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                     Vol.2, No.6  [*]  April 25, 1997
                     --------------------------------

1  IFAD US $33 MILLION LOAN FOR NE PROJECT		[S:25-APR-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The  International  Fund  for  Agricultural  Development  (IFAD)  has
   decided  to give a US $33 million loan to the Government of India for
   the 'North Eastern Region Community  Management  Project  for  Upland
   Areas' an  official  release  said.    The  project  will cover Karbi
   Anglong and North Cachar districts of Meghalaya and two districts  of
   Manipur.
   
   The seven-year project beginning in the current year 1997-98 will  be
   implemented  by  the  North  Eastern Council which will release funds
   directly to the district societies registered for the purpose.

2  PRIME MINISTER ASSURES OF SUPPORT		[S:23-APR-97]
   ---------------------------------
   
   The newly-elected Prime Minister, Mr.I.K.Gujral has assured the Assam
   Chief  Minister  Prafulla  Kumar  Mahanta  that  the Centre would not
   change its policy on Assam or any of the north-eastern States with  a
   change in leadership of the Union Cabinet.
   

3  UNIFIED COMMAND EXTENDED BY ANOTHER 3 MONTHS	[S:23-APR-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   The tenure of the three-tired Unified Headquarters command structure,
   which has been enforced to counter insurgency activity in Assam, that
   came  to  an  end  on  April  20,  has been extended by another three
   months.
   

4  MAGISTRATES ON DUTY ARREST ERRANT LESSEES	[S:23-APR-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   In a  lightning  reaction  to  a  letter  by  aggrieved  truck-owners
   operating  trucks  on  Food  Corporation of India (FCI) duty, who had
   complained of being excessively  charged  by  toll  and  parking  lot
   lessees  of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, two persons were arrested
   by magistrates on duty.  The lessees of the Khanapara  toll  gate  in
   Guwahati  were  caught  red-handed  as they were collecting Rs.200 as
   entry fee from a truck as against the stipulated amount of Rs.50.
   

5  MYSTERIOUS PLANE FLIES OVER TRIPURA		[PTI:21-APR-97]
   -----------------------------------
   
   A mysterious foreign aircraft flew at  low  altitude  over  parts  of
   disturbed  areas  on  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  morning, creating
   consternation in the administrative circles in Agartala on April  21.
   The  small  airplane  flew  from  north to south over Mandai areas of
   Sidhai police station.  No air-dropping was reported from  the  area.
   The  Tripura  Government has requested the Airport Authority of India
   to investigate into the matter.
   
6  IDE STARTS FUNCTIONING IN NE			[AT:24-APR-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   The US based International Development Enterprises (IDE), an NGO  has
   started  functioning  in  the Northeastern region with an aim to help
   farmers of the region.  Work to help the farmers  through  supply  of
   low  cost  pedal  pumps  and  tubewells has already started in Dhubri
   district while the organisation plans to be active in  the  districts
   of   Kamrup,   Morigaon   and  Nagaon  very  soon,  the  IDE  country
   representative Mr David Rich told newsmen in Guwahati on April 23.
   
   He said the aim of the IDE, which opened its branch in the country in
   1992 was to  improve  the  agricultural  system  by  identifying  and
   marketing  very  low  cost,  sustainable technology to be sold to the
   farmers.
   

7  NEW EYE HOSPITAL AT HAILAKANDI			[AT:25-APR-97]
   ------------------------------
  
   The Lions Club  of  Silchar  is  constructing  a  Rs.1.25  crore  Eye
   Hospital  at Silchar where facilities including minor surgery will be
   available.  The hospital is likely to start  functioning  by  end  of
   June this year.
   

9  CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS IN ASSAM	[UNI+S:22-APR-97]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   The month-long Children's Film Festival 1997 organized by  the  State
   Directorate  of  Cultural  Affairs in collaboration with the National
   Centre of Films for Children and Young People (N'CYP) was inaugurated
   by Dipak Das, head of Assam Film Finance Corporation at the  Anuradha
   cinema in Guwahati on April 22.
   
   This  is  the  first  of  such  festivals  in the entire northeastern
   region.  Twenty recent children's films, including some award winning
   ones would be screened throughout the State in a phased manner.
   

10 LIGHT AND SOUND SYSTEM FOR TALATAL GHAR		[AT:23-APR-97]
   ---------------------------------------
  
   The  Department  of  Tourism,  Government of India, has sanctioned an
   amount of Rs.478,800 to the State Government for  installation  of  a
   light and sound show system in the historic Talatal ghar in Sibsagar.
   

11 XATRAS OF ASSAM IN PITIABLE CONDITION: NIGAM	[AT:25-APR-97]
   --------------------------------------------
  
   'Xatras of Assam are really in  pitiable  condition.  If  expeditious
   measures are not taken to preserve these institutions which have been
   serving  as  the  treasure-houses for the spirit of Assamese culture,
   days are not far when the present culture of the Assamese people will
   lose its essence to make it a totally  meaningless,  irrelevant  one'
   said  Dr.M.L.Nigam,  Chairman  of  the  Indian  Congress and a UNESCO
   consultant on Asiatic studies. Dr. Nigam was on a three day visit  to
   Guwahati in connection with the 58th anniversary of the State Museum.
   

12 DR BIKASH BARUAH'S THREAT			[S:25-APR-97]
   -------------------------
  
   Dr Bikash Baruah has written a letter to  the  State  Chief  Minister
   Prafulla  Kumar Mahanta from Jorhat jail threatening to go on 'hunger
   strike till death' if he was not released  from  custody  immediately
   without any conditions.  Significantly his bail plea was cancelled by
   court on April 24.

13 VIJAY RATNA AWARD FOR PREMODAKANTA BARUA	[AT:23-APR-97]
   ----------------------------------------
  
   Mr   Premadakanta   Barau,   well-known   technocrat   and  prominent
   socio-economic activist  of  the     Northeast,   was   awarded   the
   prestigious  Vijay  Ratna  Award at a function at New Delhi Progress,
   Harmony, Development (PHD) House, recently.

14 RAILWAY WATER COOLER DESIGNER AWARDED		[AT:24-APR-97]
   -------------------------------------
   
   Mr Bipul Chandra  Saikia,  Senior  Section  Engineer  (Power)  of  NF
   Railway  has received the Railway Week National Award for outstanding
   service.  He has developed a master water cooler that can be used  by
   a large number of passengers.  The award was presented by the Railway
   minister Ram Vilas Paswan in New Delhi on April 15.

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________