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			Vol.I, No.97 [*] March 8, 1997
			------------------------------

1  CBI INTERROGATES FORMER MINISTERS                    [S:7+8-MAR-97]
   ---------------------------------
   
   In  a  major  development  in the probe into the Animal Husbandry and
   Veterinary Letter of Credit (LoC) scam, the CBI  grilled  the  former
   president  of  APCC  and former Veterinary Minister, Mr Nakul Das and
   the AGP MLA and former Veterinary Minister, Mr Dilip  Saikia  Sonowal
   for  several hours on March 6 to ascertain their roles in the scandal
   in connection with the Rs.44-crore Demow ICDP case.
   
   On March 7, the eldest son of  late  Assam  Chief  Minister  Hiteswar
   Saikia,  Debabrata Saikia and former Labour Minister, Mr Barki Prasad
   Telenga  were  interrogated  for  several  hours  by  the  CBI   team
   investigating the Demow case.
   

2  NE ULTRAS' THREAT TO BLOW UP CHITTAGONG PORT         [PTI:07-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   Bangladesh beefed up security in and around Chittagong Port following
   threats  from  extremists  of  north-eastern  India  to  blow  up the
   establishment if Dhaka participated in any joint operation  with  New
   Delhi to  flush  them out from the Indian territory.  'We cannot take
   any chances on the security point of view,' Chittagong Port officials
   said on March 7.
   

3  MASTER PLAN TO PROMOTE TOURISM                       [S:06-MAR-97]
   ------------------------------
   
   The  Northeast  with  its  rich  tradition of handloom and handicraft
   needed to promote these as a tourist attractions by the setting up of
   stalls selling  these  merchandize  in  and  around  tourist  lodges,
   according  to  Union  Tourism  Secretary, Mr Madan Prasad Bezbarua at
   Guwahati on March 5.  
   
   He said that funds had already  been  sanctioned  for  upgrading  the
   Borjhar  airport  into  an international terminal linking it with the
   Southeast Asian countries.  The Tourism Ministry would work in  close
   coordination  with the Civil Aviation Ministry so as to have a proper
   peripheral aviation network in the North-eastern States.    This,  he
   pointed out, was one of the first criteria that international tourist
   sought while drawing up their travel plans.
   
   As  part  of  its  ambitious  marketing of tourism in the country the
   Center was intending to put Indian places of interest to the overseas
   tourist on the Internet, which envisages to draw a grater  volume  of
   tourists than ever before.  Foreign tourists would now have access to
   all the information on India in a lucid video format, he said.
   

4  GRANT TO GU, DU TO BE ENHANCED:  GOVERNOR            [AT:08-MAR-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   Assam Governor Loknath Misra announced on the floor of the  House  on
   March 7 that the State Government had decided to enhance the existing
   development grants to Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities.
   

5  WORLD BANK FISHERY SCHEME                            [AT:06-MAR-97]
   -------------------------
   
   The   World  Bank  specialist  in  fisheries  Mr  Ronald  Zweig  from
   Washington visited the demonstration unit of pig-cum-fish culture  at
   Sonapur in  Dimoria  Development  Block of Kamrup district.  Mr Zweig
   expressed his satisfaction on the implementation of the  scheme,  and
   wanted  the  pilot project to serve as a model for training the local
   fisheries.
   

6  NEW PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FROM APRIL            [UNI:06-MAR-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The   Assam   Government   has   decided   to   implement   the   new
   centrally-sponsored 'targeted public distribution system' (TPDS)  for
   the  people below the poverty line from April in the State, according
   to Civil Supply Minister, Digen Bora.  Speaking to newsmen  on  March
   6, the Minister said that under the new system 10 kg of rice or flour
   would be provided at half of the PDS price per kg every month.
   

7  THREE ARRESTED FOR PIRATING PUBLICATION BOARD BOOK   [AT:08-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Former  secretary of Publication Board, Assam, Kumud Sarma and two of
   his accomplices, Gautom Deka and Govinda Kalita  were  sent  to  jail
   custody by  the Kamrup Additional CJM on March 6.  They were arrested
   by the Panbazar  police  on  March  1  on  charges  of  pirating  the
   Publication Board's 'Adhunik Asamiya Abhidhan.'
   

8  ANCIENT ALTAR FOUND AT SURYA PAHAR                   [AT:07-MAR-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   A  beautiful  altar made of hard stone has recently been unearthed by
   the local people, during the construction work of the  Surya  Temple,
   at  the foot-hills of the famous Sri Surya Pahar, about 18 km east of
   Goalpara.  It may be mentioned that an idol of Bishnu was unearthed a
   few years ago, while digging a pond near the site.  The idol has  now
   been kept  in  the  State  Museum.    Ruins  of thousands of year old
   buildings with bricked walls and pucca floors  and  number  of  idols
   were  also  found  during an excavation work at another site near the
   hill a few years ago.
   

9  GOVT DECISION ON ASTC CRITICIZED                     [UNI:06-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------
   
   The  Assam State Transport Workers' Association has expressed anguish
   over the Government move to  stop  budgetary  support  to  the  State
   Transport  Corporation from April and appealed to the people to raise
   their voices in  protest.    The  association  alleged  that  certain
   quarters,  in  connivance  with some politicians, were also trying to
   privatize the ASTC with vested interest.
   
   The  association's secretary, Mr S.P.Goswami said since the inception
   of the corporation in 1970 it  had  been  run  more  on  a  political
   considerations than in the larger interest of its employees. Frequent
   changes  in  the top administration and whimsical changes of policies
   regarding the administration, purchases and appointments occurred  as
   a result. 
   
   Whenever  a  new  political  party  came  to power during the past 27
   years, it was seen that they made the corporation a milking  cow  for
   their  relatives,  supporters  and voters without considering whether
   the corporation would bear the burden or not, he alleged.
   

10 ANURADHA BARUA AWARDED BY AMERICAN INSTITUTE         [S:08-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   Dr  Anuradha  Barua  of  Gauhati  University  has  been  awarded  the
   'Distinguished Leadership Award '97'  by  the  American  Biographical
   Institute for her contribution to contemporary society, especially in
   the field  of  children's welfare.  She has written a number of books
   for children, of which, the book entitled 'Mukuta Mala' was  adjudged
   the  best  in  the  national-level  competition organized by NCERT in
   1975.

   
11 MS GOGOI SETS NEW MARK IN VETERAN'S CHAMPIONSHIP     [S:07-MAR-97]
   ------------------------------------------------
  
   Ms Leela Gogoi of above 50-years age group category  has  broken  her
   earlier  national  record in the hammer throw event by throwing 20.60
   metre in the 19th national veterans' athletic  championship  held  at
   Kanpur from  February  27 to March 2.  Meanwhile, the 158 athletes of
   Assam in all age-groups, who participated  in  the  tournament,  have
   returned to Assam securing 23 golds, 20 silvers and 25 bronze medals.
   In  the  200  metre  race  for  men  in the above-40 category, Probin
   Sonowal created a new record.
   

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation only.
      [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
	      http://www.cyberspace.org/~mozz/aol.html  
  http://piglet.uccs.edu/~kalita/assam/news/news-from-assam-index.html
________________________________________________________________________