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                           Vol.2, No.9 [*] May 5, 1997
                           ---------------------------

1  BSF BUSTS GUN-RUNNING RACKET				[S:5-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   In a major operation the Border Security Force (BSF), apprehended one
   gun-runner  for sophisticated arms, ammunition and explosives who was
   supplying the subversive materials mainly to Punjab militants.    The
   arrest  was  made  somewhere  on  the  Indo-Bangladesh  border in the
   Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya on May 3.   Security  forces  and
   intelligence agencies are thrilled with the arrest as many more facts
   regarding  the nexus between Northeast ultras and Punjab and Kashmiri
   militants are expected to come to light.
   
   According to intelligence officials  the  gun-runner,  identified  as
   Sabir  Hussain,  35, is presently working for Kashmiri militants, his
   recent mission was to procure small weapons  for  Kashmiri  militants
   from Bangladesh.
   

2  DHAKA WON'T PROVIDE SANCTUARY TO NE ULTRAS		[AT:4-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------------------
  
   'Bangladesh  had  never provided sanctuary to the insurgent groups of
   the Northeast region and never will in future.  We will  never  allow
   our land to be used for launching insurgent movement.' These were the
   assertions  of  Bangladesh Speaker Humayun Rashid Choudhury and Imran
   Ahmed, member of Jatiya Sansad, the Bangladesh Parliament.
   

3  AASU TO START ANTI-UNIFIED COMMAND STIR		[S:3-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   With  a three hour sit in demonstration at Dispur Last Gate, Guwahati
   from 12 o'clock of May 8, the All Assam Students' Union will start an
   agitation against the Unified  Command  'imposed  on  the  people  of
   Assam' and demand for repeal of all 'black laws', a stop to all types
   of violence, implementation of the Assam Accord, correction of voters
   list etc.      The   president  and  the  general  secretary  of  the
   organization told newsmen at a press conference at Guwahati on May  2
   that  the  AASU had also decided to launch an 'economic movement' for
   rapid industrialization and employment generation through agriculture
   in Assam.
   
   The sit in demonstration will be followed by a State-wide  satyagraha
   on  May  17,  they said adding that the AASU had not given a call for
   any bandh as people do not like it.  But, it would  be  compelled  to
   call  for  a 50-hour bandh if the satyagraha failed to evoke positive
   response, they warned.
   

4  BJP'S IMAGE BUILDING DRIVE IN NORTHEAST SOON		[AT:4-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   In an apparent bid to give a new facelift to its image, the Bharatiya
   Janata  Party has decided to break fresh grounds in the North Eastern
   States and South India by launching a massive  campaign  in  the  two
   regions  where  the  party failed to create an impact during the last
   polls.
   
   The party has only one MP in the Lok Sabha,  D.N.Das  from  Karimganj
   Parliamentary  seat,  from  the entire Eastern region, while from the
   South it has only six MPs and all of them from Karnataka.
   

5  NE ACCOUNTS FOR 17 PER CENT OF INDIA'S DRUG ADDICTS	[S:4-MAY-97
   ---------------------------------------------------
   
   Despite the fact that the seven  Northeast  States,  which  comprised
   just  seven  per cent of the national area and accounted for just 3.5
   per cent of the Indian population, the  region  boasted  the  dubious
   distinction  of  having  17  per  cent  of the country's drug addicts
   according to Narcotics  Commissioner,  Narcotic  Control  Bureau,  Mr
   R.Bhattacharjee at Guwahati on May 3. He was delivering the inaugural
   address  at  a Training of Trainers (TOT) Course on the Prevention of
   drug Abuse at the National Institute of Rural  Development.
   
   Underscoring the need for  enforcement  agencies  to  be  efficiently
   organized,  Mr  Bhattacharjee  said  it was equally important for the
   society  to  assist  the  law  in  tracking  down  the  paddler,  the
   traffickers and the big gangs.
   

6  EIGHT LICENSED BLOOD BANKS SET UP			[AT:3-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------
   
   In  accordance  with  the  directives of the Supreme Court, the State
   Health Department has already set up eight licensed  blood  banks  in
   the  State as part of its plan to have at least one such unit in each
   of the districts.
   
   According to the Health Minister, Dr  Kamala  Kalita,  out  of  these
   eight  units four are located in Guwahati which include blood bank in
   Gauhati Medical College, Downtown Hospital,  Army  Base  Hospital  at
   Basistha and Ganga Clinical Laboratory.  Two more units are likely to
   be set  up in Nagaon and Jorhat within this month.  The blood bank at
   Jorhat Civil Hospital is being set up  with  the  help  of  NGOs  and
   nursing homes.
   
   It  is  pertinent that as per the existing directive from the Supreme
   Court all hospitals and private nursing homes in the  State  are  now
   required   to  use  blood  from  authorized  banks  for  transfusion.
   Moreover, to have a licensed blood bank of its  own,  a  health  care
   unit must have the facility to carry out specific four tests of blood
   sample which include test for HIV, malaria, hepatitis and STD.
   

7  BRAHMAPUTRA BOARD FULLY FORMED			[PTI:3-MAY-97
   ------------------------------
   
   The Centre has fully constituted the Brahmaputra Board, lying dormant
   for long, with the appointment of all top  executives  including  the
   chairman, Mr A.T.Mohile.
   

8  HATIALI TEA ESTATE AWARDED ISO-9001			[S:4-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------------
   
   High  officials of the Tea Board visited the Hatiali Tea Estate under
   Rossell Industries recently.  They praised the quality production  of
   CTC  and  orthodox  tea  and  also  congratulated  the management and
   workers of the  tea  estate  for  receiving  the  prestigious  award,
   ISO-9001 this  year for quality management.  It may be mentioned that
   Hatiali Tea Estate of Chabua is the first tea industry in this region
   selected for the prestigious award ISO-9002.
   

9  CULINARY THREAT TO PACHYDERMS			[AT:3-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------
   
   A  new culinary delight for elephant meat developing among Khasis and
   Garos is posing a serious threat to the  survival  of  pachyderms  an
   endangered species.   The issue came to fore on April 4 when two Mizo
   youths were arrested near Nongpoh in Meghalaya for possessing over 20
   kg of smacked elephant meat.  The development was  first  noticed  by
   the  Forest  Department  way  back  in  1994  but the matter was soon
   forgotten when raids carried out in Shillong drew a blank.
   

10 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK TO CLOSE FROM MAY 6		[PTI:4-MAY-97
   -------------------------------------------
   
   The Kaziranga National Park,  home  to  the  world-famous  one-horned
   rhinos,  will  remain  close  for visitors from May 6 for the ensuing
   monsoons, according to its director,  Mr  Bisen  Singh  Bonal.    The
   yearly  closure  of  the  park becomes necessary as most of the areas
   remain flooded during the rains.
   

11 HASTIR KANYA ADJUDGED BEST				[AT:3-MAY-97]
   --------------------------
   
   Hastir   Kanya   (daughter   of  elephant),  the  53-minute  Assamese
   biographical film on the illustrious folk singer  Pratima  Pandey  of
   the  State  has  bagged  the  award for the best biographical film of
   1996.
   
   Hastir Kanya is the first directorial venture of Prabin  Hazarika,  a
   known theatre  personality of the State, in the big screen.  The film
   is produced by Mr Digbijoy Medhi.
   

12 ROHAN SAIKIA IN INDIAN TEAM				[UNI:3-MAY-97
   ---------------------------
   
   A  six  member  Indian  youth team (under-16), including three girls,
   will represent  the  country  in  the  NEC  World  Cup  Asia  Oceania
   qualifying round  to  be  played  at  Hiroshima next week.  The team,
   which leaves from New Delhi on May 3, includes Assam's Rohan Saikia.
   

13 SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED				[AT:4-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------
   
   The  Sports  Authority  of  India  regional sub-centre, Guwahati, has
   awarded the scholarships to  31  youngsters  in  a  function  at  the
   Centre's auditorium  at  Guwahati  on  May  3.  Nine players received
   national level scholarship of Rs.4,800 each  while  22  were  awarded
   state level of Rs.3,600 each.
   

______________________________[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://www.cs.uccs.edu/~kalita/assam/news/news-from-assam-index.html
________________________________________________________________________