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                        Vol.3, No.23  [*] April 24, 1998
                        --------------------------------

            Everything becomes a little different as soon as
                 it is spoken out loud.  - Hermann Hesse
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  ULFA AWARDED DEATH SENTENCE TO SANJOY'S KILLERS        [AT:24-APR-98]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   ULFA militants involved in killing of AVARD-NE secretary Sanjoy Ghose
   have been awarded death sentence by the  outfit's  high  command  for
   disobeying orders,  intelligence sources told The Assam Tribune.  The
   death  sentence  was  a  closely  guarded  secret  and  was  revealed
   following interrogation of an arrested militant.
   
   Sources  in New Delhi said that the ULFA's high command apparently on
   confirmation of the reports of Sanjoy's killing ordered  an  internal
   inquiry  to ascertain the circumstances leading to his killing by the
   group which abducted him.  The  death  sentence  orders  were  issued
   against  the militants as disciplinary action after it found that the
   group violated strict orders  not  to  kill  Sanjoy.    The  arrested
   chairman  of  ULFA  Pradip Gogoi had confirmed that the outfit had no
   intention to kill Sanjoy, and that the militant  group  executed  him
   owing to local dispute.
   
   Meanwhile,  Sumita  Ghose,  Sanjoy's  wife  does not believe that the
   skeletal remains recovered in Majuli, early this week are that of her
   husband.  She argued that according to  an  earlier  claim  by  Assam
   police her husband was killed at Dhanonisapori which is in the north,
   while  the  place from where the skeletal remains have been recovered
   is east of the island.  `I don't want to go to Majuli now and we hope
   that the police does not close the file  without  thoroughly  probing
   the  incident,'  she  said,  ruling  out  any plans to visit Assam to
   verify the police claim.

2  REGIONAL OFFICE OF ULFA BUSTED			   [S:24-APR-98]
   ------------------------------
   
   Army personnel, operating in the North Kamrup area, busted the office
   of the Saraighat Anchalik Parishad of ULFA in a raid in the house  of
   one  Ramen  Deka of Balichuk village under Goreswar police station on
   April 22.  A suitcase full of ULFA documents including some  booklets
   of  the  organization, registers containing details of extortions and
   several diaries and letters were recovered from the house.  The owner
   of the house has since been absconding, an Army press release said.

3  BLT CONDEMNS DAIMARY'S ARREST			  [AT:23-APR-98]
   -----------------------------
   
   The undivided Lakhimpur district committee of Bodo  Liberation  Tiger
   has  taken  strong exception to the arrest of its publicity secretary
   Mainao Daimary at Hrishikesh near Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh by the UP
   police on March 31.  In a press communique the BLT stated that the UP
   police action had exposed the hollowness of the Government of India's
   appeal to militant organizations to come for negotiation.
   
   The BLT district  committee  warned  the  government  to  change  its
   staunch  attitude  towards  the outfit if it wanted a solution to the
   problem.  It stated that no amount of suppression by  the  government
   would  be  able  to divert it from its demand for a separate Bodoland
   state on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.
   
   (PTI reported that the BLT threatened to `destroy life and  property'
   of people from Uttar Pradesh in Assam if the UP police failed to halt
   its `barbaric action' on the arrested BLT man.  - Mozz)

4  HC ASKS APSC TO SUBMIT RECORDS OF ACS'95 EXAMS	   [S:23-APR-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   A  division  bench  of the Gauhati High Court, while admitting a writ
   appeal filed by one Mr Pradyut Sarma and others, directed  the  Assam
   Public  Service  Commission  (APSC)  to  produce  `all  the  records'
   relating to the examination and selection of candidates to  the  last
   Assam  Civil Services (ACS) and other allied services and fixed April
   27, as the final date for hearing and disposal of the case.
   
   The  appellants in their petition charged the APSC of being in league
   with the then `ruling party'  and  the  `powerful  sections'  of  the
   society  in  selecting  their  kith  and  kin in important government
   positions.  They also charged the APSC chairman of being involved  in
   a  recent  forgery case in which he was caught with a large number of
   forged letterhead pads of the Chief Minister of Assam.
   

5  CARE KEEN TO LAUNCH ITS NE CHAPTER		          [AT:24-APR-98]
   ----------------------------------
   
   The internationally reputed voluntary organization in  the  field  of
   natural disaster management CARE, is keen to launch its North Eastern
   regional  chapter,  said  its  Indian  Director  Mr  Tom Alcedo while
   talking to newsmen in Guwahati on April 23.  He will meet  the  Chief
   Minister on  April  24 for the purpose.  Mr Alcedo had come to attend
   the first-ever International Conference on Disaster  Management  held
   in Assam.    It  has  been  organized by the Tezpur University at the
   Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati.  CARE's disaster  management  activities
   include   health,  nutrition  and  imparting  training  for  economic
   development.
   

6  HEAVY DOWNPOUR IN GUWAHATI THROWS LIFE OUT OF GEAR  	   [S:24-APR-98]
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Large  parts  of Guwahati city reeled under knee-deep waters, holding
   up traffic at the peak hours in  several  arterial  roads,  as  heavy
   rains lashed the city on the night of April 22 and on April 23. Local
   meteorological station recorded 63.7 mm rainfall during the period.
   
   Muddy  waters from several hills that dot the city, overtopped G.N.B.
   Road, R.G.Baruah Road, portions of G.S.Road and the  A.T.Road,  while
   filth and sewage entered several residential localities.  Vehicles in
   several  areas  were stranded after water clogged the engines holding
   up traffic and forcing drivers and passengers  to  wade  through  the
   waters  to  push  the vehicles to safer places as the rains continued
   throughout the day with occasional respite.
   
   At Jorhat, traffic  over  the  Malow  Ali  road  was  halted  as  the
   turbulent  Bhogdoi  water  washed away a portion of the soil from the
   main pillar of the bridge after the town  and  adjoining  areas  were
   lashed by  heavy  downpour  on  April  22.    The  Toklai  river also
   submerged vast areas in Pujadubi.   The  Mudoijan  submerged  several
   areas in Teok.  The town was submerged in knee-deep waters in several
   areas.
   

7  GOVT SANCTION TO CLEAN BHARALU RIVER			   [S:23-APR-98]
   ------------------------------------
   
   The  State  Government  has sanctioned Rs.2.9 million for cleaning of
   the Bharalu river which  passes  through  the  Guwahati  city.    The
   cleaning-up  operation  of the principal drain for the city's sewage,
   will start on May 7.  Municipal Administration Minister  Biraj  Kumar
   Sarma  told  a meeting of the officials concerned at Janata Bhawan at
   Dispur, that the cleaning of the river will start  from  the  Rajgarh
   bridge point and end at Bharalumukh where the river empties the filth
   of the city into the Brahmaputra.

8  OIL OFFERS BUSINESS WORTH RS.220 MILLION A YEAR        [AT:23-APR-98]
   -----------------------------------------------
  
   From Manila ropes to rubber gloves, Oil India  Limited  (OIL)  has  a
   captive market  for  goods worth Rs.220 million a year.  Officials at
   OIL said the company offers exciting  business  opportunities.    The
   sops  to  local  industry include free tender documents to registered
   small scale industry (SSI) and exempted  from  paying  earnest  money
   deposit.   The  SSI units also enjoy 15 percent price preference over
   large and medium scale industries.   While  the  sops  have  not  yet
   succeeded  in  attracting  local entrepreneurial talent, the benefits
   are being reaped by companies based outside Assam and Northeast.
   

9  ASI URGED TO TAKE UP ANCIENT MONUMENTS		 [PTI:23-APR-98]
   --------------------------------------
   
   Efforts  are  being  made  to  take  proper  measures to maintain the
   ancient monuments at Sibsagar built by the medieval  Ahom  rulers  of
   the State.  Besides, efforts for beautification and renovation of the
   ancient  monuments like Rangghar, Karenghar and Tolatolghar, the five
   famous big tanks in and around the district would also be  maintained
   properly, Sibsagar Deputy Commissioner Maninder Singh said.
   
   In  a  letter  to  the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently,
   Singh urged it to take over ancient monuments at Sibsagar,  Joysagar,
   Gaurisagar and  the  twin  tanks of Rudrasagar.  He said there was an
   urgent need  to  preserve  these  ancient  tanks  as  these  were  in
   deplorable   condition  and  not  maintained  properly.  All  temples
   situated on the banks of these tanks were already taken over  by  the
   Archaeology Department.
   

10 MOSQUE MIKE USED TO ALERT VILLAGERS, DACOITS LYNCHED   [AT:24-APR-98]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   
   Three dacoits were lynched  and  another  seriously  injured  by  the
   people  at  Kamarpara  village  located in a remote `char' area under
   Bilasipara police station.  Police sources said that on the night  of
   April  14, six dacoits armed with bombs and lethal weapons made a bid
   to loot in the house of one  Sahid  Ali  of  Puthimari  near  Chapar.
   Sensing  trouble  the  family  raised  a  hue  and cry, and using the
   microphone set of a nearby mosque appealed to people for help.    The
   villagers  surrounded  the  dacoits  at once and started beating them
   with sharp weapons killing three of them on the spot  and  grievously
   injuring one.
   

11 BAICHUNG BHUTIA ARRIVES GUWAHATI ON TOUR OF DUTY       [AT:24-APR-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
  
   Baichung Bhutia, the ace striker of Indian football, has  arrived  in
   Guwahati  on  a tour of duty for the semifinal of the Santosh Trophy.
   He will play for Bengal against Punjab  on  April  25.    The  second
   highest paid  footballer in India, has only two coupons left.  He had
   to skip the quarter-final league matches despite being  selected  for
   the team.  And if Bengal can make it to the finals, the nippy striker
   may take the field to utilize his last coupon of the season.
   

12 ASSAM WIN TITLES IN NATIONAL SCHOOL GAMES	          [AT:24-APR-98]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   Riding on a  brilliant  performance  by  Bahniman  Bora,  Assam  boys
   clinched  the  badminton  under-17  team  title  in the XVII National
   School Games in Guwahati on April 23.  In the final at the  Kanaklata
   Indoor Stadium,  Assam defeated Delhi 2-0 to clinch the title.  While
   in Table Tennis, Assam boys defeated Delhi 3-0  and  the  girls  team
   beat Madhya  Pradesh  in  straight  sets.    However,  in  the  girls
   badminton, Assam had to remain content with the third place.

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________