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                     Vol.2, No.17 [*] May 30, 1997
                     -----------------------------

       We can learn much from wise words, little from wisecracks
             and less from wise guys. - William Arthur Ward
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------


1  LOC SCAM:  29 MORE CHARGESHEETED BY CBI		[S:29-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed charge sheets against
   29 persons implicated in the multi-crore-rupee letter of credit (LoC)
   scam in  Assam  in  the  special court in Guwahati on May 28.  Out of
   them 13 are from Veterinary Department, four Treasury  officials  and
   the other  12,  employees  of private concerns.  CBI sources informed
   that these accused have embezzled funds to the tune of  Rs.17,485,827
   in the Haflong-based Veterinary Department during 1991-92.
   
   The  Government  officials against whom charge sheets were filed are:
   Dr.T.L.Buragohain, B.N.Deka, Arifur Rahman, Dr.A.Rahman, Ibrahim Ali,
   B.N.Chakraborty,  Kamaruddin  Khan,   U.Halangkhel,   D.Purakayastha,
   G.C.Deb, D.Laskar,  D.Sonowal and T.Chetri.  Those from private firms
   and the suppliers were Nripendra Ray,  Bhola  Rongpi,  Manik  Sarkar,
   Ananda  Krew,  T.K.Das,  Victor  Sangma,  Pranab  Sarma, Jiten Gogoi,
   Vivekananda Sharma, Frankun Hanche, Krishna Hanche and Haren Ray.

2  US, CANADA KEEN TO INVEST IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH	[UNI:29-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   The   Arunachal  Pradesh  Government  has  signed  two  memoranda  of
   understanding (MoU) with two New York-based private firms  pertaining
   to  exploration  of  minerals  and setting up of 'sun village', Chief
   Minister Gegong Apang said in Itanagar on May 29 after returning from
   a 19-day foreign tour leading a four-member delegation to the  United
   Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, United States and Canada to explore
   the  possibility of promoting trade, technology and investment in his
   State.

3  NORTH-EAST TEAM TO VISIT BANGLADESH		        [UNI:27-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------------
   
   A 21-member delegation from  seven  northeastern  States  will  visit
   Bangladesh  from June 6 to explore possibilities of transit route for
   Indo-Bangla border trade and setting up of joint  venture  industrial
   units.   Tripura Industry and Commerce Minister, Mr Tapan Chakraborty
   told newsmen in  Agartala  that  the  delegation  would  include  two
   officials and an industrialist each from the seven North-east States.
   The  delegation  during  its four-day visit would hold talks with the
   Bangladesh Government and Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry
   and Chattagram Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

4  HS (SC) EXAM RESULTS: 62.7 PER CENT SUCCESSFUL	[AT+S:30-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   Results   of   the  Higher  Secondary  (Science)  examinations,  1997
   conducted by  the  Assam  Higher  Secondary  education  Council  were
   declared on  May  29.    Of  the  total 15,130 candidates, 9,488 were
   declared to have passed with the pass percentage being 62.70.    Last
   year the percentage of pass was 60.95 while in 1995 it was 59.02.
   
   Of  the  13  students  securing the top 10 positions of merit, eleven
   belonged to Cotton  College,  Guwahati.    They   are:      1.Bedanta
   Choudhury,   Cotton   College   (CC);  2.Abhishek  Hazarika,  CC;  3.
   Mushadique Jahan, CC; 4.Arnab Kishore Sinha, CC;  5.Utsav  Deka,  CC;
   6.Alakesh  Haloi,  CC;  7.Anamitra  Bhattacharryya,  Jagannath Baruah
   College, and Manash Bora, Nagaon College;  8.Neeta  Sharma,  CC,  and
   Arpita  Bhattacharryya,  CC;  9.Deepjyoti Goswami, CC; 10.Ankur Pegu,
   CC, and Biswajyoti Hazarika, CC.

5  LOW-COST HOUSING DESIGNS SOUGHT FOR DPEP	         [S:28-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   The Assam Government which has taken up a District Primary  Education
   Programme  (DPEP)  is looking out for innovative and low-cost housing
   designs in order to make the scheme more cost-effective  so  that  it
   can have  more  school  buildings  at an optimal cost.
   
   The  programme  which  is  being  conducted under the Assam Prathamik
   Shiksha Achoni Parishad (APSAP) and is funded by the  Union  Ministry
   of  Human  Resource  Development  has the three-fold objective of (i)
   making  primary  education  at  the  grass-root   level   universally
   accessible  with mass enrolment of children in the target group, (ii)
   retention of children up to the age of 14 and (iii) bringing about  a
   qualitative change in the education pattern to enable all children to
   achieve the essential level of learning.

6  PRESERVE RELIGIOUS PLACES, XATRAS : HC		[PTI:29-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   In a landmark judgement the Gauhati High Court has called  for  steps
   to  free  places  of  religious  worship including the various xatras
   (Vaishnavite monuments) and preserve them  in  their  original  form.
   Responding  to  a  public interest litigation the high court's acting
   Chief Justice V.D.Gyani in a recent order said that  for  maintenance
   and repairs of the xatras and where there are no managing committees,
   the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police were to maintain
   the xatras and preserve their sanctity as a place of worship.

7  SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE WITH HELP FROM NRI      [S:29-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   The  Assam  Minister of State for Science, Environment and Technology
   Haji Abdul Rouf has disclosed that two  planetariums,  one  at  Barak
   Valley  and  the other at either at Jorhat or Sibsagar will be set up
   along with a science city. Moreover, a science and technology  centre
   with help from an US-based NRI was on the cards, the minister added.

8  ULFA TO SET UP 'POLITICAL INSTITUTE'		       [PTI:28-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------------
  
   The  outlawed  ULFA  would  soon  set  up  a 'political institute' to
   provide training to its cadres. According to  a  law  passed  at  its
   seventh  general  council meeting held sometime back, a copy of which
   was available in Guwahati, the ULFA would appoint trainers to educate
   cadres about revolutionary political movement.
   
   Meanwhile,  the  Unlawful  Activities   (prevention)   Tribunal   has
   confirmed  the  ban  on  the  ULFA  which was declared as an unlawful
   association  by  the  Government  of  India  on  November  27,  1996,
   according to a PIB release in Guwahati on May 27.

9  AEC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED			[S:29-MAY-97]
   -------------------------------
   
   In a largely-attended meeting of the ex-students of Assam Engineering
   College  (AEC), Guwahati held at the auditorium of the college on May
   25 under the presidentship of the principal of the college, the Assam
   Engineering College Alumni Association was  launched  with  the  main
   objective  of  providing financial aid to the Alma Mater for creating
   better facilities, to exchange professional knowledge, to promote and
   support technological planning, research and development, to  provide
   career guidance, interaction with industries and continuing education
   and to  serve  the  society.   AEC was established in 1955 and is the
   first engineering college of the region.

10 RAG BIRAG FOR TASHKENT FILM FESTIVAL		        [PTI:29-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Assamese feature film Rag Birag, directed by Bidyut Chakravarty,  was
   sent  as  an  official  entry  to  the  Tashkent  International  Film
   Festival.  Produced by Nilkanth Movies of Bhaben  Baruah  and  Khanin
   Baruah,  the  film's story and screenplay was written by Ranjit Sarma
   and the music scored by Sher Choudhury.    Rag  Birag  also  won  the
   Indira Gandhi award for the Director's Best First Feature Film.

11 NRITYASHREE TO ASSAMESE GIRL			          [S:19-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   The  Akhil  Bharatiya  Kiron  Sangeet  Samaroh  was  recently held at
   Kotney, Madhya Pradesh.  In the Samaroh Ms Bobby Rani Talukdar, a  PG
   (Music)  student of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya at Khairagarh
   (MP), stood first and won the gold medal in Kathak Dance.    She  was
   given the  title  Nrityashree,  97  in the Samaroh.  She is the first
   Assamese to be honoured with the title.  Ms Talukdar is the  daughter
   of Gagan Ch.  Talukdar and Ms Gandhobala Talukdar of Guwahati.

12 NAGA PLAYER TO REPRESENT INDIA			[UNI:25-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------
   
   Four  times  taekwondo  national  gold  medallist Israel G.Xuivi will
   attend the special coaching camp in New Delhi to represent  India  in
   the   forthcoming   tenth  Senior  World  Taekwondo  Championship  at
   St.Petersburg, Russia from July 3.  A Nagaland  Taekwondo  Federation
   release  said  Mr Xuivi will be the only player from the northeastern
   region in the national team.


______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________