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                          Vol.4, No.4 [*] January 29, 1999 
                          --------------------------------

       In every spritual attitude, a political attitude is latent.
                             - Thomas Mann
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  PWD TO COLLECT TOLL FOR NEW ROADS                     [S:29-JAN-99]
   ---------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Assam
   has devised a new method of sustaining itself by  collecting  tolls
   from  passengers  and  vehicles  in  the  three  routes which it is
   building anew, on an experimental basis.
   
   The PWD has obtained a loan of Rs.800  million  from  the  National
   Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under the Rural
   Infrastructure  Development  Fund  (RIDF)  for  building  the North
   Guwahati-Hajo-Daulashal-Barpeta,  Bonda-Chandrapur-Mayong-Bhuragaon
   and a section of the historic Dhodar Ali.
   
   The toll will be utilized to maintain the roads  and  the  concrete
   bridges,  which  will  replace the existing rickety wooden bridges,
   and also pay the interest to  the  NABARD  on  the  loan.  If  this
   experiment  succeeds,  the  PWD  will  again  seek  more loans.

   Another  Rs.23.7  billion project with funds from the World Bank is
   in progress in six districts.    Foreign  consultancy  service  are
   preparing  the  detail plans and estimates of the roads and bridges
   in accordance with the World Bank stipulations.  The PWD,  however,
   has  already  constructed  23 bridges without consultancy services,
   sources said.

   Meanwhile,  the  Assam Chief Minister disclosed in a public meeting
   in Dhubri on January 28 that the World Bank  had  sanctioned  Rs.16
   million for the all-around development of Dhubri town.
   
2  ULFA USING INTERNET TO PROPAGATE ITS IDEOLOGY         [S:29-JAN-99]
   ---------------------------------------------
   NAGAON: The banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is making
   the best of the Internet facility to  propagate  its  ideology  and
   complain  before international human rights organizations about the
   human rights violations by the security forces in Assam.
   
   Sources added that besides the Internet, the ULFA is also regularly
   sending copies of its publications, `Freedom' and  `Liberation'  to
   various  international  organizations  to  enlist their support for
   campaign in Assam.
   
   Meanwhile,  the  ULFA  chairman  Arabinda  Rajkhowa  on  January 27
   congratulated the people of Assam  and  the  Northeast  for  having
   `overwhelmingly  responded' to the outfit's boycott of the Republic
   Day and said, the outfit was not opposed to observance of such days
   by the `Indians in India or abroad'.
   
   But it will always oppose them when they are observed in  Assam  or
   the Northeast  as  `Dominance  Day' by the Indian Government.  In a
   statement, he said, observance of such days will remain `banned' in
   the Northeast till complete independence is achieved.
   
3  VILLAGERS ANGRY OVER BLAST IN GUWAHATI                [S:29-JAN-99]
   --------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  Sheer panic and fear gripped the  Dopholia  village  and
   its  surrounding  areas  near  Lakhra area of Guwahati city after a
   powerful bomb,  planted  by  suspected  ULFA  blow  up  a  pipeline
   carrying sewage on the night of January 27.  The outfit committed a
   faux  pas in mistaking the waste pipeline for an oil pipeline which
   was below the blown up pipeline in the village.
   
   The  residents at Dopholia village said, they were so frightened by
   the blast that they could not sleep the whole night and had to keep
   a watch on the whole area in groups to foil any further mischief by
   the ultras.  The villagers expressed resentment and anger over  the
   ultras' abortive bid to blow the oil pipeline.
   
4  REGIONAL DEGREE COLLEGE OF EXCELLENCE AT GUWAHATI   [PTI:28-JAN-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   SILCHAR:  The Assam Government  would  set  up  a  regional  degree
   college  of  excellence  at  Guwahati,  under  the  jurisdiction of
   Gauhati University from next academic session.
   
   State  Education Minister Thaneswar Boro told newsmen at Silchar on
   January 27 the idea behind setting up the English  medium  college,
   to  be  named  as  North  Eastern  Regional College, is to foster a
   (common) northeastern identity among the future generation.
   
5  ASSAM STATE WAREHOUSE CORPORATION TO MARKET TEA      [AT:29-JAN-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  The Assam State Warehouse Corporation has worked out  an
   ambitious  plan  to  purchase best quality tea from open market and
   the Tea Auction Centre  and  to  sell  them  through  40  marketing
   centres  of  the  Corporation spread across the State in packets of
   50, 100, 250 and 500 gram.
   
   Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta inaugurated the tea marketing
   scheme on January 27 at the Corporation headquarter in Guwahati  on
   the occasion  of  the  8th  foundation  day.   A replica of a three
   storied gowdon and  a  commercial  complex  to  be  constructed  in
   Karimganj at a cost of Rs.46 million was also unveiled.
   
6  MISHING FEATURE FILM PANEI-JONKI COMPLETED           [AT:29-JAN-99]
   ------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  The shooting of a feature film, Panei-Jonki, in  Mishing
   language by  Abnari Pictures has been completed recently.  The film
   based  on  celebrated  writer  Rajani  Kanta   Bordoloi's   popular
   Miri-Jiyori  is  jointly  directed by Dilip Doley and Narayan Seal,
   while national award winner, Mrinal Kanti Das is in charge  of  the
   camera.
   
   The film was shot in various localities of North Lakhimpur district
   and Arunachal  Pradesh.    The  musical score is by Dilip Doley and
   playback singers include Zubeen Garg,  Indrakumar  Pegu,  Kunjalata
   Kaman, Kanaklata  Doley  and Meenakshi Sindey.  Artists are Toramai
   Doley, Kuladhar Pegu, Jaya Doley, Padma Taid etc.
   
7  BIYA NAAM BY 78-YEAR OLD TARINI RAJKHOWA             [AT:29-JAN-99]
   ----------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:    A   cassette   on  Biya-Naam  (Wedding  Songs)  titled
   Madhu-Milan sung by a 78-year old  lady  Tarini  Rajkhowa  and  her
   group was  released  recently.   The songs were directed keeping in
   view the tunes and compositions -- sung in  various  stages  of  an
   Assamese marriage  ceremony.  Biya-Naam which was once very popular
   and part of a traditional Assamese ceremony is rarely  sung  today.
   The  recordings  of the songs is a laudable effort of Mrs Rajkhowa,
   critics comment.

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