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                         Vol.4, No.11 [*] February 22, 1999
                         ----------------------------------

            You can't stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh.
                              - Jay Leno
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  CONCERN OVER EXCLUSION OF VILLAGES                    [S:22-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------
   UDALGURI:   Executive member of Bodoland Council, Mr Gojen Hajowary
   has expressed concern over the Government's decision to exclude 342
   villages from the existing Bodoland Autonomous Council  (BAC)  area
   which were earlier included through the gazette notification.
   
   The villages including Bijni  town  were  under  tribal  belts  and
   blocks.   The present demarcation of the BAC was formulated only in
   the party interest of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and added  that
   the  decision  of  the AGP Government in the present form would not
   solve the problem of the BAC area.

2  CAR LIFTERS KILL TWO, THREE ARRESTED                  [S:21-FEB-99]
   ------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:   Shantipur  police  arrested  three  Dimapur-based   car
   lifters   --  Nakahi  Rengma,  Yanmanio  Rengma  and  another  Naga
   miscreant -when they were trying to flee with a  Maruti  van  after
   killing the owner and the driver of the vehicle at Silonijan on the
   night of February 19.
   
   The  Naga  miscreants  hired  the  van  on  the pretext of going to
   Bokajan.   When  they  reached  Silonijan  the   three   miscreants
   strangled  the  owner of the car, Rajib Ali and the driver to death
   and hid their bodies in a jungle at Koilamati area.  The truth came
   to light when police, suspecting foul  play  held  the  three  Naga
   miscreants and grilled.

3  OPENING OF LIQUOR SHOP SUSPENDED IN TWELVE DISTRICTS  [S:21-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   Following  a  directive  from  the Gauhati High Court the
   State Government ordered  the  district  authorities  of  Sonitpur,
   Morigaon,   Nagaon,   Goalpara,   Bongaigaon,   Barpeta,   Nalbari,
   Dibrugarh,  Kokrajhar,  Kamrup   and   Darrang   to   suspend   the
   finalization  of  tenders  issued  for opening up of country liquor
   shops in 12 districts in the State.
   
   It may be mentioned that the State Government fixed February 12  as
   the  last  date  for  submission  of  the  tenders  and in Sonitpur
   district alone altogether 320 tenders have  been  received  for  30
   liquor shops.
   
4  ONE ARRESTED FOR SIPHONING CRUDE OIL                  [S:22-FEB-99]
   ------------------------------------
   BOKAKHAT:  Bokakhat police arrested one person in  connection  with
   theft  of  crude  oil at Bagariguri near Kaziranga National Park on
   February 19.  On a tip-off, police rushed to the  spot  from  where
   crude oil was stolen, but the culprits managed to escape.  However,
   the police  later  arrested  one  person on suspicion. 
   
   Stealing of crude by boring the pipes carrying the oil has become a
   common practice in the  area  and  it  is  suspected  that  a  huge
   quantity  has  already  been  siphoned  off by the thieves, sources
   said.  Crude oil is transported through long  distance  underground
   pipes from the oil fields of Upper Assam to the refineries situated
   in Guwahati, Bongaigaon in Assam and Barauni in Bihar.
   
5  BJP HITS OUT AT FOREST MINISTER, OFFICIALS            [S:22-FEB-99]
   ------------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   The  Assam  unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come
   down heavily on the role of the State Forest  Minister,  the  range
   officer  and  the beat officer of Behali Reserve Forest in Sonitpur
   district, on their alleged active role in destroying of about 4,000
   hectare of valuable  trees,  wildlife  and  flora  in  the  reserve
   forest.
   
   The  BJP,  in  its  memorandum  faxed  to  the  Union  Minister  of
   Environment and Forests,  Mr  Suresh  Prabhu  on  February  21  has
   brought  about  a  strong allegation against `one powerful MLA' and
   the Forest Minister of the State of their being in  collusion  with
   notorious  timber  smugglers  of the district in massive felling of
   rare species of trees.

6  PROPER DISPOSAL OF WASTAGES STRESSED                  [S:22-FEB-99]
   ------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   The  Sonitpur district administration has decided to take
   stern action against the defaulters who violated  the  practice  of
   slaughter  of  animals  outside  the slaughter house and encouraged
   irresponsible disposal of its wastage in public places  and  within
   10 km radius of Tezpur Air Field.
   
   In a meeting of the Air Field Environment Management Committee with
   officials of Sonitpur district administration and Air Force Station
   decided  to  identify  villages  falling within 10 km belt to check
   disposal of carcasses and to strict  execution  of  provisions  for
   violating Aircraft  (Amendment)  Act, 1998.  It was also decided to
   pay  monetary  incentives  to  informers  regarding   presence   of
   carcasses in prohibited areas.

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
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