Debojit Saha to raise voice for broad-gauge

SILCHAR, June 15: Voice of India star Debojit Saha who created history by bridging the gap between two valleys with his melodious voice, would now raise his voice to materialize the jinxed projects like Silchar-Lumding broad-gauge and East-West Corridor. In the backdrop of allegation of neglecting his homeland, Debojit vowed to exert his popularity to highlight the jinxed project in the lobby of power both in Dispur and Delhi. Addressing a press meet under the banner of Anandam—Ek Lakshya, a cultural organization here in Silchar, Debojit said he would seek the cooperation of AASU, the student body which played a vital role in Debojit’s success in the reality show. Making it clear that he would definitely maintain safe distance from politics, Debojit elaborated that he would take up the issue of broad-gauge with the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and would continue pursuance with them. Refuting the allegation that he had neglected Barak Valley after winning the Voice of India title, Debojit clarified that due to his commercial commitments it was not always possible for him to perform in the valley.

He however admitted that it would never be possible for him to repay the blessings he had received from the people of Barak Valley. Others who spoke in the press meet included Dr Arun Paul Choudhury, Taimur Raja Choudhury. THE SENTINEL


Criminal lynched by public
From our Staff Reporter
SILCHAR, June 15: One Faizur Rahman Laskar was lynched by an irate mob at Khaspur- Bagerkona under Udharband PS yesterday night. Laskar breathed his last on his way to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital. Sources said Faizur, who used to stay with his in-laws in Baskandi, was a notorious criminal and he was associated with numerous cases of dacoity. Yesterday, he was found by local people who allegedly caught him lynched him badly. Police later rescued him but he succumbed to his injuries on his way to the SMC THE SENTINEL

Meritorious students felicitated

SILCHAR, June 15: The Hmar Students’ Association (HSA) Jiribam unit felicitated the HSA members who came out with flying colours in the recently declared results conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) class X and HSLC and HSSLC conducted by Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM).

The Meritorious Students who secured first division were felicitated at 10 am at the Tribal Community Hall, Hmarveng, Jiribam. The successful students in HSLC were, Angelta Joute and Lalramsang Hmar, while the HSSlC students were Lalringum Hmar and Samson Lalhnetheng Amo, both of them in the Science stream.

Besides this, Samuel Lalthlamuong Amo was also feted for his success in clearing the MBBS entrance examination both in Silchar medical College and Dibrugarh Medical College.
Speaking on the occasion Pu Lalaurilien Am encouraged the students to study harder so that they became the torch bearers of the Hmars in particular and the nation in general in various fields of profession. HSA Joint Headquarters Jiribam president Thangsanglur in his presidential speech concluded with the HSA Motto, “Sinin, Sanin Hrilin, serve The Nation”. THE SENTINEL

ICDS programmes of Hailakandi district

CORRESPONDENT
HAILAKANDI, June 15 – Social Welfare and Jail Minister Akon Bora reviewed the ongoing ICDS programmes of Hailakandi district. In a meeting at Circuit House here on June 4 last, Bora expressed serious concern over the delay in implementing the ICDS programmes in the district and urged the ICDS officers to take steps for its speedy implementation. He held the view that the grassroot level Anganwadi workers are not getting any benefit despite spending huge amounts of money. He cautioned the officials that stern action will be taken against the officials if there is any negligence in implementing the programmes.

Excise and Border Areas Development Minister Gautam Roy, while speaking in the meeting, urged the officials to dedicate themselves for the cause of the people. He informed that Hailakandi district has 1810 workers in 905 Anganwadi centres and hoped that they will work properly for the benefit of the children. The Commissioner of Social Welfare Department Harish Sonowal also spoke on the occasion.

Later, Bora visited the Hailakandi District Jail and handed over Rs 10,000 each to the recently released inmates, namely, Gule Ahmed and Rajat Maal for their rehabilitation. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Stepmotherly attitude towards Barak Valley

Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, June 15 – Following the State Government’s stepmotherly attitude towards Barak Valley, this area has been deprived of its share of Central Government funds meant for various development schemes.

This allegation has been raised by Cachar District Congress Committee president Karnendu Bhattacherjee.

Bhattacherjee’s comment against the Congress government created a flutter at a meeting held at the Silchar Circuit House recently which was convened by Excise Minister Gautam Roy.

To justify his allegations, Bhattacherjee mentioned about the Rs 63 crore Prime Minister’s Special Central Calamity Package for Cachar district.

Bhattacherjee’s allegation was supported by PWD AEE Mrinmoy Nath. He informed the meeting that PWD Cachar division was yet to receive the assured funds.

It may be recalled that the Central Government had sanctioned Rs 63 crore for Cachar district road renovation under CRF and sent to the State Government in the month of September last. But the State Government is yet to release the Central fund meant for Cachar.

Obviously, Roy seemed uncomfortable after hearing this allegation from the DCC president.

The Excise Minister assured Bhattacherjee that he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister. ASSAM TRIBUNE

I am very much in politics: Sontosh Mohan Dev

SILCHAR, June 13: In the backdrop of a verbal duel between Gautam Roy and Dinesh Prasad Goala over the rein of Silchar Congress, Sontosh Mohan Dev, who was defeated in general elections recently, clearly announced that he was still very much at helm of affairs with the State.

Dev, for the first time after his defeat, addressed mediapersons yesterday evening to make it clear that although he was defeated in the polls, he was not out of politics.

Simultaneously, making an oblique dig at Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Dev said how Gogoi was admitting that the AUDF was a factor, but when he tried to forge an alliance between the Congress and the AUDF, it was Gogoi who blindly opposed the move.

Addressing a press conference, Dev, in his usual jovial mood, said from now onwards he would engage himself with party works.

He would also sit in the district Congress office daily, he added.
Pooh-poohing the apprehension expressed by Gautam Roy that projects like NATRIP, CCI and power plant by BHEL which were brought to Cachar by the then Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Minister Dev would now never be completed, Dev said it was a baseless propaganda.
“I had an elaborate discussion with the new Heavy Industries Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh” said Dev and said that once a project was on, there should be no cause of it being dropped.

Dev said he had already met Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for the Silchar-Lumding broad gauge project, surface Transport Minister Kamal Nath for East-West Corridor.

He further took up the matter of night landing at Silchar Airport with Defence Minister AK Anthony.

On the issue of sabotage by the party leaders, Dev said every aspect would be thoroughly checked and the district committee would review the matter in its meeting on Sunday.

Dev, however, said it would obviously take some time. He further said that since he was the Chairman of the party’s state Disciplinary Committee, he would definitely try to zero in on the party colleagues who hatched the sabotage plot.

Indirectly hinting at the State Government’s indifferent attitude towards development schemes he had brought for Silchar from Delhi, he said he was told by the then Central Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy that the Rs 170 crore storm water drainage project for Silchar town had not figured in the State Government’s priority list.

He also alleged that although Goala was the State Urban Development Minister he did not take any interest to enlist the project in the priority list.Dev, in a self-introspection mode, admitted that he had also committed some mistakes which ultimately resulted into his defeat. He said everybody was now blaming Partha Dhar, Dev’s trusted lieutenant, for his defeat but Partha should not be singled out. “I have my own quota of errors”, Dev admitted. THE SENTINEL

BJP leaders injured in road mishap

SILCHAR, June 13: Silchar BJP Mandal committee president Ramapada Das, vice president Biresh Chatterjee along with some other party colleagues sustained injuries as they met with an accident while returning from Silchar Airport after giving a reception to the newly-elected MP Kabindra Purkyastha.

Apart from Das and Chatterjee, others who sustained injuries were Prashanta Bhattacharjee and Pranesh Singh. They were immediately admitted to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
Another party colleague Ramesh Nunia and the driver of the car Shibu Ree were released after first aid. Sources said, the car they were travelling in hit a tree and all the passengers got injured. Purkyastha, BJP state vice president Bimolangshu Roy and other party leaders visited the SMC to meet their injured colleagues. THE SENTINEL

Court case makes SMB active

SILCHAR, June 13: The Silchar Municipality Board (SMB) swung into action just a day after a case was slapped on them at Silchar Court by Nagarik Swartha Suraksha Sangram Parishad, an NGO.

An SMB led by its Administrator Supriya Dev and strengthened by police and CRP personnel bulldozed the illegally contructed market at the National Highway crossing evicting all the illegal shops. Earlier, on Friday, the Parishad filed a case against SMB at Silchar Court under the clause 15 of Environment Protection Law, 1986 alleging that the civic body had miserably failed to clean garbages in the town.

The Parishad had earlier served a legal notice to the SMB, when Bithika Dev, wife of former Union Minister Sontosh Mohan Dev, was its chairperson. They had fixed a two-month time frame within which the SMB was asked to regularly remove the garbage from the road side. Meanwhile, Bithika Dev was removed from the post of chairperson as directed by the Guwahati High Court and now deputy director of Town and Country Planning Supriya Dev assumed the post of administrator but the scenario is still far from the expected changes. THE SENTINEL

Three minor girls die in accident

SILCHAR, June 13: In a tragic incident, three minor girls of a family died as a wall of their house made of clay fell down on them. The tragic incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday at Karaikandi part-1, in Katigorah. The three girls were identified as Rumana Begum (10), Marzana Begum (5) and Suman Begum (7), daughters of Fariz Ali, a poor day labourer. Sources said, when the clay wall collapsed on them, they were sleeping. Rumana and Marzana died on the spot while neighbours rescued Fariz and Sumana and rushed them to the Silchar Medical College Hospital. Sumana was declared brought dead by the attending doctors while Fariz was admitted with serious injuries. Coincidentally, Fariz’s wife along with their new born son were staying at a relative’s house. Meanwhile, local people alleged that the name of Fariz was in the waiting list for Indira Awas Yojana but he was devoid of the benefits as he could not pursue the local broker due to his poverty. THE SENTINEL

Union Cabinet and Assam

— Amal Kumar Das The formation of the recent Cabinet under Dr. Manmohan Singh was a matter of intense speculation in Assam. The same was not for the size of the cabinet or its durability, but for the probable berths from the hopefuls of Assam. One reason that made the aspirants very optimistic was the number of seats the Congress scored in the election. The number, although not extraordinary, rather two seats less than the previous parliamentary election, Congress won 7 seats, half the total 14 seats, a performance higher than the party’s all India tally of 205 out of 543. With BPF’s single seat added to it, the score crosses the half mark. This was exactly the reason why the imagination ran so high.

There are other factors that reinforce the higher expectation. The Union Council of Ministers constituted after first general election comprised 35 ministers with-a mix of 15 cabinet, 6 with cabinet rank but not as cabinet ministers, (like MOS with independent charge) and 14 deputy ministers. Over the years, the size of the cabinet has almost trebled and with the present ministry it stands at 79.

The 91st Constitution Amendment Act of 2003, stipulated the strength of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the total member of Lok Sabha. In that reckoning, the Council of Ministers cannot cross the number of 81.

But even when the council of ministers was small, Surendra Nath Buragohain and subsequently Bijoy Chandra Bhagawati were allotted berths as deputy ministers. It was F Ali Ahmed who was chosen as first cabinet minister in the sixties in Indira Gandhi Cabinet. The 1971 parliamentary election doubled the number of cabinet minister from Assam with induction of Moinul Haque Choudhury. Subsequently Dev Kanta Barooah too joined the council as cabinet minister. The trend continued and even with regime change, Dinesh Goswami from AGP in the VP Singh cabinet, Birendra Prasad Baishya also from AGP in Deve Gowda cabinet occupied cabinet berths. Others who got ministerial berths were Bipinpal Das, Bedabrata Barua and our present Chief Minister Tarun Ch Gogoi too – all as MOS during Congress rule. The geographical position as a border state, the foreigners problem, chronic nature of fury of flood and erosion, confronting upsurge of ethnic groups, activities of terrorist outfits, sponsoring of fundamentalism by neighbouring countries justify enhanced and better representation in the cabinet from the state and the region too. Atal Behari Vajpayee Cabinet, provided ministerial berths to Kabindra Purkayastha and Bijoya Chakroborty of Assam besides accommodating one each from Arunachal and Manipur. Over the years, it has become an established practice that by and large Assam is represented in the Union Council of Ministers by a cabinet and a state minister, the recent instance being Santosh Mohan Dev and Bijoy Krishna Handique in the outgoing Dr. Manmohan Singh cabinet.

It is now self explanatory that there is no plausible ground in reducing the number of .ministers from the state, rather the political, geographical, economic realities emphasise enhancement of the representation. It is this behavioural pattern that has caused heart burn among the people of the state more so when Dr Manmohan Singh represents Assam and he has the major say in structuring the cabinet.

And why do we demand a bigger representation in the corridor of policy makers? The power that be in Delhi cannot be expected to be always favourably disposed to the interests of Assam. In the centre of power, it is he whose voice is loud and assertive that can make his claim acceptable. It needs strong presence of political leadership coupled with backup from bureaucrats. In both the cases, Assam’s presence is fragile. The highest number of secretaries in the central secretariat Assam had were Bhaskar Barua as secretary in the Ministry of Food & Agriculture and Madan Prasad Bezboruah in the Ministry of Tourism during the BJP government. Fortunately, recently a son of Assam, Harishankar Brahma has taken over the charge of Secretary, Ministry of Energy. Getting a decision cleared politically at ministerial level is only one aspect, the process only sets in motion and expedited by bureaucracy. Even in the cabinet, joint efforts are extremely necessary to get things done, when it is numerical strength that matters most. Assam has a feeling, Delhi is always at a hearing distance of the demands of Assam expressed through agitation ana media. It is a self defeating illusion. We don’t even substantial presence in Delhi. But see what happened to West Bengal and what their assertive presence achieved. The exclusion of Saurav Ganguli from the Indian cricket team united the Bengal lobby in such a way that from Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharya to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, ministers Pranab Mukherjee to Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi forced Sharad Pawar to make conciliatory postures to powerful Bengali lobby. After Hem Baruah and Dinesh Goswami, we lost much of our shine in Parliament. MPs both from the ruling and the Opposition could not bring back the lost glory of Hem Barua and Dinesh Goswami. For the Chief Minister, no matter who he is – Hiteswar Saikia, Prafulla Mahanta, Tarun Gogoi, it becomes a herculean task for him to prevail in Delhi. Presence of ministers in the Union Cabinet emboldens the efforts of the state.

Our demand to have more berths in the central Cabinet stands exactly on those premises. And whose names took the round? They were Paban Singh Ghatowar, representing the sensitive Tea Tribe community and who was also earlier MOS, Bhubaneswar Kalita, a three time MP, once MLA and also minister in the state cabinet and president of APCC. S Bwiswmuthiary three time MP and a very vocal leader of the ethnic Bodo community. Two more names from the ruling party – Biren Singh Ingti and Ismail Hussain also appeared. But possibly the induction of two MPs of ST community from neighbouring Meghalaya downplayed the claim of Biren Singh Ingti and SK Bwiswmuthiary. Ismail Hussain, the first timer in the parliament was possibly brought to frustrate Badaruddin Ajmal of AUDF.

In our opinion, in the present context, the leadership of the ruling party in the formation of the cabinet was not adequately responsive to the expectations on another count also. During the Congress dispensation, all ministers in the centre were from upper Assam and Barak Valley. Dinesh Goswami got cabinet berth in VP Singh Ministry and Birendra Prasad Baishya in Deva Gowda cabinet and at no time, what is conspicuous, the present ruling party has not made any space for any caste Hindu representative in the cabinet except from Barak Valley. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Dimasa women sorting snails

Dimasa women sorting snails (locally known as Sugathai) for selling in a market at Haflong in North Cachar Hills district on Friday. (Sentinel)

Dinesh Prasad Goala seeks progress report from PWD

SILCHAR, June 12: State Urban Development Minister Dinesh Prasad Goala has summoned PWD Department engineers and asked them to submit the progress reports of various projects within two days as if in a bid to prove his Cabinet colleague Gautam Roy wrong. At the same time Goala made it clear that development works in Cachar district were progressing in the right direction and that nobody from outside the district need to interfere into the state of affairs in the district.It to be noted that Roy recently alleged that Goala had no interest in the development of Silchar and hence from now onwards he would look after the various development schemes. Roy even convened a meeting with the PWD engineers at the Silchar Circuit House.

Reacting sharply to this, Goala first cautioned Roy not to interfere into the matter of Cachar district and later he met with the engineers and asked them about the progress of road projects going on in the district. THE SENTINEL

NH-53 blockade lifted

SILCHAR, June 12: Jirighat Joint Action Committee (JAC), Cachar had imposed an indefinite bandh along the NH-53 since June 10 in protest against the disappearance of metal scrap collectors Dilip Das (35) of Nandan Kanan , Prakash Das (45) of Refugee Colony, Jirighat, Cachar.
The bandh was called to ensure search of the missing people and arrest of the culprits.

Some incidents of violence were reported due to the 5th Assam Rifles assaulting JAC picketers at around 5.00 pm. The incident occurred after the JAC picketers blocked an oil tanker and 10 people were injured in the incident. The picketers in retaliation also attacked Jiribam locals who came for shopping at Jirighat at around 6.00 pm after the AR personnel left.

Timely intervention of Jiribam Police, 5th AR, BSF and Assam Police thwarted further violence. Following the incidents, the ADC and Cachar additional SP PR Kar held a meeting with the representatives of general public of Jirighat and Jiribam to lift the blockade of NH-53 but could not do so.

Later, a separate meeting was held with 57 Mountain Division where it was amicably decided that the recent bandh call will be withdrawn from today and heavy vehicles started plying immediately after the meeting. However, the normal plying of all vehicles will start from tomorrow. THE SENTINEL

Irate passengers vandalize Silchar station

SILCHAR, June 12: Angry passengers of the Agartala-Silchar bound train resorted to damaging of the office room of the station master of Silchar Railway station yesterday following a scuffle with the authorities.

A gang of dacoits robbed the passengers after the Silchar bound train had left Badarpur Station at 10 pm. The dacoits created pandemonium in at least four bogies. Passengers alleged that security guards were inebriate. When the train reached Silchar station at midnight, the angry passengers virtually gheraoed the station master and asked him about what security arrangements the railway authorities had taken for Agartala-Silchar train as incidents of dacoity have become a routine affair in this train.

Meanwhile two CRPF jawans appeared in the scene and tried to chase away the passengers. This resulted into vandalism by the passengers who resorted to damaging the office room of the station master. THE SENTINEL

Choudhury skips review committee meeting

SILCHAR, June 12: Cachar AUDF district president Anup Choudhury skipped the review committee meeting of the party going on in Guwahati. Choudhury officially cited health reasons for his absence but sources said that he took this decision only to voice his protest against the state of affairs in the party in Cachar district. The Review Committee meeting began yesterday and would conclude tomorrow. On the concluding day, the committee would review the party performance in the recent general election particularly in respect of Cachar and Karimganj to Hailakandi seats.

Choudhury, a Hindu, had openly raised his voice against party MLA Atuar Rahman Majharbhuiya and alleged that the latter had siphoned off a huge amount of money along with Aftal Hussain Majumdar and Saminul Haque. On the other hand, Majharbhuiya too raised similar allegations against Choudhury. Subsequently, the Central Committee had suspended all activities of the district committee till the review committee meeting.Meanwhile, Choudhury said, if Badrauddin Ajaml sincerely wanted to know why he lost the Silchar seat, he had to come to Silchar and should interact with the grass-root level party workers. Choudhury further said he would lodge defamatory suit against Majharbhuiya in Silchar court for making derogatory remarks on him. THE SENTINEL

Memo seeking Rly Division at Badarpur submitted to Mamata

Correspondent
BADARPUR, June 11 – The demand for early creation of a railway division at Badarpur railway junction has been raised strongly along with other two issues viz early completion of broad guage (BG) conversation work from Lumding to Badarpur-Silchar and smooth train service in the Badarpur-Lumding section by the Badarpur Railway Division Implementation Demand Committee (BRDIDC) of Badarpur.

In this connection, a strong memorandum was also submitted to the Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, through the area manager of Badarpur, by BRDIDC, on June 4 last mentioning points, in support of the demands. Stating the major causes and reasons behind these issues, the general secretary of BRDIDC. Sukumar Ghosh told The Assam Tribune that the demand for setting up of a full-fledged railway division at Badarpur junction as well as at most of other old and historic junctions of this backward area has been the most legitimate demand of the people Barak Valley as well as the north-eastern region since 1988.

Besides, this the Badarpur railway junction has played a significant role in national railway service since before independence. The Badarpur railway subdivisional junction connects various States like Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, and also the neighbouring Bangladesh.

Now this Badarpur Subdivision covers more than 500 km up to Haflong of NC Hills, Bhairabi, Kumarghat, Jiribam and Mahisashan. It is also a nerve centre of road transport covering States like Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and also neighbouring country Bangladesh.

BRDIDC has mentioned in its memorandum that the Lumding-Badarpur BG conversion work is going on very slowly due to terrorist problems. But at this moment, due to lack of sufficient security arrangements in the disturbing areas of Lumding-Badarpur hill section, the BG construction workers and engineers along with the railway employees have stopped their works and they are also not willing to take any risk to their lives until and unless sufficient security personnel are deployed.

In this circumstances, the new Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s strong and strict action is needed for solution of the Badarpur-Lumding hill section problem, the BRDIDC memorandum stated. In the memorandum, BRDIDC also mentioned that the Lumding-Badarpur hill section has proved to be problematic for smooth running of trains, for which the areas of this section are becoming backward day by day. The development works have also become totally stagnant, it added.

So, for the early creation of the railway division at Badarpur railway junction, early completion of BG conversion work from Lumding to Badarpur-Silchar and smoothly running of trains in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section, the members of BRDIDC on behalf of all its citizens, have strongly urged the new Railway Minister to take immediate suitable steps.

The copies of the memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Minister of Assam, Minister Gautam Roy and LS MP-LM Suklabaidya for information and taking necessary action. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Silchar MP Kabindra Purkayastha on allegations against AU

NEW DELHI, June 10: Numerous corruption allegations are being levelled against Assam University. Talking to this correspondent here today, Silchar MP Kabindra Purkayastha said: “If the allegations levelled against the University are true, it is unfortunate on the part of the University and the people of Barak Valley as well.” He further said if the allegations against the university being appeared in a section of media are proved to with an ulterior motive or false, then action should be taken against such a propaganda. “Such allegations distort the image of the University,” he added. THE SENTINEL

Railway authorities refrain from running passenger trains in hill section

SILCHAR, June 10: In spite of unilateral ceasefire declared by the Black Widow following the arrest of its chairman Jewel Garlosa, the NF Railway is yet to take a decision about the restoration of passenger trains in the hill section, though goods train service had been resumed recently.

Since mid-April, following a deadly attack by Dimasa militants on a running passenger train that left a security personnel dead, the NF Railway suspended passenger trains in this violence-hit route.

Even the goods train service was also stalled as Black Widow had openly admitted that in order to attract the attention of the authorities they had no other option but to attack on the train.
However, after declaring a unilateral ceasefire, the deputy commander-in-chief Daniel Garlosa had reportedly said that they would suspend all sort of subversive activities including attacks on trains. But, Railway authorities were not at all amused at the stance shown by the militants. A source in the NFR said, authorities had not yet taken any decision about the resumption of services in the hill section.

On the other hand, contractors engaged in the broad gauge and East-West corridor projects also had not taken any decision about resuming the works.

Sources said, though the contractors heaved a sigh of relief after the arrest of Garlosa, they wanted more time to watch the situation. Sources said, contractors were afraid of Daniel and Mourong, two deadly militants, who were leading the outfit.

Jewel, in spite of being the boss, was not physically present in the NC Hills. Instead, it was Daniel and Mourong and some others who unleashed terror in the hills.

Sources said, maximum contractors wanted to resume their work only after the arrest of Daniel, Mourong as well as the new boss Niranjan Hojai, who is reportedly hiding in Nepal. THE SENTINEL

AUDF Cachar unit’s functions suspended

CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR, June 9 – AUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal has suspended all the functions of the Cachar district committee till the review committee meeting to be held on June 11-13 in Guwahati, AUDF central committee general secretary Dr Baharul Islam said in a message to Altaf Hussain Majumdar. This was stated by the district committee general secretary Altaf Hussain Majumdar at a press meet organised here. The decision was taken in connection with the recent conflicts in the Cachar unit. ASSAM TRIBUNE

HC order on Silchar Municipal Board polls

BJP welcomes HC order on Silchar Municipal Board polls
Correspondent
Silchar. June 9 – The crisis in the Silchar Municipal Board has come to an end. The Cachar district committee of the BJP had filed a case in the Gauhati High Court against the State government in connection with the functioning of the SMB .The court has ruled in favour of the BJP. This was stated by ex-MLA and vice-president of Cachar district committee of BJP Bimalangshu Roy at a press meet organised at the party office recently.

Roy said that the court quoting Section 26 and Sub-section 5 of the Assam Municipal Act 1956 said that within four weeks the State government must set up the State Election Committee and elections must be conducted within eight weeks after the setting up of the committee. On the other hand, the State government must also appoint a suitable government officer to maintain proper functioning of the SMB. Roy said that the BJP’s case was how after the completion of her tenure, Bithika Dev the chairperson who is also the MLA of Silchar can continue to function as an administrator in the SMB under the instructions of the State government.

In the press meet it was alleged that there was massive corruption in at least five major projects during the tenure of Bithika Dev as chairperson. The BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

District president Uday Shankar Goswami said that the party had already submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner demanding a CBI probe into the gross irregularities in the construction of NRDI Hall, Goldighi Shopping Mall, demolition of old municipality building, beautification of Gandhibag and allotment of land at Water Works Road for a proposed market complex.

Goswami further said that the SMB led by the then chairperson Bithika Dev collected at least Rs 1 crore but did not deposit the amount in the bank account. He also welcomed the decision of the High Court directing the State government to hold municipality election within three months. ASSAM TRIBUNE

BG project to get priority: Mamata

NEW DELHI/ SILCHAR, June 9: Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Silchar-Lumding BG conversion work will be accorded topmost priority in the Railway Budget and the Guwahati-Jhajha weekly train will be made bi-weekly very shortly. An announcement in this connection may be made in the Railway Budget. She assured Karimganj MP Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya of this when he met her at Parliament office today.

Suklabaidya submitted a memorandum to the Railway Minister demanding immediate renovation of Karimganj, Badarpur and Hailakandi rail stations so as to give them a modern and impressive look with best amenities for passengers. At Badarpur in south Asom, the area office may be converted to a divisional office where there is enough railway land, he said. The MP further demanded of the Railway Minister to extend railway line from Dullabhchhera to Cheragi. The project could not be taken up for want of Rs 66 crore.

The All Barak Youth Students’ Association (ABYSA) has also submitted a memorandum to the Railway Minister for early completion of the BG conversion work from Silchar to Lumding. The association has also demanded restoration of rail service between Badarpur and Lumding as early as possible. Meanwhile, the ABYSA has sought intervention of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee into the Lumding-Badarpur and Silchar-Lumding Broad Gauge project. A team of ABYSA will soon visit New Delhi and organize a sit-in dharna in front of the Rail Bhavan to draw Banerjee’s attention to the jinxed project. The ABYSA demanded immediate restoration of train services in the hill section. THE SENTINEL

Oil your own machine, Goala tells Roy

SILCHAR, June 9: State Urban Development Minister Dinesh Prasad Goala advised his Cabinet colleague Gautam Roy to oil his own machine. Reacting sharply to Roy’s recent comment in front of a group of engineers, contractors as well as media persons that Goala had no interest for the development of his home district Cachar, Goala in a statement lashed back with an advice to Roy to confine his intervention within Hailakandi and Karimganj as Cachar had enough leaders to oversee the development schemes.

Goala further hinted that Roy had made it a point to underestimate the Congress leaders in Cachar with the sole intention of taking political mileage. He alleged, being a representative to the Assembly from the district, it was his first duty to ensure development for Cachar.

Roy, in a press meet on Friday here praised Goala and maintained that Santosh Mohan Dev had made a blunder by not utilizing the popularity of Goala in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Whereas, Roy in a u-turn criticized Goala for not taking interest in the development of Cachar. On Saturday, Excise Minister Roy convened a meeting in Silchar Circuit House to review the progress of various road projects.

The meeting was attended by PWD engineers, contractors and district Congress president Karnendu Bhattacharjee where he in his unique style lambasted the controversial contractor Vinod Singhvi, who was entrusted with the VIP road and Silchar town road projects. In front of journalists, Roy said that Dev during his tenure as Central Minister had reportedly managed to bring a Rs 63 crore project for the construction of various roads of greater Silchar.

But now as Dev had lost the election, Kabindra Purkyastha, the new MP, is ‘an inactive man’ and Goala was never interested for the development of this constituency.
Hence Roy had to oversee the projects being completed in due time. BJP had already retaliated against Roy’s comment on Purkyastha.

However, Goala’s statement assumed significance as he alleged that Roy wanted to take political mileage by intervening into the affair of Cachar district. Congress sources further hinted that after the defeat of Dev both Roy and Goala were eyeing the prestigious Silchar LS seat.

Goala was a contender for party nomination this time. Roy, on the other hand had maintained that he had till now no interest in throwing himself in the race for Silchar seat. However, if the people of Silchar wanted him, he would definitely respect their wish.

Sources said, within the next few months, district committees of the ruling party would revamp. Both Roy and Goala would try their best to get their men elected in the district committee and the recent war of words between the two ministers was just a curtain raiser for the final showdown. THE SENTINEL

Allegations galore against cooperative society chief

KARIMGANJ, June 9: Not only the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) but Indian National Congress also had reportedly requested higher authorities of the Government of Asom in March this year to take steps against Latu-Dasgram Cooperative Society chairman Abdul Ahad Choudhury to save the society, but no action has so far been taken against him by the government agencies concerned.

In a memorandum to the Commissioner, Hills and Barak Valley Division, Karimganj District Congress President Satu Roy, along with five other office-bearers, demanded initiation of criminal proceedings against Choudhury and to dissolve present managing committee of the society. Two days earlier i.e. on March 12 this year, BJP’s Karinganj committee had also submitted a memorandum for proceedings against Abdul Ahad Choudhury in order to save the society. The memorandum, singed by Biswarup Bhattacharjee, District BJP president and Mission Ranjan Das, MLA, among others, raised a serious allegation that “he (Abdul Ahad Choudhury) managed to get his death certificate from the authority concerned to cover up his criminal activities.

On the (basis of) the death certificate, he got his name deleted from the list of accused in connection with Kanhun PS Case (No. 21/2005 vide Criminal TR. No. 428/2005 U/S 489 ‘C’ IPC) by the Additional District Magistrate (Judicial), Aizawl District, Mizoram.”

This serious allegation of false death certificate has been brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary, Asom on March 16 last by CPI (M) in a memorandum signed by the party’s Karimganj district committee secretary Nirmal Dey.

The memorandum said: “He (Abdul Ahad Choudhury) dared to manage a false document like his death certificate from the authority concerned to escape from a criminal case pending against him in the court of Additional District Magistrate (Judicial), Aizawl District, Mizoram.” But the then District Magistrate of Karimganj, Dr BN Sharma had informed the additional district and session Judge, Aizawl that Abdul Ahad Choudhury was still alive and on the basis of which an arrest warrant was issued against him. The CPI (M) memorandum alleged that since April, 2008 following assumption of charges by Abdul Ahad Choudhury as chairman of Latu-Dasgram Cooperative Society Ltd an abnormal and undesirable situation has been prevailing in the society.

“His unbounded greed and desire for individual enrichment by any unscrupulous means has brought the Cooperative Society to the present state of crisis- near to ruin,” alleged the memorandum. It was further alleged to the chief secretary that misappropriation of society funds, black marketing of PDS goods allotted for the society, unlawful collection of money from the dealers under the jurisdiction of the said society, holding illegal meeting of the managing committee forging signatures of its members in order to prepare false proceedings are some of the misdeeds of Abdul Ahad Choudhury which were brought to the notice of the authorities concerned time and again. In connection with these allegations, the Karimganj district administration filed an FIR to the Karimganj Police station against Abdul Ahad Choudhury, but mysteriously no effective steps were taken, the memorandum alleged.

It is learnt that recently more than 200 share holders of the society, in a memorandum, requested the Assistant Registrar of cooperative Society to declare the annual general meeting of the society held in May last as illegal since neither notices were served nor announcement through drum beating or announcement through microphone were made. They also demanded to dissolve the existing managing committee. THE SENTINEL

BJP lashes out at Gautam Roy

SILCHAR, June 8: Branding Kabindra Purkyastha as an inactive MP, State Excise Minister Gautam Roy allegedly insulted Silchar people who had elected him to represent this prestigious constituency in the Lok Sabha, stated the district committee of BJP. Reacting sharply to the recent remarks made by Roy that Purkyastha was a gentleman and hence he would not be able bring any big project for Silchar, the Silchar district BJP in a statement made it clear that a leader like Purkyastha did not need a certificate from a man like Gautam Roy.

The press note further alleged that, even the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had openly praised Purkyastha, who was the then Communication Minister in the erstwhile NDA Government.

It was Purkyastha who persuaded Vajpayee to stretch the map of the much-cherished East-West corridor project upto Silchar, BJP added.

The statement also said, even former Union Minister as well as political viral Santosh Mohan Dev had also time and again admitted that Purkyastha in his brief stint as Union Minister had performed commendably.

It further reminded Roy that during his tenure as Union Communication Minister, Purkyastha being requested by late Sontosh Kumar Roy, father of Gautam Roy, upgraded the Hailakandi sub-post office to the statues of the head post office.
It is to be noted that Roy in a recent press meet lambasted Purkyastha for making his son Kanad as the nominee for the MPLAD fund. Interestingly, the statement issued by the district committee did not touch the issue. THE SENTINEL

Silchar Railway Station named Bhasa Sahid Station

SILCHAR, June 7: Sammilito Samskritik Mancha, a platform of various cultural organizations of Silchar town, today expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for instructing the Railway Ministry to rechristen the Silchar Railway Station as ‘Bhasa Sahid Station’.

Addressing a press meet at the historic Silchar Railway Station, the representatives of the Mancha said that it was an overall success for the people of Barak Valley and the ultimate recognition to the language martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their language on May 19, 1961. They said, 1,44,000 people put their signature on the memorandum demanding the rechristening of the station.

Former Union Minister Sontosh Mohan Dev, on June 4, personally took up the matter with the PMO, and the process would be completed during the ensuing Railway budget. Accordingly, the PMO, on the following day, ordered the Railway Ministry to fulfil the formalities in the budget.
A team of Mancha would meet Mamta Banerjee to personally visit the Silchar Station and formally inaugurate the new name-plate.

They would also take up the issue of jinxed broad-gauge project and would invite intervention of Banerjee for speedy completion of the project. The press meet was attended by Dr Rajib Kar, Bhanu Shome and Nikhil Paul, among others. THE SENTINEL

Charges levelled against MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya

SILCHAR, June 7: The Review committee meeting of the AUDF scheduled from June 11 to 13 at Guwahati would be a stormy one over the issue of infighting in the Cachar district committee. Party president Badrauddin Ajmal had already suspended all activities of the district committee following a show of strength by two factions, one led by district president Anup Choudhury and the other by party MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya. Both the groups had raised a plethora of allegations against each other ranging from receiving money from the opposition to sabotage Ajmal’s victory.

Sources said, Majharbhuiya teamed up with district general secretary Altaf Hussain Majumder and youth leader Saminul Haque to corner Anup Choudhury, an advocate, from the electioneering affair. It was alleged that election conducting committee was formed by the trio at the Katigorah residence of Majharbhuiya and district committee was kept in utter darkness. It was further alleged that Majharbhuiya, Mazumder and Haque directly ignored the district committee and ran the campaigning from a makeshift office at Madhurband area. They distributed money among people who were not even associated with the party. One former ZPC member, belonging to Muslim community, was given Rs 2 lakh who later formed a forum of so-called Muslim intellectuals to support Congress candidate Sontosh Mohan Dev. Sources said, the trio did not disburse the money they received from Ajmal to the grass-root level workers. Safiqur Rahman Barabhuiya, a relative of Saminul, was given Rs 2 lakh for election expenditure in Udharband, but the booth committee of that area did not receive any money from Safiquer.
Similarly, ZP member of Sonai east, belonging to the Congress, was given Rs 9 lakh, but the money was not distributed among the grass-root level workers. Choudhury being a Hindu, was entrusted with Hindu majority, but till April 8, he did not received any payment from Majharbhuiya, it was alleged.

The sources further said that Altaf Hussain, who contested the 2006 Assembly election from Barkhola but was unsuccessful, had withdrawn Rs 18 lakh for campaigning expenditure, but the booth-level workers were deprived of any payment. It was further alleged that payments were made against vouchers showing fictitious amount. Sources said, even the district president was forced to sign in such vouchers but he refused and that invited direct challenge from the trio.

But the most serious allegation against Majharbhuiya was that he de-activated the Hindu workers of the party to campaign for Ajmal in the Hindu belt. Sources further alleged that just prior to the election, MLA Majharbhuiya along with a teacher of Silchar Town School convened a meeting of Nadwatul Tamir, an influential Islamic organization, at Sonai and announced that Nadwatul in Cachar district would support Dev. This irked the chief of the organization Moulana Tayyubur Rahman, a cleric as well as advisor of the AUDF, who rushed to Katigorah and charged Majharbhuiya.

Sources said, Choudhury had already informed party president Ajmal that he would not be able to continue as the Cachar district president if Majharbhuiya, Mazumder and Haque were tagged with the district committee. THE SENTINEL

Bangladeshis pushed back

From our Staff Reporter
SILCHAR, June 7: Two Bangladeshi citizens caught yesterday at Silchar Railway Station were pushed back today to their homeland. Dudlue Mia (58) and his son Abdul Miyan sneaked into India though Agartala border and they had reportedly told the police that they wanted to visit Ajmer pilgrimage. But the father-son duo were caught at Silchar Railway Station yesterday. Police sources said Bangladeshis were pushed back to their homeland through Karimganj border. THE SENTINEL

Gautam Roy analyses Santosh’s defeat

SILCHAR, June 6: Virtually in a post-poll analysis, Gautam Roy focused on the reason that led to the defeat of his party colleague Sontosh Mohan Dev in Silchar seat.

In a hurriedly called press meet on Friday evening, State Excise Minister Roy, known for his enmity with Dev, said the latter as the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises erred in laying the foundation stones for NATRIP and CCI units as people could realize that these projects would never materialize.

Roy lambasted Partha Dhar, a trusted lieutenant of Dev, alleging that Dhar’s intolerable pranks had made the people of Silchar alleging to the Congress. Dev, though being informed time and again, turned a blind eye and even accepted it as a challenge when Roy ordered bulldozing of foundation stones bearing Dhar’s name.

Roy further said, he was not surprised that Dev got less votes in Dinesh Prasad Goala’s home constituency Lakhipur, as Dev in the last five years sanctioned just Rs 30 lakhs for this Assembly segments.

Roy said, the newly elected MP of Silchar Kabindra Purkyastha was a gentleman, and hence he could not do anything for the development of Silchar.

He lambasted the BJP MP for making his son the representative for MPLAD fund. Roy said, it was a bad taste.

Roy refused to cough up about his further plan of projecting himself as the candidate for Silchar LS seat. He pushed the ball to the people’s court arguing that if the people of Silchar want him, he would give it a second thought.

Also, being summoned by minister Gautam Roy, Vinod Singhvi, the controversial contractor of Gautam Construction, promised in front of media persons that the Rs 6 crore project of the VIP road would be completed by July 31 and Rs 22 crore projects of various roads of Silchar would be completed by January 2010.

Singhivi who is very close to Sontosh Mohan Dev’s trusted lieutenant Partha Dhar, was summoned by Gautam Roy today at the Silchar Circuit House, where district Congress president Karnendu Bhattacharjee was also present.

Roy virtually lambasted the contractor whose residence was raided by the Excise Department a few months back for not completing the work on time. Roy even asked Singvi how much money he had paid to Dhar.

However, Roy told Singvi that if he needs any co-operation in releasing his due payment, he would definitely help him. THE SENTINEL

World Environment day observed at Lakhipur

SILCHAR, June 6: RATARC, a project of reformed Presbyterian Church NEI, organized and observed the World Environment Day for the second time at Lakhipur subdivision on June 5.
The programme was sponsored by business groups and well wishers from Fulertal and was presided over by Vaulal Chakanpmi, CDO.

However, the keynote address was delivered by RATARC manager Rev V Langhakthang on the subject “Unite to combat climate change.”

The celebration was participated by 250 students from various local Schools like––Emmanuel English School, Pailapool / RMS School, Hmarkhowlin / Edith Douglas School, Hmarkhowlin / Union High School, Hmarkhowlin / Covenant English School, Hmarkhowlin and RPC Staff Hmarkhowlin.

Various activities like essay writing competition, drawing / painting competition, plantation of 350 plants along the NH-53 and cleaning up of markets and public places were carried out successfully.

Emmanuel English School, Pailapool and Covenant English School, Hmarkhowlin begged cash awards for the first and second prizes respectively in the essay writing and drawing and painting competition. THE SENTINEL

Widow ‘killed’ by her paramour

SILCHAR, June 6: An illicit relation led to the murder of a widow at Andharighat area in Silcoorie near Silchar yesterday. One Raju Nunia (25) had allegedly killed Kaushalya Nunia (35) yesterday at her residence.

Raju reportedly admitted that he had committed the crime though he refuted the allegation that he had any relation with Kaushalya who is the mother of three children.

However, villagers informed the police that after the death of Mahendra Nunia, husband of Kaushalya, the widow had been involved in an illicit affair with Raju for the last five years. Recently, she had informed Raju that she was pregnant with his child.

People of the locality also came to know about it and they were forcing Raju to marry Kaushalya. Raju had reportedly agreed to accept Kaushalya, but on Thursday night he allegedly killed her.

Police came to know about the murder only on yesterday night. Silchar police immediately arrested Raju. Meanwhile local sources said, Raju’s sister was present on the spot during the murder although Raju denied the fact. THE SENTINEL

Silchar Congress at cross-road

SILCHAR, June 5: Silchar district Congress might undergo a change of leadership following the debacle in the recent general election where heavyweight party candidate Sontosh Mohan Dev finished third. Karnendu Bhattacharjee, who had been the district Congress president for the last 22 years, had already expressed his willingness to quit.

He also simultaneously announced that before hanging up his gloves, he would unmask the Brutus of the party who had been instrumental in defeating Dev. Interestingly, Bhattacharjee, since his announcement just after the result, maintained a studied silence. An insider in the party hinted that Bhattacharjee, a former Rajya Sabha member for two times, wished to patch up with two prominent Dev-bailers like Gautam Roy and Dinesh Prasad Goala to keep his post secured. On the other hand, a group in the DCC said, Bhattacharjee should have resigned owing to moral responsibility for the defeat of Dev. Sources said, Dev had pressurized Bhattacharjee to convene a press meet to inform how some Congress leaders had sabotaged his victory. Bhattacharjee in his version maintained the sabotage-angle, but signed out AUDF factor as the main cause for the defeat of the Congress in Silchar. He, however, in his unique style cautioned those party workers who worked against Dev during the poll. On the other hand, Bhattacharjee promised a Committee would be formed to probe into the allegation of sabotage. But till how, no such committee had been formed. Meanwhile, another source said, former Rajya Sabha MP Kamalendu Bhattacharjee, who was expelled from the Congress, might make a comeback to his old party. Bhattacharjee, once a blue-eyed boy of Dev, contested the last Assembly election unsuccessfully on AUDF ticket, had refused to campaign for Ajmal this time. He had instead expressed his willingness to return to the Congress if the party gives him due honour. He still maintained a group of followers in the Congress who wished to replace Karnendu with him. But, Roy and Goala would play a vital role in opposing Bhattacharjee’s re-entry in the party. In this crucial juncture Dev would decide who would be the next DCC president, a source indicated. However there might not be a change of leadership within next three month as Municipality election would be held. THE SENTINEL

Silchar boy tops MET

SILCHAR, June 5: Anirban Bhattacharjee of Silchar has topped the Medical Entrance test this year. He is the son of Dr Pradip Bhattacharjee and Ananya Bhattacharjee of Haldia, West Bengal. Anirban had secured 241 marks out of a total of 300 to make it to the merit list. THE SENTINEL

Silchar ABVP threatens agitation

SILCHAR, June 5: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthee Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, are planning to launch a mass agitation if the passenger train services between Lumding-Silchar routes was not restored in the current month. Badarpur unit of the ABVP had handed over a memorandum, addressed to Railway Minister Mamata Benarjee, to the Area Manager Debashish Dhar Choudhury, demanding immediate restoration of passenger train services in the hill sector of the NF Railway which was suspended following repeated attacks by Dimasa militants on the running trains in mid-April. Copies of the memorandum were sent to Silchar and Karimganj MPs Kabindra Purkyastha and Lalit Mohan Suklavaidya. THE SENTINEL

Pineapple growers facing miscreant problem

From our Correspondent
HAILAKANDI, June 5: United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA) headed by Dhanyaram Reang, the breakaway group ULFBV of Panchayat Apeto Reang now in the southern part of the district, has created tension among the people by allegedly kidnapping, collecting taxes and other such crimes. The growers of pineapple in Garod Punji, Kalidaspunji, Remapunji, Senapunji, Teapunji under Kathcherra PS are facing immense trouble and have virtually compromised with the outfit for security and to refrain from losses. Garodpunji, the second largest pineapple production centre of Barak Valley, is now in great trouble and they are contemplating more losses and thereby thinking about the next season as to whether they should go for production or switch on to business said a spokesman. THE SENTINEL

Majharbhuiya took Rs 10 lakh from BJP: Anup Choudhury

SILCHAR, June 4: The Cachar Unit of AUDF did not seem to give up its anomalies as district president Anup Choudhury alleged that party MLA Ataur Rahaman Majharbhuiya, district general secretary Altaf Hussain Majharbhuiya and youth leader Saminul Haque had taken Rs 10 lakh from the BJP before the election with the condition that party boss Badrauddin Ajmal would contest from Silchar seat so that Congress candidate Sontosh Mohan Dev could be defeated.

Choudhury said he had enough proof in his hand and would play his cards in due time. Choudhury told The Sentinel that the BJP had approached the trio with an offer of Rs 10 lakh to persuade Ajmal to contest from Silchar. Majharbhuiya then misguided Ajmal presenting a fictitious population pattern of the district and assuring him that if 70 per cent of the Muslim cast votes in favour of the AUDF, Ajmal had a bright chance to win from this prestigious seat.

Reacting to this allegation, AUDF central committee general secretary Baharul Islam told The Sentinel that, Ajmal is matured enough to understand the scenario. Islam said, Choudhury’s allegation lacked substance and argument as he wanted to corner Majharbhuiya. He further said, party president had instructed the Cachar district committee to suspend all its activities till the Review Committee meeting. THE SENTINEL

Dilip Nunisa wants action against Hindustan Construction

SILCHAR, June 4: Welcoming the all out initiative of the new government in the centre against the Black Widow, Dilip Nunisa, Chairman of the pro-talk faction of DHD, urged upon the government to bring the Hindustan Construction company under the scanner of National Investigation Agency. Nunisa told The Sentinel over telephone that, Jewel Garlosa had been arrested from the guest house of the Hindustan Construction company at Bangalore and it was sufficient to sum up that this construction company, engaged in the work of the East-West corridor project, had nexus with the militant outfit. Nunisa said, till now the new government in the Centre had shown avid interest in tackling the Jewel group. He further said, action should be taken against those whose names also flashed up in the process of investigation. Meanwhile, a source said, Hindustan Construction Company forged an unholy alliance with the Black Widow. It was even alleged that the vehicles of the Company were used to transport arms for the outfit. Name of an engineer of the company had reportedly figured in a report of the Assam Riffles. Sources further said, while employees of the other construction companies were regularly harassed by Black Widow for money, the Hindustan Construction company was never harassed. Even the association of the contractors doubted the role of the

Hindustan Construction, the sources said. Nunisa said, big companies like Gamon India had to desert the place as their engineer was shot dead, but Hindustan Construction was never disturbed. Meanwhile, another source said, Hindustan Construction made a sort of give-and-take system with the Jewel group, supplying arms with their vehicles and assuring security for themselves. Further, they used to cash in on the militant issue for cost escalation.

SOURCE: THE SENTINEL

Mahanta, Sahidul to approach SC

SILCHAR, June 4: Prafulla Mahanta and Sahidul Alom Choudhury are planning to file a PIL with the Supreme Court seeking the Apex court’s vigil on the functioning of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the NC Hills Autonomous Council case. Confirming the news, Sahidul Alam, a former Minister in Mahanta’s AGP government, told The Sentinel that they would approaching the Apex court on their personnel capacity.

Sahidul said, neutrality of the NIA indicates immense possibility of some big names in the ruling party getting involved in the case. Sahidul said they had been preparing papers for the case and had collected sufficient documents to prove that some heavy-weight ministers in the Gogoi Cabinet had roles in the NC Hills scan and nexus with the ministry. Sahidul said, they were apprehensive whether the NIA would be given free hand by the Congress UPA government when the names of the ministers in the state would come up. Sahidul also said, it was he who had taken the initiative to approach the Supreme Court seeking its overall monitoring over the functioning of the NIA. However, a source said that Mahanta wanted to settle a score with a minister in the Gogoi Cabinet over a piece of land belonging Sarvamanglam, an NGO headed by Mahanta’s wife. RH Khan, the controversial social welfare official who had also been arrested with Mohit Hojai, had reportedly in his confession mentioned the name of that minister. THE SENTINEL

Silchar-Lumding BG and Silchar Saurashtra sabotage alleged

CORRESPONDENT
KARIMGANJ, June 3 – Urging Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to ask the railway and national highway authorities to take the expeditious measures for completion of the Silchar-Lumding BG and Silchar Saurashtra highway, Dipankar Ghosh, president of Shuruwat an NGO, disclosed through a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister that the BG project was initiated way back in 1983 which proposed BG tracks between Sukritipur-Lanka avoiding much of the hilly terrain of North Cachar Hills with a total outlay of Rs 600 crore.

The engineering-cum-traffic survey was already completed. Quite surprisingly, the project was shelved. After that came the most ridiculous proposal from the Railway Board to connect Silchar with Jogighopa by laying the BG track, most of which would go through Meghalaya, the memorandum added.

Ghosh mentioned that the people of Meghalaya had objected to the extension of rail head from Guwahati to Byrnihat, a distance of 25 km only. How could they, agree, to the laying of more than 200 km of the track? This project was mooted during the time of CK Jaffer Sharif.

Ghosh alleged that it was clear that the Railway Board was acting at the behest of some vested interests. Even before the people of Barak Valley could understand the implication of such an utopian project, the NF Railway came forward with its own proposition to convert the existing MG track into BG without detailing the technicalities involved in this project.

It was more than clear that behind all these experiments was the influence of the transport lobby. Realising the communication difficulties in Barak Valley, Tripura and Mizoram as well as Manipur, the then Railway Minister Ramvilas Paswan laid the foundation stone of Silchar-Lumding BG in 1998. Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav declared it as a national project and said that it would be completed by 2009. But the construction work has now been suspended due to extremists attack in NC Hills.

This railway line is regarded as the life line of supply for not only Barak Valley but also Tripura and Mizoram, the Shuruwat said.

Ghosh further said that there is enough reason to believe that various forces, the upper most being the transport lobby, have come together to sabotage the project.

The militancy-related problem has no doubt created a serious threat perception, which has already taken several lives of engineers and workers at different locations. This position can be tackled by providing security cover as is being done for Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir where there is significant progress of work on railway tracks.

The same is the fate of the Silchar Saurashtra east-west corridoor. Even after five years of gazette notification by the Union government for acquisition of land for the highways, land for 103 km, highway out of a total length of 753 km highway in Assam has been taken over. This clearly speaks of the sorry state of affairs of the construction of the east-west corridor. In south Assam, of the 54 km of highway portion, land for only 13 km has been handed over to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The contracting agency involved in the construction of highway, however, alleges that not even a single kilometre of land is free from encumbrance. This calls for through probe into the entire messy affair. There is enough cause to believe that an unholy nexus exists between a section of officials and revenue circles in the acquisition of land, Shuruwat alleged.

The killing of several engineers of Gammon India Co entrusted with the construction of highway in NC Hills has also raised similar questions regarding security.

This aspect of security has to be given a serious thought it the highway is to be completed on schedule. Apart from various factors delaying the highway project, the indifferent attitude of the State Govt and lacking of seriousness on the ground level are telling on the construction of the highway connectivity, which is seen as an important link for the socio-economic development of the region. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Assam MPs

Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 2 – All MPs from Assam, barring Bijoya Chakraborty, Dip Gogoi, Badruddin Ajmal and Biren Singh Ingti who took oath in English, today took oath in Assamese. .

First time MPs, Joseph Toppo, Ramen Deka, besides Union Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique, Rajen Gohain, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Ranee Narah, Ismail Hussain all took oath in Assamese. BJP MP Kabindra Purkayastha took oath in Sanskrit, while Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya took oath in Bengali. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Fifth annual meet of ACTA held at Silchar

CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR, June 2 – The fifth annual zonal conference of the Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) was held at the premises of Cachar College recently. The meet was presided over by its zonal president Santosh Chakrabarty. ACTA central committee president Dr Apurba Kumar Das and Gojen Basumatary of the central committee were also present on the occasion.

In his speech as the chief guest, Prof Tapodhir Bhattacharjee, Vice-Chancellor, Assam University said that ACTA has a vital role in providing higher education. He assured that in the colleges, he will introduce semester system as it has become a national policy of the government, particularly in case of Central University and its affiliated colleges. For this, Prof Bhattacharjee urged cooperation from people of the society.

On the programme discussed about the effects of rise in the number of private colleges in every corner and due to which the government and government-aided colleges are in great trouble. The reason behind this is that private colleges offer better facility compared to government colleges. There is a natural competition among them with a view to provide better educational facilities. A feeling has grown that private institutions are more uptodate in the teaching process than the government ones.

It is also discussed that with numerous career options to choose, vocational training being imparted in private institutions, the scope in government colleges is less. Meanwhile, other speakers on the occasion expressed apprehension over the regular decline of student in-take in government colleges.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has already made it clear that it would curtail funds for the colleges by Rs 1 lakh if the number of intake in the Arts stream was less by one student and in case of Science, one student less would entail a reduction of Rs 6 lakh from the college annual fund. ASSAM TRIBUNE

Kabindra Purkayastha meets Mamata on BG project

NEW DELHI, June 3: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Silchar-Lumding broad gauge conversion work will be accorded topmost priority. She assured former Union minister and Silchar MP Kabindra Purkayastha of this when the latter met her at Parliament office today. They discussed the BG conversion work and the security problems in NC Hills. Purkayastha urged her to intervene in the matter personally and take effective steps so as to ensure that the BG work executed on a war footing so that the problems of the millions of people living not only in Barak Valley of Asom, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya can be redressed. In this connection, the Silchar MP submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister for Railways. THE SENTINEL

Ajmal Eyeing Chief Minister’s Chair?

Talmizur Rahman

AUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal played a perfect spoilsport for the ruling Congress in Assam in the recent parliamentary polls. This exactly was what the State Congress feared, despite putting up a brave front, and Ajmal left no stone unturned to torment the ruling party at the hustings on this count. The writing was on the wall even before the AUDF was formally launched prior to the 2006 Assembly polls in the State: that it was eying the traditional Congress vote bank comprising the Muslims of immigrant origin.

In the two years that followed, the AUDF concentrated in building up its base in immigrant Muslim-dominated areas of the State. The fact that it succeeded in making vital inroads into the traditional Congress vote bank comprising Muslims of immigrant origin was again evident during the panchayat polls. Beginning with the Assembly polls, Ajmal perhaps began to realize with every passing day that he could make the Congress run for its money for the vote of virtually every immigrant Muslim voter of the State. While the response of the Muslims of immigrant origin emboldened Ajmal’s resolve, it appeared to be enough to send shivers down the spine of the Assam unit of the Congress. Hence, at various points of time issues like bringing the AUDF into the Congress fold or at least striking a working alliance with Ajmal surfaced within the Congress. Likewise, there was also vehement opposition to any such move. Beginning with Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, a large number of frontline Congress leaders of the State perhaps felt that going hand in hand with someone apparently as authoritarian and overambitious as Badruddin Ajmal could very well spell disaster and political oblivion for several State Congress leaders.

Hence, even before the last Lok Sabha polls were announced by the Election Commission, it was not surprising to see delegations of State Congress leaders camping in Delhi to impress upon the high command not to go for any poll tie-up with the AUDF. Side by side a section of State Congress leaders without the spine to confront Ajmal himself was reportedly interested in such an alliance and had even called on Sonia Gandhi with such a proposal if media reports are to be believed. However, the lobby in the State Congress opposed to any tie-up with the AUDF managed to impress upon the Congress high command to go it alone in Assam. The State Congress leaders were clear in their stand that the only option left before Ajmal in this respect was to go for an outright merger of the AUDF with the Congress.

On the other hand, the shrewd tactician that he is and with lakhs of Muslims of immigrant origin solidly behind him, Ajmal knew very well that he should not fall into any such trap if he were to grow into a centre of power. No wonder, the last parliamentary polls witnessed the Congress and the AUDF involved in a cut-throat contest in immigrant Muslim-dominated areas. The record that the Congress won seven seats and the AUDF only one does not reveal true picture. It seemed that Ajmal made it the cardinal point of his agenda to not only cut into the traditional Congress vote bank of immigrant Muslims but also to leave no stone unturned to defeat Congress candidates. For instance, as anybody else, Ajmal knew from the bottom of his heart that even by the wildest stretch of imagination his party had no chance of winning from the prestigious Guwahati seat. And yet at the eleventh hour the AUDF fielded a candidate in Guwahati, and that too at the cost of betraying the NCP, upsetting the arrangement agreed upon within the so-called Third Front to leave the seat for the NCP. Ajmal’s purpose of fielding a candidate in Guwahati was as clear as daylight for all to see — to snatch away a chunk of the immigrant Muslim votes to ensure the defeat of the Congress candidate. And that is exactly how it transpired at the end of the day.

By Ajmal’s own admission, the AUDF has topped in 27 assembly segments while coming second and third in 20 others in the last parliamentary polls. Now that the AUDF has amassed so much of political capital in a span of just two years by causing the Congress to bleed, there is no reason to believe that the AUDF supremo would swallow any sop that the Congress might offer between now and the Assembly polls in the State in 2011. On the contrary, the success in terms of votes polled is only likely to embolden Ajmal to adopt a still more aggressive attitude towards the Congress in the State. More than anybody else, Ajmal knows that only such an approach might lead to the realization of his dream of the Congress approaching him with a political roadmap that would provide him a dominating role and not the other way round. And if rumours mills are anything to go by, only such a situation would be satisfying for Ajmal as it would pave the way for the realization of his cherished dream of becoming the Chief Minister of the State. Rumours also have it that nothing short of the Chief Minister’s chair would be satisfying for Badruddin Ajmal.

Perhaps Tarun Gogoi’s statement ‘‘Who is Badruddin?’’ would continue to serve not just as a bitter pill for Ajmal but also as a booster to take on the State Congress leadership headlong reportedly with a view to fulfilling his dream of becoming an undisputed centre of power in Assam. If Ajmal’s approach in the recent Lok Sabha polls is any indication of his gameplan, one feels that the political maulana would go to any extent to damage the prospect of the Congress even if it amounts to victory of candidates of the BJP — a party which he opposes at least verbally to keep his vote bank intact.

On feels Ajmal’s gameplan centres around strategies that would ensure further inroads into the traditional Congress vote bank comprising Muslims of immigrant origin and if necessary play spoilsport in the superlative degree to force the State Congress leadership on its knees, while at the same time keep the Congress high command in good humour.

The dynamics of history appear to have made a full circle. The vote bank of Muslims of immigrant origin or the ‘Ali’ vote bank is a creation of the Congress. Presently Ajmal is paying back the Congress in its own coin. Again, while immigration is a continuing feature, it would not be surprising if, in disguise, the two parties begin to lock horns over the issue of loyalty of the new entrants!

Meanwhile, fearing the worse, an anti-Gogoi lobby, comprising several State Congress leaders, is reportedly trying to impress upon the party high command to visualize the ground reality and iron out a working relationship with Ajmal to avoid further erosion of the Congress vote bank comprising the Muslims of immigrant origin.
Times ahead will be interesting.
(The writer is a journalist) THE SENTINEL

Silchar News

Nilotpal Choudhury resigns

SILCHAR, June 2: AGP central committee member Nilotpal Choudhury resigned from the party today while addressing a press meet. Choudhury said, the recent general election had proved that regional politics had lost its relevance. Choudhury, who is also an executive director of a local newspaper group however maintained that he would engage himself with popular issues. THE SENTINEL

DC hands over cheque to injured PO

SILCHAR, June 2: Cachar Deputy Commissioner Gautam Ganguly handed over a cheque of Rs 25,000 to DS Chandrasekhar who sustained bullet injuries at Barthal under Lakhipur while discharging the duty of presiding officer on April 16 general election. Chandrasekhar, a central school teacher, is recuperating in the Silchar Medical Collage Hospital. Another presiding officer Kulendra Sinha, who was injured in an accident, while returning from the booth, would also be given compensation, a source hinted. THE SENTINEL

Congress eyeing council in NC Hills

SILCHAR, June 2: Leading Congress leader in the NC Hills Samarjit Haflongbar might be the next chief executive member of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, a source indicated. When contacted, Haflongbar told The Sentinel that if the Governor calls the Congress to prove its majority in the council, they would be able to do the same. Haflongbar said, at present the Congress had eight executive members among the 30 (including two nominated members) in the council.
But at least 17 EMs from the ASDC and the BJP had expressed willingness to join the Congress. “We have not yet accepted their application, but if the situation demands, we will embrace them in our party and place our demand before the government to allow us to from the council,” Haflongbar elaborated.

Meanwhile, an Executive Member, who had switched over to the Congress from the ASDC, hinted that the arrest of Mohit Hojai had sent a chilling message to the ASDC and a good number of party EM’s wished to join the Congress. Apart from Hojai himself, Prakanta Warsia and Kalinjay Senyung were reportedly against joining the Congress.

Haflongbar, however, reportedly maintained that given the current situation in the NC Hills, the Governor rule should continue for at least two more months. Meanwhile, a source said, the counter-veil official RH Khan, who had also been arrested, was a master in delivering the government fund to the coffers of the militants. Khan had amassed crores of rupees with the power of which he used to influence the influential ministers of the state. Sources further said that Khan had links with all the militant outfits active in the Hills. THE SENTINEL

AUDF Cachar unit suspended

SILCHAR, June 2: In the backdrop of the recent infighting in the Cachar unit, the AUDF central committee had suspended the district committee.

Central committee general secretary Dr Baharul Islam in a fax massage to Altaf Hussain Majumdar stated that till the review committee meeting to be held on June 11-13 in Guwahati, all the functions of the Cachar district committee would remain suspended. Islam maintained that party president Badrauddin Ajmal had issued this order.

Meanwhile, Majumdar told The Sentinel that today’s massage from the central committee had virtually demoralized district president Anup Choudhury.

He further said that he had sent a report to the party president alleging that Choudhury and vice president Dibakar Bhattacharjee had laundered a hefty amount during the election campaign.
Majumdar said, Choudhury and Bhattacharjee took the responsibility of 100 polling booths in Silchar Assembly segment, but instead of campaigning, Choudhury had allegedly spread the rumour that the AUDF did not need votes from the Hindus.

It is to noted that one of the central committee and secretary Brajalal Rabidas led a group yesterday to occupy the party office at Silchar. They were however removed by the AUDF workers, claimed Majumdar. Addressing a press meet, Majumdar said, the central committee had already issued show-cause notice to Rabidas. Choudhury on the other hand maintained that he would drag party MLA Ataur Rahamn Majarbhuiya, for making derogatory remarks against him, to the court. THE SENTINEL

BJP demands CBI probe into Bithika’s anomalies

SILCHAR, June 2: Alleging massive corruption in at least five major projects during the tenure of Bithika Dev as Chairperson of Silchar Municipal Board, the BJP has demanded CBI probe into the matter.

Addressing a press meet here today, BJP’s state vice president Bimolangshu Roy and district president Uday Shankar Goswami said that they had already submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding CBI probe into the gross irregularities in the construction of NRDI Hall, Goldighi Shopping Mall, demolition of old Municipality building, beautification of Gandhibag and allotment of land at Water Works Road for a proposed market complex.
Roy said, the SMB led by the then chairperson Bithika Dev collected at least Rs 1 crore but did not deposit the amount in the bank account.

Roy further welcomed the decision of the High Court directing the state government to hold Municipality election within three months. THE SENTINEL

Poor show by Silchar students in HSLC exam

CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR, June 1 – This year in the HSLC examination, the students of Silchar town failed to attain a position on the merit list. Not even in the top 20 position.

There are so many reputed private schools in this town, who always claim to produce good students, but are now nowhere. This is the first in recent times that Cachar did not figure in the merit list.

Every year private schools show better results in connection with ranking than the government schools in the HSLC examination. Last year too, just a single student from suburban Udharband made it to the merit list. But in 2007 Cachar district got ten rank holders.

The Silchar Government Boys School, which once produced a number of meritorious students, had to be happy with a single first division. The 18 students who appeared from this school, all passed with 11 in second division and five with letter marks in Persian.

This year in Cachar district 12,255 students appeared in the HSLC exam out of which 7,927 passed out. Among them 788 students secured first division, 1,657 secured second and 5,482 students secured the third division. The percentage of pass students was 64.841.

The oldest convent school in the town Holy Cross School was on top of the list with 84 first division holders this year, among 90 students. Remaining six students passed in the second division.

Another well-known private school, Silchar Collegiate School, recorded a cent per cent success as all the 133 students of this school passed out with flying colours. 109 students secured first division and a total of 329 letters were earned by the school.

The Ramanuj Gupta Memorial High School also got with a remarkable success as out of 35 students, 24 passed in first division and nine in second divisions. Total numbers of letters were 78.

Ankit Kumar Sethia of Silchar Muktasree School secured the best in the State, 100 marks in mathematics. Sandip Nath of Kalain Adarsh Vidyapeeth also secured 90 as the highest marks in Bengali.

Like in previous years, private institutes in Silchar maintained supremacy on the result sheet while the Government schools recorded a miserable performance.

Another government school in Silchar in which 110 students appeared from Adharchand School and 103 passed out but only 18 could secure first division 31 in the second division and the remaining 54 secured the third division. Four students got star marks and just 30 letters were wrested by the school.

Government schools like Shyama Charan Dev Vidyapeeth and Manmohan Valika Vidyalaya could not produce a single first division. Similar was the story with Tarapur Girls’ Higher Secondary school where nine out of 18 students passed, only two in second divisions and the left behind seven in third divisions. ASSAM TRIBUNE

ABYSA gheraoes SDA office against illegal constructions

SILCHAR, June 1: All Barak Youth Students’ Association (ABYSA) and Swamiji Social Welfare Society today staged a demonstration inside the Silchar Development Authority office demanding immediate action against illegal constructions in the town.

At least 80 youths today gheraoed SDA executive engineer Piyush Kanti Dey and asked for clarification as to why even after serving notices to the owners of the illegal construction, the SDA has not taken any follow-up action. They apprehended foul play behind the issuing of notice and then keeping silence. Dey reportedly argued that it is the duty of the Silchar Municipal Board to act against illegal construction.

But his clarification did not satisfy the body. They also asked if the SDA has no authority to take action, then why do they charge fees on issuing notice after inspecting the sites.

Dey later assured them that final notice would be served against illegal construction within three days. THE SENTINEL

AUDF factions clash over party office in Silchar

SILCHAR, June 1: Two warring factions of AUDF’s Cachar unit today virtually took to the streets as its central committee general secretary Brajalal Rabidas led a group of party workers to literally capture the district office.

They broke the lock of the party office and later took charge of the office. AUDF district president Anup Choudhury, who was in Guwahati for his professional duties, told The Sentinel that he would lodge a defamation suit against party MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya for his allegation that Choudhury had sabotaged the winning chance of party supremo Badruddin Ajmal in Silchar.

Majharbhuiya who was also the general secretary of the central committee yesterday told the mediapersons here that Choudhury and Rabi Das had planned to launder lakhs of rupees from Ajmal during the election.

But, Majharbhuiya had spoiled their plans though Choudhury siphoned off Rs 2 lakh and Rabidas Rs 1 lakh, but subsequently they clandestinely worked against the party.

Majharbhuiya, along with party leaders like Shyam Sundar Choudhury, Altaf Hussain Majumdar and Dibakar Bhattacharjee alleged that during the election district president Anup Choudhury and Rabidas placed a budget of Rs 62 lakh for campaigning but Ajmal sensing foul intention deployed his company’s accountants Abbas Ali and Bapan Mazumdar to disburse money.

This infuriated Choudhury and he stooped to anti-party activities. Majharbhuiya said, workers and supporters had lost faith in the current district committee and wanted to replace it with Majharbhuiya as the district president.

Indicating that he would very soon file a Rs 10 crore defamation case against Majharbhuiya, Anup Choudhury told over telephone from Guwahati that he was forced regularly by Majharbhuiya to put his signature in the payment vouchers.

Lakhs of rupees had also been laundered by Majharbhuiya, Katigorah MLA Altaf and party youth leader Sominul Haque Choudhury.

He earlier appealed to the party workers not to join in the Sunday’s meet at Berenga. On Saturday, a meeting of the district committee vowed to remove Majharbhuiya and his followers from the affairs of the committee.

They even clarified that the district committee should not be blamed for Ajmal’s defeat as Majharbhuiya was solely responsible to this. Majharbhuiya yesterday bounced back with an open challenge to Choudhury labelling charges of sabotage and corruption against him.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Majharbhuiya who was also in Guwahati, told The Sentinel that Rabidas led a group of boys from Agradoot club and wanted to take charge of the party office but when AUDF workers appeared there, the miscreants fled the scene.

Majharbhuiya also made it clear that they would not lodge any complaints with the police and maintained that Rabidas with the strength of some youths, who were not even the party’s ordinary members, wanted to blackmail the party leadership, but this would not be tolerated any more. THE SENTINEL

Gauhati High Court judgement on state municipal boards

GUWAHATI, June 1: The Gauhati High Court has passed a judgement in favour of a PIL filed by Bimalendu Roy against the appointment of Bithika Dev,chairman of the Silchar Municipality, as the administrator of the Municipality.

The High Court has ruled that any commissioner whose term has expired could not be appointed as administrator. Instead, as a stopgap arrangement government officers should be appointed till the election of the chairman and the vice-chairman.

As per the 74th amendment of the constitution (1992), the High Court has directed the Government of Asom to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner within four weeks of the passing of the judgement and the Election Commission should hold the general elections of all the state municipal boards within eight weeks from the date of appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner.

It may be mentioned here that according to the 74th amendment of the constitution, the duration of a municipality shall be for 5 years only and election shall be completed six months before the expiry of its duration. THE SENTINEL