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Last updated : MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2008
 

Fencing work along the Indo-Bangladesh border. (Sentinel)

 

 

 

Centre to set up 383 more BoPs along B’desh border

Staff Reporter & PTI
GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI, Sept 7: As part of the Union Home Ministry’s strategy to secure the international borders, 383 more border outposts (BoPs) will be set up along the Indo-Bangladesh border and 125 others along the Indo-Pakistan border to maintain close vigil of the international boundaries, Union Home Ministry (MHA) sources said. The total cost for the setting up these 509 BoPs will be Rs 1,800 crore.
There has been a constant pressure on the Centre from the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) to minimize the intervals between the BoPs along the Indo-Bangladesh border so as to check illegal infiltration and cross-border terrorism from Bangladesh. The AASU has also been demanding the setting up of floating BoPs along the riverine border through which infiltration from the neighbouring country is going on. There is no floating BoPs along the riverine border, and the BSF is patrolling it with boats.
“The idea behind the setting up of 509 additional BOPs is to reduce inter-BoP distance along the 4,097-km Indo-Bangladesh and 3,323-km Indo-Pakistan borders,” MHA sources said.
At present there are 802 BoPs along the Indo-Bangladesh border and 609 BoPs along the Indo-Pakistan border. Besides, in order to provide better connectivity to BoPs along the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal border and 699-km Indo-Bhutan border, the Home Ministry proposes to undertake construction of about 1,400 km roads along the international boundaries passing through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Asom.
Fencing work on 2,590 km and construction of roads along 3,295 km have been completed along the Indo-Bangladesh border, the sources said. “The Government has also decided to provide floodlighting along the 2,840 km border passing through West Bengal, Meghalaya, Asom, Mizoram and Tripura by 2011-12 at a cost of Rs 1,328 crore,” the sources added. Fencing along certain stretches on the Indo-Bangladesh border has been delayed because of Dhaka’s objection to construction work within 150 yards of the international border. Noting that it is not possible to strictly follow Bangladesh’s suggestions on the issue, New Delhi has sought Dhaka’s permission to allow construction work even within 15 yards of its ambit.
On the issue of construction of border fence within 150 yards of international border, Bangladesh side said that the matter would be further examined during joint visits to the vulnerable sections of the border.

Arunachal defends its stand on NEWRA
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Jarpom Gamlin today said the situation in Arunachal has compelled the State Government to oppose the setting up of the proposed North East Water Resources Authority (NEWRA).
Talking to newsmen, Gamlin said: “Asom Government or the Centre blaming us won’t help solve the problem, because we have to see the interest of our State. The Brahmaputra Board or the NEDFi were formed with the aim of developing all the north-eastern States, but the people of Arunachal Pradesh have seen over the years that most of the plans and activities of these two Central agencies are Asom-centric. From this experience, we have an apprehension that if the NEWRA is floated, it will also be Asom-centric and do little for the interest of other States of the Northeast.”
Gamlin said that the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly had already discussed the issue of NEWRA and adopted a resolution to oppose it. “The Brahmaputra also passes through Arunachal Pradesh, and there is a basic difference between Asom and Arunachal Pradesh in the ownership of rivers. Unlike Asom where the royalty from rivers goes to the State exchequer, rivers in Arunachal Pradesh are owned by various communities who get the river royalty,” Gamlin said.
This statement from the Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister came a day after Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi claiming before the media that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was taking initiative to constitute the NEWRA. Now how the Prime Minister overcomes the Arunachal roadblock in the formation of the proposed NEWRA remains to be seen.
On the Asom Government’s opposition to the setting up of mega dams in Arunachal Pradesh, Gamlin said: “Instead of blaming us, the Asom Government should move the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) that gives permission for setting up of big dams. We have set up big dams with due permission from the CEA.”

 

Training for purohits on worship-management
Special Correspondent
SILCHAR, Sept 7: It is indeed a news for many in Asom and elsewhere in the country that there is a three-year worship-management training centre at Silchar in south Asom. Training on various kinds of pujas is being imparted to priests at the centre on every Sunday.
Almost 13 years ago, the worship-management training centre for priests had been initiated by Silchar Shani Mandir with cooperation from Arya Sanskriti Bodhan, a socio-cultural organization. The inaugural function was graced by late Swami Khyantananda Maharaj of Ram Krishna Mission and Swami Jyotirupananda, who is currently at Moscow. The training course had to be disrupted for a few years due to some unfavourable factors, said the centre’s publicity secretary Shanti Kumar Bhattachariya. However, it has been going on smoothly for the last three years with active cooperation from the Shani Mandir managing committee.
According to Bhattacharya, the training starts at 3 pm on every Sunday in the premises of the centre at Sadarghat. Lessons include both theoretical and practical aspects of priesthood with special emphasis on mantra explanation, accent on mantras, grammatical analysis, Gita and Chandi recitation as well as interaction in Sanskrit. Training on various kinds of pujas, with special significance on Durga Puja and Kali Puja, is also imparted to the trainees who have to face unit tests and half-yearly and annual examinations for evaluation of their knowledge on the subject.
Connected with this training are Sanskrit luminary Subodh Bhattacharya, Head of the Department of GC College Birendra Sinha, Women’s College lecturer Dr Ranjit Tiwari, former GC College Vice Principal Asit Sen, GC College lecturer Dr Shanti Pokhrel, teacher Amarendra Goswami, Tarktirth Tarapada Deshmikhya and teacher Khounish Chandra Chakraborty. Those who are imparting the training are Kishore Bhattacharya, Rahul Bhattacharya, Sudip Chakraborty, Gautom Chakraborty and others.

Cong Tea Cell to move PM against Tea Board
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Irritated over the alleged neglect and indifferent attitude on the part of the Indian Tea Board towards the Asom’s tea industry and welfare of its labour force involving over 60 lakh people, the Congress tea cell has decided to move the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of Commerce Jairam Ramesh seeking their immediate intervention into the matter.
“Despite cores of rupees have been injected by the Centre for the development of tea sector, all the initiatives went in vain so far due to lacklustre attitude on the part of the tea board, particularly the board’s Guwahati regional office,” said Bhagirath Karan, Congress tea cell chairman, while talking to The Sentinel today. He said the Centre should take special care of the tea industry of Asom, which produces about 55 per cent of the country’s total production. “Though Rs 400 crore was given to in the Special Tea Plantation Fund (STPF) by the Centre for replantation and rejuvenation of the old gardens, about 50 sick and closed gardens in Asom have been benefited by the scheme,” he said.
Seconee in Nagaon district, Okha, Saotoli and Rangajan in Golaghat, Saraipani in Jorhat, Charaideu in Sivasagar and Sankar Pukhuri in Tinsukia district are among the few prominent tea gardens in the State which are struggling for their survival, he said. “The STPF fund has mostly gone to big gardens, which do not care for workers’ benefit, undermining the objective of the fund,” tea cell chairman said, adding that quality of tea could not be enhanced without caring for the welfare of the tea labourers. He said even the gardens under the Government-owned Assam Tea Corporation Ltd (ATCL) are yet to get the STPF fund, despite an agreement was signed in presence of the Chief Minister and the Union Minister for Commerce in Guwahati in this regard last year. The Guwahati regional office of the board does not maintain any transparency in distribution of the Central fund, he alleged.
The Congress tea cell has threatened to gherao the Guwahati regional office of the Tea Board in protest against its alleged malfunctioning.

AGP hits out at Gogoi on floods
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Reacting strongly to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s claim time and again that his Government has no dearth of money to tackle floods, the AGP today questioned him as to why the flood-affected people of the State have not been getting adequate relief materials.
Talking to The Sentinel, AGP general secretary and chief spokesman Atul Bora questioned: “If Asom has enough funds, why are thousands of flood-affected people staying on embankments with open sky above in the State? Why didn’t the State Government repair a number of embankments that were breached in last year’s floods, and why is Lakhimpur district yet to get Rs 80 crore from the government as flood relief?”
On the Chief Minister’s comment that flood in Bihar is far more worse than in Asom, Bora said: “Gogoi is toeing the line of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi who gave more importance on Bihar flood than that of Asom.” He questioned: “If Nitish Kumar can extract Rs 53 crore from the ONGC as flood relief, why should Gogoi be happy with just Rs 1 crore even though most of ONGC’s oil fields are in Asom?” He said Nitish Kumar could also ensure exemption of LIC premia for six months in Bihar, but Gogoi has failed to get any such remission.

Land acquisition for public purpose is justified, says SC
NEW DELHI, Sept 7: Amidst the debate over acquisition of agricultural lands for industrial units or special economic zones (SEZs), the Supreme Court has held that the government as a “sovereign power can acquire land for public purpose.” The “public purpose” could include “industrial and other infrastructural developmental needs for the common good of the citizens,” a two-judge Bench of Justices C K Thakker and DK Jain said.
The bench upheld the acquisition of vast tracts of agricultural and other lands by Andhra Pradesh Government in Ranga Reddy district adjoining Hyderabad city.
Upholding the acquisition, the apex court said the State being a sovereign power under the doctrine of “Eminent Domain” as provided under the 1894 Land Acquisition has inherent rights to acquire land by paying suitable compensation to those displaced.
“Eminent domain” may be defined as the right or power of a sovereign state to take private property for public use without the owner’s consent upon the payment of just compensation.
According to the apex court “Eminent domain” is thus inherent power of a governmental entity to take privately owned property, especially land, and convert it to public use, subject to reasonable compensation for taking the lands.
“It means nothing more or less than an inherent political right, founded on a common necessity and interest of appropriating the property of individual members of the community to the great necessities and common good of the whole society,” the apex court observed.
“Taking the facts in their entirety, we are of the view that the action of the State initiating acquisition proceedings for establishing and developing infrastructure project cannot be held contrary to law or objectionable,” the apex court said while dismissing a batch of petitions filed by the aggrieved land owners. The land owners have filed the appeal in Supreme Court after the State High Court has rejected their plea challenging the acquisition of their land.
The land owners have alleged that the acquisition was carried out with a mala fide intention to secure the benefits of a foreign company which was keen on developing certain infrastructural projects around the IT hub in the capital. PTI


US-based body says India has not got ‘clean waiver’
New Delhi, Sept 7: Call it words of frustration or a reality check on the euphoria that flowed out of Vienna, but the US-based Arms Control Association claims that India has not got the “clean” or “unconditional” waiver it demanded from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG).
At the end of the NSG’s marathon 76-hour meeting in Vienna on Saturday, the powerful cartel that controls global supply of nuclear fuel, equipment and technologies awarded the “waiver” to India.
Despite being elated at the historic decision that ended India’s three decades of nuclear isolation and opened the doors for trade between New Delhi and NSG members, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon refused to say whether it was a “clean waiver” for India.
“The NSG statement on India does not meet the ACA’s standards or that of a large number of NSG states nor should it satisfy key US Congressional leaders, but it is not the ‘clean’ and ‘unconditional’ waiver India was demanding either,” the Association said in a statement on its website.
It went on to say that in the days to come there will be “serious differences” between India and the NSG members about the interpretations of the guidelines as many of the issues were not fully resolved at the group’s meeting in Vienna.
“Because the negotiations were tough and the real differences not fully resolved, there will likely be serious differences between India and most of the NSG about the interpretation of what the guidelines allow and don’t allow and what the consequences of any violation of India’s non-proliferation and disarmament commitments would be,” the ACA said.
But it also added: “This outcome is a failure of the NSG as a whole, the US delegation, and the NSG chair Germany.” The association, which has been a strong opponent of concessions to India, said that from the statements issued by the NSG, and some of its members such as Austria, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and “others” - it was evident that for all “practical purposes” there were problems ahead for India. The ACA listed some of them:
*NSG states should not and will not likely engage in “full” nuclear trade with India;
*NSG states should and very likely would terminate nuclear trade with India if it resumes testing; and
*India’s compliance with it pre-2005 non-proliferation commitments and the implementation of bilateral trade with India will be reviewed on a regular (probably annual) basis by the NSG. To explain why this will happen, the Arms Control Association said: “Most states will try to remain consistent with US law, policy, and the US interpretations of its bilateral trade agreement with India.” (IANS)

Flood situation improving
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Floods claimed another life taking the overall toll to 18 even as the primary road link to the entire Northeast continued to be snapped for the eighth consecutive day following overtopping of NH 31 by flood waters at Rangiya. However, water levels of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries receded after being in spate for over a week, bringing some succour to the over 12 lakh flood-hit population across 18 districts of the State, with the situation in Majuli also reported to be improving. Threat of water-borne diseases and epidemics now loomed large, with the government ensuring that no such outbreaks had occurred so far. PTI

CBI launches probe into Monika allegations
New Delhi, Sept 7: The CBI has launched an enquiry into allegations by weightlifter Monika Devi that she was barred from taking part in the Beijing Games because of deliberate lapses on part of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The CBI registered the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against “unknown persons” after a request was made by the Manipur Government to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a thorough probe into the entire incident. While during the PE, the CBI will summon records of IOA, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the statement of Monika in front of the one-man commission set up by the Sports Ministry, it cannot go in for questioning of any individual till the case was converted into a regular case. Monika, in her deposition before the T S Krishnamurthy Commission, had alleged that the actions of SAI as “unreasonable and malafide” and also that she failed to go to Beijing Olympics because of the “deliberate lapse” on the part of the IOA. PTI

Minor washed away in Majuli
From our Correspondent
JORHAT, Sept 7: Swirling waters of a water channel washed away a seven-year-old boy, Dhan Bora, at Jalukbari village under Pokajora Gaon Panchayat near Garamur in Majuli subdivision today. The mother of the boy, Runumi Bora, had saved a neighbourhood girl, Moromi Hazarika, from drowning, sources said. But she lost her own child in the melee, the sources added.

KA bandh on Sept 11
Our Correspondence
HOWRAGHAT, Sept 7: The Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) has called a 12-hour Karbi Anglong bandh on September 11 in protest against the killing of its cadre, Akli Singar, on September 4 at Tisomgaon under Bakalia police station by the Army, KLNLF’s publicity in-charge R Dera told The Sentinel today. Dera alleged that the security forces had killed Singnar in cold blood.

CM wishes Bhupen Hazarika
GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi wished long life for Dr Bhupen Hazarika who will turn 83 tomorrow.

Thinking too much could lead to obesity
A new Canadian study shows that thinking too much can lead to overeating and thus obesity. In their study at Universite Laval in Quebec City, Canadian researchers found that the stress of intellectual work makes people eat more, thus raising their calorie intake and causing obesity. As part of their study, the researchers asked 14 students to eat at a buffet after performing three easy but different tasks: Just sitting and relaxing; reading and summarizing a text, and doing memory tests on a computer. The researchers said these three tasks consumed very little energy, with students doing mental work needing just three calories more than those relaxing. But they found that the students ate 203 extra calories after reading and summarizing the text, and 253 more calories after doing the computer-based memory tests. Their blood samples - taken before, during and after the three task sessions - also showed that their glucose and insulin levels shot up during mental work (computer memory tests). Explaining this, study leader Jean-Philippe Chaput said that glucose serves as fuel for brain during any mental or intellectual work.
To meet this need and keep its glucose balance in check, the body might be consuming more food, thus more calories.
“Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact that we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesity epidemic currently observed in industrialized countries,” he said.
Chaput warned that obesity could become rampant in the future as more and more people get involved in intellectual work around the world.......

 

 
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