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PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM GUWAHATI & DIBRUGARH
RN-1127/57 TECH/GH – 103/2018-2020, VOL. 82, NO. 217 GUWAHATI, MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
82 years of service to the nation
www.assamtribune.com Pages 12 Price: 6.00
p2 p9Desiltation of BondajanBeel resumes
p6 People rush to get tested forCovid-19 in Jorhat
Protests, clashes overBeirut blast
R DUTTA CHOUDHURY
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: TheGovernment of India is planningto complete the peace talks withmilitant groups of Nagaland bySeptember this year and thenext round of talks between theCentre’s interlocutor RN Raviand leaders of the National So-cialist Council of Nagalim (I-M)is scheduled to be held in NewDelhi next week. Senior lead-ers of the militant outfit are al-ready in New Delhi and Ravi,who is the Governor of Naga-
Centre planning to complete Naga peace talks by SeptCOVID spike
NEW DELHI, Aug 9:With a highest single-dayspike of 64,399 cases,India’s COVID-19 tallywent past 21 lakh today,while death toll climbed to43,379 with 861 morefatalities. The number ofrecoveries neared 15 lakhwith record 53,879 morepeople recuperating in thepast 24 hours. – PTI
Fire mishapAMARAVATI, Aug 9: As
many as 10 patients diedat a star hotel converted toa coronavirus treatmentcentre here today whenpanic-stricken inmatestried to flee a fire likely tohave been caused by ashort circuit, officials said,adding 32 people havebeen rescued. – PTI
Flood sceneGUWAHATI, Aug 9: The
flood situation in the Stateremained unchanged inthe past 24 hours even asthe number of affectedpeople increased to 8,456.The situation is likely todeteriorate as the Metoffice has forecast heavyrainfall in the next 72hours. – Staff Reporter
Cong chiefNEW DELHI, Aug 9:
The Congress today saidSonia Gandhi will continueas interim president tillsuch time a “properprocedure” is in place toelect a party chief. SoniaGandhi’s tenure as interimchief comes to an end onAugust 10. – PTI
RajapaksaCOLOMBO, Aug 9:
Mahinda Rajapaksa wastoday sworn in as SriLanka’s Prime Minister ata centuries-old Buddhisttemple after his party wona landslide victory inparliamentary electionsthat allowed the influentialfamily to consolidatepower for the next fiveyears. – PTI
nnnnn Also see page 2
Sushant probeMUMBAI, Aug 9: The
Enforcement Directorate(ED) questioned ShowikChakraborty, brother ofactor Rhea Chakraborty, forabout 18 hours inconnection with a moneylaundering case linked tothe death of actor SushantSingh Rajput, officials saidon Sunday. – PTI
PM launches Rs 1 lakh crAgri-Infra Fund
lllll Creation of post-harvest infrastructurelllll Generation of jobs
land, is scheduled to reach onTuesday.
Highly placed sources in the
Government of India told The As-
sam Tribune that the talks are in
the final stage and outbreak of COV-
ID-19 pandemic delayed the proc-
ess. The Government is of the view
that the talks should not drag on
any longer and the process should
be completed by September.
Sources said that the process of
talks with the Naga National Polit-
ical Groups (NNPG), an umbrella
body of seven militant groups, is
complete. But some minor issues
are yet to be settled with the
NSCN (I-M). “Most of the major
issues have been settled with the
NSCN (I-M) and drafting of the
formal agreement may take some
time. The Government has re-
fused to accept the demand of the
NSCN (I-M) to give separate flag
and Constitution. But at the same
time, the Government has made
it clear that those issues can be
discussed further peacefully even
after the signing of the agreement,”
sources added.
On the decision to hold the next
round of talks in New Delhi, sourc-
es said that in recent times, NSCN
(I-M) general secretary Th Muiv-
ah has not been keeping good
health and it is difficult for him to
come out of camp Hebron, which
is the headquarter of the outfit, fre-
quently for talks. Muivah is now in
Delhi for treatment and that is
why, the decision was taken to hold
the next round of talks in the na-
tional capital. Other senior lead-
ers of the outfit have been sent to
Delhi last week as they have to
follow the COVID protocol of quar-
antine after inter-state travel.
Replying to a question on wheth-
er it would be possible to sign the
agreement before the Independ-
ence Day, sources admitted that it
might be difficult to do so though the
Government is keen on completing
the process as soon as possible.
Some formalities have to be com-
pleted and the agreement will have
to be drafted meticulously. This may
take some time, sources added.
Sources said that there would
be only one accord with all the
Naga militant groups. Before the
signing of the agreement, the out-
fits would have to submit detailed
list of cadres so that proper reha-
bilitation package can be drafted.
Moreover, the outfits would have
to submit inventory of weapons at
their disposal to pave the way for
surrender of weapons before the
signing of the formal agreement.
Government of India sources
further said that as the talks dragged
on for a long time since 1997, some
“vested interest circles have de-
veloped and they want to maintain
status quo for their own benefit.
Such groups are desperate to de-
lay the process, but the Govern-
ment is determined to complete
the process by September.”
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: As-
serting that the govern-
ment’s agri-reforms are fo-
cussed on empowering small
farmers, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Sunday
launched a financing facility of
Rs 1 lakh crore under the
Agri-Infra Fund that will help
create post-harvest infra-
structure in villages and gen-
erate jobs.
He also said the country
does not face problems in farm
production but in post-harvest
losses, and therefore efforts
are being made to strength-
en post-harvest infrastructure
facilities and ensure better
income for farmers.
Legal hurdles are being
removed and major push for
agri-reforms are being given
to encourage investment in
rural India for creating post-
harvest linkages, he added.
Modi launched the Agricul-
ture Infrastructure Fund
through a video conference on
the auspicious occasion of ‘Bal-
ram Jayanti’, a day when farm-
ers worship plough. Agricul-
ture Minister Narendra Singh
Tomar and farmers from some
states also participated in the
video conference.
“On this auspicious occa-
sion, a special fund of Rs 1
lakh crore has been launched
to create agriculture-related
infrastructure facilities in the
country. This will help in cre-
ating better storage facilities
and modern cold storage
chains in villages. Many em-
ployment opportunities will
get created in villages,” Modi
said after the launch.
The Prime Minister reit-
erated that India has a huge
opportunity to invest in post-
harvest management solu-
tions like warehousing, cold
chain and food processing,
and build a global presence
in areas such as organic and
fortified foods.
He also mentioned that this
scheme provides a good op-
portunity for startups in ag-
riculture to avail the benefits
and scale their operations,
thereby creating an ecosys-
tem that reaches farmers in
every corner of the country.
Under the Agri-Infra Fund,
about Rs 1 lakh crore will be
sanctioned under the financ-
ing facility in partnership
with multiple lending insti-
tutions as loans to PACS,
farmer groups, Farmer Pro-
ducer Organisations (FPOs),
agri-entrepreneurs, startups
and agri-tech players. – PTI
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: In a
major push to promote the
domestic defence industry,
Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh on Sunday announced
restrictions on import of 101
weapons and military plat-
forms including light combat
helicopters, transport aircraft,
conventional submarines and
cruise missiles by 2024.
Making the announcement
on Twitter, the Defence Min-
ister estimated that the do-
mestic defence industry would
receive contracts worth al-
most Rs four lakh crore with-
in the next five to seven years
as a result of the decision to
prune the import list.
Singh said the Defence
Ministry is now ready for a
“big push” to boost indige-
nous defence manufacturing
in tune with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s call for ‘At-
manirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Re-
liant India).
According to officials, the
list of 101 items includes
towed artillery guns, short
range surface to air missiles,
cruise missiles, offshore pa-
trol vessels, electronic war-
fare systems, next generation
missile vessels, floating dock,
anti-submarine rocket launch-
ers and short range maritime
reconnaissance aircraft.
The list also includes basic
trainer aircraft, lightweight
rocket launchers, multi-bar-
rel rocket launchers, missile
destroyers, sonar systems
for ships, rockets, ASTRA-
MK I beyond visual range air-
to-air missiles, light machine
guns and artillery ammuni-
India restricts importof 101 defence items
Major push to promote domestic defence industry
CM orders landsurvey to detectencroachments
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9:
Chief Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal today asked the
revenue and disaster man-
agement department to
conduct a detailed survey
on the government land
across the State to map al-
leged encroachments.
This direction was given
in a meeting that Sonowal
held in his official residence
here today which was at-
tended among others by
Chief Secretary Kumar
Sanjay Krishna.
The deputy commission-
ers of all the 33 districts will
be asked to carry out an ex-
haustive survey to figure
out government lands that
are under encroachment.
They will submit the report
to the government based
on which the department
will initiate next course of
action.
tion (155 mm) and ship-borne
medium range guns.
Singh’s announcement
came a week after a draft
defence procurement policy
of the Defence Ministry pro-
jected a turnover of Rs 1.75
lakh crore (USD 25 billion)
in defence manufacturing by
2025.
India is one of the most lu-
crative markets for global
defence giants. The country
figured among the top three
importers of military hard-
ware in the world for the last
eight years. According to es-
timates, the Indian armed
forces are projected to spend
around USD 130 billion in
capital procurement in the
next five years.
SEE PAGE 3
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The State Health
Department will provide oximeters to
COVID-19 patients opting for home isola-
tion in Guwahati city.
“From tomorrow, we will provide pa-
tient preferring to stay in home isolation a
pulse oximeter and first-line supportive
medicine completely free in Guwahati city.
We have also activated the tele-medicine
service for them through 104,” Health Min-
ister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The facilities are likely to be extended to
other places as well. There are around 580
COVID-19 patients who have opted for
home isolation in the city till date.
The number is increasing by around 50
everyday. Only asymptomatic patients are
being allowed home isolation. Sarma further
said COVID-19 cases in Guwahati have
shown a decreasing trend in the last few days.
“Positivity rate has come down from 18
per cent (on July 25) to 4.5 per cent as on
Saturday. The number of positive cases per
day is also slowing down. We need to main-
tain this trend for a few more weeks,” he
Govt to provide oximeter forpatients in home isolation
Facility in Guwahati initiallysaid. Yesterday, the city recorded 299 COV-
ID-19 positive cases, the lowest in last six
days. The number of COVID-19
cases now stands at 57,714,
while the total number of dis-
charged patients is
40,591.
Meanwhile, in Assam 396 cured patients
have registered for plasma donation.
“After initial screening at GMCH lab,
more than 267 willing people were called
for donation out of which 124 were able to
donate so far in Guwahati. In other govern-
ment medical colleges, 15 have donated their
plasma,” officials said.
Meanwhile, till Saturday, 2,205 Assam
Police personnel have tested positive for the
virus and 1,659 have recovered. Six police
personnel have succumbed to their infection.
RITURAJ BORTHAKUR
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The biorefin-
ery at Numaligarh, which will produce
ethanol and other platform chemicals
using bamboo as feedstock, is likely to
commence commercial production
from 2022.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL),
Finland’s Chempolis Ltd and Finnish
energy company Fortum 3 BV had es-
tablished a joint venture Assam Bio
Refinery Private Limited (ABRPL) in
2018 for building and operating the bi-
orefinery.
Chempolis has granted a non-exclusive
and non-transferable technology licence
to ABRPL to use Chempolis’ technology
‘Formicobio’ for the purpose of construct-
ing and operating the biorefinery.
The construction activities started
Biorefinery likely to start production in 2022Bamboo to be sourced directly from farmers
from December 2018 after getting all
formal clearances from statutory bodies.
“The construction activity at the site
was stopped during lockdown from
March 25 to April 20. Construction at
the site has again started since April 21
following all necessary guidelines by the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the
State authorities. Currently, around 450
workers are engaged at the construction
site and all necessary arrangements are
being done to bring project back to its
schedule,” an official source said.
The project will utilise 300,000 tonnes
of dry bamboo annually and shall pro-
duce 49,000 tonnes of ethanol along with
other chemicals – acetic acid, furfural
and combustible residue in the form of
bio-coal and stillages. The bio-coal and
other residue of the plant will be used
as fuel to produce sufficient steam and
electricity required for the plant.
The project cost is estimated at Rs
1,750 crore. The project has received sanc-
tion of Rs 150 crore from the Central gov-
ernment under viability gap funding.
Draft EIA 2020 notification opposedby organisations, individuals
SIVASISH THAKUR
GUWAHATI, Aug 9:
Strongly criticising the EIA
2020 draft notification, a
number of organisations and
individuals, including envi-
ronmental activists, of the
State and the Northeast have
submitted their suggestions
before the Union Ministry of
Environment, Forest and
Climate Change.
The protesting bodies and
individuals point out that the
notification by weakening the
environmental protection
laws, legitimising violations,
and compromising on public
hearings, would push to the
brink the region’s last sur-
viving forests and their bio-
diversity.
They have also vehemently
opposed the exemption of a list
of projects under the ambit of
the EIA, including projects la-
belled as ‘strategic’ by the gov-
ernment and linear projects
such as roads and pipelines in
border areas falling within a
100-km aerial distance from
the Line of Actual Control with
bordering countries, effective-
ly covering much of the North-
east. Stating that the notifica-
tion severely weakens various
guidelines, restrictions and
safeguards which legally exist
for the wilderness and local
people, Kaziranga Wildlife So-
ciety, the oldest NGO of the
region, said that it was in stark
contrast to the scope and spirit
of Section 3 of the Environ-
mental Protections Act
(1986) itself.
“While there has been
some streamlining with re-
spect to the categorisation of
projects, the public consulta-
tion step which is an impor-
tant democratic process ensur-
ing the welfare of stakehold-
ers, has been severely under-
mined in the project areas.
There are other such exemp-
tions given for industries and
relaxation of restrictions that
we feel would dilute legal safe-
guards against destructive de-
velopment,” KWS said in its
memo to MoEFCC.
Stating that the draft noti-
fication by according post fac-
to clearance of violations
would trigger a spurt in high-
ly-damaging industries and
infrastructure development
projects in forest areas, KWS
secretary Mubina Akhtar
said the draft notification fun-
damentally defeats the pur-
pose of environmental clear-
ance (EC) and related proc-
esses which include public
hearing and makes the entire
process of EC redundant.
SEE PAGE 3 SEE PAGE 3
A worker prepares the Tricolor ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, in New Delhi on Sunday. – PTI
JOCOSERIOUS
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SITUATION VACANTIn pursuance of DHE’s (Assam)
permission Letter No. DHE/CE/
Roster/27/2017/90 dt. 09.08.2019
and with the approval of
Administrative Department vide
AHE.415/2019/58 dt. 13.06.2019,
application in prescribed format
(Published in the DHE’s website)
with complete Bio-data and self
attested copies of all testimonials
from HSLC onwards are hereby
invited against sanctioned post
of Assistant Professor of different
subjects reserved for categories
as per Roster register as stated
below in the revised UGC Scale
of Pay Rs. 57,700/- 1,82,400/-
P.M. with all other allowance as
per rules and as admissible from
time to time.
1. Subject- Asstt. Prof.,
Mathematics, No. of Posts -1,
Reservation - OBC/MOBC.
2. Subject- Asstt. Prof., Pol.
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Age: 38 years as on the 1st
day of the year in which the
advertisement is issued with
relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST/
PWD and 3 years for OBC/MOBC
candidates. Educational
qualifications and selection
procedure : As per Govt. office
Memorandum No. AHE.407/2017/
44, dated 08.11.2018.
Reference date for acquiring
qualification : Candidate has to
acquire, qualifications as on the
last date for submitting
applications. Eligibility like M.Phil./
Ph.D./Seminar Papers/
Publications can be acquired and
submitted on the date of interview
and not beyond.
Applications with relevant
documents along with a Demand
Draft of Rs. 2000/- (Non-
refundable) only drawn in favour
of Principal, Moran College
payable at State Bank of India,
Moran Branch, Moranhat; must
reach the undersigned within 20
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Incomplete application shall be
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The candidates who had
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Sd/- Dr. Mitali Konwar
Principal & Secretary,
Moran College
P.O. Moranhat,
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TOKYO, Aug 9: The Japa-nese city of Nagasaki hasmarked its 75th anniversary ofthe US atomic bombing, withthe mayor and dwindling sur-vivors urging world leadersincluding their own to do morefor a nuclear weapons ban.
At 11:02 am, the momentthe B-29 bomber Bockscardropped a 4.5-tonne (10,000-pound) plutonium bombdubbed “Fat Man”, Nagasakisurvivors and other partici-pants stood in a minute of si-lence to honour more than70,000 dead.
The August 9, 1945, bomb-ing came three days after theUnited States dropped itsfirst atomic bomb on Hiro-
Nagasaki urges nuke ban75th anniversary of US A-bombing Sunday's ceremony was
scaled down because of a risein coronavirus cases in Japan.
Nagasaki Mayor TomihisaTaue read a peace declarationin which he raised concernabout a growing global opin-ion supportive of nuclear de-terrence. Taue also urged Ja-pan's government and law-makers to quickly sign theTreaty on the Prohibition ofNuclear Weapons, saying thethreat of nuclear arms is grow-ing more than ever.
Japan has not signed the trea-ty, saying it seeks a role tobridge gaps between nuclear-and non-nuclear states so theyhave a common ground for di-alogue. – AP
shima, the world’s first-evernuclear attack that killed140,000. On August 15, Ja-
pan surrendered, endingWorld War-II.
Many survivors developed
cancer or other illnesses dueto their exposure to radiationand suffered discrimination.
BEIRUT, Aug 9: Public fury over thisweek’s massive explosion in Beirut took anew turn on Saturday night as protestersstormed government institutions and clashedfor hours with security forces, who respond-ed with heavy volleys of tear gas and rubberbullets.
One police officer was killed and dozens ofpeople hurt in the confrontations, which playedout in streets that were wrecked from Tues-day’s blast at the port that devastated much ofthe city and killed nearly 160 people. Dozenswere still missing and nearly 6,000 peopleinjured.
The disaster has taken popular anger to anew level in a country already reeling from anunprecedented economic and financial crisisand near bankruptcy.
Activists who called for the protest set upsymbolic nooses at Beirut’s Martyrs’ Squareto hang politicians whose corruption and neg-ligence they blame for the explosion.
The blast was fueled by thousands oftonnes of ammonium nitrate that had beenimproperly stored at the port for more thansix years. Apparently set off by a fire, theexplosion was by far the biggest in Leba-non’s troubled history and caused an esti-mated $10 billion to 15 billion in damage,according to Beirut’s Governor.
It also damaged 6,200 buildings and left hun-
Protests, clashes over Beirut blast
BEIRUT, Aug 9: Lebanon’sInformation Minister re-signed on Sunday as the coun-try grapples with the after-math of the devastating blastthat ripped through the capi-tal and raised public anger tonew levels.
The resignation comes aspublic anger is mountingagainst the ruling elite,blamed for the chronic mis-management and corruptionthat is believed to be behindthe explosion in a Beirut Portwarehouse.
Hundreds of tonnes of high-ly explosive material wasstored in the waterfronthangar, and a blast sent ashock wave that killed at least160 people, wounded nearly6,000 and defaced the coast-line of Beirut – destroyinghundreds of buildings.
BEIRUT, Aug 9: Hospitalsand schools, then shattered andbent water pipes, then the cra-ter that once was Lebanon'sport.
The rebuilding needs of Leb-anon are immense, but so is thequestion of how to ensure themillions of dollars promised ininternational aid is not divert-ed in a country notorious formissing money, invisible infra-structure projects and its re-fusal to open the books.
And the port – the epicentreof the explosion that shatteredBeirut, the centre of Lebanon’simport-based economy, and asource of graft so lucrative thatLebanon’s political factions werewilling to divide its control so
Beirut blast bares pitfalls of sending aid to Lebanon
everyone could get a piece – sitsat the heart of the fears.
Sunday's donor teleconfer-ence is hosted by French Pres-ident Emmanuel Macron, whowas mobbed last week by tear-ful victims of the Beirut am-
monium nitrate explosion beg-ging him to ensure the corrup-tion they blame for the blastthat devastated the capital doesnot profit from its destruction.
International diplomacy usu-ally calls for careful language.
Rigged votes are “irregular”.The response to furious pro-
tests should be “measured”.Disappearing funds require“transparency”.
But Macron's response tothe crowd, and later in a speechin Beirut, was unusually blunt:The aid “will not fall into cor-rupt hands” and Lebanon’s dis-credited government mustchange. Germany, Lebanon'ssecond-biggest bilateral donor,made similar demands.
“That’s precisely what theLebanese people have rightlydemanded: individual interestsand old lines of conflict must beovercome and the welfare ofthe entire population must beput first,” German Foreign
Ministry stated.In the short-term, the aid
streaming into Lebanon ispurely for humanitarian emer-gencies and relatively easy tomonitor. France, Britain, Can-ada and Australia, among oth-ers, have been clear that it isgoing directly to UN agenciesor the Lebanese Red Cross.
But actual rebuilding re-quires massive imports of sup-plies and equipment. The con-tracts and subcontracts thathave given Lebanon’s rulingelite its wealth and power, leftthe country with crumblingroads, regular electricity cuts,trash that piles on the streetsand intermittent water sup-plies. – AP
dreds of thousands of people homeless.“Resignation or hang,” read a banner held
by protesters, who also planned to hold a sym-bolic funeral for the dead. Some nooses werealso set up along the bridges outside the port.
Khodr Ghadir, 23, said the noose was foreveryone who has been in power for the last30 years. “What happened was a spark forpeople to return to the streets.” A placardlisted the names of the dead, printed over aphoto of the blast's enormous pink mushroomcloud. “We are here for you,” it read.
Dozens of protesters stormed the build-ings of government ministries and the head-quarters of the banking association, turningtheir rage to state and financial institutions.
Earlier Saturday, the protesters entered theempty buildings of the Foreign Ministry, de-claring it a headquarters of their movement.Others then fanned out to enter the economyand energy ministries, some walking awaywith documents claiming they will reveal theextent of corruption that permeates the gov-ernment. Some also entered the environmentministry.
Many protesters said they now had onlytheir homes and even those are no longersafe. They blamed the government’s ineffi-ciency and political division for the countryills, including the recent disaster that hit al-most every home. – AP
Lebanon InformationMinister resigns
Manal Abdel-Samad said inher resignation letter thatchange remained “elusive”and she regrets failing to ful-fill the aspirations of the Leb-anese people.
“Given the magnitude ofthe catastrophe caused by theBeirut earthquake that shookthe nation and hurt our heartsand minds, and in respect forthe martyrs, and the pains ofthe wounded, missing and dis-placed, and in response to thepublic will for change, I resignfrom the government,” shewrote.
The disaster fueled angrydemonstrations on Saturdaywhere protesters set up gal-lows and nooses in centralBeirut and held mock hang-ing sessions of cut-out card-board images of top Lebaneseofficials. – AP
COLOMBO, Aug 9: Sri Lanka’sformer President Mahinda Rajapak-sa was sworn in on Sunday as thecountry's new Prime Minister at ahistoric Buddhist temple, days afterhis party won a landslide victory inthe General Election.
The 74-year-old Sri Lanka People’sParty (SLPP) leader was adminis-tered the oath of office for the ninthParliament by his younger brotherand President Gotabaya Rajapaksa atthe sacred Rajamaha Viharaya in Ke-laniya, a north Colombo suburb.
Mahinda Rajapaksa completed 50years of parliamentary politics in July
Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan PMthis year. He was elected as a Mem-ber of Parliament at the young age of24 in 1970. He has since been elect-ed President twice and has been ap-pointed Prime Minister thrice.
The SLPP, led by Mahinda Ra-japaksa, registered a landslide victo-ry in the August 5 general election,securing two-thirds majority in Par-liament needed to amend the Con-stitution to further consolidate thepowerful Rajapaksa family’s grip onpower.
Mahinda Rajapaksa polled over500,000 individual preference votes– the highest-ever recorded by a can-
didate in the history of elections.The SLPP won in 145 constituen-
cies, bagging a total of 150 seats withits allies, a two-thirds majority in the225-member Parliament.
The Cabinet ministers, state anddeputy ministers are expected to besworn in on Monday.
The Rajapaksa family – includingSLPP founder and its National Or-ganiser 69-year-old Basil Rajapaksa,who is the younger brother of Gota-baya Rajapaksa, 71, and Mahinda Ra-japaksa – has dominated Sri Lankanpolitics for two decades.
Mahinda Rajapaksa previously
served as the President for nearly adecade from 2005 to 2015.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hadwon the November presidential elec-tion on the SLPP ticket.
In the parliamentary election, hewas seeking 150 seats mandatory toexecute constitutional changes, in-cluding to repeal the 19th Amend-ment to the Constitution which hadcurbed the presidential powers whilestrengthening the role of Parliament.
Activists, already alarmed by the di-minishing space for dissent and criticismin the island nation, fear such a movecould lead to authoritarianism. – PTI
LOS ANGELES, Aug 9:Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonassays she is counting herblessings in quarantine as sherealises that she is in a “goodspot” compared to so many
Quarantine time has been a blessing: Priyankapeople around the world.
The Baywatch star, who iscurrently in Los Angeles withher husband, singer Nick Jonas,said she is “doing ok”.
“I have to say, I feel veryblessed to be in such a good spotcompared to so many people inthe world. We’re healthy, friendsand family are healthy, and I’vehad time to really be creative.So I have to say this has been ablessing,” Priyanka toldEntertainment Tonight.
Helping one another duringthe ongoing coronaviruspandemic is the need of thehour, she added.
“What’s important right now
is to do something, and anyonecan do something. The point is,the world is breaking,everywhere in the world. Soeven if you do a little bit, it goesreally far.
“Food shelters, donations,sponsoring education... all ofthose things are important. Ithink everyone needs to bethinking of that individually andtogether.”
The 38-year-old actor saidthe world is facing an “insane,intense” time, but the crisis isan opportunity for people toshow their humanity.
“It’s almost been six, sevenmonths, we’re in August
already, and that’s crazy. Youlook back and see how adversityhas affected so many parts ofthe world and so many peoplein the world who had to dealwith poverty, hunger, more thaneven COVID,” she said.
“It’s an insane, intense timebut this is the time to show ourhumanity I feel. This is the timefor humanity to come together,and in 10 years, we’ll look backat this time and really questionand wonder, who reacted andhow. This is a testament towhat the human spirit can do. Ithink it’s really great to steerin the direction of helping andpositivity,” she added. – PTI
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 3
NATIONAL
Wife Sushma Sathe and younger son Dhananjay Sathe paying tribute to the mortal remainsof Captain Deepak Sathe in Mumbai on Sunday. Sathe died in the Air India Express flightcrash after it overshot the runway while landing at the Kozhikode airport recently. – PTI
People queuing up near a COVID-19 mobile testing facility at Jafarguda near Karwan in the oldcity of Hyderabad on Sunday. – PTI
India records over 64,000 casesin one day, tally now at 21,53,011
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: India,
the third worst COVID-hit
country globally, recorded a
single-day spike of 64,399
coronavirus cases, pushing its
total tally to 21,53,011.
Out of the total 21,53,011
cases, 6,28,747 are active cas-
es, 14,80,884 have recovered
from the deadly virus, while
43,379 people have died.
A total of 53,879 persons
recovered and were dis-
charged in the last 24 hours,
while 861 others lost their
lives while battling the virus
in just one day.
The Government has car-
ried out tests on 7,19,364 sam-
ples in the last 24 hours to
check the infection. The cumu-
lative total samples tested up
to August 8 are 2,41,06,535.
So far, total operational lab-
oratories reporting to the In-
dian Council of Medical Re-
search are 1,402. There are
940 government laboratories
and 462 private laboratories.
Out of the total 1,402 labo-
ratories, real-time RT-PCR
for COVID-19 is being carried
out in 713 laboratories.
Maharashtra remained the
worst-hit State in India with
the total number of cases
climbing to 4,90,262. Howev-
er, the good news is that in the
last 24 hours, the active cases
went down by 723 and a total
of 10,906 people recovered
from the virus in the State.
Following Maharashtra is
Tamil Nadu which has a total
of 2,85,025 cases. However,
the State reported 727 less
cases in the last one day, while
6,488 people recovered from
the virus. The State has re-
corded 4,690 deaths so far, in-
cluding 119 which occurred in
the last 24 hours.
Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana record-
ed their highest single-day
spikes of 2,618, 2565, 2,488
cases and 1,151 cases respec-
tively. On the global front, a
total of 19,571,989 have been
infected with the deadly virus,
while the deaths have climbed
to 725,914 with 162,422 in the
United States alone.
The United States and Bra-
zil remained the worst-hit na-
tions with a total tally of
49,97,705 and 30,12,412 cases
respectively. Brazil has record-
ed 100,477 deaths so far. – IANS
MUMBAI, Aug 9: The
mortal remains of Captain
Deepak Sathe, who was pilot-
in-command of the ill-fated Air
India Express plane that
crashed in Kerala, were
brought here in a flight on Sun-
day afternoon.
The funeral of Sathe (58),
who was a resident of subur-
ban Chandivali in Mumbai, will
take place on Tuesday, a sen-
ior Air India official said.
One of two sons of the
Sathes will reach India from
the USA on Monday night, he
said.
The mortal remains were
kept at the Air India facility near
Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport
here for some time before
being taken to the Bhabha hos-
pital this afternoon.
Sathe’s wife, Sushma, and
one of their sons accompanied
the body.
Pilots, crew of Air India and
ground staff paid tribute to the
late captain at the airport.
The flight from Dubai with
190 people on board, includ-
ing a six-member crew, over-
shot the tabletop runway on
Friday night while landing at
the Kozhikode airport in heavy
rain, fell into a valley 35 feet
below and broke into two, kill-
ing 18 people, including both
pilots.
Meanwhile, family mem-
bers of late Sathe based in
Nagpur, have asked the media
to respect their privacy in this
hour of grief.
Captain Sathe’s father, Brig-
adier Vasant Sathe (retired),
and his wife live in Nagpur.
A close relative on Sunday
said the entire Sathe family
stands together in this hour of
grief.
“In the present situation,
we are not interested in re-
plying to any queries. Accord-
ingly, do not force us to re-
spond,” reads a message sent
by a family member when
asked about the schedule of the
funeral. – PTI
Mortal remains of Captain Sathereach Mumbai; funeral on Aug 11
12 Naxalssurrender
RAIPUR, Aug 9: Twelve
Naxals, five of them collec-
tively carrying a reward of
Rs 6 lakh on their heads, sur-
rendered in Chhattisgarh’s
Dantewada district on Sun-
day, the police said.
The cadres turned them-
selves in before the police
and CRPF officials in Dante-
wada town, saying that they
were impressed by the re-
habilitation campaign being
run by the local police and
disappointed with the hollow
Maoist ideology, Dantewada
Superintendent of Police Ab-
hishek Pallava said.
Dantewada MLA Devti
Karma was also present on
the occasion, he said.
Of these ultras, Chanduram
Sethiya, who was active as a
member of Platoon No. 26 of
Maoists, was allegedly in-
volved in three Naxal attacks,
including in Bhusaras-Chinga-
varm in 2008, wherein 23
policemen and two civilians
were killed. – PTI
11 membersof Pak migrant
family found deadJAIPUR, Aug 9: Eleven
members of a family that had
migrated from Pakistan were
found dead on Sunday morn-
ing at a farmhouse in Lodta
Achlawata village in Dechu
Police Station area in Jodh-
pur district, officials said.
Police officials said that the
incident came to light when
they received information
around 10 am from the villag-
ers. “While 11 persons were
found dead, one was alive.
However, he was clueless
about the incident. He
claimed that he was sleeping
outside and did not know
what had happened. He said
when he went inside his
house, he saw bodies of his
family members and shout-
ed for help,” the police said.
District Superintendent of
Police (Jodhpur Rural) Rahul
Baruth and other officers
were at the site and investi-
gating. – IANS
Death toll in Kerala districtlandslide rises to 28
KOCHI, Aug 9: The death
toll in the massive landslide
that destroyed a row of 20
houses of tea estate workers
in the high-range Idukki dis-
trict of Kerala, rose to 28 on
Sunday with two more bod-
ies being retrieved from the
debris.
“Three days after the set-
tlements were swept away
by devastating landslides at
Pettimudi near Rajamala, au-
thorities have now decided
to take help of sniffer dogs to
trace the persons buried un-
der the debris,” officials said.
According to the Govern-
ment, 78 people were stay-
ing at the spot where the
tragedy occurred.
While 12 were rescued, 28
bodies were found. Officials
said efforts were on to find
the rest. The picturesque
landscape of Pettimudi was
flattened into a rough patch
of boulders and mud with
parts of asbestos and tin
sheets seen scattered
around.
The incident is said to have
occurred in the wee hours of
Friday when a huge mound
of earth fell on the “row of
houses” and two children and
five women were among the
deceased, most of whom
were plantation workers
from neighbouring Tamil
Nadu. NDRF chief in charge
of the south Indian State,
Rekha Nambiar is leading the
55-member team which is
entrusted with the search
and rescue mission.
Meanwhile, the India Me-
teorological Department
(IMD) has issued a red alert
for Idukki, Malappuram and
Wayanad districts today.
Incessant rains, landslides
and opening of shutters of
dams across rivers have
caused a rise in the water
level of rivers and streams
in central Kerala.
Normal life of people liv-
ing in low-lying areas of Ko-
ttayam and Alappuzha has
been affected with flood wa-
ters entering their homes.
Low-lying areas in Kot-
tayam and Alappuzha dis-
tricts are heavily impacted
due to flooding. Hundreds of
families have been shifted to
relief camps from low-lying
areas including Kumarakom
and Kuttanad regions of Ko-
ttayam and Alappuzha dis-
tricts, they said.
A car with a man was
washed away in floodwaters
at Manarcad area in Kot-
tayam district in the wee
hours of Sunday. The NDRF
team has launched a rescue
operation for the missing
person identified as Justin, a
native of Angamaly. – PTI
NEW DELHI, Aug 9:
Delhi’s own school educa-
tion board is expected to be
operational by next year.
However, unlike other
States, it will not be imposed
on government schools, ac-
cording to Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia.
Giving details of plans for
setting up the State education
board, Sisodia said the board
would be in sync with the re-
forms proposed in the new
National Education Policy
(NEP) and the focus would be
on continuous evaluation and
not year-end exams.
“We have recently set up two
committees for working on the
proposed board as well as cur-
riculum reforms. An ideal situ-
ation would be that we make it
operational by next year. Ini-
tially, around 40 schools will be
affiliated to the board, which
could be either government or
private,” Sisodia told this news
agency in an interview.
“What happens in other
State boards is that the private
schools are free to make their
choice whether they want to
opt for CBSE, ICSE or State
board, while government
schools follow the State board.
We will have no imposition. It
will be optional for both gov-
ernment and private schools.
We want to make the board so
enriching and useful that there
is demand for it,” he added.
The Delhi Government
had last month constituted two
committees to prepare the
scheme and framework for the
formation of the education
board and curriculum reforms.
The AAP dispensation had
announced the plan to set up a
separate board of education for
the national capital in its annu-
al budget in March.
Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s
Education Minister, said his
Government is studying the
recently announced new edu-
cation policy in detail.
“We are studying the policy
in detail. We have already been
working on some of the re-
forms proposed in it. There
are a few anomalies, but there
are a few good things too. I
have told the two committees
that our board will be in sync
with the NEP because as a
nation we are together, but the
focus will not be on evaluating
students once a year and en-
couraging rote learning in the
process,” he said.
Asked about teaching in the
mother tongue or regional lan-
guage as proposed by the NEP,
Sisodia said, “I totally agree
that the medium of instruction
should be the home language
in the initial years so that the
foundation is strong but I be-
lieve it should be limited to
foundation years or pre-prima-
ry stage. Taking it up to Class
V is not a good idea.” – PTI
Delhi’s education board to beoperational by next year: Sisodia
Man’s wallet lost in local trainfound by cops after 14 years
MUMBAI, Aug 9: A
man, who lost his wallet
containing Rs 900 in a local
train here in 2006, was in
for a pleasant surprise
when the police informed
him that they have found it
after 14 years.
Hemant Padalkar had lost
his wallet while travelling in
a Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj Terminus-Panvel
local train in 2006, a Gov-
ernment Railway Police (GRP)
official said today. In April this
year, he received a call from
the GRP, Vashi, informing that
his wallet was found. However,
he could not then go to collect
his wallet due to the lockdown.
After easing of restrictions,
Padalkar, a resident of Panvel in
neighbouring Navi Mumbai
township, recently went to the
GRP office at Vashi where he
was given part of the money
that was in the wallet.
“My wallet at that time
contained Rs 900, including
a Rs 500 note which was later
demonetised (in 2016). The
Vashi GRP returned Rs 300
to me. They deducted Rs
100 for stamp paper work
and said the remaining Rs
500 would be returned after
exchanging the scrapped cur-
rency note with a new one,”
Padalkar told PTI.
MLA bookedfor tweeting
tampered imageof Modi
INDORE, Aug 9: A case was
registered against Madhya
Pradesh Congress working
president and MLA Jitu Patwari
for allegedly posting a doctored
image of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, which the rul-
ing BJP claimed hurt the digni-
ty of the PM as well as reli-
gious sentiments of Hindus.
In the image uploaded by
Patwari, Modi is seen wear-
ing a mask and holding a bowl
during the Ram Temple bhoo-
mi pujan ceremony in Ayod-
hya on August 5.
Accompanying the image
was a tweet in Hindi which
said, “The country’s economy,
business and income, declin-
ing economic status of farm-
ers, jobs and unemployment,
decline of economy, labourers
and their struggle. These are
not subjects of television de-
bate. Because (we) will walk
with the bowl.”
Chhatripura Police Station
in-charge Pawan Singhal said
Patwari was booked under
Sections 188 (disobedience to
order duly promulgated by
public servant) and 464 (mak-
ing false electronic record) of
the IPC on the complaint of
city BJP president Gaurav
Randive.
Singhal said, at first glance, it
seems the image uploaded on
Patwari’s Twitter handle was a
“tampered” one, adding that
Section 188 of the IPC was in-
voked as the district adminis-
tration had already banned pro-
vocative social media posts.
Indore Lok Sabha member
Shankar Lalwani and local lead-
ers expressed displeasure on
Patwari’s tweet and gave a
memorandum and complaint to
Deputy Inspector General of
Police Harinarayanachari
Mishra. They said Patwari had
“not only hurt the dignity of the
Prime Minister, but also reli-
gious sentiments of Hindus”.
While Patwari, MLA from
Rau, deleted the image later, it
did not stop BJP leaders from
ridiculing him for spelling er-
rors in his Hindi tweet. – PTI
Out of the total 21,53,011cases, 6,28,747 are
active cases, 14,80,884have recovered from the
deadly virus, while 43,379people have died
Biorefinery ...(Contd from page 1)
The sourcing model envis-
ages direct procurement of
bamboo from the growers to
eliminate the risk of exploita-
tion of farmers and growers
by middlemen. Also, a robust
and digitally-enabled bamboo
supply chain is being devel-
oped to ensure transparency,
reliability and efficiency in the
sourcing process.
“ABRPL is in the process of
finalising a long-term bamboo
supply agreement with pro-
spective growers from entire
North East India, which is like-
ly to be announced soon once
plant commissioning and sup-
ply chain process are fine-
tuned,” officials said.
The biorefinery project
aims to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, reduce crude oil
import dependency and
achieve forex savings, provide
remunerative income to farm-
ers, and create employment
opportunities by way of en-
gagement of the local popula-
tion in the region.
The bamboo sourcing mod-
el envisages development of
several clusters which are rich
in bamboo population and are
in proximity to the project.
A component of the project
is development of more than
50 small-scale chipping units
along with local-level entre-
preneurs for storage and chip-
ping of bamboo before being
supplied to the refinery.
“It is expected to provide
direct employment to some
2,000 people during con-
struction and 150 during op-
erations. Indirect employ-
ment will be generated for
about 50,000 people in bam-
boo plantation and supply
chain,” they added.
(Contd from page 1)
“This is a big step towards
self-reliance in defence. It also
offers a great opportunity to the
Indian defence industry to rise
to the occasion to manufacture
the items in the negative list by
using their own design and de-
velopment capabilities or
adopting the technologies de-
signed and developed by the
DRDO,” Singh said. In anoth-
er relevant step, he said the
Defence Ministry has bifurcat-
ed the capital procurement
budget for 2020-21 between
domestic and foreign capital
procurement routes. – PTI
India restricts import of ...
(Contd from page 1)
“It also means we are le-
gitimising violation and pro-
viding window to get clear-
ance by adding punitive claus-
es, which itself has no mecha-
nism to monitor. We, there-
fore, urge the MoEFCC to
drop this provision in its en-
tirety,” she added.
Pointing out that the ‘gener-
al conditions’ have been re-
moved from the draft notifica-
tion, KWS said several river
valley projects are in eco-
sensitive areas, besides form-
ing part of water catchments
or source in protected areas,
and as such general conditions
should be reapplied in the draft.
On public consultation which
the draft notification exempts
in a number of cases, KWS said
that it must be made mandato-
ry for respective project pro-
ponents to take appropriate
preventive/mitigation meas-
ures and address wildlife/eco-
logical issues. Online public
consultation should also be con-
sidered in case of any pandem-
ic-like situation, it added.
KWS also voiced concern
over the removal of the earlier
provision on the handling of
hazardous waste and demand-
ed its restoration in the draft
EIA 2020 to mitigate the grave
threat pose by hazardous chem-
icals to the environment.
Environmental activist Sur-
jya Kanta Dutta, who has been
campaigning against opencast
mining in the Dehing Patkai
rainforest for four decades, said
that the border area (exemp-
tion from EIA) clause of the
draft notification would ad-
versely affect vast stretches of
pristine forests across the
North Eastern States.
“These forests are very rich
in biodiversity, fauna and flora.
The entire belt of the Patkai
range stretching up to Nam-
dapha National Park in Arunachal
bordering Myanmar is a rain-
forest belt constituting the larg-
est rainforest stretch of the
country. The very existence of
many indigenous tribes of the
North East also depends upon
the evergreen Patkai forests.
These will now be subjected to
wanton destruction,” he said.
Stating that the draft EIA
would legitimise the illegalities
committed by environmental
criminals, Dutta urged the
Government of India to heed
the recommendations of the
various committees and com-
missions, and verdicts of the
law courts before going ahead
with the notification.
“Rampant opencast coal
mining, both legal and illegal,
has already done irreparable
damage to the Dehing Patkai
rainforests. Any weakening of
the environmental laws as has
been sought by the draft EIA
would completely destroy the
remaining forests,” he said.
Draft EIA 2020 ...
4 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
MESSAGE FOR TODAY
Where there is no vision, the people perish....
– THE BIBLE
Remaining openOfficial figures can be deceptive. The daily Covid-19 cas-
es updates, whether global, national or regional, may be
taken as examples. By now it has been established that this
particular coronavirus is highly contagious, but it is not a
killer disease in the sense that, say cholera or plague, had
been in the past. According to medical experts when nor-
mally healthy, relatively young people get infected from it,
they are either mildly affected or remain asymptomatic.
The concern has been with the vulnerable segment of the
population, the elderly or individuals with comorbidity con-
ditions, who account for over 90% of the fatalities caused by
Covid-19. An equal concern has been that mildly infected or
asymptomatic persons might not be under personal threat,
but they remain carriers of the disease and thus can be a
threat to vulnerable segments of society. This had been one
rationale behind the prolonged imposition of lockdown, as
also to keep the numbers of infected people under control
so that our medical system is not overwhelmed. Obviously,
official figures do not reflect these nuances; for instance,
they simply give the numbers who test positive, but do not
differentiate between those who are mildly impacted and
those who require actual medical intervention. Such a lacu-
na, in fact, makes the emphasis on ‘recovery rate’ some-
what meaningless since a majority of infected recover on
their own without much medical intervention.
These and other factors make it essential that the admin-
istration’s response to the news that the Union Health Min-
istry has identified Kamrup (Metro) as being among the
high caseload districts along with 12 others in the country
be a balanced one. No doubt that the State Government
must follow the Union Health Ministry’s advice on the mat-
ter “to follow all Ministry protocols for effective manage-
ment of containment and buffer zones along with seamless
patient and clinical management of patients with special
focus on critical cases,” among other suggestions. But it will
have to resist any temptation to use such an identification to
take the easy way out and stop the easing of lockdown meas-
ures or discontinuing the process of opening up the urban
economy. At the time of writing the infection figures for
Assam is around 56,000, 39,000 recovered with 140 fatali-
ties, which makes for a huge recovery rate and a low death
rate. As for Kamrup (Metro), the figures are just over 16,
000, with around 11, 000 recovered and around 50 deaths,
implying that the death rate is less than 0.4%! These are
not alarming numbers and do not provide any grounds for
fresh imposition of restrictive measures. On the contrary,
the economy must be further opened, and segments which
had suffered losses during the prolonged lockdown offered
incentives, even as stress is laid on wearing of masks, social
distancing and other preventive precautions.
Guwahati water supplyIt is regrettable that the taxpaying public is being taken
for a ride by the authorities concerned through their whim-
sical, unprofessional and anomalous implementation of the
mega water supply project for State capital Guwahati. While
the much-vaunted project developed cold feet for over a
decade before one of its several components could be com-
pleted, the breaking down of the newly-installed machin-
ery of the Satpukhuri water treatment plant run by the
GMC has been giving a harrowing time to the consumers.
Worse, the developments raise legitimate and disturbing
questions over the entire procurement process of machin-
ery worth crores of rupees. That such supposedly state-
of-the-art machinery should develop repeated technical
snags within a few months of installation and commission-
ing is strongly indicative of corruption in procurement.
Several former mayors and other officials of the GMC
have rightly demanded an inquiry into the alleged anom-
alies and the Government would do well to institute a
probe immediately. One may recall that the mega water
supply scheme was sanctioned under JNNURM way back
in 2008 but a poor and unprofessional approach by suc-
cessive governments has resulted in slack progress. The
developments also lay bare the lack of adequate planning
and coordination amongst the various departments, hin-
dering smooth execution of project. While missed dead-
lines have resulted in cost escalation and corrupt practic-
es, the quality of the completed portions too has raised
questions. All this has multiplied the sufferings of the
citizens with 70% of the households not having any ac-
cess to potable supplied water.
Governments come and go but the residents of the cap-
ital city have been compelled to endure the ordeal of acute
scarcity of potable water for years. This is despite the tall
talks of different political parties that have formed govern-
ments over the past two decades. Ahead of the 2016 As-
sembly polls, the BJP had talked big about completing a
much-touted mega water supply project that was started
by the Congress several years back. Now the BJP Gov-
ernment is on the verge of completing its five-year term
with the water supply project nowhere near materializing.
Worse, the existing water supply that used to cover a little
segment of the populace has deteriorated manifold, mak-
ing life miserable for the masses. As for the mega water
supply project, all the citizens have got so far are missed
deadlines, which have also caused cost escalation. Not just
water supply, all tall talks of transforming Guwahati into a
smart city have been ruling the roost for quite some time
now even as many of the basic needs of the citizens have
remained largely unaddressed. To rid the city of its myriad
civic ills, the Government needs to be sensitive to the
legitimate needs of the citizens and devise an innovative
approach. Regrettably, the mounting water woes of the
citizens exemplify how our authorities entrusted with the
upkeep of the health and hygiene of the city are making a
mess of their mandated responsibilities.
large silver brick
marked the symbolic
laying of the founda-
tions of what we are
promised will be a grand temple
to Lord Ram at the spot in Ayod-
hya where the disputed Babri
Masjid once stood. Some will see
it as the culmination of a long bat-
tle to reclaim the site or to protect
it, depending on the point of view.
One side lost, the other won.
There are many who will say that
both sides, and all those in-between
lost; such have been the wages of
using religion to divide the people.
The honours from the winning side
were led on August 5 by the Prime
Minister in Ayodhya. But did this
mark the end of a battle or merely
a milestone, albeit an important
one, in a battle that continues to
rage in the hearts and minds of
many citizens?
“Since man is a moment in as-
tronomic time, a transient guest of
the earth… a composite of body,
character and mind…,” as the his-
torians Will and Ariel Durant
wrote, we must ask not only of the
celebrations or frustrations of to-
day but equally of how the act of
today might stand in the light of a
latter-day assessment. That will of
course depend on who makes that
latter-day assessment, or when it
is made, and that may well depend
on which way India goes from here.
This is significant because the
events of today carry the colour of
a conquest, not the mark of concil-
iation or cooperation. It is not in-
significant (though it may well be a
A
Lettersto the
EDITOR
UPSC civil service exam and Assam’s poor show
Sir, – Out of the 829 UPSC civil
service qualifiers for 2019, there
are only five from Assam. The
AASU and some organizations/
political parties which speak of
regionalism never thought of how
our students be equipped with to
compete with the students of other
States in the all-India services
exams. These organizations instead
of finding fault with every noble
endeavour of the government
should press for large-scale free
coaching centres to make our
students eligible to compete for the
all-India services exams. Their
agitations should be for innovative
and advanced courses in our
universities and colleges so that for
every specialized course of study,
our students need not go outside
the State. Yours etc., SATYADHAR
MATAK, Khanapara, Guwahati.
(II)Sir, – It is a matter of joy that five
candidates from Assam have
cleared the UPSC civil services
examination, 2019. We feel that not
only five, but many more candidates
from Assam should also be capable
of clearing the UPSC civil services
examination. There is no dearth of
coincidence) that August 5, the day
of the shilanyas also marked the
first anniversary of the writing
down of Article 370 in the troubled
State of J&K. There were barri-
cades across J&K and a curfew was
announced a day earlier. In Ayod-
hya, laddus were being distribut-
ed. The imagery was just too stark
to be missed. But what we do tend
to miss in the midst of all this is
that China has crossed the line.
The Prime Minister’s
party can now say they
met the electoral prom-
ise as outlined in the 2019
manifesto: “We reiterate
our stand to explore all
possibilities within the
framework of the Consti-
tution to facilitate the
construction of a Ram
Temple in Ayodhya.”
With the electorate hav-
ing given the BJP a man-
date, and a robust one to
boot for a second time
running, the story had to
be drawn to a close. The
long running serial had to
end. And for the BJP, it’s
all in good time as well.
This function was as close to the
important Assembly elections in
Bihar as it could get. The inaugura-
tion of the temple itself is set for a
time that will be close to the next
national elections.
In the longer term, the dynamic
that the colour of a conquest un-
leashes cannot be easily fathomed.
To understand this, we can look
back to ask how and why is it that
the Indian cultural ethos, the belief
systems, the philosophical base of
the most fundamental of inquiries
into the nature of the universe – all
of this has taken birth, grown root,
flowered, survived, even thrived
through millennia without any hint
of a conquest from the side gener-
ating this mighty body of knowl-
edge? This is the knowledge that
has informed generations on the
path to good living. So, do we now
need militant Hindutva to ‘protect’
what the most violent of invaders
could not destroy? Or will this va-
riety of ‘protection’, mixed with a
generous amount of naked political
self-interest and a lot of prejudice,
be the exact kind of attack that will
undermine this heritage?
It is well said that “no civiliza-
tion anywhere in the world, with
the probable exception of China,
has been as continuous as that of
India. While the civilizations of
Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria have
disappeared, in India the ideas em-
anating from the Vedic times con-
tinue to be a living force.” That
comes from the official Indian Gaz-
etteer recordings on Hinduism,
which also notes: “Receptivity and
all-comprehensiveness, it has been
aptly stated, are the main charac-
teristics of Hinduism. Since it has
no difficulty in bringing diverse
faiths within its ever-widening fold,
it has something to offer to almost
all minds.”
The strength of Hin-
duism, said Monier-Wil-
liams, lies in its “infinite
adaptability to the infi-
nite diversity of human
character and human
tendencies”. He wrote:
“It has its highly spiritu-
al and abstract side suit-
ed to the philosopher, its
practical and concrete
side congenial to the man
of the world; its aesthet-
ic and ceremonial side
attuned to the man of
poetic feeling and imagi-
nation; and its quiescent,
contemplative aspect
that has its appeal for the
man of peace and the
lover of seclusion.” There is peace,
not violence; poetry, not militancy.
That is the way the story has often
been told, and it offers a sense of
pride, and gives cause for celebra-
tion. That is also the secret of long-
haul survival and growth in an ev-
erlasting inquiry into the human
condition.
Who should understand this bet-
ter than the RSS, not only at the
top but across the line with some
of the acclaimed professionals and
high achievers among its ranks –
officially as members or the many
who offer unofficial support from
the outside? A story helps illustrate
this well. This is from the time the
RSS was banned by the PV Nar-
asimha Rao Government after the
violent 1992 demolition of the Babri
Masjid. In Nagpur, in an interview
around those days with this writer,
a functionary of the RSS was com-
pletely unperturbed. He said it did
not matter that the RSS was
banned; the organization could well
take another name and continue
with its work. What he understood
quite correctly was that an organi-
zation is not about outward struc-
tures and forms, which can be
banned, but about the thought that
cannot be banned. It is the thinking
that will continue to exert and gen-
erate its own energy and action.
The question therefore is: what
are we thinking today? How do we
look at the rich heritage of Indian
thought that has enlightened the
path for so many for so long? Will
militant Hindutva, marked as it is
by violence, pushed by power, and
driven as an agenda at the cost of
goodwill and togetherness, make
for a nation that modern day Indi-
ans would want?
Some will say this week, just as
the foundations of a temple have
been set, is probably not the best
time to rake up some troubling
questions. Or maybe it is! And if
we do ask them, the answers might
tell us that August 5 may not be the
greatest day in the history of India.
(The Billion Press)
The exam imbroglio and UGC’s latest reviewmidst the outbreak of the
Covid-19 virus all over
the world, the education-
al institutions have been
kept closed since the middle of March
2020. Due to the shutdown of educa-
tional institutions across India, the
higher educational institutions had to
stop the ongoing process of internal
assessment, regular classes of theo-
ry and practical components, field
studies and project report prepara-
tion, seminar presentation, and the
process of filling up of end-semester
examination forms.
Considering the academic calen-
dar of most of the universities, hold-
ing of all the examinations and the
process of enrolment into new batch-
es of undergraduate and postgradu-
ate courses which were supposed to
be completed within July and subse-
quently start the new academic ses-
sion in August, the loss of an aca-
demic session is appearing eminent
in the existing pandemic situation.
The University Grants Commis-
sion (UGC) has been keeping a con-
stant vigil and issued guidelines to
the universities, colleges and higher
educational institutions from time to
time. The UGC, in its guideline is-
sued on April 29 last, advised that
the final year and terminal semester
examinations be held between July
n Dr Debahari Talukdar
1 and July 15, 2020. But with the pas-
sage of time, the situation got pro-
gressively worse in the middle of
June and a worrying situation is still
prevailing. In this backdrop, the Min-
istry of Human Resource Develop-
ment (MHRD) asked the UGC to
revisit the guideline of April 29, 2020.
On July 6, 2020, the UGC came out
with a set of revised guidelines which
stated that, instead of holding final
year and terminal semester exami-
nation in July, those can be held till
the last day of September 2020 with
the flexibility of holding examinations
either through online, offline or by
the blended model. The guideline of
April 29, 2020 was advisory where-
as the revised guideline of July 6, 2020
has been issued as mandatory for all
the institutions under its purview.
In accordance with the earlier
guideline, some universities and high-
er educational institutions have al-
ready completed the examination
process, some are in the prepara-
tion stage, while a section of univer-
sities and other institutions accepted
the guideline and followed accord-
ingly. On the other hand, the revised
mandate of the UGC has triggered
opposition by some students’ organ-
izations who filed petitions in the apex
court asking for the latter’s interven-
tion in the matter.
Several students’ organizations of
Assam have also strongly opposed
the move of holding the examination
in the existing situation. Citing the
worst situation created by devastat-
ing flood almost in every part of the
State and the continuous rise in the
number of Covid-19 positive cases,
and academic loss suffered by the
students’ community during the
State-wide agitation against the CAA,
the students’ bodies have submitted
memoranda demanding for viable al-
ternatives. The State Government
of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi,
Odisha, Punjab and Tamil Nadu have
also opposed the latest guideline of
the UGC and demanded interven-
tion of the Prime Minister.
Given the ongoing pandemic situ-
ation still worrying throughout the
country, the UGC had mentioned
certain standard operating proce-
dures to be followed in the examina-
tion centres during the entire proc-
ess holding the examinations. The
UGC has strongly emphasized the
safety and security of students’ health
and life and authorized the institu-
tions to add more safety measures
as per the necessity and the demand
of the situation.
As reported by the UGC authori-
ty, 219 out of 946 universities and
higher educational institutions have
already conducted examinations
while 394 are under the process.
There are 35 newly-established in-
stitutions that have not yet reached
the final year or terminal semester
level. Taking cognizance of the oppo-
sition the UGC, sticking to its gun,
reiterated its firm stand on the latest
direction in its report submitted to
the apex court. Now everyone’s eyes
are fixed on how the court proceeds
with the matter.
At this critical juncture, one needs
to be pragmatic rather than being
emotional and too anxious about an
unpredictable situation. Where are
the better alternatives for opposing
the latest guideline for holding the
examination in September in the
colleges and universities in Assam?
If holding the examinations is further
delayed, students will get their de-
grees lately and this will push back
their employment prospects. On the
other hand, if students are awarded
their degrees based on the result of
an earlier year/semester examina-
tion, there lie two negative implica-
tions. One is depriving the meritori-
ous and sincere students of getting a
reasonable probability of more suc-
cess in the final semester examina-
tion, and the other being the nega-
tive tag to be associated with their
degrees which will have an impact
on their professional career in the
future. The stigma of a compromised
assessment might carry a sense of
self-defeating trauma in the minds of
students. After years, these certifi-
cates and grade sheets might be
treated as ‘averaged out’, ‘post Cov-
id-19’, or by any other label while
considering in selection for further
career or employment at home and
abroad.
The venues for undergraduate
examinations centres are still the
matter of prime concern in Assam as
most of the colleges and the part of
universities have been requisitioned
for use as Covid-19 quarantine cen-
tres. If the examinations are to be
held in September, the whole cam-
puses of colleges and universities in-
cluding the classrooms, laboratories,
offices, libraries, hostels, toilets and
washrooms will have to be properly
sanitized well in advance before al-
lowing the students to enter. The
wherewithal for strict maintenance
of standard operating procedures in
the examination centres and at all the
touch points of hostels and other plac-
es of the institutions will have to be
arranged compulsorily. For the move-
ment of the students and the officials
during the examination days, the
UGC has laid down certain instruc-
tions in the guideline.
Above everything all, a synchro-
nized effort of everyone concerned
and a strong preparedness in all fronts
at the examination centres will be
instrumental in making smooth con-
duct of the examinations possible.
A
Articles (within 1000-1100 words) and
Letters to the Editor for publication in
the editorial page may be sent to the
email ID: [email protected].
Ayodhya: The colour of a conquest
We must ask not only of the
celebrations or frustrations of
today but equally of how the act
of today might stand in the light
of a latter-day assessment.
That will of course depend on
who makes that latter-day
assessment, or when it is
made, and that may well
depend on which way India
goes from here.
n Jagdish Rattanani
meritorious students in Assam.
Then, why can’t a good number of
candidates from Assam clear the
UPSC civil services examination? It
is due to the fear factor. In general,
most of the students find the UPSC
civil services examination tough.
So, many meritorious students dare
not to appear for the UPSC civil
services examination. If a candidate
prepares properly and handles the
UPSC civil services examination-
related stress and fear, then the
candidate can easily succeed in the
examination. Unlike the past,
nowadays, there are various facilities
such as good study materials,
coaching, etc., for candidates
appearing for the UPSC civil
services examination. Importantly,
the aspirants for the UPSC civil
services must have a correct study
plan and they must prepare with a
determined mind. Yours etc.,
MAHESWAR DEKA, Rangiya.
(III)Sir, – The announcement of the
UPSC results has shown a gloomy
picture of Assam from which only
five aspirants have cleared the
exam. We should find out the root
causes of such a poor show. The
candidates must have a strong
determination to crack the exam.
They should get a favourable
environment to do so. Financial
support is another requirement.
The libraries across Assam should
provide relevant reading materials
which are not adequate in Assam.
The State Government should
provide quality training for those
who are qualified in the UPSC
preliminary exam. Yours etc.,
ANUP TALUKDAR, Nagarbera,
Kamrup.
School reopeningSir, – The State government is
considering the idea of imparting
education in open place for the
students of Class V to VIII from
September 1. In this hot and humid
weather, will it be possible for the
students to avail education in open
space? The students as well the
teaching staff may get infected with
the Covid-19 virus on their way to
school. Who will be responsible for
any infection among the students and
the school staff? Every day they will
have to test for the virus before
attending class in order to ensure
that they are not spreaders of the
virus. That the reopening of schools
will give the students herd immunity
is a myth. Schools whether informal
or formal should reopen only when
there is no positive case reported at
least for a month. Yours etc.,
ANJAN CHOUDHURY, Pathsala.
Poor road conditionSir, – For the past few years,
the New Amolapatty Road (now
the Swami Vivekananda Road),
Tezpur has been almost impassa-
ble. The road surface is badly
broken up by the heavy rains, and
especially in the night hours, it is
dangerous for the motor vehicles
to ply on the road. This road is the
address for several schools –
government girls’ school, Silver
Jubilee School, Harijan School and
LOKD School. The road also
connects the northern part of
Tezpur to Padum Pukhuri, which
is a popular tourist spot, thereby
making it one of the busiest roads
of Tezpur. It is scandalous that we
should be inconvenienced in this
way for years, and I hope the
public will bring pressure to bear
on those responsible so that the
road may be put in through repair
without further delay. Yours etc.,
KHUSHI PANDEY, Tezpur.
Teachers and tuitionSir, – A couple of years ago, the
Education Department of Assam
prohibited the teachers of the
government schools from
engaging themselves in private
tuition. As everyone knows, there
was a time when these teachers
had to spend their days in penury.
So, they had to engage them-
selves in private tuition in order
to supplement their meagre
income as teachers. But, the
Government has not only ensured
regular payment of salaries to
them, but also considerably raised
their salaries from time to time.
Now, they draw ‘fat’ salaries
every month.
Even now when these teachers
have a pretty decent monthly
income, many are still engaged in
private tutoring. The Government
must have deliberated on the
negative impact of private tutoring
and then concluded that prohibition
on the practice needed to be
imposed. But, why it is mute on this
issue now is beyond anyone’s
understanding. It will always be a
welcome step if these teachers
privately teach the underprivileged
students and those as well who are
unable to follow classroom
teachings. Hope, they would do
their utmost to maintain the dignity
of this noble profession and
contribute to the building of a
society everyone can be proud of.
Yours etc., DIPEN GOGOI, Teok.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 5
6 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
CITY
Commissioning ofNFR bio-methane
plant soonSTAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Work is going on for setting up a bio-
methane plant at the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Cen-
tral Hospital, Maligaon here, and it is expected to be com-
missioned shortly.
“The plant is being installed with an aim to contribute
towards the Swachh Bharat Mission. It is designed and fab-
ricated based on the technology from the Council of Scientif-
ic & Industrial Research-National Institute for Interdiscipli-
nary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST).
The process of dry digestion will be used in the plant.
Highly active thick microbial culture or sludge in the reactor
tank will be mixed with mechanically ground waste and suf-
ficient retention time will be provided for an efficient bio-
methanation process,” Subhanan Chanda, NFR’s Chief Pub-
lic Relations Officer (CPRO), said.
“The plant will be able to treat all kinds of food waste,
including oil and fat, lemon, onion peel and bones. This elim-
inates the practical difficulty of sorting certain food fractions
from bulk waste,” he said.
The average biogas generation per day will be 9 cubic
metres for 50-kg capacity.
Cong on reorganisationalmode for Assembly polls
PRANJAL BHUYAN
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: With
the next Assembly elections
only months away, the Con-
gress has set in motion a
Statewide exercise to ‘reor-
ganise’ its units at the ground
level.
The party is also working
on formulating a separate
policy document targeting
the youths and another one
on ways to revive Assam’s
economy.
“We have started a proc-
ess of reorganising our units
at the booth level. We have
26,000 booth committees in
Assam and we intend to
complete the exercise by
September 10. Our aim is to
weed out non-performers,
give more representation to
active workers, as well as to
women, youths and stu-
dents,” a senior office-bear-
er of the Assam Pradesh
Congress Committee
(APCC) told this newspaper.
The party is focusing on what
it termed ‘micro-manage-
ment’.
“After all, at the end of the
day, it is the booth-level work-
ers who move among the
masses, disseminating the par-
ty’s plans and policies and en-
couraging the voters to come
to the polling booth. That is
why the revamp is happening
from the grassroots. Barring
the 14 Assembly segments in
the BTAD region, where we
face some organisational weak-
nesses, our foundations are
solid in the rest of Assam.
However, successive elector-
al defeats had some effect on
our workers. With this latest
exercise, we are looking at not
only rallying our workers once
more, but also encouraging the
active ones by giving them
more responsibility,” said the
leader.
In addition, the party is also
making changes at the block
and district levels as well by
changing office-bearers.
“Some non-performing
senior office-bearers at the
block and district commit-
tees have been replaced.
With elections only months
away, there is no room for
complacency,” the senior
leader added.
Meanwhile, the Congress
will bring out a separate doc-
ument highlighting its poli-
cies for the youth segment.
“The BJP came to power on
the back of the support from
youths, but the saffron party
later betrayed them. Youths
of Assam are now looking for
an alternative. We will for-
mulate a separate policy for
that segment of voters. Be-
sides, we are also working
on another such document
which will explain in detail
what we intend to do to re-
vive Assam’s economy if we
manage to capture power at
Dispur in 2021,” said anoth-
er leader of the grand old
party.
The Congress will also un-
dertake agitations on a
number of issues in coming
weeks. “So far we have only
held public protests against
the ‘betrayal’ by the BJP on
the flood and erosion issue.
Now, we will go among the
public to highlight other un-
fulfilled promises of the rul-
ing party, like granting of ST
status to six communities,
growing unemployment and
cuts in Central funds and
schemes,” he added.
Freedom fighter Surendra Nath Kalita during the felicitation ceremony organised by theKamrup Metro district administration on behalf of the office of the President of India, at hisChandan Nagar residence in Guwahati, on Sunday. – UB Photos
Desiltation of Bondajan Beel resumesCITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Desiltation and
cleaning activities have resumed in the
Bondajan Beel here after the works
were hampered due to the lock-
down and floods for a month.
Removal of water hyacinth, gar-
bage and silt was started on June 11
from the Maria’s Public School
bridge point to the outfall in the riv-
er Brahmaputra. During the first
phase of work, the Water Resourc-
es department covered 2.8 km out
of the 3.5 km long water-body.
The Mechanical Division of the
Water Resources department has
been carrying out the desiltation
work for the last three days un-
der a Guwahati Development De-
partment (GDD)-sponsored
scheme.
“Due to flood, we have to restart the
work from the beginning. It will take 15
days more to complete the work. Alto-
gether 32 daily wage labourers have
been engaged and two iron barge-
mounted chain excavators have been de-
ployed for desiltation and cleaning of the
water-body,” said a Water Resources
department (WRD) official on Sunday.
The desiltation and cleaning of
the beel have been carried out under
‘Mission Flood Free Guwahati’ project.
The official further added that the gar-
bage thus generated has been dumped
at a low-lying area near the water-
body�and it will be destroyed later by
using some medicines or by burning it.
The water from the southeastern part
of Guwahati falls into the Silsako Beel
first and then runs into the Brahmapu-
tra through the Bondajan channel.
Guwahati has long been suffering due
to urban floods caused by heavy rainfall
in its catchment areas and this year, too,
the city witnessed waterlogging in many
areas. The government has taken sev-
eral major schemes to mitigate
the disaster caused by artificial
floods in the city.
The Guwahati Development
Department (GDD) has, during
the current year, come up with
six major schemes, including
cleaning and desilting of the
Pamohi channel, Borsala Beel,
Silsaku Beel, Bondajan Beel,
Deepor Beel and the NBCC
drain, to mitigate the intensity
of artificial floods. Moreover, the
State government identified 39
areas of Guwahati vulnerable to
waterlogging.
The areas were identified at
a joint survey conducted by the GMC,
Public Works department, National
Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and
NF Railway, among others. GMC Com-
missioner Devajyoti Hazarika said the
Corporation has started cleaning of the
drains and other construction works as
proposed during the survey.
Freedomfighter
felicitatedSTAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: On
the occasion of the 78th anni-
versary of Quit India Move-
ment, the Kamrup Metro
district administration on
behalf of the President of In-
dia today felicitated veteran
freedom fighter Surendra
Nath Kalita here.
Additional Deputy Com-
missioner Manoj Kumar
Sikaria and Assistant Com-
missioner Hemanta Kumar
Dutta felicitated Kalita at his
residence in Chandan Nagar
area of the city.
Illicit liquordestroyed
CITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The
Maligaon Police Outpost de-
stroyed 150 litres of illicit liq-
uor during a raid at Maligaon
here today.
A police source said the
raid was conducted after get-
ting public complaints re-
garding it. However, no one
was arrested.
Cigarettes,foreign liquor
seizedCITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Con-
ducting a raid, the city police
last night seized a huge
amount of foreign liquor, cig-
arettes and tobacco at Gopal
Nagar in Noonmati here.
Police arrested one Amit
Kalita in this connection and
also seized a vehicle.
Incentive toplasma donorsGUWAHATI, Aug 9: Lions
Club of Gauhati Greater is
looking for persons who can
become plasma donors for
saving the lives of serious
COVID-19 patients, stated a
press release.
It will give a cash incen-
tive of Rs 5,000 and a certifi-
cate to the plasma donors.
Blood donatedCITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Alto-
gether 73 donors donated
blood during a blood donation
camp organised by Helping
Hand Blood Donors, Guwa-
hati, at Maligaon today.
OBITUARY
Joyram SaikiaSTAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Joy-
ram Saikia, a resident of Ajan-
ta Path,
S u r v e y,
B e l t o l a ,
p a s s e d
away at his
residence
in the wee
hours today.
He was 84 and had been
ailing for some time.
Saikia, who had retired as
a Joint Commissioner in the
Assam Transport depart-
ment, also practised at the
bar after retirement.
A man with an amiable dis-
position and helpful nature,
he was loved and respected
by one and all.
He leaves behind his wife
and two sons, besides a host
of relatives.
He was cremated at the
Navagaraha crematorium.
His demise has been widely
mourned. A health worker getting ready to take a COVID-19 patient to a hospital, at Chenikuthi in Guwahati on Sunday. – UB Photos
Online discussionon ecologicalissues held
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The North
East Students’ Forum of JNU on Sat-
urday hosted ‘Northeast Against
Draft EIA 2020’, an online panel dis-
cussion on the Draft Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) Notifica-
tion, 2020, ecological issues and its
long-term consequences in the con-
text of the North East region, stated
a press release issued here today.
The discussion included five speak-
ers selected from diverse fields while
Niborna Hazarika, the convenor of
North East Students’ Forum, mod-
erated the event.
The panel introduced and explored
themes of biodiversity protection,
rights of indigenous communities and
the large-scale exploitation of re-
sources in the North East with a spe-
cial focus on Baghjan oil well disaster,
coal mining in the Dehing Patkai for-
est and construction of the Etalin Hy-
droelectric Power Project in the
Dibang Valley, added the release.
It is being widely feared that the
EIA, if implemented, will have a dis-
astrous effect on the North East.
CITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The
All Assam Goriya Moriya
Deshi Jatiya Parishad staged
a protest on the bank of the
Dighalipukhuri on Sunday
demanding arrest of BJP
legislator Shiladitya Dev for
his derogatory remarks on
the literary icon and former
president of Asam Sahitya
Sabha, Syed Abdul Malik.
Criticising Dev, who is an
MLA from Hojai constitu-
ency, for maligning the
image of the late author, the
Parishad members said,
“Shiladitya Dev should be
arrested for damaging the
image of Syed Abdul
Malik.”
The members also
alleged that the legislator
tried to fuel communal
clashes in the State several
times earlier by repeatedly
Stir against Shiladitya’s remarksagainst Syed Abdul Malik
saying hateful statements
against the Muslim
community.
Meanwhile, sources in
the State BJP said Chief
Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal has directed Dev
to tender a public apology.
Meanwhile, an FIR has
been filed today against
Dev at the Jalukbari Police
Outpost for his derogatory
remarks.
Condemning Dev for his
derogatory remarks
against the noted littera-
teur, leader of the
opposition in the Assam
Legislative Assembly,
Debabrata Saikia today
called for legal
action against ruling party
MLA.
Saikia said Dev has
shown his own “moral and
intellectual bankruptcy
and cheap mentality” by
making such kinds of
statement.
Saikia called upon the
Chief Minister to direct
Assam Police to take legal
action against the legislator.
State BJP leader Mu-
minul Aowal has also
condemned Dev’s com-
ments and asked
the legislator to tender a
public apology.
Aowal said Syed Abul
Malik is a highly respected
figure in Assam’s literary
history and warned that
Dev will have to face
serious consequences for
his derogatory utterance.
The Asam Sahitya Sabha
also condemned the
derogatory remarks made
by Dev on Syed Abdul
Malik.
However, Shiladitya Dev
in his Facebook page post
apologised for his comment.
Probe demandedinto scribe death
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The Journalists’ Forum Assam
(JFA), while expressing shock over the mysterious death
of Tinsukia-based scribe Bijendeep Tanti, demanded a high-
level probe into the incident.
Engaged with a private channel (NewsTimeAssam), Bijend-
eep was found dead at his rented office room on Saturday.
He ran a Facebook portal named DinPratidinNortheast.
He leaves behind his wife and two children.
“Bijendeep, 32, was away from his residence for two
days. Family members thought he was staying at his of-
fice, as he used to do so occasionally, but his mobile phone
was switched off. The people nearby his office at Tinsukia
town saw it was closed for two days and a foul smell came
out of it. When the door was opened in presence of the
police, Bijendeep was seen lying with injuries on his neck.
The police started investigation and picked up two indi-
viduals for interrogation,” JFA said in a statement.
“Bijendeep Tanti is the 11th Assam-based media person
we have lost during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown,”
said JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria
while mourning his death.
GMC removes35 cattle fromdumping groundCITY CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: The
Guwahati Municipal
Corporation (GMC) today
lifted 35 cattle from the
Boragaon dumping ground
due to inconvenience
caused in the movement of
GMC waste dumping
vehicles.
A notification of GMC
issued today stated that
many cattle are found
wandering on the dumping
ground.
The lifted cattle were
taken to the Animal Pound
at Jalukbari. These cattle
will be released after the
owners pay a fine. The
cattle will be auctioned if no
claims are made within
seven days.
L O C A L F O R E C A S T :
Generally cloudy sky withone or two spells of rain/t h u n d e r s h o w e r s .Maximum and minimumtemperatures are mostlikely to be 33°C & 26°Crespectively on Monday.
TEMPERATURE:
Max 37.4° C
Min 26.4° C
WEATHER
GUWAHATI
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Assam
today got its first paid and fully
vegetarian COVID care centre
at Hotel Rituraj here. At this
centre, the health department
has deployed medical staff on
round the clock basis and a
COVID patient has to pay an
amount as food and room
charges on per day basis.
The centre has a capacity to
accommodate around 120 per-
sons at a time and the facility is
available only for the asympto-
matic COVID-positive pa-
tients. Director of Health Serv-
ices Dr Rathindra Bhuyan in-
augurated the centre today.
Talking to The�Assam�Trib-
une, Dr Bhuyan said the de-
partment has arranged all
COVID-related health facili-
ties at the centre along with
round the clock ambulance
service to shift patients devel-
oping complications to Gauha-
ti Medical College and Hospi-
tal or Mahendra Mohan
Choudhury Hospital.
This centre will be a choice
for asymptomatic COVID-
positive patients of the city to
avail the medical facilities. Ac-
cording to a source, in Assam,
5 to 10 per cent COVID-posi-
tive patients were found to be
vegetarians.
Basant Surana, the owner of
the hotel, stated that although
there will be a common menu
for all patients at the centre,
one can order additional items
by making an additional pay-
ment. Moreover, to minimise
contact with patients, the ho-
tel management has intro-
duced an online system for
making payments.
During the inaugural cere-
mony, Kamrup Chamber of
Commerce president Mahavir
Jain expressed his gratitude to
Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Pi-
jush Hazarika and Dr Rathin-
dra Bhuyan for opening the
centre.
COVID care centreopened at city hotel
Security personnel patrolling ahead of IndependenceDay celebrations, in Guwahati on Sunday. – UB Photos
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 7NORTH EAST
AIZAWL, Aug 9: Among five
airports in the country having
tabletop runways, Mizoram’s
Lengpui airport is safe for land-
ing of passenger aircraft like
Airbus A320 and mid-size car-
go planes, an official said. The
official’s assertion came in
the backdrop of an Air India
plane crashing at Keralas
Kozhikode airport, killing at
least 18 people Friday.
J Lalhmingliana, Principal
Consultant in the Civil Avi-
ation wing of the General
Administration department,
told PTI that the runway
having 2,500 metres length and
whose breadth is 45 metres,
has enough space and is strong
enough for safe landing.
Lengpui airport, the lone
one in Mizoram, is located
about 32 km northwest of cap-
ital Aizawl.
Four airports having table-
top runways at Kozhikode,
Mangalore (Karnakata), Shim-
la (Himachal Pradesh) and Pa-
kyong (Sikkim) are operated
Mizoram’s Lengpui airportsafe for landing: official
by the Airports Authority of
India (AAI), while the Mizo-
ram’s Lengpui airport is with
the state government.
Tabletop runways are con-
structed on hilly or elevated ter-
rains. Also, there could be low
lying areas adjacent to such run-
ways and there could be gorges
at the end of such runways.
Lalhmingliana said that the
airport has almost all the re-
quired safety features like In-
strument Landing System
(ISL), runway lights and Dop-
pler Very High Frequency Omni
Range (DVOR), among others.
He said that the two-decade-
old airport is fit for landing of
passenger aircraft like Airbus
A320 carrying 190 to 200 pas-
sengers and cargo planes and
transport aircraft like C-17
Globemaster, Il-76 and super
hercules, among others.
“Unless there is human error,
plane crash and other accidents
are unlikely to happen,” he
said. He said that the air-
port had witnessed a mi-
nor incident 10 years ago,
when a charter airline-
North East Shuttle- car-
rying around 15 passen-
gers fell off to not so a deep
gorge due to wrong land-
ing by an inexperienced
pilot. However, there were no
casualties, he added.
Lalhmingliana said that the
runway of the airport is nor-
mal though it has been classi-
fied as tabletop. According to
the official, renovation and ex-
tension of the airport- its build-
ing and terminal- is in progress
during Covid-19 period. He
said two airlines-Air India and
IndiGo are currently operat-
ing from the airport. – PTI
IMPHAL, Aug 9 : A crucial one-day
session of the Manipur Assembly will
be held on Monday when a confidence
motion would be moved by Chief Min-
ister NBiren Singh, officials said here
on Sunday.
A notice issued by Manipur Assembly
secretary M Ramani Devi said that the
Chief Minister would move a motion on
Monday seeking the confidence of the
House on the council of ministers.
The spokesperson of the Opposi-
tion Congress in Manipur, Ningom-
bam Bupenda Meitei, said that instead
of accepting the no-confidence motion
Forecast for North Eastern
States : Rain/thundershowers is
very likely to occur at most
places over Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura.
Warning: 1) Thunderstorm with
lightning is very likely to occur
at isolated places over
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur,
Mizoram & Tripura. 2) Heavy to
very heavy rain is very likely to
occur at isolated places over
Arunachal Pradesh. 3) Heavy
rain is very likely to occur at
isolated places over Assam,
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur,
Mizoram.
Temperatures :
Max (°C) Min (°C)
Dibrugarh 29.6 26.4
Tezpur 31.8 25.4
Silchar 33.6 27.1
Dhubri 33.8 28.4
Jorhat 31.7 24.8
N Lakhimpur 29.4 23.8
Shillong 27.6 19.0
Cherrapunjee 25.0 18.0
Aizawl 26.3 NA
Kohima 25.6 18.3
Pasighat 26.7 24.6
Itanagar 30.6 25.1
Imphal 29.0 23.0
Agartala 35.1 26.8
WEATHER
NORTHEAST
Manipur Assembly to holdone-day session today
moved by the Congress, the Manipur
legislative Assembly has accepted the
motion of confidence moved by BJP
government.
“The Congress is confident to de-
feat the motion. The Congress has al-
ready issued whip to all its 24 MLAs to
be present in the house and vote against
the confidence motion. We would de-
feat the trust vote moved by the gov-
ernment. We would convert the peo-
ple’s true mandate of 2017 into reali-
ty,” the Congress spokesperson said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party led coa-
lition government in Manipur plunged
into a serious political crisis on June
17 after the four-member NPP (Na-
tional People’s Party), the sole Trina-
mool Congress MLA, and an Inde-
pendent MLA withdrew their support
while three BJP MLAs quit the party
and joined the Congress.
The nine-day-long political crisis
ended with the intervention of Home
Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P.
Nadda, Meghalaya Chief Minister and
NPP national President Conrad K.
Sangma and Assam Minister and North
East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) con-
venor Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, the
Congress emerged as the single larg-
est party securing 28 seats, but the
BJP, which bagged 21 seats, stitched a
coalition government with the sup-
port of four NPP members, four Naga
People’s Front MLAs, the lone TMC
MLA and an Independent member.
Seven Congress MLAs also joined the
BJP subsequently.
Demanding disqualification of the sev-
en MLAs, the Congress in January this
year had filed a petition in the Supreme
Court, which had asked the Speaker to
take appropriate steps. – IANS
The members of CITU, Ganamukti Parishad and Krishak Sabha organising a protest rally in Khowai district, Tripura on
Sunday. – Correspondent
CORRESPONDENT
AGARTALA, Aug 9: Four more COV-
ID-19 patients, including two BSF per-
sonnel, succumbed to the disease in
Tripura in the last 24 hours, taking the
toll of dead to 41.
Moreover, 147 new cases were de-
tected in the State during this period.
One of the deceased BSF personnel
was from its 80th battalion while the other
one was from the 133rd battalion.
Around 700 BSF jawans posted at dif-
ferent areas of the State have contracted
the infection.
According to a medical bulletin, the
Four more COVID-19 deaths in TripuraState has total 5,999 COVID-19 cases,
including 1,780 active and 4176 recov-
ered cases. The positivity rate in the State
has increased to 3.4 percent due to a
spurt in positive cases.
Even though the State has a low mor-
tality rate of 0.63 percent, the Health
Department is all set to introduce plas-
ma therapy for better treatment of the
patients.
A protocol report has been submitted
to the ethical committee of Agartala Gov-
ernment Medical College (AGMC) for
approval to ask for permission from the
Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR), said Dr Tapan Majumder, HoD
of Microbiology, AGMC today.
“In Tripura, the mortality rate is un-
der one percent. Moreover, those who
died of COVID-19 are mostly elderly
persons suffering from life threatening
diseases,” he said.
On the other hand, the All Tripura
Government Doctors’ Association (AT-
GDA) appealed to the cured persons to
come forward to donate plasma.
“There is no side effect of donating
plasma. It is like blood donation. Dona-
tion of plasma is necessary for introduc-
ing plasma therapy. We want the recov-
ered COVID patients to come forward
to donate plasma,” the association said.
NagalandCOVID-19
tally at 2,781CORRESPONDENT
DIMAPUR, Aug 9: Naga-
land on Sunday recorded 93
COVID-19 positive cases, tak-
ing the state’s tally to 2,781.
In his routine briefing,
Principal Secretary (Home)
Abhijit Sinha said, “A total of
93 COVID-19 positive cases
have been detected today and
the total number of positive
cases in the state now stands
at 2,781.”
He said the positive peo-
ple are receiving medical
care at the designated COV-
ID-19 hospitals and COVID-
19 care centres while active
surveillance and contact trac-
ing is also in progress to pre-
vent further spreading of the
infection.
Out of the 2,781 positive
cases, 1,866 are active and
there are eight deaths. As per
the severity of symptoms,
1,863 active cases are asymp-
tomatic, one active case is mild
and two active cases are mod-
erate, Sinha said.
Of the total positive cases
till date, 1,226 are from armed
forces, 1,072 are returnees,
196 frontline workers, 233 of
traced contacts and 54 others.
He said altogether 28,722
samples have been sent for
testing through RT-PCR till
date and results of 26,962 sam-
ples have been received. Be-
sides, 18,659 samples have
been sent for testing on
Truenat. He added that 2,032
persons are presently under
facility quarantine.
2,117 virus cases inArunachal
ITANAGAR, Aug 9: At least 68 more people, including 36
security personnel and a healthcare professional, have tested
positive for coronavirus in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the State’s
total count to 2,117, a Health Department official said on Sunday.
Of the fresh cases, 10 were reported from the Capital Com-
plex region, 20 from East Kameng district, 12 from West
Siang, five each from Tirap and Lower Siang, four each from
West Kameng and Namsai, three each from East Siang and
Tawang, two from Papumpare and one from Changlang, State
Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.
“Thirty-six security personnel of paramilitary forces are
among the fresh patients. A healthcare worker from West
Kameng district has tested positive for COVID-19,” he said.
All, barring five, are asymptomatic and have been shifted to
COVID Care Centres, Jampa said. A total of 104 coronavirus
patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday. Arunach-
al Pradesh now has 684 active cases, while 1,430 people have
recovered from the infection and three died of it, he said.
The Capital Complex region, comprising Itanagar, Naha-
rlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has 118 active COV-
ID-19 cases, followed by Namsai (103), Changlang (100),
East Kameng (92), East Siang (67) and Lohit (37), the offi-
cial said. – PTI
ManipurCOVID-19 tallyclimbs to 3,753
IMPHAL, Aug 9: with the
detection of 118 fresh cases,
the COVID-19 tally in
Manipur has touched 3,753.
Till Saturday, the total death
due to COVID-related cases
in the state rose to 11.
Of the 118 fresh cases, 90
were detected from
Churachandpur, Chandel,
Thoubal, Imphal West,
Imphal East, Kangpokpi,
Jiribam, Senapati and
Ukhrul.
In the past 24 hours, 117
persons were discharged
from CRPF, RIMS, JNIMS
and other COVID care
centres, a press release said.
So far 3,26,463 people
were screened at various
entry points of the State . –
Correspondent
AIZAWL, Aug 9: With the
detection of 43 new cases in the
last 24 hours, Mizoram’s COV-
ID-19 tally has reached 608.
The new cases included 18
truckers stranded on National
Highway 306 in Mizoram’s Ko-
lasib district due to poor road
condition, besides 17 BSF per-
sonnel and eight civilians. In the
last 24 hours, samples of 497
truck drivers and handymen
were tested, of which 18 were
found to be positive. All of them
underwent Rapid Antigen Test.
Mizoram’s tallycrosses 600-mark
“Three of the newly con-
firmed cases contracted the
virus from other positive per-
sons,” an official statement
said today. This included a doc-
tor who was in a medical team
involved in collection of swab
samples and two Mizoram Po-
lice personnel who were on
duty at a BSF quarantine fa-
cility, it added.
Several localities in Aizawl
imposed complete lockdown
from today fearing community
spread. – Correspondent
Temple damagedin Sikkim
A CORRESPONDENT
GANGTOK, Aug 9: The
swelling waters of the Rangit
river partially damaged Ki-
rateshwar Mahadev temple in
Sikkim.
State Agriculture Minister
and local MLA Lok Nath Shar-
ma visited the temple at Leg-
ship to access the
damage.Sharma inspected the
temple premises lining the
riverbank and also erosion-hit
areas nearby.
He deliberated on the pro-
tection measures and reno-
vation work need to be tak-
en up with the government
officials and members of the
temple management com-
mittee.
He handed over a sum of Rs
30,000 to the temple commit-
tee as immediate relief .
PM urged to create twodepartments in NEHU
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, Aug 9: Congress MP from Shillong Vincent
Pala has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging
him to create two additional departments at North Eastern
Hills University (NEHU) to complete the formation of School
of Planning and Architecture (SPA).
According to Pala, NEHU has sought creation of Trans-
port Planning, and Town and Country Planning departments.
He said once these departments are created, the Central
university’s Architecture department would constitute a
School of Planning and Architecture.
“The two departments may kindly be started in the
university immediately by providing the necessary in-
frastructure, manpower, syllabi, etc., with the approval
from the All India Council for Technical Education and
recognition by the Institute of Town Planners India,”
Pala wrote.
He said the setting up SPA in the State capital on the lines
of SPA in New Delhi “is the need of the hour” for the people
of the Northeastern region.
8 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020STATENEWS IN BRIEF
Help from Indian ArmyMUSHALPUR, Aug 9: A unit of Red Horns Division of
the Indian Army resolved a problem faced by SangitaMedhi, daughter of Havildar Surjya Kanta Medhi ofBaksa who passed away in 1995. The havildar’s familyhad stopped receiving family pension since 2011 due tocertain document-related issues and were finding itdifficult to make ends meet. The army camp at Baramacame to know about the issue at a rally. A team wasformed to resolve the issue, which assisted Medhi inpreparing her documents. The issue was resolved andMedhi started getting her family pension, as well as Rs3 lakh in pension arrear. – ANN Service
Fake notes seized, 2 heldMORIGAON, Aug 9: A police team led by Morigaon SP
Nanda Singh Borkola conducted an operation at Lautoliarea under Mikirbheta PS on Saturday and seized fakecurrency of face value Rs 13.4 lakh from Sirajul Hoqueand Nurul Amin. A case has been registered. In aseparate operation under Dharamtul PS, police seized1,117 tins of inedible molasses, 588 quintals of sugar,and 21 packets of artificial food colour from a truck (AS-01-GC-1869). – Correspondent
Body foundJAGIROAD, Aug 9: Police on Saturday found an
unidentified body from a pond at Daipora near Jhargaonunder Jagiroad PS, sources said. – Correspondent
Sainik School alumniGUWAHATI, Aug 9: Two former students of Sainik
School Goalpara – Mukund Kumar and Satyam – havecleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019,securing 54th and 169th ranks respectively, stated apress release. Mukund passed class XII in 2015, whileSatyam passed class X in 2006. Mukund is a graduate inEnglish literature from Delhi University, while Satyamdid his BTech in civil engineering from NIT, Jamshedpur.
Cooperative society meetGOSSAIGAON, Aug 9: A meeting of the Board of
Directors of Gossaigaon Sub-Divisional WholesaleConsumers’ Cooperative Society Ltd was held onSaturday. The meeting led by Puranjit Narzary andsecretary Binoy Brahma discussed workers of SamobaiSamitis are also providing services like supply of food toconsumers, but their services are not recognised. Thesecretary said that since 2017, a sum of Rs 20 lakh isdue to the Gossaigaon Sub-Divisional WholesaleConsumers’ Cooperative Society Ltd by the State Foodand Civil Supplies department. – ANN Service
Online quiz contestRANGIYA, Aug 9: Ahead of Independence Day, the
Rangiya Quizzing Circuit will organise an online all-Assam quiz contest on the theme ‘Bharat Quiz’. Thecontest will be held in two rounds – prelims on August12 and mains on August 14 at 7 pm. Scribe MustafaKamal Ahmed will conduct the quiz. – Correspondent
Independence Day progGOSSAIGAON, Aug 9: Independence Day will be
celebrated by the Gossaigaon civil administration atGossaigaon HS School playground. There will be nocultural function, and security personnel will take partonly in a marchpast. Corona warriors would be felicitatedby the administration. – ANN Service
Man killed by neighbourDHUBRI, Aug 9: One Sahinur Islam (38), was stabbed
multiple times while he was sitting at his courtyard inIrongjongla village on Saturday. Islam was stabbed by hisneighbour Jalal Sk alias Bhola, who was caught by localsand handed over to police. Islam was taken to the DhubriCivil Hospital, but he could not survive. The residentssaid Jalal Sk is a drug addict and has been creatingdisturbance in the area. – Correspondent
Kaziranga varsityGUWAHATI, Aug 9: The Jorhat district administration
has removed the quarantine centre established atKaziranga University campus for institutional quarantineof people, stated a press release. The district adminis-tration sanitized the entire campus. People of fivedistricts who returned from other states, were screenedat Barsha Resort of Kakodunga and then shifted to thequarantine centre at Kaziranga University.
No officer at Dhubri DIPROGAURIPUR, Aug 9: The office of the Dhubri District
Information and Public Relations is running without anofficer. After transfer of the former officer in July 2019,the post has been lying vacant. This absence has causedproblems not only for mediapersons but also for thecommon people. The office is running with only one UDAssistant. The post of LD Assistant and some Grade IVposts are also lying vacant. – Correspondent
COVID-hit mothers give birth
NALBARI, Aug 9: Doctors and nurses at SwahidMukunda Kakati COVID hospital successfully conductedCaesarean section on two COVID-19 positive pregnantwomen who delivered two female babies. Superintend-ent Dr Arun Barman said Namita Deka of Budrukuchiand Dipali Barman of DaKauniya were admitted withCOVID-19. As the babies were not COVID-19 positive,they were kept in a separate intensive care unit. Theteam which conducted the operation included gynaecolo-gist Dr Dipul Das, and anaesthesia doctor Ratul Das. DCPurabi Konwar, ADC (Health) Abhijit Singha congratulat-ed the team for their services. – Correspondent
CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR, Aug 9: The Bodoland
Territorial Council (BTC) authority has
sacked 29 Transport Department em-
ployees appointed during the Hagrama
Mohilary-led regime of the Bodoland
People’s Front (BPF) just before decla-
ration of the BTC election, on the ground
of faulty selection process.
BTC Principal Secretary Siddharth
Singh, in an order issued on Friday, ter-
minated eight assistant enforcement in-
spectors and 21 enforcement checkers,
following an inquiry by a special team
and the department. The BTC Joint
Commissioner of Transport had issued
engagement order of those employees.
In the order, the BTC Principal Sec-
retary stated that during investigation,
the inquiry team found that the appoint-
ments did not follow the government
rules, and the entire process leading to
appointments of the persons was totally
arbitrary as there was no advertisement
or publicity, and no public notice was
published for the purpose.
CORRESPONDENT
HAFLONG, Aug 9: At a
time when people in the
modern-day society are los-
ing trust on one another, La-
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, Aug 9:
On the occasion of the 78th
anniversary of the Quit India
Movement, the Tinsukia dis-
trict administration on Sun-
day felicitated 91-year-old
freedom fighter Satyalata
Gogoi at her residence at
Phillobari Gauripur here.
On behalf of the govern-
ment, Assistant Commission-
er and Executive Magistrate
Aparupa Borgohain visited
the residence of the freedom
fighter and felicitated her with
a gamosa, a shawl and an ang-
abastra, in recognition for her
contribution towards the free-
dom struggle.
The octogenarian freedom
fighter expressed concern
over the coronavirus pan-
demic spreading across the
country. She urged all to fol-
low the guidelines of the gov-
ernment to contain the
spread of the virus and ex-
pressed hope that the coun-
try would be able to get rid
of this crisis very soon.
Morigaon Correspond-
ent adds: Along with the
CORRESPONDENT
DHUBRI, Aug 9: The
naamghar and manikut of the
historic Ramrai Kuti Satra,
which was demolished so as
to be reconstructed, remains
in a ramshackle state since
March.
Under the project ‘Pres-
ervation and Development
of Sri Sri Ramrai Kuti Sat-
ra’, at Satrasal an amount of
Rs 1.36 crore was allotted
by the State government for
the renovation of this most
sacred site of the
Vaishnavites, where the his-
toric marriage of Bir Chila-
rai with the daughter of
Srimanta Sankaradeva’s
cousin brother Ramrai, Bhu-
baneswari Devi was conse-
crated in the 16th century.
After the marriage, Sanka-
radeva established the Sat-
ra to promote and propagate
Satriya culture in the area
with the help of the Koch
king Naranarayan, who was
Chilarai’s elder brother.
OBITUARY
Paban KalitaANN SERVICE
TIHU, Aug 9: Eminent
social worker,
retired assist-
ant librarian of
Tihu College, an
active BJP
member and a
resident of Tihu town, Paban
Kalita passed away on Sun-
day at his own residence. He
was 68 and was suffering
from cancer.
He was the vice chairman
of the Tihu Town Commit-
tee and was closely associat-
ed with many socio-cultural
organisations like Tihu Hari-
mandir, Tihu Lakshmi Puja,
Tihu Durga Puja Samiti and
several others.
His body was brought to
Tihu College and tributes
were paid by several digni-
taries and organisations. His
last rites were performed at
the Tihu public crematorium.
He leaves behind his wife, a
son and a daughter and a host
of well-wishers.
29 Transport departmentemployees sacked in BTC
Singh also mentioned that the engage-
ments have been made in an illegal and
arbitrary manner by violating Article 14
and 16 of the Constitution of India.
The terminated assistant enforcement
inspectors are Kiuti Narzary (Kokrajhar
DTO office), Bhaskar Swrang Basuma-
tary (Chirang DTO office), Nicholas
Basumatary (Baksa DTO office), Ronel
Robinson Mushahary (Udalguri DTO of-
fice), Hayed Rajbongshi (Baksa DTO
office), Sonali Mohilary (Udalguri DTO
office), Deep Jyoti Bora (Udalguri DTO
office) and Kajib Basumatary (Baksa
DTO office).
The enforcement checkers are Mwnt-
hat Brahma, Bhaskar Mushahary, Kama
Basumatary, Bob Boro, Dwihung Brah-
ma, JJwngma Basumatary, Utpal
Bhadra, Krishna Deb, Pinku Narzary,
Rubungsha Basumatary, Menoka Basu-
matary, Samir Shill, Sonoj Kumar Roy,
Banendra Basumatary, Naishrang Islary,
Lwngkwl Basumatary, Abhijit Debnath,
Bishal Kumar Brahma, Rousay Flower
Basumatary, Dhurbajyoti Brahma and
Kapen Narzary.
UPPL leader Rajkumar Prithviraj
Narayan Dev Mech, who was the main
complainant against the illegal appoint-
ments, on Sunday appreciated the ini-
tiative and action taken by the BTC au-
thority and hoped that the authority will
also take legal action against the offic-
ers and others involved in the illegal
appointments.
Inquiry finds 8
assistant
enforcement
inspectors and 21
enforcement
checkers were
appointed in an
arbitrary manner
with advertisement
or public notice
Quit India Movementanniversary:
Freedom fighter feted
rest of the country, the Quit
India Movement Day was
observed at the historic Bar-
apujia in Morigaon district,
where three freedom fight-
ers sacrificed their lives in
1942.
The historic Barapujia vil-
lage, located in the eastern
part of Morigaon district, has
many legends. Mahatma
Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru,
Acharya Vinoba Bhave came
to this place in 1939 and or-
ganised events related to the
fredom movement. The
place became the centre of
the freedom struggle, during
which the British shot dead
three freedom fighters – Ti-
lok Deka, Hemoram Pator
and Gonabhiram Bordoloi.
On Sunday, the Quit India
Day was observed at Bara-
pujia by the Assam Freedom
Fighters’ Sons and Daugh-
ters’ Association in collabo-
raton with Assam Sambadik
Sangha. Speaking on the oc-
casion, Asom Mukti Yojaru
Santan Sanmilan general sec-
retary Bhaben Mahanta paid
glowing tributes to the mar-
tyrs of the freedom struggle.
Freedom fighter Satyalata Gogoi being felicitated by AssistantCommissioner Aparupa Borgohain. – Photo: Abhijit Khataniar
Honesty is the best policy:A shop without shopkeeper
lphairem, an ex-serviceman
and now a successful agricul-
turist has come up with a new
method to spread the mes-
sage of honesty.
Lalphairem has started a
‘shop without a shopkeeper’
at Lower Retzawl village
near Calvary Prayer Point,
Dima Hasao, on the Haflong-
Silchar road. The shop works
on the principle “Where
trust is reciprocated, hones-
ty flourishes”.
Customers coming to the
shop can take whatever they
want and keep the money in
a box.
S Tuolour, the gaonburha
of Retzawl, said that the own-
er believes in the policy of
mutual trust and wants to
spread the message of trust
in humanity.
He said that with the in-
spiration of such shops, many
more others are being read-
ied by the youths of Retzawl.
Though the shop was put
up very recently, it has gath-
ered appreciation through
social media.
Historic Ramrai Kuti Satra in dilapidated state
However, under this
project while the ‘rath ghar’,
‘bharal ghar’ where the fa-
mous Akshay Banti is estab-
lished currently, the ‘bhaka-
tar baha’, ‘baatchora’ and a
mini museum has already
been constructed, the most
complicated task was the re-
construction and preserva-
tion of the naamghar and
manikut. “The reconstruc-
tion work of this place of
worship, which remained
standing in the same place
since the time of Sankarade-
va, started in the month of
March. The contractor had
stripped off all the old con-
struction of the historic
naamghar and since then it
has remained as it is”, said
the satradhikar of the Satra,
Jitendranath Prodhani.
Prodhani explains that this
naamghar is a historic struc-
ture, which was built by the
Vaishnavite saint and was
maintained by many historic
figures across generations
including the family of Koch
King Naranarayan and the
family of the Gauripur Za-
mindary Estate.
However, due to the lock-
down the reconstruction
work of the naamghar has
remained suspended till the
filing of this report, harming
the original structure and the
Manikut. “If the State can
restart the construction ac-
tivities of different ongoing
projects, then why is this re-
ligious institution, of such
historical and cultural value
ignored”, said the Satra-
dhikar. He also added that the
construction work of this his-
toric building needs to
resume immediately.
“If it remains exposed for
a few more days, it will cost
an irreparable loss to the re-
ligious structure”, said Prod-
hani, who informed them
that they are currently un-
dertaking their religious ac-
tivities from a temporary ar-
rangement.
(Left) The historic Ramrai Kuti Satra naamghar before it was demolished in March for reconstruction and (right) its state now asthe reconstruction work has not yet started even after the lockdown has ended. – Photos: Irfan Khondker
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, Aug 9: A public meeting
convened at Hoonlal HS School opposed the
temporary construction of the proposed new
Bir Raghav Moran (BRM) Govt Model Col-
lege on a vacant plot of Hoonlal HS School.
The meeting, chaired by school manage-
ment and development committee president
Prasad Sonowal adopted a resolution, where-
by it was intimated to the president of the
BRM Government Model College, who is
also the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner, that
while there was consensus in allowing the
proposed model college to start functioning
from the school premises as per their own
time schedule and without any clash with the
school’s regular routine, the temporary con-
struction on the vacant land was not accepta-
ble, even if it was verbally assured to the
school authority to hand over the land once
Row over construction ofcollege building in school land
GoalparaCollege
foundation dayCORRESPONDENT
GOALPARA, Aug 9: The
65th foundation day of Goal-
para College was observed
on Saturday. Principal Dr
Subhash Barman unfurled
the flag and recalled the con-
tributions of the teachers
which led to turning Goal-
para College into a leading
college of lower Assam.
Goalpara College Teachers’
Association president Dr
Santosh Kumar Mishra car-
ried out a plantation drive. An
online lecture was delivered
by Cotton University Vice
Chancellor Prof Bhabesh
Goswami where he dwelt on
the National Education Poli-
cy 2020. Dr Siddhi Nath Sar-
ma, GCTA secretary Mojbul
Hoque Choudhury, and gov-
erning body president Dr BK
Nath were present.
the college shifts to its permanent site.
The proposal also resolved that in view of
National Education Policy, 2020, further con-
struction might be necessitated to accommo-
date new subjects as per the choice of the
students under the curriculum. So the school
authority was urged to keep its available va-
cant land intact for future use of the students.
Principal Alip Khan, and former principal
Seema Chaudhury narrated the circumstanc-
es under which the proposal was placed by
the Inspector of Schools, Tinsukia in pres-
ence of Director, Higher Education and some
other departmental personnel who were on
a visit to find out a suitable plot of land for the
model college.
The meeting was organised after a delega-
tion of the Doomdooma Press Club had dis-
cussed the matter with the school manage-
ment committee following public concern
about the future of the school.
CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LAKHIMPUR,
Aug 9: The North Lakhim-
pur Municipality Board
(NLMB) raided commercial
installations in an area of the
town in compliance with the
Municipal Solid Waste Man-
agement (MSWM) Rules,
2016, ordered by the Nation-
al Green Tribunal (NGT).
The NLMB raided com-
mercial establishments, shops
and kiosks and fined them Rs
500 each for not keeping seg-
regated garbage bins required
under the rules. The rules as
suggested by the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs asks
municipal bodies to conduct
door-to-door collection of seg-
regated solid waste from all
households, including slums,
commercial, institutional and
other non-residential premis-
es, transportation in covered
vehicles to disposal facilities,
segregation of waste by house-
holds into biodegradable, non-
biodegradable and domestic
hazardous, installation of twin-
bins and segregated litter bins
in commercial and public are-
as at every 50-100 metres.
The NLMB conducted the
raids following failure by
business owners in keeping
twin-bins and segregated lit-
ter bins for biodegradable
and non-biodegradable waste
in their place of business.
The NLMB collected fines
from street vendors to big
business houses alike in a
stretch from Apex Bank to
CD Road in North Lakhim-
pur on Friday. Many small-
scale traders complained that
the NLMB collected fines of
Rs 500 each, uniformly from
big business houses to street
vendors, like cobblers.
The NLMB officials said
they were following the or-
ders passed by the NGT and
clarified that the drive was
conducted after non-compli-
ance of repeated instructions
by the business establish-
ments. The NLMB collect-
ed Rs 31,000 as fines from
the drive.
On NGT directive, shopsraided in North Lakhimpur
THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 9MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
STATE
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, Aug 9:
The Doomdooma regional
committee of All Adivasi Stu-
dents’ Association Assam
(AASAA) in collaboration with
its Hanhsara primary unit ob-
served International Day of the
World’s Indigenous People to-
day at Hanhsara Girja Line LP
School.
On the occasion, the
AASAA insigne was hoisted by
Doomdooma regional com-
mittee president Sawan Bag
while the secretary of the
International Day of World’sIndigenous People observed
committee Angat Benia initi-
ated the Smriti Tarpan pro-
gramme.
Later, a meeting was held
which was chaired by Prahlad
Nayak, adviser of the Doom-
dooma regional committee of
AASAA.
Addressing the meeting, the
vice president of Tinsukia dis-
trict committee of AASAA
Suresh Bhumij, Doomdooma
regional committee adviser Bi-
joy Tanti, Hanhsara primary unit
president Philip Tirkey and sec-
retary Ajoy Munda explained
the significance of the day.
It may be mentioned here
that International Day of the
World’s Indigenous People is
observed on August 9 each
year to raise awareness and
protect the rights of the
world’s indigenous population.
This event also recognises
the achievements and contri-
butions that indigenous peo-
ple make to improve global
issues such as environmental
protection.
The day was first commem-
orated by the United Nations
General Assembly in Decem-
ber 1994.
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, Aug 9:
Even after 75 days of the blow-
out at BGR-5 in Baghjan oil-
field of Oil India Limited (OIL)
under Doomdooma Revenue
Circle of Tinsukia district, the
oil major of the country has
failed to cap the well.
Consequently, the affected
people in the vicinity of the
well are still passing their days
in utter misery, holed up in
relief camps.
Around 600 affected people
today came out of the relief camp
situated at Baghjan Dighaltar-
rang ME School and marched
towards the Deputy Commis-
sioner’s Office at Tinsukia.
Police and civil administration
personnel tried to prevent the
affected people from moving
forward by putting up barricades
on the road just in front of the
Baghjan Police Station. A large
posse of security personnel, in-
cluding Assam Police Battalion,
Baghjan blowout-hitpeople register protest
Woman hurt during caning by security personnel hospitalised
Promila Chetia, who was injured in the baton charge, being taken in an ambulance formedical attention. - Photo: Abhijit Khataniar.
CRPF and Army was deployed
at the place to check forward
movement of the protesters.
As the irate public tried to
go ahead by breaching the bar-
ricade, a tussle between the
protesters and security per-
sonnel took place. To bring the
situation under control, the se-
curity forces used baton charge
following which a woman
named Promila Chetia was
badly injured. She was imme-
diately taken to a private nurs-
ing home at Doomdooma.
Later, the Deputy Commis-
sioner of Tinsukia held a dis-
cussion with the leaders of the
protesters and assured them
that their demands would be
considered on priority basis.
Earlier, the irate public hand-
ed over a memorandum ad-
dressed to the Deputy Com-
missioner of Tinsukia to the
magistrate on duty and re-
turned to their camp.
Martyr journalistKamala Saikia
rememberedCORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR, Aug 9: As-
sam’s first martyr journal-
ist Kamala Saikia was re-
membered today by the
people of Dikhowmukh, his
birthplace and Aaikya in as-
sociation with Sivasagar
District Journalists’ Asso-
ciation at Muktinath Chari-
ali here.
Jorhat MP Topon Kumar
Gogoi laid the foundation
stone for installing a lifesize
statue of the martyr journal-
ist at Dikhowmukh to be built
at a cost of Rs 10 lakh from
the Chief Minister’s Fund.
Dhananjay Saikia, son of
the slain journalist thanked
the MP for his initiative in
installing a lifesize statue of
the ‘Swahid Xambadik’
which was a long-standing
demand of Assam Press
Correspondents’ Union.
It may be recalled that
martyr Kamala Saikia was
dragged out of his Sivasagar
Melachakar residence by
gun-toting ULFA cadres on
this day in 1991 and was bru-
tally killed near Amguri.
Dhananjay Saikia said
that their family has lost
confidence on Assam Police
as it has failed to arrest the
culprits in around three
decades.
Drugs seized,two arrested
CORRESPONDENT
DHUBRI, Aug 9: A four-
wheeler bearing registration
number AS 17 G 5709) was
intercepted at Gauripur near
PB College during routine
frisking operation from where
about 12,000 R-7 tablets (Yaba
tablets) in 60 packets contain-
ing approximately 200 tablets
each, was recovered.
The tablets along with the
vehicle was seized and two
persons, namely Anarul Sk and
Ajijul Islam, were arrested in
this regard. The intoxicating
tablets were being carried
from Chagolia to Dhubri dis-
trict and is valued at approxi-
mately Rs 8 lakh.
Meanwhile in another oper-
ation, one Monjur Ali, a veter-
an dealer in contraband drugs
was nabbed by Gauripur Police
while Kofsar Ali, another al-
leged veteran in dealing with
the intoxicating drugs was ap-
prehended by Chagolia OP un-
der Golakganj Police Station.
Body of youthrecovered
A CORRESPONDENT
NAGAON, Aug 9: After be-
ing informed by some local
people, Nagaon Police and
SDRF personnel recovered
the decomposed body of an
unidentified youth from Ko-
long river near Nagaon Ciruit
House here this morning.
The body was first seen by
some locals while going for
morning walk. The body was
subsequently sent to the Nagaon
Civil Hospital for postmortem.
While police suspect that the
youth might have been mur-
dered and his body dumped into
the river, investigation into the
case is under way.
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT, Aug 9: In a bid to
get COVID-19 test done be-
fore the August 12 deadline set
by the Jorhat district adminis-
tration, heavy rush of people,
mostly shop-keepers and em-
ployees, was witnessed since
morning at the Rapid Antigen
Test Screening Centre at the
Marwari Thakurbari beside
the AT Road here today.
People were seen making
serpentine queues without
maintaining any physical dis-
tancing and other COVID-19
norms with people jostling for
space before the entrance of
the testing centre.
It may be mentioned here
that the district administration
vide an order issued on Fri-
day stated that shops/business
People rush to get tested forCOVID-19 in Jorhat
establishments will be allowed
to open daily from August 10
from Monday to Friday per
week and also cautioned of not
allowing to operate from Au-
gust 13 if owners and employ-
ees did not undergo the man-
datory COVID-19 test.
The order seemed to have
created panic among thousands
of shop-owners and staff lead-
ing to people coming out in
large numbers and creating a
chaotic situation which forced
policemen to intervene by way
of announcement on loudspeak-
ers to maintain distance and
subsequently physically tried
to control the test-seekers.
Several people waiting in
queues told this newspaper
that as the Jorhat district ad-
ministration had set a deadline
to get COVID-19 test done by
August 12 or else face closure,
triggered panic among the
traders.
They said that in view of
shops earlier permitted to
open only on two or three days
a week during the past two
weeks, and imposition of total
lockdown from the night of July
9 till 22, caused huge losses to
the traders, hence now eve-
ryone wants get the test done
before the deadline in order
to avoid closure.
The president of Upper As-
sam Chamber of Commerce
Dulichand Agarwal told the
The Assam Tribune today that
he spoke to the Speaker of the
State Legislative Assembly
and Jorhat MLA Hitendra
Nath Goswami seeking their
intervention for revision of
the deadline by the district
Members of All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam, Bansbari anchalik committee, takesout a rally on the occasion of World Adivasi Day, at Fatemabad Tea Estate in Baksa district,on Sunday. – UB Photos
People queue in front of a COVID-19 Screening Centre in Jorhat, on Sunday. – UB Photos
CORRESPONDENT
DIPHU, Aug 9: Karbi Students’ Asso-
ciation’s Kaziranga district committee re-
cently conducted a field enquiry in Dolo-
mara area located within the general area
of Duarbagori Member of Autonomous
Council constituency of Karbi Anglong au-
tonomous district in connection with fi-
nancial anomalies by beneficiaries of job
card holders.
The students’ organisation claimed that
all the bank passbooks against respective
bank accounts are not with the benefici-
aries.
Further, they were paid less than half
by certain manipulators and the trans-
ferred amounts are withdrawn from the
beneficiaries’ accounts by some other
people and pay the actual beneficiary only
a meagre amount without accomplishing
any productive work against the job card.
“Certain political workers have warned
the villagers that beneficiary names will
not be listed in the job card if they do not
hand over their bank passbooks to them.
With no option left, the poor people have
KSA alleges job card anomaliesto do accordingly,” the Karbi Students’
Association Kaziranga district committee
alleged.
Simeon Rongphar, president of Karbi
Students’ Association has appealed to the
Chief Executive Member of Karbi An-
glong Autonomous Council Tuliram Rong-
hang and local MAC Richard Tokbi to take
strict action against the offenders involved
in this crime.
Discrimination alleged: In the
meantime, alleging prolonged depriva-
tion from government subsidies and oth-
er basic amenities granted from time to
time at the behest of the elected repre-
sentative of Dhansiri Member of Auton-
omous Council constituency, the gaon-
burha, government recognised village
headmen and social workers of the area
submitted a memorandum to the Karbi
Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Ex-
ecutive Member Tuliram Ronghang and
demanded implementation of the
schemes, on Friday.
The memorandum, signed by gaon-
burhas Khoyasing Hanse, Rajen Hanse,
Government Recognised Village Head-
man Bura Hanse, former chairman of
Village Devlopment Council, Dhansiri,
Krishna Hanse, social workers Samsing
Hanse and Prodip Hanse mentioned that
almost all Karbi villages under Dhansiri
area have been deprived from proper
implementation of developmental
schemes.
Basic requisites and infrastructure like
roads, drinking water, medical facility,
cooperative societies, etc., were conven-
iently denied, the memo stated. It add-
ed that a number of villages established
on or before 1900 have also been denied
basic conveniences due to complete and
constant neglect by the elected repre-
sentatives.
The memo further alleged that the
Karbi villagers had been denied land com-
pensation due to them for acquisition of
their private land for implementation of
public projects like road construction and
oil exploration by ONGC.
Additionally, the village leaders de-
manded halting issuance of land pattas
(periodic lease) or land mutation without
their knowledge.
ANN Service
BAIHATA CHARIALI, Aug
9: Following serial protests by
AASU and members of the lo-
cal public against setting up of a
toll plaza in front of Madartola
Vidyapeeth High School over
National Highway-31, a public
hearing was held today at
Madanpur.
During the public hearing,
AASU activists and members
of the local populace, includ-
ing representatives of other
organisations under Pub-
Kamrup unit of AASU opined
that the toll plaza should be
shifted to some other site as
it would definitely harm the
normal academic environ-
Public hearing onMadanpur toll plaza held administration.
Agarwal said he urged Gos-
wami to intervene and do the
needful so that there was no
deadline for getting COVID-19
test done so that opening of
shops along with testing could
be carried out in a simultaneous
manner. He said that the Speak-
er assured to look in the matter.
Expressing concern over
the situation at the RAT cen-
tre today, AICC secretary and
former Jorhat MLA Rana Gos-
wami said that setting a dead-
line for testing will only lead
to more spread of the novel
coronavirus.
He said he would instead
suggest the district adminis-
tration to open up more RAT
screening centres to ease the
pressure on two such centres
in the town.
ment of the educational insti-
tutions in the area.
Moreover, they also stated
that since opening of the toll
plaza, the general public, emer-
gency servicemen and even
ambulances have to wait for a
long time to cross the road
stretch as a long queue of vehi-
cles is seen every day, thereby
leading to regular traffic snarls.
The local public informed
that a number of ambulances
too were stranded for an indef-
inite period following which the
drivers were often compelled
to take torturous village roads
in order to reach ther respec-
tive destinations on time.
All the participants in the
public hearing today expressed
their opinion against installation
of the toll plaza and claimed that
it was unscientific and harmful
for the students.
Besides members of the
public and representatives of
other organisations,
Dharnewar Das, office secre-
tary of AASU, Dhiraj Rajbong-
shi and Pradup Kumar Deka,
adviser and vice president re-
spectively of Kamrup district
committee of AASU, Son Jyoti
Baruah, president of Rangiya
sub-division of AASU, Javed
Akhtar Choudhury and Mrinal
Deka, president and secretary
of Pub Kamrup unit of AASU
were present.
The commissioner and spe-
cial secretary to the Govern-
ment of Assam (PWD), regional
director of National Highway
Authority of India (NHAI),
project director of NHAI, Dep-
uty Commissioner of Kamrup,
superintendent of police, Kam-
rup, SDO (C) and SDPO Rang-
iya and Circle Officer of
Kamalpur, among others, at-
tended the proceedings.
After soliciting opinions of
the public, the officials said that
a discussion would be held re-
garding the toll plaza at the
higher level and a final decision
would be taken thereafter.
The AASU representatives
then demanded the government
officers present to stop further
activities at the toll plaza until a
final decision was taken.
ANN Service
GORESWAR, Aug 9: A
week-long behaviour change
campaign titled ‘Gandagi Mukt
Bharat’ which is scheduled to
be held from August 8 to 15
was launched at the video con-
ference room of Baksa Depu-
ty Commissioner’s office on
Saturday evening via e-ratri
chaupal by Baksa DC Ranjan
Sarma.
As per the official agenda, on
August 9, single use plastic
collection and segregation, on
‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’prog launched in Baksa
August 10, shramdaan across
Gram Panchayat, on August 11,
wall painting activities across
villages, an August 12, shram-
daan and tree plantation across
villages, on August 13, online
painting competition and essay
writing competition on Gand-
agi Mukt Mera Gaon among
students, on August 14, clean-
liness and sanitization drives
in PHCs and on August 15,
celebration of Independence
Day and ODF plus declaration
of villages in Gram Sabhas will
be performed through the
aforementioned programmes.
Prabir Kumar Adhikari,
Executive Engineer of Baksa
Division (PHE), Nodal Offic-
er Rituraj Choudhury, Nirmal
Nath, AEE ( PHE), Bandana
Sarma, DA, Detsung Basum-
atary, HRD consultant, Gitika
Muchahary, IEC consultant,
gaonburhas, teachers, social
workers, swachhgrahis and
NGO members were
present in the programme
which was organised by Bak-
sa District Water and Sanita-
tion Committee.
Udalguri Covidscenario slightly
better than beforeUDALGURI, Aug 9: The COVID-19
situation in Udalguri district seems to
be improving slightly since yesterday.
The health bulletin published by
the district administration informed
that with the discharge of 23 persons
yesterday, the tally of total discharged
persons reached 417 from the overall
infected 682 persons, with only two
positive cases detected yesterday. –
Correspondent
1,600 COVID-19cases in Dhubri
DHUBRI, Aug 9: After detecting 76
new cases today, the total number of
COVID-19 cases in Dhubri district
stands at 1,600, out of which 1,162 per-
sons have recovered and been dis-
charged.
Till today, 4 deaths due to COVID-
19 have been registered. – Corre-
spondent
Youths in Biswanath toundergo fishery training
CORRESPONDENT
BISWANATH CHARIALI, Aug 9: The state gov-
ernment has undertaken a special initiative to develop
the fishery sector in Biswanath district.
In this regard, 60 unemployed youths will be impart-
ed a ten-day training on fish farming which will be fol-
lowed by a three-day field study programme at Pabhoi.
The information as above was disclosed before me-
diapersons today by Ranjit Dutta, Minister for Hand-
loom and Textile. He had visited a fish farm at Pabhoi,
around 20 kms from Biswanath Chariali.
He further said that those local youths who had re-
cently returned to Assam from other states due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, would be given preference and
20 youths each from Biswanath, Behali and Gohpur
legislative constituencies are to be selected for the
training programme.
He was accompanied by Gohpur MLA Utpal Borah
and others. It may be mentioned here that a good
number of fish farms have been developed as private
ventures at Pabhoi and the owners have been able to
generate employment among a sizeable number of
local people.
12:15 Blood Diamond
14:30 Jack Reacher
16:35 Shooter
18:45 Speed Racer
21:00 Forrest Gump
23:20 After The Sunset
12:45 Fantastic Four
14:30 Avengers: Endgame
17:30 The Jungle Book
19:15 Rio
22:40 Iron Man 2
14:00 Biyolir Headline
16:00 Abelir Khabar
16:30 Superfast Prime Time100
17:00 City18
18:00 Prime Time18
19:00 Dintur Shironam
20:00 Porjyobekhyon
21:30 Aparadh Nama
22:00 North East Scan
22:30 Noixo Xironam
15:00 Chah Gachar Maje Maje
15.30 Yuba Darpan
16:00 Abelir Batori
16:05 Tezaswini (Epi-65)
16.30 Geetmala
17:00 Nimishote Batori
17:02 Rong Birong
17:30 Rupali Dhou
18:00 Dharabahik
18:30 Batori
18:45 NE News
12:00 Bandbudh Aur Budbak
12:30 Kris In Desh Nirala
13:30 Oggy Special - Billa...
15:00 Oggy And The Cock...
15:30 Oggy Special:Super...
17:00 Oggy And The Cock...
19:30 Bandbudh Aur Budbak
21:00 Oggy And The Cock...
12:30 Chhota Bheem Aur...
13:30 Chhota Bheem
14:30 Chhota Bheem Aur...
15:30 Chhota Bheem
16:00 Grizzy And The Lemm...
18:00 Chhota Bheem
18:30 Bheem Vs Aliens
19:30 Chhota Bheem
20:30 Chhota Bheem Movie...
21:30 Chhota Bheem
22:00 Mighty Raju Ka...
23:30 Grizzy And The Lemm...
LOCKHORNS
THE PHANTOM ® By Lee Falk
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
BLONDIE
Know your DAYBy JACQUELINE BIGAR
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Monday, Aug. 10, 2020:
Vocally seductive and fun, this year proves to be an ambitious one with massive
successes at its end. You require an audience, so social distancing is challenging,
and so many people need you. If single, you need to look for more than approval
to be really happy – and to find your true mate. If attached, you give unreservedly
of yourself, and your partner loves it. VIRGO will never let you down.
The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average;
2-So-so; 1-Difficult.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)HHH Today’s trend favors financial matters. It can make youoverly generous or vulnerable to faulty advice. Seek bargains
regarding major purchases. Hesitate before allowing others to influ-ence your financial decisions. Heed your own better judgment first.Tonight: A sigh of relief.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)HHHHH Today’s pace is quick and interesting. You communicateexceptionally well, winning over the hearts and minds of others with
your eloquence. Social connections are promising. In fact, great happinesscomes your way. Tonight: Whatever you want to do. Real Taurus-style.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)HHHH Your dreams can be especially meaningful. Record impres-sions upon awakening and study the symbolism. Dreams might
offer valuable insights concerning impending situations. You will appreciatesome solitude and be more reserved than usual. Tonight: Start a dreamjournal — marked “private.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22)HHHHH Your thoughts and words are creating your reality.Repeat positive affirmations and keep an attitude of gratitude.
Today is an excellent day to learn new things. Consider joining a bookclub, class or discussion group. Tonight: Write a wish list to help mani-fest desirable situations.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)HHH Elements of the unexpected are afoot. Observe repeat-ing patterns while making career plans. Heed a sense of deja
vu: the past will reveal the future. A co-worker might have a personalsituation arise that impacts your daily schedule. Tonight: Be flexibleand adapt to changes.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)HHHHH Long-distance travel, an interesting new field of studyor a broader spiritual perception captivates you. New ideas are
presented. Your opinions are shifting. Fresh concepts inspire you. Ex-pressing creative ideas will bring you recognition. Tonight: Write downwhat you want.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)HHHH Be receptive to growth and change. This whole year willbe memorable. Don’t be surprised by the magnitude of changes
brewing. It is a time of turning points. There are opposing viewpoints toconsider. Tonight: There might be a debate to settle.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)HHHH Of all the birth signs, the specter of aloneness loomslargest. Today can mean letting go of an old love for one
reason or another. Be receptive to a void. Future happiness is to come.Tonight: A long-lost family member reaches out to you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)HHHH The Sagittarius cell salt is silicon dioxide. This cell salt hasbeen used to relieve blood sugar and blood pressure levels and
to promote good vision and teeth, strong bones and hair growth. To-night: Good food sources include oats, chicory and pepper.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)HHHHH Today a favorable trend begins, drawing kindness andempathy your way. You will encounter creative new ideas from others.
You also will be able to spend more time with children or a favorite project orhobby. Tonight: A focus on joy and revelry.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)HH Today focuses on residence and family life. An issue that hasbeen brewing for some time might have to be faced. This could
involve a residential move, maintenance of the home or the needs of arelative. Tonight: Bless and clear your living space.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)HHH Prepare for a great deal of coming and going today. Aneighbor or sibling can contact you with a valuable invitation or
suggestion. Short journeys, meetings and many conversations set abusy pace. Tonight: Stay well-informed. Read or watch the news.
H H H
Thought for the day
I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow – if I fail, or if Isucceed, at least I did as I believe.
– WHITNEY HOUSTON
As for me, except for an occasional ___
___, I feel as young as I ever did – Robert
Benchley (5,6)
Words: Aware, trawl, intact, shrank.Answer: As for me, except for anoccasional heart attack, I feel as youngas I ever did – Robert Benchley
Given below are four jumbled words. Solvethe jumbles to make proper words and movethem to the respective squares below. Selectthe letters in the shaded squares and jumblethem to get the answer for the given quip.
JUMBLED WORDSHEALTH CAPSULES®
by Bron Smith
Health Capsules is not intendedto be of a diagnostic nature.
CROSSWORD - 6968
Across: 3 Atlas, 8 On tap, 10 Swarm, 11 Jay, 12 Loose,
13 Roomier, 15 Iambi, 18 Era, 19 Agreed, 21 Unknown, 22
Vent, 23 Asia, 24 Antigua, 26 Seeing, 29 Nat, 31 Oddly, 32
Egghead, 34 Ewers, 35 Oat, 36 Papua, 37 Error, 38 Synod.
Down: 1 Enjoy, 2 Payment, 4 Thor, 5 Assign, 6 Swear, 7
Tribe, 9 Tao, 12 Leaning, 14 Irk, 16 Mensa, 17 Ideas, 19
Awnings, 20 Aviso, 21 Unwed, 23 Authors, 24 Anyway, 25
Gag, 27 Edgar, 28 Ileus, 30 Baton, 32 Ergo, 33 Ear.
SOLUTION
12:00 North America
12:55 Animals Unleashed
13:10 Jeremy Wade’s Dark Waters
14:00 Jewels Of The Natural World
14:25 Coyote Peterson: Brave...
14:45 How Do Animals Do That?
15:05 Wild Frank
16:00 AP Exclusives: The Great...
16:50 Fierce 5
17:40 Animals Unleashed
18:05 Wildest Survival
19:00 AP Exclusives: The Great...
19:50 Little Giants
20:15 Jewels Of The Natural World
20:45 Animals Unleashed
21:05 Jeremy Wade’s...
21:55 Wild Frank
22:45 Icons Of The Wild
23:35 How Do Animals Do That?
12:35 Ancient Aliens
13:25 Pawn Stars
13:45 Storage Wars
14:15 Modern Marvels
15:05 OMG! Yeh Mera India
15:55 Forged In Fire
16:45 Counting Cars
17:10 Storage Wars
17:35 Shipping Wars
18:00 OMG! Yeh Mera India
18:30 Extraordinary Humans
19:00 Counting Cars
11:00 Assamese news
11:30 Assamese news
12:00 Mid Day Live
13:00 Assamese Feautre film
16:30 Discussion Show (R)
17:30 Guwahati Bisesh
18:00 Guwahati Live
18:30 Breaking @ 6:30
19:00 Assamesse Prime Time
20:00 Discussion Show (R)
21:00 Kotha Barta
21:30 Talk Time
22:00 Live at 10
22:30 Noixo Guwahati
23:00 Noixo Batori
16:00 Upasona
17:00 Devotional Slot
1730 B2B Music
18:00 North East Diva GF
20:00 Rang Blockbuster
23:00 B2B Music
13:30 WWE BB15:30 UCL 2019/20 HLs16:00 WWE SmackDown18:00 WWE BB19:00 Strongman Champions...20:00 WWE BlockBusters23:00 Strongman Champions...
18:30 IPL 2017 HLs
19:00 Hindustan Zindabad
20:00 Vivo IPL 2018 HLs
21:00 Hindustan Zindabad
22:00 Football United Special 2020
22:30 Vivo IPL 2018 HLs
23:00 Asia Cup 2016 HLs
23:30 Football United Special 2020
13:00 Retro India
14:00 Sports Stars Uncovered...
14:30 Eng vs Pak 2020 Test HLs
15:30 Great Centuries
16:00 Eng vs Ireland 2020 ODI HLs
17:00 Eng vs Pak 2020 Test HLs
18:00 Eng vs WI 2020 Test HLs
20:00 Eng vs Pak 2020 Test HLs
21:00 Men In Blue Victorious
22:00 Monster Knockout
22:30 Whacked Out Sports
23:00 Eng vs Pak 2020 Test HLs
15:00 UEFA Europa League...
17:00 UCL 2019/20 HLs
18:00 NBA HLs
19:00 UFC Classics
20:00 UCL 2019/20 HLs
21:00 UEL 2019/20 HLs
22:00 Impact Wrestling
23:00 The Immortals
23:30 UEL 2019/20 HLs
18:30 IPL 2017 HLs
19:00 Hindustan Zindabad
14:10 R... Rajkumar
17:35 Maseeha
19:55 Veerta
23:05 Sangharsh Aur Vijay
12:00 Sabse Badhkar Hum 3
14:30 Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
18:10 Dum Biriyani
20:55 Bhairava
12:00 Coach Carter
14:10 Pain & Gain
16:05 Footloose
18:00 The Devil Inside
19:10 House of Wax
21:00 Paycheck
22:55 Kiss The Girls
ZEE ACTION
19:45 Gupt
STAR GOLD
12:05 Singham
UTV MOVIES
14:10 R... Rajkumar
STAR MOVIES
22:40 Iron Man 2
12:00 Khiladi 420
15:00 Gabbar Sher
18:00 Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke
21:00 Commando - A One Man
Army
13:40 Saugandh
16:50 Run
19:45 Gupt
22:40 Ghayal Once Again
12:00 Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana
15:00 Pavitra Rishta
17:00 Banoo Main Teri Dulhann
18:00 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar
Kheli
19:00 Punar Vivah
20:00 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil
Champs 2020
23:00 Pro Music Countdown
12:00 Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain!
15:00 Laal Ishq
19:00 Kahani Ab Tak Raat Ka
Khel Saara
20:00 Raat Ka Khel Saara
21:00 Laal Ishq
23:00 Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain!
12:00 Khatra Khatra Khatra
13:45 Kitchen Champion
14:45 Naagin
17:00 Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan
18:00 Swaragini
19:00 Tere Naal Ishq
20:00 Naagin
22:00 Bepannaah
23:00 Naagin
12:30 Best Of The Kapil Sharma
Show
14:50 India’s Best Dancer
18:15 The Kapil Sharma Show
20:00 India’s Best Dancer
21:30 The Kapil Sharma Show
12:00 Pete’s Dragon
14:00 The Lodge
16:00 Community
19:00 BattleBots
22:00 Starry Nights Gen Y
23:00 The Late Late Show With
James Corden
SOLUTION TO TRIBUNE CROSSWORD – 6968
12:05 Singham
15:05 The Jungle Book
17:10 MCA Middle Class Abbayi
19:55 Home Alone
22:05 The Mermaid
12:30 Ba’al: The Storm God
14:30 Help, I Shrunk My Teacher
16:40 Arthur And The Minimoys
18:55 Terror Birds
20:55 Iron Man 2
23:30 NYC: Tornado Terror
Across
3 Book of maps
(5)
8 Ready for imme-
diate use ? (2,3)
10 Body of honey-
bees (5)
11 Songbird (3)
12 Slack (5)
13 More spacious
(7)
15 Metrical feet (5)
18 Historical period
(3)
19 Consented (6)
21 Obscure (7)
22 Outlet (4)
23 Our continent (4)
24 West Indian is-
land (7)
26 Inasmuch as (6)
29 __ King Cole: fa-
mous singer of
Mona Lisa ? (3)
31 Peculiarly (5)
32 Intellectual (7)
34 Large pitchers (5)
35 Grain morsel (3)
36 ___ New Guinea:
island north of
Australia ? (5)
37 Mistake (5)
38 Ecc les ias t i ca l
council (5)
Down
1 Experience (5)
2 Requital (7)
4 Hammer wielding
god of thunder (4)
5 Designate (6)
6 Vow (5)
7 Clan (5)
9 Path for Confu-
cians (3)
12 Propensity (7)
14 Annoy (3)
16 High-IQ society (5)
17 Notions (5)
19 Sunshades or
sunblinds (7)
20 Dispatch boat (5)
21 Single (5)
23 Writers of books
(7)
24 Regardless (6)
25 Joke (3)
27 Candice’s father
(5)
28 Intestinal obstruc-
tion (5)
30 Wand (5)
32 Therefore (4)
33 Auditory organ (3)
LEISURE & LIFESTYLE10 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
20:00 Vivo IPL 2018 HLs
21:00 Hindustan Zindabad
22:00 Football United Special 2020
22:30 Vivo IPL 2018 HLs
23:00 Asia Cup 2016 HLs
23:30 Hero Indian Super League...
14:00 India’s Finest
14:30 UFC 250
15:30 India’s Finest
16:00 WWE SmackDown
17:00 WWE NXT
18:00 Ashes Rewind
19:00 BBL Rewind
19:30 India’s Finest
20:00 WWE BlockBusters
20:00 Destination India
21:00 Dynamo Beyond Belief
21:50 Pawn Stars
22:15 Storage Wars
22:40 Battle Factory
23:05 Escape
12:00 Animal Fight Club
12:40 Kenny And Zoltan’s...
13:30 Crocs Of Katuma
14:15 Extreme Animal Babies
16:00 Zeb’s Big Fish
17:00 Snakes In The City
18:00 Monster Fish
19:00 Animal Fight Club
20:00 Hunt For The Kill
21:00 Built For The Wild
22:00 Animal Fight Club
22:55 Hostile Planet
12:00 India’s Jungle Heroes
13:00 Primal Survivor
13:40 Out There With Jack...
14:25 Snakes In The City
17:00 Science Of Stupid
18:00 Weird But True
18:30 Street Genius
19:00 Snakes In The City
20:00 Running Wild With Bear...
21:00 Primal Survivor
22:00 Spotlight: Lost Cities With...
23:00 Banged Up Abroad
23:45 Monster Fish
Actor Robert Pattinson said he lied to
filmmaker Christopher Nolan to make it
to the screen test for superhero film,
The Batman.
In an interview to Irish Times, Pattinson
recalled his attempt to sneak away from Tenet
set for his The Batman audition. He said that
he cited “family emergency” for his absence
from the sets of Tenet, but the filmmaker was
quick to figure out the truth.
“It’s funny because Chris is so secretive about
everything to do with his movies,” Pattinson
said, adding: “And then I had to be really
secretive about Batman stuff. So I had to lie to
Chris about having to go for a screen test... I said
I had a family emergency. And as soon as I said
‘it’s a family emergency’, he said: “You’re doing
the Batman audition, aren’t you?’”
Nolan is known for putting his own spin on
Batman with the Dark Knight trilogy.
The support cast for The Batman includes
Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Kenneth
Branagh, Michael Caine, Aaron Taylor-
Johnson and Clemence Poesy. The film has
been shot across seven countries – India, the
US, the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, and
Norway.
Pattinson is aware about the Batman legacy
The Batman legacyRobert Pattinson speaks on the anticipation
around the new version
and the anticipation around the new version,
and says all the buzz makes taking on the
avatar of the caped crusader a “little spicy”.
In a GQ profile, the actor opened up on the
upcoming version of The Batman. The
shooting of Matt Reeves’s The Batman was
suspended in March due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
“I kind of like the fact that not only are there
very, very, very well-done versions of the
character which seem pretty definitive, but I
was thinking that there are multiple definitive
playings of the character,” Pattinson said.
“You’ve seen this sort of lighter version,
you’ve seen a kind of jaded version, a kind of
more animalistic version. And the puzzle of it
becomes quite satisfying, to think: Where’s
my opening? Also, it’s a legacy part, right? I
like that. There’s so few things in life where
people passionately care about it before it’s
even happened. You can almost feel that
pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of
energizes you a little bit. It’s different from
when you’re doing a part and there’s a
possibility that no one will even see it. Right?
In some ways it’s, I don’t know… It makes
you a little kind of spicy,” he added.
(Source: IANS)
12:00 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata
Hai
15:00 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya
18:00 Anupamaa - Kahani Ab
Tak
18:30 Mahabharat
20:00 Dil Bechara
22:00 Anupamaa
16:35 Balika Vadhu
20:00 Naagin
21:00 Fear Factor: Khatron Ke
Khiladi Made In India
12:25 Koffee With Karan13:15 Monster University15:00 The Wonder Years18:00 Black-ish
19:00 Devs23:00 American Horror Story
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 11BUSINESS & ECONOMY
AS per the latest auction (Sale No31) of Guwahati Tea Auction Centre(GTAC) held on August 5-7, the totaltea offerings were 1,36,707 out ofwhich 87 per cent was sold in the mar-ket. There was good demand for bestquality Assam teas selling at firm rates.Other teas were in line with quality asper last sale levels. Big packeteerswere fairly active. The auction average
price this week stood at Rs 288.68, up Rs 9.30 from last sale.
Dinesh Bihani
Secretary, Guwahati Tea Auction
Buyers Association (GTABA)
Top garden prices
BOP Price BOPSM/BP Price OF/PF Price
HALMARI 523 DUBBA 497 HOOKHMOL 436
DUBBA 471 HOOKMOL 477 SOTAI 404
HOOKMOL 465 SOTAI 446 BANAMALIE 396
KHONGEA 445 BANAMALIE 445 GELAKEY 391
HIRAJULI 441 HIRAJULI 440 BISHNUPRIYA 391
PREMIUM
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: India is an attrac-tive proposition for UK businesses lookingfor alternatives to China, in view of the pre-vailing sentiments globally, the UK-IndiaBusiness Council (UKIBC) has said.
In an interview to PTI, UKIBC’s firstIndian Group CEO Jayant Krishna said heexpects to see growth in UK-India tradeas both countries come out of the corona-virus crisis, asserting that UK businessesare very keen to support India’s ‘Aatmanir-bhar Bharat’ mission.
UKIBC says India attractive proposition for UK businessesThe bilateral trade between the two coun-
tries stood at $15.5 billion in 2019-20 asagainst $16.87 billion in the previous fiscal.
“UK and India have started looking atopportunities emanating from the busi-ness sentiments worldwide to exploremanufacturing supply chain possibilities asalternatives to China,” Krishna said.
He observed that UK industries havelong investments in India across sectorsand the country is an increasingly attrac-tive proposition for businesses looking to
explore alternate destinations for theirglobal supply chain.
“Moreover, UK businesses are and willlook to India as an incremental base for
manufacturing and research and develop-ment,” the UKIBC Group CEO said.
He said there are great complementari-ties between India’s needs and the UK’sofferings and it was very positive to hear
that Prime Minister Narendra Modi high-lighted the centrality of sectors such as man-ufacturing, infrastructure, energy, pharma,space and defence, to global cooperation.
“These are all areas ripe for India-UKcollaboration in creating ‘AatmanirbharBharat’, underpinned by both nations’strong track record in technology and in-novation,” Krishna said.
With the UK forging a new trading re-lationship with the world into 2021 andIndia establishing itself as a major global
player, India is a key priority for trade andinvestment of the UK government andbusinesses, the UKIBC Group CEOstressed.
He said the introduction of the UK’snew point-based immigration system andGraduate Immigration Route will make iteasier for Indians to come to work andstudy in the UK.
“Accordingly, we expect to see growth inUK-India trade as both countries come out ofthe coronavirus crisis,” Krishna said. – PTI
Alternative to China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the launch of the financing facility under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund through video-conferencing, in
New Delhi on Sunday. – PIB/PTI
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: The demandfor small warehouses within city lim-its is expected to rise over the nextone year as e-commerce firms aretargeting to ensure same-day deliv-eries of food and grocery items tocustomers, according to a report.
The demand is likely to be for ware-housing of 5000-10,000 sq ft size,property consultant Colliers Interna-tional said.
“E-commerce companies are fo-cussing on same-day delivery with thepandemic-influenced lockdowns plac-ing greater dependency on e-com-merce for food and grocery items,”the report said.
The consultant said that e-com-merce companies are now trying tostock a larger proportion of invento-ry closer to their customers’ loca-
A vendor sells tricolour flags and accessories ahead of the upcoming Independence Day, during Unlock 3.0, at Sadar
Bazar in New Delhi on Sunday. – PTI
In-city warehousing demand may rise as e-commercefirms target same-day deliveries: Report
tions for efficiency and to improve thequality of products upon delivery.
“Over the next 12 months, we be-lieve in-city warehouses will gain trac-tion, to be used as small distributionhubs. We expect occupiers to scoutfor in-city warehousing space in therange of 5,000-10,000 sq feet in ma-jor demand hubs such as Mumbai,Bengaluru and Chennai and theNCR,” the report said.
Even the older and lesser utilisedground-level office spaces and serv-ice centres are being considered toset up small warehouses.
Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri saide-commerce was flourishing in Indiaeven before COVID-19, and lock-downs and closure of malls have ac-celerated this growth.
Recognising the potential of online
sales, he said many businesses are nowtaking omni-channel business modelsseriously and scrambling for addition-al warehouse capacity across cities.
“In terms of new trends, multi-lev-el warehouses within city limits couldsee higher demand,” Puri said.
Currently, warehouses in top Indi-an cities are largely restricted to theperipheries, quite far away from alarger customer base.
In-city warehouses will help com-panies to minimise transportationcosts and execute faster deliverytimelines – the key to success formany businesses in today’s competi-tive era, Puri said.
E-commerce companies and third-party logistics are major drivers ofwarehousing demand in the country.
As per Anarock, $2 billion of PE
investments came in the warehous-ing, industrial and logistic sector(2017-Q1 2020). Nearly $7-billionworth platforms have been createdfor warehousing since 2015.
Sachin Chhabra, founder of Mumbai-based start-up Peel-Works, which is intoB2B grocery e-commerce business,said: “With B2B fulfilment moving to-wards just-in-time service levels, prox-imity to warehouses for companies likeours helps corner stores free up theirspace, and working capital.”
“This additional space will get add-ed as a storefront enabling the storeto increase its assortment and mod-ernise itself. The reduction in work-ing capital will allow the retailer tocompete with e-commerce and or-ganised retail on both assortment andprices,” Chhabra added. – PTI
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: In-dian Railways is committedto integrate with the govern-ment e-marketplace (GeM)portal to move all its pro-curement to the platform,Union Minister Piyush Goy-al said today.
The Railways’ direct pro-curement of goods for its op-erations or its public sectorundertakings or productionunits stood at about Rs 70,000crore - Rs 75,000 crore, theCommerce and Industry andRailways Minister said.
“I am happy to share thatGeM and Indian Railways areburning the midnight oil,working day and night to en-sure this entire Rs 70,000-crore procurement on theGeM platform,” Goyal said atthe GeM-CII National PublicProcurement Conclave 2020.
“Our own belief is that it
Railways committed to integratewith GeM portal, says Goyal
the requirement on the GeMportal, and it will be availablefor the whole world to see andmore and more people willbe enticed to register on GeMas suppliers,” Goyal said.
He added that if any suppli-er or vendor provides bad qual-ity goods, it will be blacklistednot only on GeM, but through-out the government system.
“We will ensure that theentire government systemdoes not entertain that com-pany anymore,” he said, add-ing that at a later stage, GeMwill move from goods andservices to contracts.
The minister said the gov-ernment’s public procurementwould be in the range of $100-150 billion (about Rs 7.5-lakhcrore-Rs 11.25-lakh crore), andprobably more if one combinesall the PSUs, State governmentand local bodies. – PTI
Defence reforms tosteer India towardsself-reliance: India IncNEW DELHI, Aug 9: India Inc today said the Centre’s
decision to impose restrictions on import of 101 weapons andmilitary platforms, and creation of a separate budget for do-mestic capital procurement in the current financial year are‘path-breaking’ reforms towards becoming self-reliant andwill boost indigenous defence manufacturing.
In a major reform initiative to boost the domestic defenceindustry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today announcedrestrictions on import of 101 weapons and military platforms,including artillery guns, assault rifles and transport aircraft.
“The Ministry of Defence is now ready for a big push to#AtmanirbharBharat initiative,” Singh said on Twitter whilemaking the announcement.
Welcoming the initiative, CII Director General ChandrajitBanerjee said the Defence Minister’s announcement of nega-tive import list of defence systems and platforms marks thelaunch of a new glide path for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
“Announcement of Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capitalprocurement coupled with the list of 101 items for importembargo gives a tremendous boost to Atmanirbhar Bharatand indigenous defence manufacturing,” he added.
Terming it a “path-breaking announcement”, the Confed-eration of Indian Industry (CII) said, “Today is a historic dayfor Indian industry in the defence and aerospace. Can assurethe Defence Minister that the Indian defence and aerospaceindustry will rise to the challenge and opportunities therein.”
SP Shukla, Chair, FICCI Defence Committee, said the moveis a great leap forward towards building a self-reliant India.
“FICCI applauds the announcement of 101 #defence itemsfor embargo on imports. A great leap forward for #Atmanir-bharBharat in RakshaUtpadan,” Shukla tweeted.
“Great move to earmark Rs 52k cr for domestic capitalprocurement. It fulfils a request by FICCI Defence Commit-tee to provide long-term visibility on defence procurementplans. Industry can now plan its capex & production capacity,”he said in another tweet.
Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood said with In-dia being amongst the largest importers of weapons, ammu-nition and high technology systems for the armed forces,self-reliance in defence production is the most desired poli-cy initiative.
“Increased capabilities in defence production not only offera great economic opportunity for the domestic industry, butalso give an immense strategic advantage to the country in afast evolving geo-political situation,” he added.
The list of 101 embargoed items comprises some high-technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles,corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, light combat hel-icopters (LCHs), radars and many other items. – PTI
will save Railways not lessthan 10-15 per cent and thatcould be a saving of as high asRs 10,000 crore,” he added.
Railways buys more than98 per cent of its goods andservices in India and movingthis purchase to the GeM plat-form in the next “probably 8-12months” will help in mak-ing procurement processmore transparent, seamless,efficient and faster, Goyal said.
“The Railways has com-mitted itself fully to integratewith GeM and move all pro-curement there (GeM)...Imagine we will save 1000sand 1000s of man-hours ofprocurement time.
“The amount of elaboratetendering, advertisements,bids, bids opening, reverseauction, all of that become soseamless that our digital sys-tem of the Railways will flag
Renault expands sales,service network
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: Auto-maker Renault India today saidit added 17 new sales and service touchpoints in April-Julyperiod in order to increase its reach across the country.
The new touchpoints include 14 showrooms and threeworkshops, Renault India said in a statement.
The network expansion is part of a strategic business focus togrow the brand across existing and emerging markets, it added.
The new facilities have come up in Himachal Pradesh (4),Telangana (3), Rajasthan (2), Uttar Pradesh (2), Delhi, Punjab,Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, theauto-maker said.
With the addition of these facilities, the company’s salesnetwork has expanded to more than 390 sales and 470-plusservice touchpoints, which includes over 200 workshops-on-wheels locations across the country, it added.
“India is an important market for Renault’s global growthplans, and we have a thorough business strategy for this dy-namic automotive market. This is reflected by our robustproduct enhancement strategy, our rapid network expansionand fervent efforts to ensure customer delight,” Renault In-dia Operations Country CEO and Managing Director Venka-tram Mamillapalle said.
Although the company is cautious given the current situ-ation, it is encouraging to see that the auto-maker is attract-ing new dealers in these times, as well as getting moreinvestments and expansion requests by existing partners,he added. – PTI
IndusInd Bankpicks stake in
Eveready,McLeod Russel
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: In-dusInd bank has acquiredmore than 7 per cent stake inboth Eveready Industries In-dia and McLeod Russel Indiaby invoking pledged shares.
The bank invoked pledgeon more than 56.83 lakh equi-ty shares of Eveready Indus-tries to pick up 7.82 per centstake in the battery maker.
“The equity shares of Ev-eready Industries India Ltdheld by Williamson Magor andCo Ltd were pledged with thebank for securing the out-standing dues of Seajuli De-velopers & Finance Ltd (Sea-juli), the borrower company.The bank has invoked thepledge held on aforesaidshares for recovery of its duesfrom Seajuli,” IndusInd Banksaid in a regulatory filing.
The bank also invoked thepledge on more than 78.32crore equity shares for recov-ery of its dues from Seajuli.The shares of McLeod RusselIndia held by Williamson Ma-gor and Co Ltd were pledgedwith the bank for securing theoutstanding dues of SeajuliDevelopers & Finance Ltd, theborrower company.
IndusInd Bank has acquired7.50 per cent paid-up equityshare capital of the companyby invoking shares. – IANS
Shelf-life ofskills now only2-3 yrs, says
Nasscom chiefBENGALURU, Aug 9:
Chairman of IT-BPM indus-try body Nasscom, UBPravin Rao, said today thatthe shelf-life of skills is nowonly two to three years as hestressed the need for contin-uous, life-long learning.
As corporates are rein-venting themselves, individ-uals also need to reinventthemselves to stay relevant,said the Chief Operating Of-ficer of Bengaluru-headquar-tered IT major Infosys Ltd.
“Shelf-life of skills is be-coming short, 2-3 years”, saidRao, who was the chief guestat an online graduation cere-mony for approximately2,800 learners, hosted byonline higher education com-pany, upGrad, in partnershipwith the International Insti-tute of Information Technol-ogy, Bangalore (IIIT-B).
Machines and algorithmsin the workplace are expect-ed to create 133 million newroles, a joint statement quot-ed him as saying.
“People need to unlearn,learn new stuff and thereforecommit to life-long learning.
“This is critical to stay rele-vant and employable,” Rao said,according to the statement.
UpGrad and IIIT-B, thestatement said, celebratedthe successful completion ofPG diploma programs in datascience, machine learning(ML) and artificial intelli-gence (AI), and software de-velopment/blockchain.
These included workingprofessionals with a range of8-11 years of work experi-ence, it said. – PTI
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: State-owned Oil andNatural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has cut itsdebt by more than one-third but faces an uphillchallenge to meeting planned expenditure dur-ing current fiscal due to oil and gas prices fall-ing below sub-optimal levels, according tocompany officials and regulatory filings.
ONGC’s outstanding debt of Rs 21,593crore as on March 31, 2019 has come downto Rs 13,949 crore as on March 31, 2020, as itused revenue from better operations to re-tire some of the borrowings, according to thecompany’s regulatory filings.
Out of this debt, long-term borrowings ac-count for Rs 2,245 crore which are due formaturity in December 2029.
The company had cash and cash equivalent(including other bank balances) of Rs 968 croreas on March 31, 2020, up from a record low ofRs 504 crore a year back. Standalone debt-equity ratio at the end of March 31, 2020 isonly 0.07 which is considered comfortable.
Company officials explained that ONGC hasbeen working on bringing operational efficien-cies and financial discipline and used surplus
ONGC cuts debt to Rs 13,949 crrevenues to repay debt.
“While we ended the 2019-20 fiscal yearwith a comfortable financial position, we facean uphill challenge during the current 2020-21 financial year. The pandemic has playedhavoc on oil prices and government-mandat-ed gas price is way below cost of produc-tion,” a senior official said.
ONGC has planned a capex of over Rs26,000 crore and meeting that with currentoil and gas price will be a challenge, he said.
Another official said the company had takenan impairment loss of Rs 4,899 crore in Q4FY20 to factor into estimated future crude oiland natural gas prices. However, the companybelieves that oil and gas prices will recover infuture and in that case this impairment loss shallbe reversed as and when prices rise, he said.
ONGC once was India’s most profitable com-pany with a cash balance of over Rs 10,000 crore.But the fortunes reversed after the companybought the government’s 51.11 per cent stake inoil marketing company Hindustan PetroleumCorporation Ltd (HPCL) and the Gujarat gov-ernment’s GSPC in a KG basin gas block. – PTI
Desi app Chingariraises Rs 10 crin seed fundingNEW DELHI, Aug 9:
Home-grown short video-sharing app Chingari, whichcame into prominence as a Tik-Tok alternative amid anti-Chi-na sentiment in the country, hasraised $1.3 million (around Rs10 crore) in a seed round ledby AngelList India, Utsav So-manis iSeed, Village Global,LogX Ventures, and JasminderSingh Gulati of NowFloats.
The funding will be used tohire more talent to accelerateproduct development, rampup the platform and make itmore engaging and consum-er-focussed, and engage a larg-er consumer, the company saidin a statement today.
“We’re delighted that in-vestors saw the immensepotential in our vision andchose to join the Chingarijourney,” said Sumit Ghosh,Co-Founder and CEO, Chin-gari App. – IANS
12 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATISPORTS
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020
Originating from Japan,
‘su do ku’ is a mind game
and a puzzle that can be
solved with proper
reasoning and logic. Fill
the grid with digits in such
a manner that every row,
every column and every
3 x3 box accommodates
the digits 1 to 9 without
repeating any.
Solution of last problem
SU DO KU
Printed and published by Ganesh Ch. Das on behalf of Assam Tribune Pvt. Ltd. at the Tribune Press, Tribune Buildings, P.O.- Assam Tribune, M.R.D. Road, Chandmari, Guwahati-781003. Tel. 0361-2660102 (EPABX), 0361-2661360, 0361-2668807 (News Desk), FAX 0361-2666396.
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. Editor: Prafulla Govinda Baruah
BARCELONA, Aug 9: Just
when it looked like Lionel
Messi had nowhere to go, the
Argentine great bamboozled
half of Napoli’s team before
scoring from an exquisite solo
effort that helped Barcelona
reach the Champions League
quarterfinals in Portugal.
Messi netted Barcelona’s
second goal in the 3-1 victo-
ry that sent the Spanish side
past Napoli on a 4-2 aggre-
gate score on Saturday.
Messi’s goal in the 23rd
minute was arguably the pick
of the 31 he has scored this
season in all competitions.
Napoli appeared to have him
in check when Messi received
the ball all alone outside the
right corner of the area.
Barcelona’s all-time
record scorer, however,
dipped his head and took on
the well-placed defence.
He kept control of the ball
despite being knocked over
while going past three Na-
poli players. Three more
tried to intervene but Messi
found the angle to fire while
losing his balance to send the
ball past the goalkeeper and
inside the far post.
Clement Lenglet and Luis
Suarez also scored for Bar-
celona which advanced five
months after it drew 1-1 in
Naples before the pandemic
Messi unstoppable asBarca beat Napoli
stopped European soccer.
Barcelona will meet Bayern
Munich on Friday in the quar-
terfinals to be played in Lis-
bon in a “bubble” format of
tight security to prevent a coro-
navirus outbreak from derail-
ing the competition’s finale.
Bayern sealed its spot af-
ter beating Chelsea 4-1 with
two goals from Robert
Lewandowski to complete a
7-1 rout over two legs.
“We are more than satis-
fied with our first half,” Sua-
rez said.
“Bayern is a great rival and
is one of the favourites, along
with us, of the eight that will
be in Portugal.”
Messi’s beautiful goal dou-
bled Barcelona’s lead after
Lenglet headed in a corner in
the 10th. The opener settled
Barcelona down after Napo-
li’s Dries Mertens had given
the hosts a scare by hitting
the post shortly after kickoff.
Video review had a busy
night. It disallowed another
Messi goal for a handball by
the forward and then awarded
Messi a penalty after he slipped
in front of Kalidou Koulibaly
and was kicked in the lower
left leg by the defender.
Messi spent several min-
utes receiving medical atten-
tion, and Suarez stepped up
to convert the spot kick.
Barcelona coach Quique Se-
tien said that Messi, who played
the whole game, had a hard
knock but that “I don’t think he
will have a problem.” – AP
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring their second goal during the Champions Leagueround of 16 second leg against Napoli at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. – AP/PTI
MUNICH, Aug 9: The
coronavirus pandemic has
changed almost everything
about the Champions
League. Empty stadiums,
games in August and a tour-
nament in Portugal.
But Bayern Munich keeps
winning, and Robert
Lewandowski keeps scoring.
The Poland striker scored
twice and set up two more
goals as Bayern beat Chel-
sea 4-1 on Saturday for a 7-1
win on aggregate in Munich
to book a ticket to Lisbon.
Bayern cruise past Chelsea intoChampions League quarters
Bayern has won 18 straight
competitive games going
back to February and hasn’t
lost since December.
“We wanted to win the
game and show we were
picking up where we left off,”
Bayern coach Hansi Flick
told Sky, adding of Barcelo-
na: “As with any opponent,
we have the requisite re-
spect and we’re going to
prepare well.”
Lewandowski has 13 goals
in seven Champions League
games this season – putting
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of
17 within reach – and 53 in
44 across all competitions.
Bayern started with a 3-0
lead from the first leg in Feb-
ruary and took the lead on
the night after 10 minutes
when Lewandowski scored
from the penalty spot after
he’d been tripped by goal-
keeper Willy Caballero when
through on goal.
It was a familiar story for
Chelsea after a season pep-
pered by goalkeeping blun-
ders. Caballero was starting
after Kepa Arrizabalaga was
dropped to the bench follow-
ing a string of errors.
Lewandowski was the key
man again for Bayern’s sec-
ond goal, holding up the ball
in the 24th and turning to play
in Ivan Perisic, who ran onto
the pass from the right and
hit the ball past Caballero.
Chelsea was left needing
five goals to win and nearly
started an improbable come-
back soon after when Callum
Hudson-Odoi put the ball in
the net, only to see his goal
ruled out for offside by Tam-
my Abraham in the buildup.
Abraham did get a goal for
Chelsea just before halftime
when Bayern keeper Manuel
Neuer gifted him the ball
when clearing a cross.
Corentin Tolisso added
another for Bayern in the
76th when he was left un-
marked to meet a cross
from Lewandowski. Then
Lewandowski headed in the
fourth off an assist from Al-
varo Odriozola eight min-
utes later.
Flick said Bayern’s players
can have breakfast with their
families before flying to Por-
tugal on Sunday afternoon
and entering the UEFA bub-
ble for the quarterfinals on-
ward. Bayern and Barcelona
play each other on Friday in
a single-game format. – APBayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski scores from the penalty spot during the ChampionsLeague round of 16 second leg against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
MANCHESTER, Aug 9: Pakistan cap-
tain Azhar Ali rued the missed opportu-
nities and lauded the Jos Buttler-Chris
Woakes partnership that helped England
snatch the first Test here.
He said Pakistan failed to match up to
the challenge thrown at them by Eng-
land on the fourth day at Old Trafford,
leading to their three-wicket defeat.
“It’s been a wonderful Test, disap-
pointing to be on the wrong side of it.
We had our opportunities to bat Eng-
land out of the game. We lost run-outs
which are a crime in Test matches, but
this total should have been enough,” Ali
said after the match.
“They took the game on and the pitch
started to do nothing. They changed the
momentum and we couldn’t reply what
they threw at us.”
Buttler (75) and Woakes (84 not out)
stitched a brilliant 139-run stand for the
sixth wicket to help England chase down
Credit to Woakes, Buttler: Pak captain Ali277 and win the first Test by three wick-
ets on Saturday.
“I would give credit to their partner-
ship, tough to keep the field up and the
boundaries dry. One of the best innings
of recent past was Stokes against Aus-
tralia and this one is not far behind be-
cause conditions were tough,” said the
35-year-old captain.
“Surprised there wasn’t reverse
swing, but there was enough there,
when we had five wickets we were hap-
py with our discipline, but the partner-
ship changed everything.”
Ali said playing in front of a packed
house would have been more enjoyable
for both the sides, which was not possi-
ble in view of the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic.
“But watching at home on TV, they
(fans) would have been entertained, and
we’re happy to be a part of it.”
England captain Joe Root said he knew a
special innings or a partnership would be
needed to chase down the target of 277.
“Couldn’t be more proud of the lads,
approach was outstanding and that part-
nership was magnificent. We knew it would
take something special but after last sum-
mer we knew not to stop believing. It’s a
real strong trait of ours,” Root said.
“Jos, it shows the mental strength, to
play that situation and manage different
passages of it, calculating risks, manipu-
lating the spinner, brilliant innings, and
Chris was magnificent too.”
Man-of-the-match Chris Woakes said
the condition of the pitch left him and
Buttler with no choice but to play a coun-
ter-attacking game.
“After that ball that Ollie (Pope) got,
we knew that was the way to go on this
pitch. It made up our minds for us, and
worked into our hands, take it to them
and put them under pressure,” Woakes
said. – PTI
Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler of England punch gloves duringday four of the 1st Test against Pakistan at the Old Trafford inManchester, England.
NEW DELHI, Aug 9:
BCCI President Sourav Gan-
guly has described the sus-
pension of the IPL title spon-
sorship deal with Chinese
mobile phone company Vivo
as just a “blip”, dismissing
talk that it might lead to a “fi-
nancial crisis”.
The BCCI and Vivo on
Thursday decided to suspend
their partnership for the 2020
IPL beginning on September
19 in the UAE amid the cla-
mour to boycott Chinese
products in the wake of the
Sino-India border stand-off.
The title sponsorship is a
significant part of the IPL’s
commercial revenue, half of
which is shared equally by the
eight franchises. Vivo won the
IPL title sponsorship rights
for five years from 2018 to
Suspension of IPL title sponsorshipwith Vivo just a blip: Ganguly
2022 for a reported sum of
Rs 2190 crore, approximate-
ly Rs 440 crore per annum.
“I wouldn’t call it as a finan-
cial crisis. It’s just a little bit
of a blip,” Ganguly said dur-
ing a webinar on Saturday,
organised by educational book
publishers S Chand Group.
“BCCI, it’s a very strong
foundation – the game, the
players, the administrators in
the past have made this
game so strong that BCCI is
able to handle all these blips.”
Ganguly said the BCCI al-
ways has a “Plan B” for these
kind of situations.
“You keep your other op-
tions open. It is like Plan A
and Plan B. Sensible people
do it. Sensible brands do it.
Sensible corporates do it,”
said the former India captain.
“And the only way you can
do it is by being profession-
ally strong over a period of
time. Big things don’t come
overnight. And big things
don’t go away overnight.
Your preparation for a long
period of time gets you
ready for losses, gets you
ready for successes.”
He also talked about the ICC
decision on Friday to retain
India as hosts for the 2021
men’s T20 World Cup. – PTI
Ganguly
LEXINGTON (US), Aug 9:
Serena Williams flexed and
then kissed a sinewy right bi-
cep to show down time well
spent in training even without
bench pressing.
“This is God given, thank
you very much,” the 23-
time Grand Slam champion
said as she thanked her
mother, Oracene.
Williams now looks to flex
her muscles on a tennis court
for the first time in six months.
She is preparing for the in-
augural Top Seed Open that
opens on Monday near Lex-
ington, a recently added hard
court tournament that serves
as a tuneup for this month’s US
Open in New York.
The WTA’s first event in the
US since March features a
spectator-free field that in-
Serena ready to playafter 6-month break
cludes sister Venus Williams, a
seven-time Grand Slam win-
ner herself, Victoria Azarenka,
Sloane Stephens and rising star
Coco Gauff.
Serena Williams, ranked
No. 9, is competing for the first
time since playing for the US
in the Fed Cup in February. The
pandemic quickly shut every-
thing down the next month,
forcing an extended layoff.
Williams has a history of
blood clots and pulmonary em-
bolisms that have affected her
lung capacity. She has been “su-
per, super careful in avoiding
exposure to COVID-19”.
The 38-year-old acknowl-
edged during Saturday’s virtu-
al news conference that she’s
been “a bit of a recluse,” in ad-
dition to owning 50 face masks
and taking social distancing to
an extreme.
“And everyone in the Sere-
na bubble is really protective
because at the end of the day,
yeah, it’s cool to play tennis, but
this is my life and this is my
health,” Williams said.
“I’ve been a little neurotic to
an extent, but that’s just what I
have to be right now.”
Williams and Azarenka en-
ter the tournament with open
minds, hungry to resume com-
petition. – AP
Serena
MANCHESTER, Aug 9: Pakistan head
coach Misbah-ul-Haq is not happy with his
side’s below-par batting effort in the first
Test against England here but more dis-
appointing to him was how the visitors let
England off the hook during their run chase.
Chasing 277, England were reduced
to 117 for five before under-pressure
Jos Buttler (75) and Chris Woakes (84
not out) stitched a brilliant 139-run stand
for the sixth wicket to notch up a mem-
orable three-wicket win on the fourth
day on Saturday.
“We are disappointed that we let Eng-
land off the hook after they were five
wickets down at one stage. The way
Buttler and Woakes counter-attacked
our bowlers it was very skilful,” Mis-
We let England off the hook, admits Misbah
bah said after Pakistan went 0-1 down in
the three-match series.
“Over all, we could have done better
with the bat in the second innings. It would
have been a different scenario if it was a
300 above target. It is very important to
put up decent score in the second innings
against England’s quality bowling attack
in their own conditions.”
Former captain and fast bowling great
Wasim Akram too felt that Pakistan
lacked flair, unpredictability and attack-
ing instinct while defending the target.
Akram felt with England reduced to
117 for five, the need of the hour was to
put pressure on Buttler, who was fight-
ing for his Test spot, and Woakes, who
averaged just 5.22 with the bat in his
previous six Tests.
Misbah, though, refused to comment
anything on this, only admitting that the
partnership between Buttler and Woakes
was the turning point of the game. – PTI
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 9: Dustin John-
son supplied the birdies, eight of them at
the PGA Championship, the most he has
ever made in his 157 rounds of major cham-
pionship golf for a 5-under 65 and a one-
shot lead. Brooks Koepka supplied the nee-
dle on Saturday.
Koepka recovered from three straight
bogeys to salvage a 69 and stay within two
shots of a leaderboard more crowded than
any of San Francisco’s congested highways.
At stake is a chance to become only the
seventh player to win the same major three
straight times. He surveyed the cast of con-
tenders, and focused on the guy at the top.
“I like my chances,” Koepka said.
“When I’ve been in this position before,
I’ve capitalised. He’s only won one. I’m
Dustin Johnson leads PGA Championshipplaying good. I don’t know, we’ll see.”
As he stepped away from the micro-
phone, Koepka smiled and said to Jason
Day, “How about that shade?” They
laughed.
Too bad this isn’t a two-man show.
The final round at Harding Park figures
to be wide open, just like it was on a Satur-
day so wild that eight players had at least a
share of the lead during the third round.
Johnson lost his yardage book and still
found his way through an enormous crowd
of contenders. He made a double bogey on
the ninth hole and still bounced back with a
31 on the tough, windy back nine.
He needed all eight of those birdies on a
day of low scores, long putts and endless
possibilities.
One possibility is Koepka hoisting the
Wanamaker Trophy for the third straight
year, which hasn’t happened since Walter
Hagen won four in a row in the 1920s when
it was match play. The last player to win
any major three straight times was Peter
Thomson at the British Open in 1956.
Koepka was two shots behind on a board
that features only two major champions
among the top six.
Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour rookie
from Texas, ran off three straight birdies
only to miss a 6-foot par putt on the final
hole. He still shot a 65 and was one shot
behind, in the final group at his first PGA
Championship. Cameron Champ, who has
the most powerful swing on tour, shot 67
and joined Scheffler one shot behind. – AP
KOLKATA, Aug 9: Former Indiadefender and Mohun Bagan cap-tain Manitombi Singh died at theage of 39 at his native village nearImphal in Manipur on Sunday, clubsources said.
Manitombi was suffering fromprolonged illness and breathed hislast in the early hours of Sunday.
He is survived by his wife andan eight-year-old son. “Mohun Bagan family is deeply saddenedby the untimely demise of former club captain Manitombi Singh,”the club posted on its Twitter handle.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during thisdifficult time. Rest in peace, Manitombi Singh,” it added.
Manitombi was a key member of the Stephen Constantine-coached India Under-23 side that lifted the LG Cup in 2003 bydefeating Vietnam 3-2 in Ho Chi Minh City.
It was India’s first international triumph since their victory atan eight-nation tournament in Singapore in 1971. Manitombi alsorepresented India in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
The former right back scored in his debut for Mohun Bagan atthe Calcutta Football League Premier Division in 2003 and wenton to lead the club in the All Airlines Gold Cup victory in 2004.
Having started out his playing career with Army Boys andServices, Manitombi also represented Air India and Salgaocarbefore making the big move to Mohun Bagan in 2003. – PTI
Former India playerManitombi dies
Misbah-ul-Haq