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                      Vol.3, No.11 [*]  March 9, 1998
                      -------------------------------

           There is no art which one government sooner learns of 
                 another than that of draining money from 
                         the pockets of the people.
                               - Adam Smith
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  AGP OPPOSES CONG-LED GOVT AT THE CENTRE		   [AT:8-MAR-98]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The AGP has firmly opposed the  idea  of  going  for  a  Congress-led
   coalition government  at  the  Centre.  Notwithstanding its rout, the
   AGP affirmed its commitment to stick with the United Front  but  made
   it  clear that it was not prepared to be a party to extend support to
   the Congress party, its main rival in Assam.    `We  want  the  Front
   should  neither support Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
   and instead should sit in the Opposition,' Mr Mahanta told the  Assam
   Tribune on March 7.
   

2  ROUF WITHDRAWS RESIGNATION, BORA APPOINTED NEW CS	    [S:8-MAR-98]
   -------------------------------------------------
   
   Minister  of  State  for  Science  and  Environment  Hazi  Abdul Rauf
   withdrew his resignation from the Mahanta Ministry at the request  of
   AGP leaders.  Party spokesman Digen Bora and general secretary Pradip
   Hazarika  said,  the points over which misunderstandings had occurred
   between Mr Rouf and the leadership, were solved through  discussions.
   Mr  Rouf while withdrawing his resignation, expressed full confidence
   on the AGP leadership and the Government.
   
   The Government appointed  Mr  Pranab  Kumar  Bora,  Additional  Chief
   Secretary as the Chief Secretary of Assam in place of Mr V.S.Jafa who
   was  transferred  and posted as the Principle Resident Representative
   of the Government of Assam in New Delhi.  Mr Bora is likely  to  take
   over from  Mr  Jafa  on  March  12.   Mr Bora will be the third Chief
   Secretary during  the  tenure  of  the  Mahanta  Ministry,  after  Mr
   T.K.Kamilla and  Mr  V.S.Jafa.    Mr  M.S.Pangte who is currently the
   Principal Resident Representative in New Delhi has been appointed  as
   the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) after the elevation of Mr Bora.
   

3  BANGLA HC ASKS GOVT TO SHOW CAUSE IN CHETIA CASE       [PTI:8-MAR-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   Bangladesh  High  Court asked the Government on March 8 to show cause
   within a week why detained ULFA leader Anup Chetia and his two  other
   associates  should  not  be  produced  before the court to face cases
   against them. The two-judge bench also  directed  the  Government  to
   produce  before  the court relevant papers regarding the detention of
   Chetia alias Golap Barua and his two other associates -- Lakhi Prosad
   Barua and Babul Sharma, now lodged in maximum security Dhaka  Central
   Jail. 
   
   The High Court's direction to the Government came on a petition filed
   by  Secretary-general  of  Bangladesh  Human Rights Commission (BHRC)
   challenging the detention of Chetia and his  two  associates  by  the
   authorities  since  December  21, 1997. The petition alleged that the
   detention was illegal and `in gross violation of all norms  of  human
   rights and decency'.
   

4  GAUHATI HC ORDER TO RELEASE FOUR ULTRAS		    [S:9-MAR-98]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The  Gauhati  High  Court on March 8 directed the Assam Government to
   release and revoke the National Security Act  imposed  on  the  three
   ULFA  and  one  NDFB  cadres who are at present lodged in the Jodhpur
   jail in Rajasthan.  The  ULFA  cadres  who  have  been  asked  to  be
   released  are  --  Dilip  Bora alias Commando Bora, Sarthe Timung and
   Manik Khaglari.  The NDFB ultra who have been asked to be released is
   Phukan Daimary.  All the four were held in August last year and  were
   sent to Jodhpur jail in November.
   

5  ULFA TORTURES VETERAN JOURNALIST			    [S:6-MAR-98]
   --------------------------------
   
   A group of six suspected ULFA militants in Army fatigue, kidnapped  a
   teacher and veteran journalist, Mr Purna Kanta Nath from his house at
   Bebejia-Jamuguri  at  9:30 pm and let him off after inflicting severe
   torture on him, at around 11 pm.    He  was  immediately  shifted  to
   hospital with multiple injuries on his body.  It was reported that Mr
   Nath  was tortured for organizing peace meetings in his village where
   it was decided not to shelter any ULFA militant.   A  group  of  Army
   jawans  had  reportedly  taken tea at his house on the day before the
   elections, and feared that this could have been  another  reason  why
   the ULFA activist tortured him.
   

6  GUWAHATI STUDENTS UNION WARNS NF RAILWAY	         [S+AT:9-MAR-98]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   Taking  strong  exception  to  the incident in which a group of local
   youths had to return from  Alipurduar  of  West  Bengal  after  being
   physically  assaulted  by  the  people  there and were prevented from
   appearing for the medical  examination,  the  All  Guwahati  Students
   Union  (AGSU)  leaders  warned  the  NF  Railway  authority  for  its
   `anti-local people policy' and demanded to deal  with  all  kinds  of
   works  including  appointments in its headquarters at Maligaon itself
   and to ensure the jobs of the local youths.   About  167  youths  had
   gone  to Alipurduar to undergo medical examination for appointment as
   assistant engine drivers in the Railway.  Meanwhile, the  NF  Railway
   authority  had  arranged  for  the medical test at Guwahati after the
   incident was reported by the youths.
                                      
             
7  40 PERCENT OF ASSAM'S POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE	   [AT:9-MAR-98]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   
   Despite  repeated  assurances  by successive Governments to eradicate
   poverty, over 40 percent of the total population of Assam are  living
   below  the  poverty  line,  according  to  an  estimate  made  by the
   Government of India.  Official sources said that on the basis  of  an
   estimate prepared from an estimated population in 1995, 1.906 million
   of the total 4.664 families of Assam are below the poverty line.
   
   The  estimates  were  prepared  last  year  for implementation of the
   Targeted Public Distribution System introduced by  the  United  Front
   Government  to  distribute  rice at subsidized rates to people living
   below the poverty line and the system was implemented in Assam  since
   June 1997.
   

8  ASSAM GOVT APPOINTMENTS FROM MARCH 15		    [S:7-MAR-98]
   -------------------------------------
   
   The Assam Government  has  decided  to  open  appointments  into  all
   government departments   from   March  15.    Appointments  into  all
   vacancies under the State Government has been closed for a long  time
   following  allegations  of large-scale anomalies in the whole process
   during the previous  government.    The  process  of  appointment  of
   subject  teachers,  assistant  teachers  of  Middle English and Lower
   Primary schools will be completed within April 30, an official  press
   release said.
   
   Meanwhile,  the  basic  pay  scale  of  third  grade employees of tea
   estates of the Brahmaputra valley has been raised  from  Rs.1,430  to
   Rs.1,915  along  with  a  40  percent  raise  in other allowances. An
   agreement in this connection has been signed on March 7 at a  meeting
   held  among representatives of different Assam Chah Karmachari Sangha
   and different tea associations like ABITA, ATPA, BCP, TAI and NETA.
    

9  RS.50 MILLION UGC GRANT FOR DU COLLEGES		   [AT:8-MAR-98]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   Rs.50 million has been recommended  for  allocation  to  50  colleges
   affiliated  to  the  Dibrugarh  University during the ninth Five Year
   Plan period (1197-2002),  informs  University's  College  Development
   Council director,  Mr  Badan  Chandra  Saikia.    The  grants will be
   utilized in purchasing books, journals and  equipments,  construction
   of buildings  and other academic activities.  The grant was finalized
   by a three member University Grants Commission (UGC) expert committee
   after a series of meetings in Guwahati on February 26 and 27.
   

10 KENNETH DODGSON AND DAUGHTER IN JORHAT		   [AT:8-MAR-98]
   --------------------------------------
   
   Dr  Kenneth  V  Dodgson, the eminent surgeon cum medical officer, who
   served in the Jorhat Christian  Medical  Centre,  (Mission  Hospital)
   with  a  distinguished record for 24 years arrived Jorhat on February
   24 along with his Jorhat-born daughter, Kitt.  Dr Dodgson was given a
   rousing reception at the Rowraiah airport by the officers  and  staff
   of the  Medical  Centre.  He was also received by Mr Rothin Sharma, a
   well-known tea planter and Dr S.K.Leivon, medical  superintendent  of
   the Centre.
   
   Dr Dodgson after retirement settled at Rochester, USA, and  has  come
   to visit  Jorhat  after a long gap of 17 years.  He told newsmen that
   for him and his daughter it was a  unique  journey  down  the  memory
   lane.  He will be in Jorhat till middle of March.
    

11 BITUPON SAIKIA TO REPRESENT INDIA			    [S:7-MAR-98]
   ---------------------------------
   
   Mr Bitupon Saikia from Assam has been selected to represent India  in
   the  fifth  Ajajania  YMCA  International  Boxing Championship at New
   Delhi from March 6.  Mr Saikia, a product of  Assam  Boxing  Academy,
   represented Assam in the 12th Sub-junior National Boxing Championship
   and  won a bronze medal last year. A resident of Dergaon, in Golaghat
   district, he also  became  the  first  boxer  of  Assam  to  don  the
   international colour.

______________________________[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.assam.org/assam/news/index.html
________________________________________________________________________