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Tag: Himanta Biswa Sarma

  • Northeast militants using innocent boys after pushing them into drugs: Himanta Biswa Sarma

    Express News Service
    DIPHU: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the myriad militant groups in the Northeast were involved in the proliferation of drugs.

    “Many insurgent groups utilise our innocent boys by drawing them to drug addiction. The ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) is not on the list. Drug-peddling is affecting our society, encouraging militancy and destroying the social fabric of our state,” Sarma said in Diphu in Karbi Anglong district before taking part in a seized drugs-burning programme.

    The drug dealers have for long used Karbi Anglong as the supply route. The police are now trying to choke it, Sarma said. The CM took on his critics by asking them to not sympathize with drug dealers and drug peddlers.

    “There have been debates on the ongoing police action against elements, including drug dealers, but before sympathizing with them, one must think of the families they destroyed and the society they damaged. So, don’t cry when one or two drug peddlers or drug kingpins get hit by bullets,” the CM said.

    He said Section 46 of the CrPC has given powers to the police to take action within the law. He said the Centre was working tirelessly to curb the menace of drugs and cut the supply routes in the Northeast.

    “Two years ago, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Assam and discussed with the Directors-General of Police of all states in the Northeast on how we can cut the supply line of drugs. Many actions were initiated and drugs seized from across the region,” Sarma said.

    He said despite the actions, the drug dealers continued with their activities as they had people in various sections of the government organisation.

    Director-General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said the original killers, ensconced in the military (of Myanmar), were in the protection of the non-state actors in the neighbouring country.

    “(Myanmar-based insurgent group) Wa United State Army, supposed to be the meth emperor in the world, also proliferates arms in the Indian mainstream, basically the border of China and Myanmar,” the DGP said.

    He said Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur is a very major base of methamphetamine. I am also told they (drug dealers) get a lot of protection from the non-state actors (militants). We have to be very careful and aware of all these,” he warned.

    Over the past two months since Sarma took over as the CM, drugs worth Rs 163 crore have been seized in Assam.

  • Meghalaya CM to meet Himanta on border dispute with Assam

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma said that he would meet Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday evening to fix a date for the official border talks between the two neighbouring states.

    The issue of the boundary dispute with Assam was discussed during the meeting of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), held ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state on July 24.

    Sangma, who is the chairman of the MDA, said that he has decided to start the process of consultation with the stakeholders on the issue.

    “I will be meeting the Assam CM tomorrow evening in Guwahati. The meeting is unofficial. We have been having unofficial discussions on this very important subject and tomorrow is a continuation of that. While we sit, we will also fix a date for an official meeting between the two governments,” Sangma told reporters on Friday.

    There is a need to involve different social organisations, headmen and nokmas as the government will have to go across the board to ensure the inclusion of people who matter in the process, he said.

    On raising the issue with Shah during his visit to the state, Sangma said, “We will also be discussing many developmental issues as the Union home minister is the chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC). He is also very keen to discuss the afforestation and conservation works, especially in the Sohra area.”

    He further said that all the chief ministers of the Northeast have been invited during Shah’s visit to discuss issues that are common to the region.

    “Apart from that, obviously state-specific issues, including the Eighth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule amendment, will be discussed with the home minister,” he said.

    Sangma said a lot of informal discussions on the boundary dispute issue are needed.

    “I don’t want to show the cards right now but as I said a lot of homework has gone into how we plan to move forward on this. At this point in time, it will not be proper to discuss those details but as I said, we are focusing on the fact that whatever solution we come up with must be amicable and must be a solution that is going to be acceptable to the people of both the states,” he said.

    Regarding the suggestion for setting up a boundary commission, Sangma said the issue will also be discussed.

    “This will require not just a commission — if you say a commission to look into the facts and figures, but it is a lot to do with the political will also — so we have to really see it from all angles. We could look into that suggestion but nothing has been decided yet,” he added.

  • Assam to use sex-sorted semen to mostly breed cows for benefit of dairy farmers

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Days after bringing a bill to protect cows, the Assam government now decided to buy sperm from outside the state for artificial insemination of the animal.

    The government believes the step will help increase the numbers of better breeds of cows and control the male population.

    “The state proposes to introduce the use of sex-sorted semen for the benefit of dairy farmers. There will be an increase in the number of high genetic female calves born in cattle and buffalo farms with the use of sex-sorted semen. It will control the birth of scrub bulls as 80-90% of all births would be of female calves,” the state’s Finance Minister Ajanta Neog said in the Assembly reading out the state budget on Friday.

    She said female births would help in meeting the ever-increasing demand for milk.

    This year, the government proposed to cover 50,000 cattle and buffaloes with the use of 1.25 lakh doses of high genetic merit sex-sorted frozen semen.

    “With a 30% conception rate, at least 12,000 female calves are expected to be born as a result of implementation during the first year. The scheme may continue by inseminating 50,000 animals annually for the next four years. Farmers’ livelihood and milk production will get a massive boost leading to a positive impact on the economy,” the minister further said.

    ALSO READ |  CM Himanta tables Assam Cattle Preservation Bill in Assembly to control slaughter, trade

    The minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) was quick to criticise the government for the decision on artificial insemination for female calves. The party said the money could have been spent in the fight against the pandemic.

    “We don’t understand why the government is giving priority to cows. Thousands died due to Covid. People are suffering. What was the need for it?” asked AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam.

    He continued in the same vein: “What is the benefit of the public if a male or a female calf is born?”

    Islam said according to the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, which was tabled in the Assembly recently, only bulls, aged above 14 years, can be slaughtered but with due permission from the authority concerned.

    “If the slaughter of cattle is banned in the state, Muslims and Christians, who eat beef, will not die. There are alternatives like chicken, mutton, fish, and vegetables. The non-beef-eating communities are living on these,” the MLA added.

    The smuggling of cattle thrives in Assam. A few days ago, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had asked the police to make sure there is no case involving cows.

    Meanwhile, to minimize the learning loss and bridge the digital divide, the government has decided to provide mobile phones to the students of classes IX and X.

    The government said this would act as a positive reinforcement for continuity of education and a deterrent against the dropout rate in schools. The scheme will benefit nearly eight lakh students. 

  • Assam govt tables Rs 566 crore deficit budget, proposes no new tax

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Friday presented a Rs 566 crore deficit budget for 2021-22 in the assembly, without proposing any new tax on the public.

    This is the first budget of the Himanta Biswa Sarma- led government.

    While reading out the budgetary proposals, Ajanta Neog, the first-ever woman finance minister of Assam, said that she is following the footsteps of her predecessor who had decided not to tax the public in his budgets.

    Sarma was the finance minister in the previous Sarbananda Sonowal government.

    “I too, with the aim of continuing this trend, would like to hereby place my budget without levying any extra tax on the public,” she said in the Assam Assembly.

    During the last fiscal, the Tax Department’s collection declined to Rs 14,645 crore from Rs 14,967 crore in the previous financial year due to “economic slowdown” on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neog said.

    Presenting the Budget estimates, she said the aggregate income has been calculated to be Rs 2,89,770.68 crore for 2021-22, while the total expenditure for the fiscal is estimated at Rs 2,89,367.10 crore.

    “Thus, estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs 403.58 crore.

    This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 969.78 crore will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 566.20 crore at the end of the year 2021-22,” she added.

  • Mizoram rejects Himanta’s encroachment charge, says Assam laying claim on its territories

    By PTI
    AIZAWL: The Mizoram government alleged on Friday that neighbouring Assam was laying claims on its territories, which the residents of its border villages have been occupying for over 100 years.

    Speaking to PTI, Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo claimed that it did not encroach even an inch of Assam’s territory as alleged by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of the neighbouring state.

    “Assam is laying claims on Mizoram’s territories, which the residents of border villages have been occupying for over 100 years. Satellite images will prove that what Assam claims to be its territories have been inhabited by the Mizos for over a century. There is no encroachment by Mizoram on Assam’s territory. It is the other way round,” Chuaungo said.

    He alleged that Assam officials encroached on Mizoram’s territories under the supervision of the Assam Police and the state’s Forest Department during June-July despite the decision to maintain status quo in the disputed areas.

    “The filing of lawsuit by the Assam government against Mizoram officials is just a gimmick to cover up their massive encroachment on Mizoram’s territories,” the chief secretary said.

    While Mizoram accepts the 509 sq mile stretch of the inner-line reserve forest notified in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 as its actual boundary, the Assam side agrees with the constitutional map drawn in 1933, a top official of the Mizoram Home Department had earlier said.

    The 1933 map was an imposed boundary as Mizoram’s consent was not taken at the time of demarcation and the boundaries were not verified on the ground jointly by both the states, she had said.

    On Monday, the Assam chief minister had told the state legislature that a total of 1,777.

    58 hectares of land in the Barak Valley region was taken over by encroachers from Mizoram.

    The Assam government had also filed a suit before a court in Cachar district on Thursday against certain officials of the Mizoram government over the alleged encroachment of its forest land and intentional destruction of forests across the state border.

    Mizoram’s Kolasib district Deputy Commissioner H Lalthlangliana said they did not encroach on Assam’s territory but was protecting the land that they have been occupying since “time immemorial”.

    Though the situation along the inter-state border is normal now, tension is palpable, he said.

    Mizoram shares a 164.6-km-long border with Assam.

    The recent border dispute flared up on June 29 when the two Northeastern states accused each other of encroachment at Aitlang hnar near Vairengte, which borders Assam’s Hailakandi district.

    Tension escalated when Assam officials allegedly destroyed some plantations at Buarchep in the Phainuam area bordering Cachar district on July 10 during eviction, even as Assam accused Mizoram of encroaching more than 6 km into its territory.

    The two states have deployed forces to prevent any further encroachment.

  • Assam police given ‘full operational liberty’ to act against criminals: CM Himanta on encounters 

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Rebutting criticism against the recent encounters in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state police has “full operational liberty” to fight against the criminals within the ambit of law.

    Replying to a Zero Hour discussion on the rising number of encounters initiated by the Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in the Assembly, Sarma appealed to all the MLAs to send a message that the House is against any form of crime.

    “As a leader of the House, I thank and congratulate the Assam police for its work as whole and especially in my tenure.

    “I want to tell the DGP that do not torture innocent people. You have full operational liberty as long as you fight against the criminals as per the law,” he added.

    Sarma informed the house that in the last two months, 15 alleged criminals have died and 23 others were injured in police encounters when they snatched service weapons, tried to attack and attempted to escape.

    “As the chief minister of the state and with full sense of responsibility, I want to say that we have zero tolerance towards cow smuggling, drug trade, human trafficking, crime against women and children, and all crimes will be dealt with heavily and firmly irrespective of religion and caste,” he added.

    The criminals must understand that there is a government, which is confident, resolute and has the will power to retaliate against them if it is attacked or try to flee but within the ambit of the law, said Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio.

    Giving examples of the situations leading to encounters, he said that among the killed were six suspected Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) terrorists and two alleged militants of United People’s Revolutionary Front (UPRF) who were heavily armed and opened fire at police, which went to arrest the insurgents.

    “There is one RPF personnel, who was the kingpin of a drug network. When police arrested him, he knew that it was the end of his world. So, he snatched the service revolver of one policeman and then police had to fire at him.

    “In the minor rape case of Morigaon, the accused killed the 9-year old girl and then he raped her from both sides — vagina and anal. These are not humans. He knew that he will be convicted with extreme punishment and so he tried to flee. Police had to fire at him,” Sarma said.

    A total of 504 persons have been arrested in the last two months for their alleged involvement in cattle smuggling and only four of them were injured in police firing as they tried to escape, he added.

    “It is the police which again take the criminals to hospital, treat them and then produce them in the court. Our main attempt is to get the criminals convicted and punished,” Sarma said.

    He said that the critics are citing laws and human rights, but the same law and the Constitution give power to a police person to defend himself and act against the criminals.

  • CM Himanta tables Assam Cattle Preservation Bill in Assembly to control slaughter, trade

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled the “Assam Cattle Preservation Bill 2021” on the first day of the Budget Session of Assembly on Monday.

    Approved recently by the state cabinet for introduction in the House, the Bill seeks to ban the transport of cattle to and fro the state as well as within the state to thwart smuggling to Bangladesh.

    “Provided that the state government may exempt certain places of worship or certain occasions for the slaughter of cattle other than calf, heifer, and cow for religious purposes…

    “No person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cattle without a valid permit from any place of another state through Assam to any place outside the state of Assam, any place within the state of Assam to any place outside the state of Assam where the slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law,” the Bill reads.

    It also states that no person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cattle from any place of another state to any place within the state, slaughter whereof is punishable under this Act.

    ALSO READ | Assam cattle law: Meghalaya fears choking of supply

    Further, the Bill states that no person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any cattle from any place within the state to any other place within the state, slaughter whereof is punishable under this Act.

    The Bill adds that competent authority may issue permits for the transport of cattle for agricultural or animal husbandry purposes.

    A lot of people consume beef in the Christian-majority states of Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland. The Meghalaya government has already expressed its concern over the possible choking of supply.

    Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma recently said his government would approach the Centre if the Assam cattle law affects the people and the economy of Meghalaya.

    “We will take all steps needed to make sure supply is not affected by the Assam law,” he said.

    The beef business helps thousands of people eke out a living in Meghalaya. Cattle, procured from states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, are transported to Meghalaya through Assam.

  • Assam govt collected Rs 7.44 crore from COVID-19 protocol violators in 2020: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Over Rs 7.44 crore has been collected as penalty for violating different COVID-19 restrictions across Assam in 2020, the state assembly was informed on Monday.

    In a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Nurul Huda, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the fine amount stood at Rs 7,44,38,100 last year.

    Out of this, the highest sum of Rs 4.44 crore was realised from people not wearing masks, while Rs 2.15 crore was paid as fine by those with pillion riders in motorcycles, he said.

    The state government had levied Rs 500 as penalty for not wearing masks and riding pillion in motorcycles.

    For second-time violators, the amount was Rs 1,000.

    The chief minister added that the entire sum has been deposited at the treasury under the ‘Taxes on Vehicle’ category.

  • Hindutva way of life, adherents of most religions descendants of Hindus: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that Hindutva is a way of life and claimed that adherents of most religions are descendants of Hindus.

    Hindutva began 5,000 years ago and it cannot be stopped, the senior BJP leader said at a press conference organised to mark the completion of the second month of his government in the state.

    “Hindutva is a way of life. How can I or anybody stop it? It has been flowing through the ages. Almost all of us are descendants of Hindus. A Christian or a Muslim has also descended from Hindus at some point in time,” he said.

    Hindutva cannot be “removed” as it will mean “moving away from one’s roots and motherland”, Sarma said.

    Asked about the issue of “Love Jihad”, the chief minister said he has reservations for the term but asserted that nobody will be allowed to cheat a woman.

    “The government will not tolerate any woman being cheated by anyone — whether Hindu or Muslim. Appropriate action will be taken against such offenders to ensure the safety and security of our sisters,” he said.

    Asked about the opposition’s criticism of him for his statement that MLAs are meant to frame laws and ministers responsible for the development of constituencies, Sarma claimed that this is what the Constitution of India says and “legislators are above ministers” in this regard in the assembly.

    On Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi’s statement that he will question the government at the assembly on alleged ‘anti-people policies’, Sarma said, “As the ruling party, the BJP will get three hours, as the main opposition party, the Congress will get one hour, while an Independent MLA will get three minutes and can ask within that time.”

    “The BJP will not allow democracy to be hijacked but welcomes participatory democracy,” he added.

  • Assam opposition leaders jointly write to Governor, Speaker against CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Leaders of various opposition parties of Assam on Saturday came together to submit joint memoranda to Governor Jagdish Mukhi and assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary against certain remarks of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that allegedly belittled opposition MLAs.

    Terming the statements of the chief minister as “undemocratic and unconstitutional”, senior opposition leaders urged the Governor and the Speaker to advise Sarma, who has taken oath to protect the Constitution, to refrain from making such statements in future.

    “The remarks made by the Chief Minister which tries to demean the Constitutional roles and duties of the Opposition is in very bad taste and we feel that such behaviour is intolerable and unbecoming part of a Chief Minister who has taken oath under you to protect and preserve and safeguard the Indian Constitution,” they said in the memorandum to the governor.

    They were reacting to Sarma’s statement in the assembly on June 19 asking all opposition members to join the ruling BJP after a senior Congress MLA’s defection to the saffron party.

    They also objected to the chief minister’s July 6 comment at a programme in Barpeta district that MLAs do not have any power other than framing laws and it is the duty of the ministers to implement the legislation.

    “These remarks of the Chief Minister are undemocratic, unconstitutional and in violation of the provision of Indian Constitution,” the memorandum said.

    The memorandum was signed by Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, his deputy Rakibul Hussain, Congress chief whip Wazed Ali Choudhury and MLA Bharat Narah, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam, CPI(M) MLA Monoranjan Talukdar and Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi of Raijor Dal.

    Pointing out that the role of each organ in a democracy, including the MLAs and the opposition, is well defined, they said, “…the CM’s statement that an MLA has no work outside assembly is concocted, self-manufactured and baseless only with a view to dissuade Govt officials from listening to Opposition MLAs.”

    The opposition leaders submitted another similar memorandum to Speaker Daimary.

    “Sir, the Leader of the Assembly has belittled the members of the Opposition Bench on more than one occasion and this is a very unconstitutional, undemocratic way of behaviour of a person who has taken Oath as member of the House to uphold the dignity of the House,” the memorandum to the Speaker read.

    The Opposition leaders urged Daimary to advise the chief minister not to make such remarks that try to dilute the role and responsibility of an important part of democracy.

    The opposition parties had earlier separately criticised the chief minister for making those comments.