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                     Vol.I, No.79 [*] January 6, 1997

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   Assam Online wishes its readers a Happy and Prosporous New Year.
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o  25 CHARGESHEETED IN LOC SCAM				[AT:04-01-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   The Central Bureau of Investigation investigating into the Letter of
   Credit  scam  in  the  Veterinary   Department   of   Assam,   filed
   chargesheets  against  25 persons including government officials for
   their alleged involvement in the Nagaon ICDP case and the two  cases
   in Abhayapuri.
   

o  SIX DECOMPOSED BODIES OF TIMBER SMUGGLERS FOUND	[S:05-01-97]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   The recovery of six highly decomposed bodies,  suspected  to  be  of
   timber  smugglers,  in  a drifting boat ladden with illegally felled
   logs in Dhola  in  Tinsukia  district  on  January  3,  has  created
   sensation in the area.
   
   Police sources said, suspected ULFA militants fired upon and  killed
   12  timber  smugglers  when  the  16-member  group  of smugglers was
   ferrying illegally felled logs in four boats along the  Dhola  river
   on the  night  of  December  25,  1995  from Arunachal Pradesh.  The
   incident took  place  in  the  Arunachal  Khuti  area  in  Arunachal
   Pradesh.  The  militants reportedly set the boats on fire.  However,
   four of the smugglers managed to escape and informed the Tapal  Army
   camp about the incident on January 2.
   
   Sources claimed that smuggling of logs had been going on unabated in
   the area despite a recent ban on felling  of  logs  by  the  Supreme
   Court.   The smugglers reportedly cut trees in Arunachal Pradesh and
   transport them through rivers to Dibrugarh where the logs were  sold
   at high prices.
   

o  ARMY MOVES INTO KOKRAJHAR			       [AT+S:04-01-97]
   -------------------------
   
   The Army has moved into Kokrajhar district in  view  of  the  recent
   spurt in the incidents of violence.  Army sources also confirmed the
   Army's moving into the trouble-torn district.  A convoy of seventeen
   Army  vans carrying Army jawans arrived in Kokrajhar town on January
   3, while, Army jeeps were also seen  moving  around  the  town,  eye
   witnesses said.
   

o  16 ELEPHANT DIE OF STARVATION			[AT:04-01-97]
   -----------------------------
   
   As many as 16 elephants died in Kaziranga National  Park  and  Manas
   Wildlife  Sanctuary of the State since July 1995 much to the anguish
   of the animal lovers and environmentalists.  What's more  disturbing
   at  present  is  that  at least 106 elephants spread over Kaziranga,
   Manas Laokhowa, Orang and the State Zoo owned by  the  State  Forest
   Department  are  literally  starving  as  the fodder supply has been
   stopped by the  concerned  suppliers  due  to  nonpayment  of  their
   pending bills by the State Government, forest sources said.
   
   Meanwhile, the Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife),  Mr  P.Lahon,
   on  January  4  denied  that  16  elephants  had died of starvation.
   Starvation death of wild elephants in Assam is not possible as  they
   they  were  provided fodder by the Forest Department, Mr Lahon said.
   He attributed the deaths of the pachyderms to 'natural  causes.'  He
   also  denied the report that 106 elephants in the State are starving
   non-supply of fodder due to nonpayment of pending bills.   He  said,
   food was still being supplied on credit by contractors.
   

o  MAJOR TRAIN DISASTER AVERTED				[AT:05-01-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   The  passengers of 30 Dn Dhubri train on the metre gauge section had
   a providential escape on January 4 when a disaster  was  averted  by
   the  timely detection of a missing portion of rails near Chechapani,
   Kokrajhar.   Railway  sources  here  said  a  gangman  detected  the
   sabotage  on  the track around 6:30 am IST minutes before the Dhubri
   passenger was pass the area.  Last Monday in the same  area  on  the
   near by broad gauge track the Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail was blown
   up by suspected Bodo militants killing 33 people.
   

o  TEA-LADDEN TRUCK DISAPPEARS				[S:05-01-97]
   ---------------------------
   
   A  tea-ladden  truck,  disappeared  midway en route from Tinsukia to
   Guwahati on October 24, 1995.  According to sources, the  truck  was
   detained by the Enforcement Department on suspicion at Jorhat.  When
   the  vehicle documents showed some discrepancies, the documents were
   seized allowing the truck to go with a 'seizure list'.  However, the
   truck never reached its destination.  Though the  vehicle  documents
   showed  registration  at  Guwahati,  the Guwahati District Transport
   Office clarified that the registration number of the truck  actually
   belonged to  a  scooter.    The  consignment  was  worth  more  than
   Rs.500,000.
   
   According to sources, some trucks coming into the State from outside
   often indulge in this type of cheating.  They acquire false  vehicle
   documents  and  get  involved  in  transporting  goods but disappear
   midway.
   

o  ROAD MISHAP MORE ON NHs				[AT:05-01-97]
   -----------------------
   
   Road accidents on the National Highways in the State continued to be
   on the higher side compared to State and other highways  during  the
   period   1991   to  1995,  according  to  Mr  B.B.Hagjer,  Transport
   Commissioner.
   

o  KATHA AWARD FOR JAYANTA KUMAR CHAKRAVARTY		[AT:05-01-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   Mr Jayanta Kumar Chakravarty has bagged the prestigious Katha  Award
   for  creative  fiction  in  Assamese  for  his short story 'Sangamat
   Esatur' (a Dip in the Sangam).  The short story was translated  into
   English by Ms Mitra Phukan.
   

o  ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS RELEASED				[AT:05-01-97]
   ---------------------------
   
   Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta released an anthology of Assamese poems by
   poet Gautom Prasad Barua entitled 'Mor Janma Biplobor Juir Majot' at
   a function held  under  the  aegis  of  Rupkala  Keshori  Sanskritik
   Senani, at  Guwahati  on  January 5 at Vivekananda Kendra Hall.  The
   book has been dedicated to three eminent artists of  the  State,  Dr
   Bhupen Hazarika, Mr Kulada Kumar Bhattacharya and Mr Arun Sarma.
   

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________

Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation only.
      [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
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