News Analysis India

Tag: Assam

  • Assam: Counting underway for Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council elections

    By ANI

    KARBI ANGLONG: The counting of votes for Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) elections are underway.

    According to the reports, the ruling BJP is leading in 23 out of 26 Council seats in the initial trend.

    The fate of 154 candidates who contested in the KAAC elections will be declared on Sunday and the counting of votes are underway at Diphu, Bokajan and Hamren.

    The district administration of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district has arranged tight security measures and put up strict supervision for the counting process.

    Notably, violence had erupted at two polling booths under Duar Amla council constituency in West Karbi Anglong district on Wednesday during the KAAC election, said police.

    According to the police, an irate mob destroyed ballot boxes of two polling booths and also had set a large number of ballot papers. Security personnel were forced to fire in air to control the situation. Heavy security personnel were deployed in the area following the incident.

    Re-polling at two polling booths was held on June 10.

    The Karbi Anglong district is one of the 34 administrative districts of Assam, Diphu is its administrative headquarter and is administered by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council according to the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

    (With online desk inputs)

  • Vehicle speed limit restricted to 40-km per hour in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The Kaziranga National Park authorities have fixed a maximum speed limit of 40 km per hour for vehicles in the sanctuary with an objective to avoid wildlife deaths due to accidents and allow free movement of animals, an official said on Thursday.

    Six sensor-based cameras have been installed in nine designated animal corridors of the park, stretching from Rengali to Borjuri, in Assam to detect the speed of vehicles, he said.

    The cameras have been installed along the National Highway 37 that passes along the southern boundaries of the Kaziranga National Park, the home of the famous one-horned rhinos, and these will become operational from Friday, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division’s DFO Ramesh Gogoi said.

    The cameras are equipped with automatic number plate recognising with radar for the determination of speed, the divisional forest officer said. The authorities used to regulate vehicle speed limit during floods in Assam as animals come near the NH 37 in search of dry land with many crossing the road to reach highlands.

    Speeding vehicles on the highway have claimed the lives of several animals, particularly when the park is flooded and the animals cross the the road to reach the highlands. As per the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), owners of vehicles plying above the 40-km per hour speed limit will be penalised. “Overspeeding vehicles in the stretch will also be booked for violation of a provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” the official said.

    Each vehicle, which is booked, particularly for overspeeding and killing or injuring animals, would be fined an environmental compensation of Rs 5,000 per incident, over and above the amount to be paid for an offence under the Motor Vehicles Act.

    “Under these circumstances, all commuters are mandated to abide by the maximum speed limit of 40 km per hour in all animal corridors of Kaziranga National Park in the interest of safety of wild animals,” Gogoi added.

  • PPE kits row: AAP lodges police complaint against Assam CM, urges Governor to suspend him

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday lodged a complaint with the police in Guwahati demanding that a criminal case is registered against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged involvement in the “PPE kits scam”.

    The party also petitioned Governor Jagdish Mukhi seeking a probe into the case and Sarma’s suspension till such time.

    “Huge Protest by @AAP4Assam against the PPE KIT SCAM! AAP has also filed a complaint against CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. He has no right to continue as the CM & should immediately RESIGN!” the AAP tweeted.

    The party accused Sarma of awarding contracts to companies of his wife and son’s business partners at above market rates. The company that his wife is associated with had supplied 1,485 PPE kits as against an order of 5,000, the AAP said.

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    “… Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma had given a purchase order as Health Minister of Assam to his wife, which he cancelled partially on a later date as she could not deliver the order as promised. This transaction is direct violation of Code of Conduct for Ministers along with public servant unlawfully engaging in trade or unlawfully buying or bidding for property (through their spouse or relatives),” the AAP said.

    In its petition to the governor, the party alleged the then Assam government had shown undue favour to some companies to procure PPE kits, sanitizers and other healthcare equipment.

    “…Sarma was Health Minister of Assam at that time and his Health Department placed orders for PPE kits and sanitizers at much higher rates to a firm in which Managing Directors were his wife and son. Companies blacklisted by the previous BJP Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were given contracts without following rules of public procurement policy,” the AAP wrote in its memorandum submitted to the governor.

    Stating that it is a serious matter, the party demanded the governor constitute a committee to probe the matter and suspend Sarma immediately as he also holds the Home portfolio.

    “This is a very serious issue and hope that you will take immediate necessary step to protect the dignity of our Constitution,” the AAP further wrote in the memorandum.

    Sarma has already refuted the charges, stating that not a single penny was transacted. “…This is not corruption; it’s humanity. My wife hasn’t committed a crime. She tried to help Assam at the time of its biggest crisis,” he had stated.

  • Monsoon enters north-east, heavy rains likely in Assam, Meghalaya 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: After a brief lull, the Bay of Bengal arm of the south-west monsoon has stirred into action and entered north-eastern parts of the country and is set to bring heavy rains over Assam and Meghalaya over the next two days, the IMD said Thursday.

    “Southwest monsoon has further advanced into some parts of northwest Bay of Bengal, some more parts of northeast & eastcentral Bay of Bengal and most parts of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland,” the India Meteorological Department said.

    On Wednesday, the monsoon had covered Bengaluru, Chikmagluru, Karwar.

    Under the influence of monsoonal westerly winds from the Arabian Sea over the south peninsular India, the weather office has forecast fairly widespread rainfall over coastal and south Interior Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep and over the next five days.

    It has also forecast isolated to scattered rains over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, North Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during next five days.

    Maximum temperatures have been rising gradually over northwest India and the weather office has issued heatwave warnings over Rajasthan, south Punjab and south Haryana over the next two days.

    The weather office had upgraded its forecast for a normal monsoon this year on Monday. It said that monsoon rains would be fairly well-distributed across the country, except in north-eastern parts of the country and extreme south-western peninsula.

    The IMD had announced the onset of monsoon over Kerala on May 29, three days ahead of the normal onset date of June 1.

  • PFI link being probed in police station burning: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed that investigators have found possible involvement of Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in the burning down of the Batadrava Police Station in Nagaon district.

    Alleging that PFI and its college-level wing Campus Front of India (CFI) are engaged in activities to “destabilise” Assam, Sarma reiterated his government’s demand to the Centre to ban the two organisations.

    The Batadrava Police Station was set on fire on May 21 afternoon by an irate mob following the custodial death of a local fish trader, Safikul Islam (39), who was picked up by police the night before.

    “Right from the Gorukhuti, we always see PFI’s hand in the communal tension. Even in the latest Batadrava incident, when the Batadrava PS was burnt down, we are now picking up signals of involvement of PFI,” he added.

    The Assam government had sent a dossier to the Centre requesting PFI and CFI be banned for their alleged role in inciting people during the Gorukhuti eviction drive in Darrang district in September 2021, when two villagers were shot dead by the police.

    Sarma said, “Assam government is of the view that PFI and CFI should be banned. If you go to Baksa district, the kind training programme, literature they are distributing, show that they want to destablise Assam.

    “I hope and trust that the Government of India will give due consideration to the request of the state government.”

    Asked if Jehadi elements were behind the attack on Batadrava Police Station, the Chief Minister said that as the DGP has indicated accordingly, which means there are indicative clues.

    “Whether that clue has been converted to evidence, that is difficult for me to say right now because I have not reviewed the case. Last week of this month, I will visit Batadrava. Then I will know,” he added.

  • Rape accused in Assam injured in police firing while trying to escape

    By PTI

    DIPHU: A person, who was arrested on charges of raping a girl, was shot at by the police on Sunday in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district after he allegedly escaped from a health facility, where he was undergoing treatment, an officer said.

    The man was arrested on May 27 and later admitted to the Diphu Medical College and Hospital as he was unwell, the police officer said.

    The accused on Saturday night managed to sneak out from a bathroom of the health facility, following which a search operation was launched to nab him, Additional Superintendent of Police Prakash Sonowal said.

    Representatives of several women and social organisations held a demonstration at the police station, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

    The district police intensified its operations and traced the man near the district’s border with Nagaland, the officer said, adding that he attacked a policeman there and tried to flee the spot.

    When the man refused to stop even after repeated warnings, police had to fire targeting his leg, the officer said.

    This was the second such incident in a week as another accused of raping a girl was injured in police firing when he allegedly tried to escape from custody in Kokrajhar.

    Since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government came to power in May last year, at least 47 people have been killed and 116 injured in police actions while they allegedly tried to flee police custody or attacked men in uniform.

  • Flood situation in Assam improves as water level of most rivers recede 

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam improved considerably on Friday with waters receding in most rivers even as over 5 lakh people continued to suffer in the deluge in ten districts of the state, an official bulletin said.

    The toll due to flood and landslides remained at 30 with no reports of any death in the last 24 hours, as per the bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

    Kopili in Morigaon district was the only river flowing above the danger mark, it said.

    At least 5,00,852 persons are suffering due to the floods in Cachar, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Morigaon and Nagaon districts.

    Nagaon is the worst affected with over 3.11 lakh people affected, followed by Cachar with nearly 1.47 lakh persons and Morigaon with more than 41,036 people suffering.

    More than 62,289 people have taken shelter in 201 relief camps, with the highest of 47,749 people displaced in Cachar, the ASDMA said.

    An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) visited the flood-affected areas of Cachar and Darrang districts during the day to assess the damage.

    At present, 799 villages are still under water and 35,384.12 hectares of crop areas have been damaged.

    Massive erosions were reported from Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Nalbari, Sivasagar, South Salmara, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.

    Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure were damaged by floodwaters in Cachar, Udalguri, Dhubri, Karimganj, Nagaon, Nalbari, Dima Hasao, Goalpara and Hojai, the ASDMA said.

  • Flood situation grim in Assam as two more people die, 5.61 lakh suffer

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Thursday with two more persons, including a child, losing their lives and over 5.61 lakh people still suffering in the deluge across seven districts, as per an official bulletin.

    According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person each died in Kampur and Raha of Nagaon district.

    With this, the total number of people losing their lives in this year’s flood and landslides has reached 30.

    ASDMA said more than 5,61,100 persons are hit by the flood in Cachar, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Morigaon and Nagaon districts.

    Nagaon is the worst hit with over 3.68 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar with nearly 1.5 lakh persons and Morigaon with more than 41,000 people affected.

    Till Tuesday, over 5.75 lakh people were affected in the deluge across nine districts of the state.

    An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) reached Guwahati on Thursday and interacted with the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and ASDMA officials for damage assessment of the flood and landslides in the state.

    To accelerate an effective damage assessment, IMCT members will be divided into two groups for visiting the relevant affected districts, ASDMA said in a statement.

    The first group will visit Cachar and Dima Hasao districts, while the second group will go to Darrang, Nagaon and Hojai, it added.

    At present, 956 villages are under water and 47,139.12 hectares of crop area has been damaged across Assam, ASDMA said.

    The authorities are running 365 relief camps and distribution centres in six districts, where 66,836 people, including 13,988 children, are taking shelter.

    So far, 1,243.65 quintals of rice, dal and salt, 5,075.11 litres of mustard oil, 300 quintals of cattle feed and other flood relief items have been distributed.

    Massive erosions were reported from Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Nalbari, Sivasagar, South Salmara, Tinsukia and Udalguri districts.

    Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Cachar, Udalguri, Dhubri, Karimganj, Nagaon, Nalbari, Dima Hasao, Goalpara and Hojai, ASDMA said.

    A total of 1,88,698 domestic animals and poultry have been affected in the deluge across nine districts, ASDMA said.

    Brahmaputra’s tributary Kopili at Dharamtul is flowing above the danger mark, the bulletin stated.

  • SIT to probe police station arson; separate inquiry into ‘custodial death’: Assam DGP 

    By PTI

    NAGAON: Five miscreants were on Sunday arrested for the arson at Batadrava Police Station in Assam’s Nagaon district, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will soon be constituted to inquire into the incident, a top police officer said on Sunday.

    A separate probe has also been ordered into the alleged custodial death of a local resident, which triggered the attack on the police station, he said.

    District administration on Sunday launched an eviction drive against encroachers in Salnabori village, residents of which purportedly attacked and set on fire the police station the day before, following the alleged custodial death of a local, Safikul Islam, who was picked up the night earlier.

    Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, who visited Batardava on Sunday, said, “A SIT, headed by an additional superintendent of police, will be formed to look into the arson incident. Five miscreants have already been apprehended and investigation was underway to identify and nab the others.”

    To a question on possible involvement of jihadis behind the attack, Mahanta said, “I will not call them jihadis. But perhaps the mob was organised by people who were trained by outfits engaged in anti-India activities.”

    The DGP said police have information that fundamentalist outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) was trying to set base in Nagaon and adjoining areas.

    He said, “ABT modules were busted recently in Assam, Tripura and Bhopal. We are aware that some of them are functioning in these areas. They have entered mosques and madrassas, but they don’t have the support of common people.”

    “They are trying to create sleeper cells so that foreign mujahideens can be brought here,” he added.

    Mahanta said that the incident seemed “systematic and planned”.

    “In this particular incident, we have seen an element of preparedness. People were provoked,” he claimed.

    The DGP also said that a drug peddler and a dacoit have been identified in the mob that had set ablaze the police station, with the police also trying to find out if the attack was aimed at burning down evidence and case diaries.

    He stated that an additional SP of neighbouring district of Karbi Anglong, Prakash Sonowal, has been entrusted with the task of conducting an independent inquiry into the allegation of custodial death.

    “I have seen a photo which clearly indicates that Islam was drunk or high on drugs when he was brought in to the police station on Friday night. Technically, he died in custody. There is allegation of fault on part of the police and the independent inquiry will determine it,” he added.

    Earlier in the day, Mahanta had said that the in-charge of Batadrava police station has been suspended and rest of the staff closed, following the attack.

    In a Facebook post previously, the DGP had said that Islam was released by the police on Saturday and handed over to his wife, who took him to two hospitals when he complained of uneasiness before being declared dead by doctors.

    The family members of the deceased fish trader, however, had claimed that the police demanded Rs 10,000 and a duck as a bribe for his release, and his wife visited the police station with a duck on Saturday morning.

    When she returned with the money later, she learnt that her husband had been taken to Nagaon Civil Hospital.

    After reaching there, she found him dead, they claimed.

    Alleging that the man died of torture, villagers gheraoed the police station, allegedly assaulted on-duty personnel and then torched the building.

    Videos of the incident showed a woman sprinkling some inflammable liquid on two-wheelers parked in front of the police station and setting them on fire.

    The blaze engulfed the police station soon after and fire tenders had to be called to douse it.

    Special DGP (Law and Order) GP Singh, who also visited Batadrava, said forensic experts have been requested to collect residue from the arson site as there are allegations that kerosene or petrol-type inflammable liquids were used.

    On the loss of case diaries and other evidence stored in the police station, Singh said all FIRs in the last three years were filed online and copies of case diaries have been kept in two offices other than the one attacked.

    “If some case diaries are lost, we can always re-construct it,” he added.

    Asked about the eviction drive in Salnabori village, Singh said many people involved in the incident were found to have encroached upon the lands they reside on and have forged documents to show ownership.

    “We have registered a case and alerted the district administration, which carried out the eviction drive,” the police officer added.

    Local reports suggested that about six houses, including that of Islam, were demolished by the administration on Sunday.

    Meanwhile, a former AIUDF MLA, Anowar Hussain Laskar has filed a complaint with the Assam State Human Rights Commission over the death of Islam.

  • After fish trader’s custodial death, mob in Assam torches police station

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: An irate mob of hundreds torched an Assam police station on Saturday, protesting the custodial death of a fish trader.

    The incident was reported from central Assam’s Nagaon district. The mob, which also had women, barged into the Batadrava police station, vandalised it and beat up the personnel.

    Later, it torched the police station. Several documents were reduced to ashes and some rifles were damaged in the fire.

    Two policemen were injured. The police arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the attack.

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    The police had picked up Safikul Islam of the Salnabari area in the district on Friday night and demanded Rs 10000 besides a duck from him, the wife of the deceased alleged.

    She said as the family could afford only a duck, the police allegedly beat him up and killed him. The police rubbished the charges.

    “He was found in a drunken state at Bhomoraguri and on being informed by some people, a police team went to the spot and brought him to the police station,” Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley told journalists.

    “Subsequently, his family members were informed and they visited the police station. Today, he was found sick and taken to a primary health centre but it referred him to the district hospital. So, he was taken to the district hospital where the doctors declared him dead on arrival,” she added.

    The SP also said that a probe was on and action would be taken against anyone found guilty.