Posts Tagged ‘Guwahati’
Written by admin on 09 May 2012
Guwahati, May 9 (IANS) Rajya Sabha MP and BJP national spokesman Tarun Vijay Wednesday raised the issue of the ongoing opposition to mega dams in Arunachal Pradesh and demanded that the central government consider the issue at the earliest.
The BJP MP mentioned the recent incident where some local villagers blocked a 500-metre-long tunnel of the 600 MW Tawang Stage I hydro power project with stones April 30. The villagers have also sent back workers of the tunnel from the construction site.
People of local tribes, NGOs and anti-dam organizations have also been demanding the central government to halt all mega hydro power projects in the state immediately.
Taking up the issue, the BJP spokesperson also warned the central government that the ongoing agitation is snowballing into a major controversy. “Arunachal is a very patriotic state where the tricolour flutters in every village and common villagers speak Hindi. Their patriotism inspires us all, and this is a sensitive border area which is claimed by China,” Vijay said.
“If there are voices of anger and protest over an issue in this region, that must be immediately taken care of by the government before it turns violent and takes an anti-India colour,” Vijay said.
Pointing out that the state government had already signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with various companies to produce 30,000 MW of power, the MP stressed that the government must also examine whether the environment would be affected by such huge and big projects.
He also pointed out that the mega dams and power projects in Arunachal Pradesh have also threatened the existence of Parashuram Kund, a holy place on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.
An anti-dam activist in Arunachal Pradsh, J. Tally hailed Tarun Vijay’s efforts and said that all MoUs and MoAs signed by the state government for construction of mega dams are illegal.
“We have been opposing the construction of mega dams in the past and we will continue to oppose that,” said Tally, who is the general secretary of Siang Bachao Federation (SBF), a platform of several anti-dam organizations in the state.
He also said that the SBF has called a bandh in the West Siang district on two days to oppose the proposed public hearing for the 1000 MW Naying hydel project, which is scheduled May 10 and May 11.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 09 May 2012
Guwahati, May 9 (IANS) Four suspected Maoist guerrillas were killed in a shootout with security forces in Assam’s Tinsukia district Wednesday, police said.
Three others escaped in the incident that took place in Borbaruah village, about 600 km from here, said Tinsukia Superintendent of Police P.P. Singh. Those killed have not been identified.
“We suspect one of the slain cadres to be a regional commander. But we can confirm this only after identification by family members,” he said.
An Assam police constable was also injured in the shootout.
A hunt was on to trace the other cadres.
A police operation began early Wednesday following a tip that that some Maoists had taken shelter in the village.
Police said three AK 47s, two grenades and some ammunition were recovered from the site.
The operation was a major success, said a senior official at the police headquarters here. Tinsukia, he said, was one of the seven districts where the Maoists had expanded their activities.
There have been several reports of extortion drives by the Maoists in Tinsukia, he added.
The Assam government has initiated training programmes for deputy commissioners and superintendents of police and other officials on how to counter the Maoists.
Tags: Guwahati
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Written by admin on 08 May 2012
Guwahati, May 8 (IANS) Assam is reeling under a severe power crisis since May 2 after a storm damaged a transmission line in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.
The state’s power department Tuesday warned that the crisis would continue for the next four to five days. Reduced power generation in state-owned and central hydel and thermal power stations had compounded the problem, it said.
“The situation has led to a shortfall of about 400 MW of power required daily during the peak hours in the state,” said an official of the Assam State Electricity Board, who did not want to be named.
The official said work was on to restore the transmission line.
“Assam needs about 1,100 MW during peak hours. But only 700 MW is available at present, leading to frequent power cuts” said the official.
“The line, which transmitted about 35 percent of Assam’s power requirement from West Bengal, was badly damaged in a storm on the night of May 2. Two major power transmission towers were also damaged. This has resulted in a complete breakdown of the power line that transmitted around 300 MW to Assam,” said the official.
“Add to this the shortage in gas to thermal power stations and lack of water supply to hydel stations due to the absence of rain. They are as such generating power at reduced rates,” the official said.
“We are in touch with the power department in West Bengal for the restoration of the line. However, it is likely to take at least four to five day. They are finding it difficult to restore the line as the area is densely-populated,” said the official.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 07 May 2012
Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) Normal life was disrupted across Assam Monday due to separate shutdowns called by two community-based groups in support of their demands and blockade of the national highways by a third.
While the Peoples’ Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) called a 36-hour stir asking the central government spell out its stand on a separate state for the Bodo community, the All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union (AKRSU) called a 12-hour dawn-to-dusk shutdown demanding a separate Kamatapur state and Scheduled Tribe status for the community.
Interestingly, a large part of the proposed Kamatapur state demanded by the Koch Rajbongshis falls in areas sought by PJACBM, a conglomeration of 45 Bodo and other communities.
AKRSU president Biswajit Rai said they do not have any opposition to a separate state demanded by any community.
“However, while creating a separate state for Bodos, areas of the proposed Kamatapur state should be kept intact,” he said.
The PJACBM shutdown will continue till Tuesday.
On the other hand, a large number of protesters, mainly non-Bodos under the banner of Non-Tribal Protection Forum, blocked national highways in the state in protest against the statehood demand of the Bodos.
Vehicular transport was affected for several hours in lower Assam and most commercial vehicles remained off the road.
“We are opposed to the creation of a separate state for the Bodos as non-tribals feel their existence is threatened,” said Non-Tribal Protection Forum president Nagen Deka.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 07 May 2012
Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) A mutilated body believed to be that of Blain Hanse, commander-in-chief of the banned outfit Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT), was recovered in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district Monday.
According to police, the body was recovered from Tarapung area under Chokihola police station in the district.
“The body, which we suspect to be of KPLT chief Blain Hanse, was recovered in mutilated condition. It appears that he had been killed a few days back and dumped,” Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police (SP) B.B. Chetri said.
“We are almost sure that the body is of Blain Hanse. However, we can confirm it only after the mandatory identification by his family members,” he said.
Police had received some information about a fratricidal fight among the rank and file of the outfit and subsequent killing of Hanse a few days back. However, police could not confirm it due to non-recovery of the body.
Last month, another top leader of the outfit – Nilip Inghy – was killed in a joint operation by the army and police in Tarapung area. The outfit’s founder chairman Apang Ingty was also killed in an operation by security forces in 2011.
Hanse was killed by his colleagues when he tried to shoot one of them over some differences of opinion. In the scuffle, however, he got killed on the night of May 2. Two of his bodyguards also received bullet injuries during the fight, sources said.
The Assam Police last month launched a crackdown on the KPLT as the outfit had stepped up its extortion and kidnapping activities in the district.
Tags: Guwahati
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Written by admin on 07 May 2012
Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) The Guwahati police Monday arrested a cadre of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) from a rented house here, a police official said.
The cadre was arrested from a house in the Gorchuk area of the city during an operation based on specific information, senior superintendent of police (City) Apurba Jiban Baruah told IANS.
“The NDFB cadre, identified as Goutam Boro, had a bullet injury in his leg. He was injured in a cross firing in Udalguri district and had come to Guwahati for treatment,” Baruah said.
The house was used as a shelter for the outfit in Guwahati, the police official said, adding that the owner of the house was absconding.
The cadre has been sent to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment, he said.
An investigation is on to locate more such shelters of the outfit in Guwahati, Baruah said.
Tags: Guwahati
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