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                     Vol.2, No.21  [*] June 9, 1997
                     ------------------------------
           Often the best thing of not saying anything is that
                 it can't be repeated.  - Suzan Wiener
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------


1  PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE FOR CHIEF MINISTER		   [S:9-JUN-97]
   --------------------------------------
  
   The  State  Chief Minister, Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on June 8 had a
   providential  escape  when  a  remote-controlled  bomb   planted   by
   suspected  ULFA ultras went off at the A.T.Road at Kamakhya Gate area
   near Maligaon at about 1:05 pm (IST) just  as  the  CM's  convoy  was
   passing on his way back from the Borjhar Airport from New Delhi.  The
   bomb  was  planted  5-feet  under a culvert near a petrol pump at the
   foothills of Neelachal Hills.  Wires connected to the device was used
   to detonate the bomb from a house, about 400 metre off from the spot,
   south of the railway line.
   
   Police  arrested  two  persons Kalpanath Deka (32) and H.P.Verma from
   the house.  Four unused batteries and two used batteries  along  with
   some  incriminating  documents  including  a  photograph  of  an ULFA
   militant Rupak Baishya,  were  recovered  from  the  house.    Police
   sources  strongly  suspect  this  to be a handiwork of ULFA's Nalbari
   district committee.
   

2  ASSAM PUTS RS.172.71 BILLION PLAN PROPOSAL		   [S:7-JUN-97]
   ------------------------------------------
   
   The Assam Government  has  proposed  to  the  Centre  that  Rs.172.71
   billion be allocated to it under the Ninth Plan, according to a press
   release in  New  Delhi  on  June  6.    The  resource  worked out for
   financing the Ninth Plan stands at  Rs.89.84  billion  of  which  the
   major share  will  be  of the Centre totalling Rs.71.69 billion.  The
   externally-aided  project  assistance  has  been  pegged  at  Rs.3.28
   billion by the State Government.  The Ninth Plan will be finalized by
   adding   the   additional   funds  for  meeting  the  infrastructural
   deficiencies as recommended by the Shukla Commission in pursuance  of
   the Prime Minister's economic package for the North-east.
   
   The funds for some centrally-sponsored schemes being  transferred  to
   the States along with the allocation of 10 per cent of the total plan
   from each Central ministry/department for the North-east will also be
   added to  the Rs.89.84 billion projection.  The new capital to be set
   up at Dispur is also included in the plan.  This  was  decided  at  a
   meeting  to  finalize  the  plan  allocation  for Assam at the Yojana
   Bhavan in New Delhi in which State Chief Minister  along  with  other
   officials participated.    On  the  Centre's  side,  officials of the
   Planning Commission including the deputy chairman participated.

3  FINER-BCI SIGN MOU TO EXPAND INDO-BANGLA TRADE	 [PTI:8-JUN-97]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   The Federation of Industries of North-Eastern Region (FINER) signed a
   memorandum  of  understanding  (MoU)  with  the Bangladesh Chamber of
   Commerce (BCI) on June 8 in  Dhaka,  to  expand  trade  and  economic
   cooperation  between  Dhaka  and  India's seven north-eastern States.
   According to the MoU, both sides will  provide  local  assistance  to
   representatives  of each other in all matters to trade development in
   the respective countries.
   

4  BODY OF AGP LEADER PRASHANTA BODO RECOVERED		   [S:9-JUN-97]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   The  bullet-riddled  body of Prashanta Bodo (35) who was kidnapped by
   unidentified gunmen on June 6 night was recovered on June 8 from  the
   Digaru river,  about  3 km from Sonapur.  With both hands tied at the
   back and the body floating face down on the water, it was noticed  by
   the police.    It bore four bullet marks on the head and other spots.
   Bodo was the convenor of rural coordination committee of AGP's Dispur
   constituency and an executive member of its Guwahati  district  unit.
   He was  an  employee of MES at the Air Force Station at Sonapur.  The
   Kamrup Deputy Commissioner has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the
   matter.
   

5  STATE GOVERNMENT'S DIRECTIVE TO DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS    [S:7-JUN-97]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   
   The Government of Assam has directed all deputy commissioners of  the
   State  to  visit  the  place  of  occurrence whenever any incident of
   alleged rape, molestation, harassment or killing etc.  is reported in
   their respective districts in connection with the  counter-insurgency
   operations  within  24  hours  of  its  report and submit the details
   within a week to the Government.
   

6  GMC AWAITS CENTRE'S APPROVAL FOR WATER SUPPLY SCHEME   [AT:7-JUN-97]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   
   Faced with the growing  demand  from  a  burgeoning  population,  the
   Guwahati  Municipal  Corporation  (GMC)  has  prepared a Rs.4-billion
   futuristic water supply scheme for the 264 square-kilometre  Guwahati
   master  plan  area, in addition to its existing water supply schemes,
   to cover 1.68 million people by 2011 and 2.12 million by  2021,  said
   GMC sources.     The  proposal  is  pending  approval  of  the  Union
   Government which is sought to be implemented with the assistance from
   the Japanese Government.
   

7  SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF PRIMATES IN BORAJAN FOREST	   [S:7-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   A detailed scientific survey of primates to understand  the  rate  of
   change have  been  taken  for the first time in Assam.  The survey is
   supported by the North-east Centre of Indo-US  Primate  Programme,  a
   joint  venture  of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
   India and US Fish and Wildlife Service.  This survey  is  part  of  a
   long-term   study   to   understand   ecology,  environment  resource
   utilization,  forest  communities,  intraspecific  interactions   and
   density  dependent  mechanism  to be carried out in North-east India.
   The survey has been launched in the Borajan reserved forest of Digboi
   division in upper Assam.
   

8  POLICEMEN REWARDED FOR NABBING DREADED DACOIT	  [AT:7-JUN-97]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   The Director General of Police, Assam, Mr K.Hrishikeshan  on  June  6
   gave  away  rewards  to seven policemen of Guwahati city division for
   their commendable performance in successful nabbing of dreaded dacoit
   Siben Mondal, kingpin of a spate of  dacoities  in  Guwahati,  and  a
   number of  his accomplices.  Hatem Ali Ahmed, Assistant Sub-Inspector
   who led the operation received a cash award of Rs.2,000  and  out  of
   turn promotion  to the rank of Sub-Inspector of police.  Cash rewards
   of Rs.500 each were given to havilder Sukleswar Das, naik Om Prakash,
   lance naik Niharam Gogoi, constable Sunil Kumar Mandal, driver  Lohit
   Das.  All of them were conferred appreciation certificates.

9  UTPAL, SHYAM WIN MEDALS IN NATIONAL GAMES	          [AT:9-JUN-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   Utpal Handique and  Shyam  Rajkhowa  finally  succeeded  in  breaking
   Assam's medal  drought in the fourth National Games in Banglore.  The
   taekwondo  players  from  Assam  stuck  silver  and   bronze   medals
   respectively on  the  eight day of the meet.  Utpal won the silver in
   the 50-kg weight while Shyam clinced the bronze in  the  above  83-kg
   category.   It  may  be  mentioned that Shyam was the only gold medal
   winner for Assam in the last National Games held at Pune.


______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________