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                     Vol.2, No.19  [*] June 4, 1997
                     ------------------------------

   It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbour. 
                            - Eric Hoffer 
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------

1  MAJOR RESHUFFLE IN STATE BUREAUCRACY		        [S:4-JUN-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   The Government of Assam on June 3 undertook a  massive  reshuffle  of
   the  State  bureaucracy,  transferring  and  relocating  the posts of
   several  commissioners  and  secretaries,  deputy  commissioners  and
   additional  deputy  commissioners  and  officials  of  similar ranks.
   However, the reshuffle seems to be a routine one  without  any  basic
   change  in  the  structure  or creation of new or additional posts or
   departments.
   

2  COPS HELD FOR CUSTODIAL DEATH IN GOLAGHAT	        [UNI:3-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The Criminal Investigation  Department  (CID)  of  the  Assam  Police
   arrested  two  policemen  at Golaghat on June 2 for alleged custodial
   death of one Jyoti Lohar, a businessmen.    According  to  the  State
   Inspector  General of Police, Ashok Kumar Sahu, one sub-inspector and
   the driver, namely Hemkanta Pathak and  Kiran  Gohain,  of  the  then
   Superintendent of Police, Raghabendra Awasthi, were arrested.
   
   Mr  Awasthi was already under suspension and according to Mr Sahu, an
   Additional Superintendent of Police and an Inspector are also  likely
   to be arrested.  Mr Sahu, informed that Lohar was allegedly killed in
   cold-blood  by  a  police  party of Golaghat district because of some
   sharing dispute over collection of money from the  trucks  plying  on
   the national  highway.  He said, killing was a part of the huge mafia
   network controlling the national highways of the State.  They collect
   money from each loaded truck coming from outside the State.
   

3  FORMER TIES LEAVE ULFA DIVIDED OVER TALKS	          [S:3-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   From the statements by the Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta  and
   from  other available indications, it has by now become apparent that
   the banned ULFA is once  again  divided  over  the  issue  of  coming
   forward for  negotiations  or  throwing  in  the  towel.  Top-ranking
   sources in the State police told the Press, it was those  members  of
   the ULFA who had previously owed allegiance to the Assam Jatiyatabadi
   Yuba  Chhatra  Parishad (AJYCP) who were the hard-liners in the rebel
   outfit.
   
   According to the sources, the ULFA had drawn its cadres, when it  was
   first  set up, from two primary sources, the All Assam Students Union
   (AASU) and  the  AJYCP.    While  the  erstwhile  AASU  members   had
   consistently  proved  to  be the 'more reasonable' among the militant
   outfit, the former AJYCP members were stronger willed, more rigid and
   more difficult to convince on the issue of holding talks.

4  BULLET-RIDDEN BODY OF EX-SERVICEMEN RECOVERED	[S:4-JUN-97]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   The  police  recovered a bullet-riddled body of one Robin Saikia (45)
   an ex-servicemen from  Dangori  primary  health  centre  under  Talap
   police outpost,  about  40  km  from  Tinsukia  on June 2.  Two empty
   cartridges of AK-47 assault  rifle  were  recovered  from  the  spot.
   According to sources, Saikia was called out by ten unidentified armed
   youths  dressed  in Army fatigues from his residence in Dangori Behia
   Chok.
   

5  ROBBERY BID AT DR BHATTACHARYYA'S HOUSE FOILED	[AT+S:3-JUN-97]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   A gang of six  armed  dacoits  barged  into  the  residence  of  note
   litterateur  Dr  Birendra  Kumar Bhattacharyya on the night of June 1
   but foiled in their attempt to  loot  valuables  after  alert  family
   members and neighbours raised an alarm.  According to police sources,
   a  strong  bullet  fired  by a dacoit hit and injured one of the gang
   members.  The police could nab the injured dacoit Pradip Kalita,  but
   the others  fled.    Police  said the notorious dacoit Siben Mandal's
   gang was involved in the robbery attempt.
   

6  MIRACULOUS ESCAPE:  CAR DRAG MAN IN 'LOONGI'		[S:3-JUN-97]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   One Ramsital Mondol had a miraculous escape after a Fiat car  dragged
   him for  about  a  kilometre  in  Jorhat  on  June  1.   According to
   eyewitnesses, Mondal's 'loongi' got struck to the car and the  driver
   of  the  car  unaware  of  this  drove  for  about a kilometre before
   stopping the vehicle.  Mondal has been admitted to hospital.

7  NALINI BAISHYA NEW DIRECTOR OF OIL			[S:4-JUN-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   Mr  Nalini Charan Baishya has been appointed as Director (Operations)
   of Oil India Limited with effect from May 26, 1997, said an OIL press
   release.
   

8  ON-LINE FACILITY IN GUWAHATI STOCK EXCHANGE SOON	[S:3-JUN-97]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   The Guwahati Stock Exchange (GSE) authorities have decided to provide
   on-line  trading  facilities  to  its  members in a couple of months.
   This decision was arrived at the meeting of the council of management
   of the GSE. Sources in the GSE said, with  the  introduction  of  the
   on-line  facility,  stock-trading  in  the  exchange  would get a big
   boost.
   

9  ASAD HELP BOOTH FOR UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS		[S:3-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The Assamese Students' Association, Delhi has opened three 'admission
   guide booths' in New Delhi to help  students  seeking  admissions  to
   various Delhi   University   courses.    Apart  from  these  centres,
   admission information will also be available at two ASAD  centres  in
   Guwahati, according to a press release of the association.

10 ZEE TV TO TAP LOCAL TALENT				[S:3-JUN-97]
   --------------------------
   
   With a view to ensuring that the singing talent of the  North-eastern
   region  participate  in  its most popular music-based programmes, TVS
   Saregama and Close  Up  Antakshari  the  leading  private  television
   channel  in  the country, Zee TV is organizing a talent hunt which is
   to close by June 15.
   
 
11 TOURNEY NAMED AFTER KANAI BEZBARUAH			[AT:3-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------
   
   The School Games Federation of India (SGFI) has decided to  name  the
   national  under-14  school  cricket  championship  after  Hari Prasad
   (Kanai) Bezbarua, according to the  Director  of  Sports,  Assam,  Mr
   Swapnanil Baruah.    It  may  be mentioned that Kanai Bezbaruah was a
   noted crickter of the State who represented Assam in Ranji Trophy and
   was a member of the East Zone team.  It is a fitting tribute  to  the
   renowned crickter of the State by the SGFI.
   

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________