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                       Vol.I, No.99 [*] March 15, 1997
                       -------------------------------

1  RS.638.58 CRORE OVERALL DEFICIT BUDGET		[AT+S:15-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   A Rs.638.58 crore  overall  deficit  budget  with  tax  proposals  on
   specified  land,  increase of sales tax on various items of daily use
   and a new tax on luxuries like cigarettes, zarda, textiles etc.   for
   the  financial  year  1997-98  was presented in the State Assembly on
   March 14 by Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who also holds  the
   Finance portfolio.  However, this deficit included an opening deficit
   of  Rs.354.43 crore with the actual deficit for the ensuing financial
   year estimated at Rs.282.15 crore.
   

2  ULTRAS KILL FOUR IN AMBUSH AT BARHAMPUR		[S:13-MAR-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   Five  persons  --  two  forest  guards,  two CRPF jawans and an Assam
   Police constable -- were killed and at least 13 others  were  injured
   in  an  ambush  by suspected ultras at Hatianibheta near Barhampur in
   Nagaon district at around 4:30 pm on March 12.
   
   According to reports, a 22-member combined  CRPF,  Assam  Police  and
   Forest Guards team was returning to Nagaon after seizing 16 pieces of
   smuggled  logs  at Bamuni-Barbari, about 4-km from Barhampur on March
   12.  A truck following the mini-truck carrying the team overtook  the
   latter soon  after  crossing  Barhampur  and blocked the road.
   
   About 10-12 armed youths dressed in Army fatigues coming in the truck
   then opened fire on the team and speed towards Nagaon.    They  later
   stopped  a  Barhampur-bound passenger minibus and escaped in it after
   forcing the passengers to get down.
   
   It  may  be  mentioned  that the headquarters of the 9th Assam Police
   Battalion is situated a few hundred metres from the ambush  site  and
   the  armed  miscreants had crossed the headquarters before laying the
   ambush.
   

3  SIX ULFA MILITANTS KILLED IN ENCOUNTER		[AT:13-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   Six ULFA militants were killed and eight others including  four  Army
   personnel  were  injured  in a fierce gun battle between the Army and
   the militants at Guabari in Nalbari district at  around  1:30  am  on
   March 13,  Army  sources  said.   (UNI reports, however, said that at
   least two Army jawans were  also  killed  in  the  encounter).    The
   encounter lasted  for at least 15 minutes.  The area of the shoot-out
   borders Bhutan.
   

4  CM CRITICIZES BBC					[UNI:14-MAR-97]
   -----------------
   
   Chief  Minister  Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said in the State Assembly on
   March 14 that the BBC's coverage of ULFA's activities had damaged the
   country's image abroad.  Referring to a recent program  broadcast  by
   BBC,  Mr  Mahanta  said  the  propaganda the militants were receiving
   through it also amounted to a threat to the sovereignty of India.  'I
   have drawn the attention of the Prime Minister to  this  matter,'  Mr
   Mahants said.  
   
   It may be recalled, the BBC had broadcast an interview  of  some  top
   ULFA  leaders  including self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Barua,
   who are reportedly camping inside Bhutan territory.
   

5  LOC SCAM: MITALI CHOUDHURY INTERROGATED		[S+AT:12-MAR-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The  CBI  interrogated  Ms Mitali Choudhury, noted singer and wife of
   the AGP MLA and former Veterinary  Minister,  Mr  Dilip  Sonowal,  in
   connection  with  the Demow case in their residence for several hours
   on March 13.  According to CBI sources, Ms Choudhury was interrogated
   because the former Veterinary Minister had  purchased  properties  in
   different places  in  the  name  of  Ms  Choudhury.    The aim of the
   interrogation is to ascertain from where the money had come  for  the
   purchase of  the  properties.    The  CBI  also seized her income tax
   returns besides  the  income  tax  returns  of  Mr  Sonowal.    These
   documents will be examined before taking further actions.
   

6  ARUNACHAL OFFICE DISMANTLED				[PTI:14-MAR-97]
   ---------------------------
  
   Tension  prevailed  at  New  Soren  in  the  East  Siang  district of
   Arunachal Pradesh  bordering  Dhemaji  district  of  Assam  following
   dismantling  of Arunachal's newly-created circle headquarter there by
   the Assam police on March 8.  The Speaker of the Arunachal  Assembly,
   Mr  Tako  Dabi,  who hails from the area, told newsmen at Itanagar on
   March 13 that the DC and SP of Assam's Dhemaji district had come with
   a huge police force and ordered dismantling of the cluster of  houses
   comprising the   circle   office  and  staff  quarters.    The  Assam
   Government, Mr Dabi said,  had  not  raised  any  objections  to  the
   construction  earlier  as  the  area  did not fall under the disputed
   border between the two States.
   

7  TOCKLAI STATION FACING ROUGH WEATHER			[AT:11-MAR-97
   ------------------------------------
   
   The Tocklai Employees Union has been agitating since  December  1996,
   demanding   among   others,   nationalization   of  the  Station  and
   implementation of service rules.  The employees'  body  alleged  that
   the passive attitude of the management has resulted in the long-drawn
   stir.  On the other hand, the management claimed that the three-month
   long stir had hampered research works.
   

8  TETRA ANGULAR BLOCKS TO PROTECT MAJULI		[S:11-MAR-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   In  a communication to the Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the
   superintendent engineer in the civil  design  circle  of  the  UPSEB,
   Satish   Chandra   Agarwal   has   claimed   that   erection  of  RCC
   'tetra-angular  blocks  (TAB)'  would  provide  the  best,  safe  and
   effective permanent structure to save the island from the vagaries of
   Brahmaputra.
   
   According to Mr Agarwal, the use of plastic bags packed with sand and
   cement,  as  suggested  by  South African expert E.F.Mullar recently,
   would not be much use in case of Majuli because of  the  short  life,
   light weight and unpredictable nature of such bags.
   

9  ONGC STEPS TO INCREASE CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION		[S:13-MAR-97]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   As part of Oil and natural Gas  Corporation's  strategy  to  increase
   crude  oil production from the ageing oil fields of Assam by adopting
   the latest technological innovation, a large-sized  compressor  
   plant  meant  to  increase gas injection has been commissioned in the
   Rudrasagar oil field  of  ONGC  in  Sibasagar  district.    With  the
   commissioning of this compressor plant the crude production from this
   oils  field  has registered an increase of 33 per cent over the level
   of production before installation of the plant.
   

10 ARUNACHAL TO TAKE PART IN NEW YORK FASHION FARE	[UNI:11-MAR-97]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   Arunachal Government Handloom  and  Handicrafts  Department  for  the
   first   time  is  participating  in  the  industrial  fashion  fabric
   exhibition in New York to be held from March 18. 
   
   The  exhibition would  provide  an  exposure for colourful fabrics of
   Arunachal Pradesh.  A  three  member  team  headed  by  Secretary  of
   Industries  Mr  N.Diwakar  has  already  left for New York along with
   sufficient exhibit items to participate in the fare.
   

11 YOUNG BIKRAM IS JADU SAMRAT				[AT:13-MAR-97]
   ---------------------------
  
   Up-and-coming young magician,  Bikram  Talukdar,  was  conferred  the
   title  of  Jadu  Samrat  at  the All-India Magic Festival Jadu Samrat
   Competition held in the  District  Library  auditorium,  Guwahati  on
   March 7.    This historic ruling was outcome of an unanimous decision
   of three-member judges' panel arrived on the occasion.
   
   He  is  the  only  son  of Mr Kumud Talukdar and Ms Bhanu Talukdar of
   Sarumotoria, Guwahati.  He is a seventh standard student  of Guwahati
   Public  School.
   

12 BAREK, ROSE WIN MARATHON TITLE			[AT:11-MAR-97]
   ------------------------------
  
   Md Abdul Barek of Assam and Kum Izy Rose of  Meghalaya  clinched  the
   men's  and  women's  titles  respectively  in the first Promode Kanta
   Sarma Memorial Northeast Marathon Championship held  in  Guwahati  on
   March 9.   Sports Director Swapnali Barua gave away the prizes to the
   runners.
   

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________