BSF-BGB meet decides to start Indo-Bangla border survey in Nov

SILCHAR: A sector-level meeting of senior officials of Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) was held on Saturday at Sutarkandi trade centre in Karimganj district. The meeting decided that the survey of border areas of the two countries will start on November this year.
While the team of BSF officials was led by its sector commander (Silchar) deputy inspector general UC Hazarika, the Bangladesh officials were led by BGB sector commander (Sylhet) Col Muhammad Khair-uz-Zaman.

Source :http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-21/guwahati/34627370_1_bgb-bsf-indo-bangla

Frequent power cuts create public woe

SILCHAR, May 29: The scorching heat, frequent power cuts and high humidity have made lives of the people of Barak Valley miserable in the last few days.
The frequent power cuts in this hot and sultry summer have become quite irritating for the people of Silchar in general. The power supply has totally gone out of control with no predictable pattern to the power cuts.
Bidyut Debnath, a resident of Kanakpur, said that there is a power cut after every one hour and sometimes it takes two to three hours to back.
Madhumita Acharjee, a student, who is preparing for LLM entrance said, “My entrance examination is very near. But it is very hard to concentrate on studies because of this excessive heat and undue power cut.”
The power cut is not limited to only day’s hours. People of here are also suffering from power cuts at night.
Chunilal Das, a resident of Co-operative lane, said that he was unable to sleep during the night. Due to the sweltering heat, the fan had become a must. Without it, the sweltering heat of the summer makes sleep impossible.
Angshuman Dey, a resident of Ambicapatty, said that between 6 am and 6 pm, there are at least six hours of power cuts. During night , there are more six-hour of power cuts, taking the total power cut duration to 12 hours every day.
Moreover, in the night, there is a power cut after every one hour for which people can’t sleep properly. It is being forecasted that the heat would increase sharply in the coming days, but chances of heavy rain is also there.
However, the ASEB earlier assured that power supply would get normal, but hue and cry over power supply among public remains constant.

Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=119132&dtP=2012-05-30&ppr=1#119132

Youth Congress gherao on DTO

SILCHAR, May 24: The members of Silchar Youth Congress gheraoed the office of the district transport office demanding the action against the illegal carrying of over-loaded goods by the super buses in their day to day journey particularly in Silchar- Guwahati route, which might jeopardize the life of general people, on Wednesday.
The members of youth congress in an operation, early on Thursday  morning, to the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Ramnagar found eight passenger buses with overloaded goods, where they stopped all the buses and informed the transport authority. The youth congress leaders thereafter gheraoed the office of the district transport officer and sought his intervention in this regard.
Abhijit Paul, president, said that they have submitted a memorandum regarding this issue nine days ago but still no action has been initiated. He further said if it continues they would think of mass movement.
S Alam, district transport officer, called a meeting with the enforcement officers and asked them to take proper action. He also ordered the managers of the Capital and the Jagannath travels not to carry over loaded goods. He further assured the members of Youth congress that adequate steps would be initiated to deal with the issue very soon.
The leaders who were present in the operation included Papon Deb, , vice president, Rahul Amin Laskar, general secretary, Bandita Divedi Roy, Anita Das Chowdhury, Anupam Paul, Rinku Borlaskar, Shyamal Saha.

Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118562&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118562

Consumers’ body slams UPA Government, Opposition fumes

SILCHAR, May 24: The Grahak Suraksha Samiti (GSS) of Cachar has slammed the UPA Government for hiking the petrol prices by nearly a Rs 8 per litre. “It is quite intriguing that the decision was taken by the Government just after the Parliament session on budget was over”, said Biplob Kumar Goswami, general secretary of the consumers’ body. It was according to him a surreptitious method of avoiding Parliament to push up the price and pass on the burden on common people, already reeling under the heat of spiralling prices of sorts of commodities, both essential and non essential. It is the steepest hike ever since the Government of Dr Manmohan Singh came to power in 2002. Between March 2011 and May 24, petrol price has been increased by 6 times from Rs 62.50 to Rs 77.81 per litre. This is one of the records on price front of the Government that cries for ‘aam aadmi’, he pointed out.
Goswami attributed the abnormal increase in petrol price to the gross fiscal mismanagement and erroneous economic policy which together have combined together to devalue the rupee against dollar and a shaken investment climate. He said afraid of facing the opposition in the Parliament, the Government took the decision unilaterally and arbitrarily. Even its allies in the coalition were not consulted and taken into confidence. The ground cited was the depreciation of rupee in the international market which has been disputed by all the well known economists of the country. In fact, as he pointed out increasing trade deficit and lack of reformist approach has messed up the situation, he stated.
The timing of hike was also unjustified with no elections round the corner excepting the Presidential election. The Government wanted to play . The hue and cry raised by the allies of UPA, according to him, was drama. Mamata Banerjee did raise her pitch, but it was all sound and fury. Goswami said, “It reflects on the failure of the Government to meet the crisis, enmeshed as it is in scams and scandals.”
It can neither control run away prices nor hold a check on massive leakages of development funds. The austerity measures being talked of by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee lose all sense and sensibility, as Goswami pointed out, by following the proverbial policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound. By taking recourse to pushing up price, it is now trying to balance the deficits. It is an exercise to offset the subsidies on diesel and LPG, he maintained.
Goswami further brought out the paradox. When the prices of international crude have dropped in March last, the UPA Government has taken the unusual step. In the past, the Government passed the onus on international price to justify every hike. Oil companies have always put the pressure on the Government to increase prices.
He was of the opinion along with austerity measures as planned by the Finance Ministry, the Government should recover crores of rupees lost in colossus scams of 2 G Spectrum and CWG, besides bringing Back enormous amount black money stashed in foreign banks. The Samiti would launch a district level public agitation to pressure the Government for roll back. Other option Is that the Central excise duty of Rs 14.78 a litre and the states’ sales tax ranging from Rs 10.30 to Rs 18.74 a litre should be reduced or slashed.
The opposition political parties, BJP, AGP, CPM, CPI, AIUDF, SUCI, have come down heavily on the Government for its anti people policy. Kiriti Bhushan Purkayastha, Cachar district president of BJP, in a statement here said, the hike was unwarranted and a cruel joke with people. Dulal Mitra of CPM termed the hike as pandering to the interests of business houses and industrialists. While left parties are sharpening their arsenal for attacking the Government, other parties are planning to hit the streets. CPI(M), its leaders and supporters today staged protest demonstration against the hiking of petrol price and demanded the UPA government should scrap the hike.

source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118560&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118560

LPG crisis: GSS gheraos IOC

SILCHAR, May 24: Grahak Suraksha Samiti of Cachar gheraoed the office of Lalit Kumar Dule, manager of Indian Oil Corporation, on Wedneday, by demanding immediate measures in LPG crisis.
Biplab Kumar Goswami, general secretary, said that the situation has become so critical that it takes more than 45 days in the processing of booking and gas cylinder delivery.
He pointed out that the delivery man has the responsibility to provide the bonafide consumers with LPG cylinders within the time schedule of booking by them. But, it has been found in most of the cases that the delivery man take recourse to malpractices by diverting the cylinders of consumers to black market for unlawful gains. Even most of the persons who are entrusted with home delivery do not have any proper registration. Surprisingly after lodging complaints by the citizens of this valley, no action is initiated for corrective measures.
The members of the Consumers’ body said that the black marketers are cashing in on the sudden rise in LPG prices. The cylinders, priced at Rs 398, are now being sold at anything between Rs 900 and Rs 1,000 each, an all-time high. They alleged that the several gas agencies are looting the general public and pointed out that to take a new connection gas agencies are charging Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 instead of Rs 1,820, which is the prescribed fee.
They further alleged that the Sahid Nandachand Gas Agency does not have any delivery man at Srikona, which has created a huge problem for the people. Moreover, they demanded the immediate steps should be taken in solving the problems of Rupali Gas Agency of Udharbond.
However, Lalit Dule, who joined here just three days back, assured the members of the Suraksha Samiti that he would take immediate measure to meet the required demand of LPG cylinders.
The members of the consumers’ body were present included Amrit Kumar Acharjee, Dilip Kumar Das, Mussobbir Ali, Dilip Das.

source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118563&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118563

Donation to Cachar Cancer Hospital

SILCHAR, May 24: On the eve language martyrs’ day, which falls on May 19, a few benevolent person of the city extended their helping hand to Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Institute .
Manju Bhattacharjee of Link Road along with Dr Nirmali Barman, professor of Assam University, Gauri Bhattacharjee, Konkona Nath of CR Avenue, and Shreya Shipani handed over a cash of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000, Rs 3000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 3000 respectively to Dr Rabi Kannan, director of Cachar Cancer Hospital. Dr Kannan expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Hospital to all for the financial assistance and he assured that the grant will be meaningfully utilized in the interest of the people. Others were present in the function included Kalyan Chakraborty, Superintendent, Dr Ikbal Bahar, Dr Pronoti Dhar.

Source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118566&dtP=2012-05-25&ppr=1#118566

Media should play a responsible role: Arunodoy Saha

SILCHAR, May 23: “Media should play a responsible role in covering news” said Arunodoy Saha, Vice Chancellor of Tripura University, at Rajib Bhavan in a programme organized by a local NGO Aashiyan, here on Monday.
He said that most of the media houses are now running after sensationalism, but this brings down the credibility, which is the most important asset for a house.
He urged the media not to sensationalize news and maintain credibility in view of the vital role played by newspapers and TV channels in shaping people’s opinion in a democracy. He added to say the media have a big role to play in the parliamentary democracy. By citing different examples of the impact of media on the general public, Professor Saha said that now a days people are more dependent on the media than before. He further said that earlier a political party used to depend on their cadres in order to reach the mass, but now the situation has changed and a political party can disseminate their views to a huge audience through newspapers and TV channels.
Professor Saha said that the media should give wider publicity to people who endeavour for changing the society for good. He pointed out that the attack on an individual by any newspaper or news channel just for their interest is not acceptable in a democratic country.
The Vice Chancellor further urged the journalists to follow the code of ethics in the news covering. He said that paid news is not good for healthy growth of the society and is putting question mark on the credibility of the media. Dissemination of wrong facts some times leads to disaster and need of the hour is to dissuade from such practices in the larger interest of the public good, he added.
Professor Saha also said that a thin line should be drawn by the journalists. He requested the journalists to maintain the objectivity and integrity in their profession.

source: http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=118452&dtP=2012-05-24&ppr=1#118452