, said the zonal level championship would be held in Sikkim between November 18 and 20. Four teams from the Northeast have confirmed participation at the meet. The teams are Eastern Sporting Union of Manipur, Sikkim Football Academy, Snow Lion Football Academy of Sikkim and Silchar Football Academy. “Besides, four teams from West Bengal, too, will take part in the tournament. The teams are Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, Chirag United Sports Club, Mohammedan Sporting Club and Kalyani Football Academy,” Dhar said. The qualifying round will see teams competing in three groups. Thereafter, eight teams will qualify for the final round in Goa. Four teams from the west-south zones, two from the east and northeast and two from north zone will qualify for the final round. The championship is organised annually by the Indian Football Federation primarily to enable football academies to spot and pick talents from different parts of the country. Silchar Football Academy’s performance in Chandigarh last year was fairly satisfactory. It defeated Hindustan Football Academy of Delhi by a margin of 2-1 goals and drew 1-1 with Mohun Bagan Football Academy. source: the telegraph india

Missing Bangladeshis on police radar

Silchar, Nov. 3: The Assam blasts on Thursday have sent police on the trail of the large number of Bangladeshis who “vanished” after entering the border district of Karimganj on valid passports.

Karimganj deputy commissioner Bhupen Sharma said the “vanishing act” by some Bangladeshi nationals had the potential of becoming a “security threat” as jihadis from the neighbouring country might enter India by using valid documents.

According to the border branch of Karimganj police, 187 Bangladeshi nationals, who had entered the south Assam district through the checkpoints at Suterkandi and Karimganj town’s ferryghat on valid passports during the past 15 years, had not returned to their country even after the expiry of their visas.

The police said 2,849 Bangladeshi nationals had entered the south Assam district on valid passports last year. Of these, 20 people could not be accounted for as they had not returned to their country.

In 2006, 2,735 Bangladeshi nationals had entered the district through the checkpoints but 13 of them were now traceless, they added.

Sharma said this “sinister” trend had added a new dimension to infiltration in the country, particul- arly in Assam.

On instructions from the Union home ministry, the police in the northeastern states have now mounted an exercise to identify the missing Bangladeshi nationals and push them back.

Sources said the police were looking for the missing persons on the basis of their photographs.

Meghalaya and Manipur, have also begun a crackdown on migrants following the blasts. Meghalaya police picked up 190 suspected Bangladeshis in Shillong yesterday.

In Manipur, the Okram Ibobi Singh government turned its focus on outsiders staying in rented houses, particularly illegal Bangladeshi migrants. source: the telegraph india

ISI active in the North-east

NEW DELHI, Nov. 4: Amid the presence of multiple terror organisations in Assam, security agencies lack hardcore informers and are mostly dependent on half-baked “intercepted” messages of Bangladesh police wireless.

This has become all the more complex as, according to sources, Pakistan’s ISI has turned hyper-active in the region and has deputed a senior military officer of Lieutenant General rank to oversee operations in Assam and other Northeastern states.

Besides seeking adequate intelligence manpower, the Assam government had suggested sometime back that intelligence personnel both from the IB and RAW and various state governments need to be modernised. Reports intercepted along Bangladesh border said the ISI has also deployed a colonel rank Pakistani army official “under diplomatic cover” in the cultural wing in Pakistani Embassy to work from Dhaka.

Recent feedback also said with tacit support from the ISI, Assam-based Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam (MLTA) has nominated about 150 cadre for training in guerrilla warfare from Naga and Manipuri militants. The ISI has also identified “porous infiltration channels” along Assam-Bangladesh and Meghalaya-Bangladesh border in Cachar and Karimgaj districts of Assam and along Dawki in Meghalaya besides certain vulnerable pockets in Bangladesh.

Bashkandi area of Silchar in Cachar district of Assam has been ear-marked as a key procurement hub of illegal arms even as Islamist military camps are being set up in Cox Bazar and Ershadnagar (Rongpur) in Bangladesh and in Hojai in lower Assam. Meanwhile, following the last week’s recent serial blasts in Assam that killed nearly 80 people besides wounding about 400 others, the Union home ministry has convened a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the worsening law and order situation in the Northeast. n SNS

Assam Rifles’ unique friendly gesture to hill people

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Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Nov 4: Besides being engaged in counter insurgency operations in Jiribam subdivision of Imphal East District and Tamenlong District since February 2006, 5 Assam Rifles has successfully been maintaining peace and harmony in the area and also taken up numerous development projects for the well being and betterment of local population.

This unit has till date spent Rs 30 lakh for various development works which included construction of community hall, bore and ring wells, toilet block for schools, community shed for handicapped children, renovation of orphanage academy and school building, provision of sewing machines and computers.
It has also taken steps for water supply scheme, provision of jet pumps, wooden boats and construction of piggery farms.

These projects have come up in villages of Jiribam, New Kaiphundai, Muktakhal, Lungchai, Sejang, Lungkao, Kaimai, Oinamlong, Paithol, Unchathal, Mongbung, Sonapur, Bahadurpur, Lalpani, Changjal, Maokot and the villages of Cachar like Digli, Nandankanan, Jirighat and Kajaligaon.

In addition, Assam Rifles has provided tin sheets to church of Paithol, musical instruments to Kaimai and New Kaiphundai Youth Club, football kit and clothing for Pachao Youth Club and organized Miss and Mr Tribal contest.

Various medical camps have also been conducted in these areas which include eye check up, AIDS surveillance, three hepatitis B vaccination as well as veterinary camp. On an average, medical aid is extended to 40 villagers every day. All this humanitarian and philanthropic works have earned kudos for Assam Rifles from local people and made it friendly to them. source: the sentinel assam

Silchar District Bar Association condemns jehadi outrage

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Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Nov 4: Silchar District Bar Association members today staged protest demonstration against the jehadi outrage of October 30 in which many innocent people lost their lives.

The serial blasts killed 81 people and injured 470 others who are struggling for lives in hospitals.

The Association blamed the agencies concerned for their failure to alert the administration and the state against the possible jehadi strikes.

The Association noted with extreme distress that even the judiciary was not spared by the terrorists. Many lawyers also died in the ghastly bloody strikes.

Many have lost their personal properties such as vehicles. The members of the Bar Association in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister of Asom through the deputy commissioner of Cachar today demanded adequate compensation to the next of the kin of deceased and to the injured, appropriate inquiry into the catastrophe and to bring the culprits to book in order to mete out exemplary punishment to them.

As Silchar has also become the target of terrorists, the District Bar Association insists on adopting foolproof security measures around the District Judge and Bar building compound, close monitoring of gathering by plain clothe police men and to bring the town under security cover.

The members of Bar Association after holding demonstration took out a silent procession that moved through the main thoroughfare of the town before terminating at the Bar building.source: the sentinel assam

Pollution Control Board slaps notice on Vodafone at Silchar

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KARIMGANJ, Nov 2 – The operation and marketing manager of Vodafone Essar Spacetel U-d, Assam has been served with a closure notice on its diesel generator (DG) sets installed and commissioned at different locations of Silchar town. The notice has been served by the Pollution Control Board of Assam’s regional office at Silchar.

The notice says that the DG sets have been installed without obtaining prior permission for establishment and consent to operate from this board. Vodafone has till date installed sets at Sonia Road, II-Khola, Idgah road, Ambicapatti and Ashram Road.

The company has been charged by the Pollution Control Board of creating serious noise pollution in and around the above specified areas. The installation is without the stack of required height for discharging emission from the DG sets.

Vodafone has been further charged with violating the provisions of Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act-1981 and notification of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The notice was initialled by KK Dutta, senior environmental engineer, Silchar.

Vote-bank politics: The recent riots in Assam have proved yet again that in order to keep its Muslim vote-bank intact the Congress government has surrendered before the sinister designs of the ISI-backed Islamic fundamentalists.

Alleging this, senior youth leaders of BJP Mihir Kanti Some (Bhanu) said the State government on the one hand claiming that the hoisting of Pakistani flag is a play by the non-Muslims to malign the minorities, and on other hand, contemplating to hand over the case to the CBI.

BJP leader Mihir Shome said that the recent riots in the Bodoland area had been meticulously designed by the Pakistani intelligence agency, but the Congress had failed to resist them, apprehending this might lead to erosion of their so-called minority vote bank.

In Kumbhirgram Airport, Shome said alliance with the AGP was based mainly on poll equations and none of the parties would lose its identity as well as deviate from their respective ideals.

The AGP might join the NDA to consolidate the anti-Congress vote bank in the State. Pooh-poohing the allegation of the Left parties that the BJP had done nothing for Assam, Mihir Shome said it was the Vajpayee government which created a separate ministry for the North-East, a region neglected by the previous Congress regime. source: assam tribune

Deportation of Indian Bengali Hindus into Bangladesh by BSF

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Correspondent
BADARPUR, Nov 3 – Expressing grave concern over the Border Security Force (BSF) pushing back Indian-origin Bengali Hindu residents from Assam into Bangladesh by dubbing them as illegal aliens, the Karimganj district committee of BJP has resolved to seek justice in the matter by moving the Supreme Court.

Addressing a press meet here recently, the Karimganj district BJP president Biswaroop Bhattacharyya along with top party functionaries claimed that foreigner tribunals had been intentionally harassing Indian-origin Hindu Bengalis by terming them as foreign nationals.

Condemning such incidents by taking both the INC-led State Government and BSF to task, the party cited the case of Dinesh Chandra Saha and his family, who were residents of Hojai since long. Despite possessing valid documents to prove their citizenship status, the family was hounded out of India through the Mahisasan border outpost in Karimganj district, they said. The BJP will build up a massive people’s movement in this regard, the press meet was told.

Coming down heavily on the Tarun Gogoi Government for failing to protect the interests of indigenous citizens, the saffron brigade questioned the rationale behind granting official documents to laymen if such papers did not serve any purpose.

The press meet was also addressed by MLA Mission Ranjan Das, district-level BJP general secretaries Sudhangshu Ranjan Das and Subrata Bhattacharyya, besides district Mahila Morcha president Pratima Chakraborty and vice president Basanti Dey, State Yuva Morcha vice president Sudip Chakraborty, district Yuva Morcha president Rajiv Sinha, and several others.

In the meantime, castigating the BJP and other political parties for their studied silence on the issue of pushing back Indian citizens into Bangladesh by the BSF in the name of deporting illegal aliens, the Hindu Milan Mancha (HMM) too threatened to undertake a mass agitation provided the Government did not stop the process forthwith.

Close on the heels of the district BJP, the HMM too addressed a press meet at Kalibari here.

The move to deport Indian Hindu Bengali families from the soil of Assam in the guise of pushing back foreign nationals was a ploy of the State Government to hoodwink the citizens, the Hindu Milan Mancha members claimed.

AUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal too is on record to have demanded detection and deportation of illegal foreign nationals. Several prominent citizens and intellectuals too expressed surprise over the lackadaisical attitude of different political parties towards this grave problem. source: assam tribune

AASU calls bandh in Barak Valley

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Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Nov 2: All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has severely lambasted the Gogoi Government for its failure to tackle and contain terrorism and to protect the life of common people of the state.

In a statement issued to the press by Ainul Chowdhury, convenor AASU Cachar, has demanded dismissal of the Gogoi Government and imposition of President’s rule.

The statement prevailed over the Centre to pressure the Bangladesh Government to dismantle the bases and camps of jihadi, terrorist and militant groups on its soil which have become the cause of terrorism and militancy in the entire northeast region.

It accuses the state government of being serious in corruption and spreading its tentacles instead of adopting tough measures to meet the challenges of illegal migrants in order to tackle it in a proper manner and save the indigenous population of Asom.

AASU Cachar has at the same time flayed both the Centre and the State of Asom for their lackadaisical approach to development for which the vital rail and road connectivity of Barak Valley like BG and East-West Corridor could not make any headway.

Highlighting these failures, AASU has called upon people of the Valley to observe 24 hour bandh beginning from 5 am of Monday to conclude at 5 am on Tuesday. source: the sentinel assam

Army’s vigilance along insurgency infested areas

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Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Nov 2: With reports and conclusive evidences that jehadi groups and fundamentalists organizations take the help of extremists of northeast in carrying out their subversive activities, security forces have mounted maximum surveillance and vigilance along the insurgency infested areas of Cachar’s border with North Cachar Hills where NSCN (IM), NSCN (K), DHD (J), HPC (D), KLA, UPDS and other militant groups are active.

Significantly, though ULFA has denied its involvement in serial blasts in different parts of Asom, ATTF and NLFT have not issued any statement absolving themselves of their role in Agartala mayhem. Without taking any chances, Col SBK Singh of 72 Field Regiment based at Labac in Cachar said, “our jawans are on patrol and round the clock vigilance in Harinagar, Kumacherra, Molong, Dipucherra, upper and lower Lodi, Joypur and Shivasthan and Lakhipur areas in order to thwart any evil design or machination of the terrorist-militant axis.”

Besides, patrolling has been intensified in the sensitive Banskandi, Pailapool, Sibpur, Fulertal, Singerband, Binnakandi and Hmarkhawlein areas in Lakhipur subdivision.

It is to be noted that this subdivision of Cachar in close proximity to the borders of NC Hills, Manipur and Mizoram has been green pastures of various militant groups whose terror-reign has been contained largely by the army.

Col Singh said jawans of the Regiment have been carrying on frisking of all sorts of vehicles including two wheelers plying on NH-53 linking Manipur and others roads which are identified as corridor of smugglers dealing in arms and ammunition clandestinely and contraband goods with access to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

People have been cautioned by the army against the movement of any suspicious person or vehicle and advised to get in touch with the Field Regiment on telephones—284646 or 284661.

All these security measures are taken in cooperation with the civil administration headed by B Das SDO and R K Laskar magistrate of Lakhipur.

In fact, this 72 Field Regiment was earlier based at Maibong in North Cachar Hills and was engaged in counterinsurgency operations covering the areas under Haflong, Bokajan, Mahur and Umarangshu during which it nabbed a good number of extremists of DHD (J), NSCN (IM) and UPDS and busted many of their camps and bases and recovered huge quantities of arms and ammunitions.

These included AK-47 series, USA made carbines, generator bomb, guns and lot of cash.

Many captives held hostages by militants were rescued. In their operations, he said ASP of North Cachar Hills, Pradip Ranjan Kar, extended all logistic support and cooperation.

In recognition of their services, the Governor of Asom presented certificates of excellence and trophy to Shashi Bhushan Kumar Singh of the army.

The President of India awarded chief of army staff commendation cards to the following officers—Col SBK Singh, Major Sidharth, Subedar Bahadur Singh, Deepak Kumar Yadav, Major Sunit Sharma, Havildar Pavan Kumar Sepoy Ranadhir Singh and Rakesh Kumar on the last Republic Day and Independence Day. source: the sentinel assam

HuJI factor: Cachar security beefed up

From our Staff Reporter
SILCHAR, Nov 1: The security set up in Cachar district has been beefed up following Thursday’s serial bomb blasts in the State. In an emergent meeting in the chamber of Cachar SP, the police, Army and CRPF officials discussed the various strategic options to combat the militant threat.

Apart from intensifying routine checks in the entry points to the district, it was also decided that security forces would be entitled to search and raid any premises without any prior information to the inhabitants of the premise if the situation demands so. Significantly, for the first time, the threat from Islamic militants, or to be precise, jehadis, was discussed in a threadbare way. A source informs that security forces will keep close vigil on various temples and masjids as the intelligence output hints HuJI threat to places of worship.

An army intelligence source further informs that the militants from Bangladesh have been using Barak Valley as their transit points and they have been given shelter by some local people with dubious intentions. Usually it has been presumed that since the militants have been using this part of the country as their passage so for strategic interest they keep this place incident free. But some recent incidents, particularly that of Agartala serial blasts on the eve of Id last month, have compelled the security forces to revamp their action plan.

On the other hand, central intelligence has, time and again, cautioned the State Government about the jehadi strikes. Another source adds that jehadis from other sides of the fence have been found using local agents to materialize the sabotage.

Though no militant outfit has not been reported as active in Cachar district till now, few miscreants and dacoits could be exploited by the jehadis in lieu of easy money. Prior to the just-concluded festive season, police had concrete information about a plan hatched by now-defunct PULF, a Muslim militant outfit, mostly engaged in robbery, to create trouble. Strict police vigil has successfully prevented any bloodshed. But, after Thursday’s bloodbath, security forces, as evident from today’s meeting in SP’s chamber, cannot afford to take any chances. source: the sentinel assam