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           _ m m m  (Guaranteed 100% Pure Local News from Assam) 
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                       Vol.1, No.6 * October 31, 1998
   ------------------------------------------------------------------

   Rajgarh-ar habit'e mati moi puwa nai, mor nam'e ulai'se patta.
   
             - From a Bihu song by Bhupen Hazarika.  
   
   The  singer laments sportingly that although he received the title
   documents of a plot of land from the government, he finds no  land
   in reality.    He  jokes at the colourful ceremonies of land title
   distribution to the poor.
   ------------------------------------------------------------------
   
1  ONIONS VANISH FROM MARKETS IN GUWAHATI [S:31-OCT-98]
   --------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  Onions vanished  from  Guwahati  wholesale  and  retail
   markets  while some retailers in various points sold the vegetable
   at Rs.65 to Rs.75 a kg.  Prices of  potatoes  also  soared  by  at
   least Rs.3  per  kg  to  be sold at Rs.15 to Rs.18.  Prices of all
   vegetables also shot up in the past several days  and  beyond  the
   reach of the common people.  Onion dealers said, unlike during the
   flood,  there  are  no  trucks  carrying  onions  stranded  in the
   highways.  They said, the new crop of onions is just  out  and  it
   will take at least two weeks for it to reach the city.

   Onion  was  sold  at  Rs.6  to  Rs.8  per  kg  till May this year.
   Although it was widely published  that  the  crops  of  onion  was
   destroyed  in  the  floods, 200,000 tonnes of onions were exported
   from Indian during June-July.   And  in  September-October,  India
   imported onions  from Dubai, Oman and Iran.  The price of potatoes
   was Rs.5 per kg till May.  Price of mustard oil  rose  from  Rs.44
   per litre to Rs.80.
   
2  FREEDOM FIGHTERS FAST AT JORHAT  [S:31-OCT-98]
   -------------------------------
   JORHAT:  The freedom fighters resorted to a token hunger strike on
   October 30 in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office at  Jorhat
   in  protest  against the insurgency problem, price rise etc in the
   State. About 120 freedom fighters including Kumud  Bora  (98)  and
   Mukti  Sharma  (96)  took  part in the stir organized by the Assam
   State Freedom Fighter's Association. A memorandum  has  also  been
   sent to the State Government through the Deputy Commissioner.
   
3  LAND PATTAS TO POOR FAMILIES DISTRIBUTED [S:30-OCT-98]
   ----------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   Twenty-seven   landless   families  of  Tezpur  assembly
   constituency have been covered under the minimum  needs  programme
   and  land  pattas  (ownership  of land documents) were distributed
   along with cash amount  of  Rs.2,500  to  each  family.  About  19
   `bighas'  of  land  have been distributed among the poor families.
   The presentations were made by the Additional Deputy Commissioner,
   Sonitpur Ajitendra Sarma at the conference hall of the Tezpur  Dak
   Bunglow.
   
4  ALLOTMENT OF LAND TO SCHOOL SPARKS CONTROVERSY [S:27-OCT-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   BARPETA  ROAD: Dispute has arisen over allotment of a plot of land
   by the Assam Government to an Assamese medium  school,  Shankardev
   Sishu Niketan at Barpeta Road. It is alleged that a section of the
   people  with  vested interest opposed the construction work of the
   school and hatched a conspiracy against the school. 
   
   The conspirators, having failed legally, entangled the  principal,
   some  lecturers  and members of the governing body of GLC College,
   which is adjacent to the plot, and alleged  that  the  school  had
   encroached on the college land.  They also motivated some innocent
   college  students  and  youth to encroach upon the school land and
   threatened the workers in the construction works with  a  view  to
   demolish the school building.
   
5  ANTI-RABIS VACCINE PRODUCED BY STATE VETERINARY [S:29-OCT-98]
   -----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   Prophylactic  and  curative  vaccine  produced  at the
   Institute of Veterinary Biologicals of the State Animal  Husbandry
   and  Veterinary, Guwahati is catering to the needs of the State as
   well as of the northeastern  region.    It  is  the  only  vaccine
   production centre  in the region.  The institute supplies vaccines
   to neighbouring states of Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar  Island  and
   also to  neighbouring  country  Bhutan.    The  anti-rabis vaccine
   produced in the institute  is  readily  available  for  supply  on
   demand from the subdivisional and district veterinary centres.
   
6  DOGS DIE OF CANINE DISTEMPER [S:28-OCT-98]
   ----------------------------
   BOKAKHAT:   Around  90  per  cent  of the dogs of Bokakhat area in
   Golaghat district have been killed in  canine  distemper  in  this
   month.   Veterinary  doctors  have  failed  to  save the dogs from
   death.  It has been reported that the dogs begin to cough,  become
   weak and within a week die.
   
7  NEW, DEMOCRATIC REGULATION FOR KAMAKHYA TEMPLE [AT:30-OCT-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  In a meeting of the residents of Kamakhya comprising of
   the  shebaits,  paiks,  and  all persons directly connected to the
   Kamakhya Temple, a democratic constitution to regulate the affairs
   of  the  Kamakhya  Debutter  known  as  `The   Kamakhya   Debutter
   Regulation' was  formally  adopted.    
   
   Accordingly,  the  affairs,  administration  and management of the
   temple and the ancillary temples of Dasamahavidya along  with  the
   existing  trust  shall  be governed by the regulation from October
   25.  This put an end  to  the  old  system  of  the  shrine  being
   administered by the members of just four families as an oligarchy,
   the  existing Dolois Jnanada Prasad Sarmah and Paran Chandra Sarma
   said, in a press release.

8  PLAN TO CONSTRUCT SCIENTIFIC CENTRAL NAMGHAR        [AT:28-OCT-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   Plans are afoot to construct a large, scientific `Namghar' (prayer
   hall) in Dibrugarh.  This was disclosed by the  Bhimkanta  Konwar,
   secretary  of the 550th birth anniversary celebration committee of
   Srimanta Sankardev.  The committee is in  touch  with  the  Deputy
   Commissioner  to  acquire  a  suitable  plot  of  land  within the
   municipal limits of Dibrugarh.
   
   Mr Konwar said that  although Dibrugarh is among the country's top
   revenue yielding districts, it is yet to have a befitting Namghar,
   though there are many smaller ones.  He said that the concept of a
   modern prayer hall came from the kendriya namghar  (central prayer
   hall) idea. A  public  meeting  which  was  held on October 18 was
   largely   attended,  and  all   present   were  unanimous  on  the
   desirability of a central prayer hall in the city.
   
9  BIRTH CENTENARY OF SPANISH POET LORCA CELEBRATED     [S:29-OCT-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   BISWANATH CHARIALI:  The birth centenary of Federico Gracia Lorca,
   a Spanish poet and dramatist, was celebrated at Biswanath Chariali
   under the auspices of Bishnu Rabha Adhyan Chora,  with  a  two-day
   long programme recently.
   
   The celebrations included an exhibition on painting and sculpture,
   including  a  few sketches of Lorca, a seminar on `the life, poems
   and dramas of Federico Gracia Lorca'.   Noted  poets  Mr  Nilomoni
   Phukan,  Mr  Hiren  Bhattacharyya  and  Mr  Gyan  Puzari, poet and
   translator of Lorca's famous drama Blood  Wedding,  took  part  as
   distinguished participants in the seminar.
   
10 FEATURE FILM ON SUKAPHA IN PROGRESS                 [AT:30-OCT-98]
   -----------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  shooting  of  Sukapha, a feature film on the Ahom
   King Sukapha is progressing well.  The focus of the film  will  be
   mainly  on the cultural aspect aiming at fostering amity, love and
   intercaste marriage.  Noted writer Ghanakanta  Chetia  Phukan  has
   written the  script  and is directing the film.  Cinematography is
   by Indrakalpa Hazarika while music is by Roseline  Chetia  Phukan.
   The shooting  started  on  January 31 at Dispur.  Sukapha is being
   made under the banner of Sukapha Multilingual Films International.
   
11 TWO DHUTI-CLAD FANS AT BANGABANDHU STADIUM          [AT:30-OCT-98]
   ------------------------------------------
   DHAKA:   `Dhuti' is quite uncommon in Dhaka, and perhaps in entire
   Bangladesh.  But, there was a exception  as  two  persons  in  the
   Bangabandhu National Stadium turned up in their `dhutis'.  One was
   Chitta  Ranjan  Bhowmick,  headmaster  of  Paltanbazar  Girls High
   School, Guwahati and another was Mahesh Mali, the CAB Mali who has
   been hired by the Bangladesh Board from Calcutta.    Bhowmick  was
   among  five  others  from  Assam  who had come to witness the Mini
   World Cup cricket at Dhaka.

12 BHABAJYOTI NOMINATED AS MANAGER OF INDIAN TEAM      [AT:23-OCT-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI: Bhabajyoti Goswami, secretary of the Assam Bodybuilder's
   Association has been nominated  as  the  manager  for  the  Indian
   contingent  to the world-level Natural Cup contest from November 6
   to 8 to be held at Athens,  Greece  and  also  for  the  Mr  World
   contest  from  November  19  to  21 at Sicily, Italy.

______________________________[Mozz-RG]_________________________________
Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation only.
      [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
           Comments and Feedback to: mozz@cyberspace.org
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