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           _ m m m  (Guaranteed 100% Pure Local News from Assam) 
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                       Vol.2, No.5 * February 26, 1999
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
   
1  MEDICINE FIRM ORDERED TO PAY COMPENSATION             [S:24-FEB-99]
   -----------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Sonitpur,
   while disposing a compensation suit lodged by Junu Bhatta,  ordered
   compensation  of  Rs.80,000  in  favour of the plaintiff, against a
   Calcutta-based manufacturer of medicines, Dolphin Laboratories  and
   a  Tezpur-based  distributor,  Indian  Pharmaceuticals  for selling
   expiry-dated injections by affixing new labels.
   
   It  is  alleged  that while undergoing treatment, the plaintiff was
   prescribed Lorizon injections costing about Rs.250 each.  Ms Bhatta
   developed  multiple  complicacies  after  infusion   of   18   such
   injections in July 1997,  the effective period of which was over by
   June 1997.
   
   While the  manufacturing  firm  is  to  compensate  Rs.50,000,  the
   distributor  is  to  pay  Rs.30,000  over  and above another sum of
   Rs.5,000 to be borne  by  both,  being  compensation  of  the  case
   expenditure.  The Forum ordered payment of all compensations within
   a month's time.

2  SHIFTING OF X-RAY MACHINE IRKS LOCAL PEOPLE           [S:23-FEB-99]
   -------------------------------------------
   UDALGURI:   The  shifting of an X-ray machine which was allotted to
   Udalguri Primary Health Centre has evoked widespread reaction among
   the local people.  The machine has been taken to Guwahati and it is
   supposed to be allotted either to Orang or Sipajhar Primary  Health
   Centre.
   
   The  inactiveness  of the subdivisional medical officer of Udalguri
   has been criticized by the  people  and  demanded  that  the  X-ray
   machine returned  to  Udalguri  PHC.   It may be mentioned that the
   machine was  lying  without  use  for  reasons  known  to  the  PHC
   authorities.

3  KAMPUR CIVIL HOSPITAL WITHOUT ELECTRIC LIGHTS         [S:25-FEB-99]
   ---------------------------------------------
   NAGAON:  On the night of  February  21,  Riju  Bora  (16)  who  was
   suffering  from  blood  dysentery was allegedly denied admission to
   the Kampur  Civil  Hospital  in  Nagaon  district,  by  the  doctor
   concerned as  there was no light in the hospital.  The attendant of
   the patient was asked to  bring  or  purchase  bulbs  so  that  the
   patient could  be  examined.    The  hospital normally remains dark
   after dusk due to lack of light bulbs.
   
4  DEFUNCT RURAL TELEPHONES TO BE REPLACED               [S:16-FEB-99]
   ---------------------------------------
   JORHAT:  The Multi  Access  Rural  Radio  (MARR)  telephone  system
   introduced  in  the villages of Assam since 1992 has proved to be a
   total failure as most of the telephones under this system  are  not
   functioning nowadays.    The  telephones  department  also  stopped
   providing MARR telephones and instead,  has  taken  a  decision  to
   provide  telephone  service  to  the  villages  by installing small
   exchanges every five kilometre.  It may be mentioned that 407  MARR
   telephones was provided for villages in Jorhat district alone.
   
5  MISING COMMUNITY MEMO TO DC ON REHABILITATION         [S:25-FEB-99]
   ---------------------------------------------
   NORTH  LAKHIMPUR:  More than 1,000 people from the Mising community
   took out a procession  throughout  the  North  Lakhimpur  town  and
   submitted  a  memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of the district
   on February  24  demanding  rehabilitation  of  the  flood-affected
   people  and  expressed  concern over the fact that despite repeated
   assurances for rehabilitation the Government has not initiated  any
   efforts  in this regard till now. The processionists include Mising
   people from Dhakuakhana, Matmora, Narayanpur, Badati and Bihpuria.
   
6  NEW STRICT ORDER FOR TREASURIES IN GOLAGHAT DISTRICT  [S:24-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:  The district administration in Golaghat has passed a new
   order regulating the functional transactions of the  treasuries  in
   the district.    According  to the order, all pay bills received by
   the treasuries have to be passed for payment within two days, while
   all other bills have to  be  passed  within  three  days  of  their
   submission within the normal working hours.

7  TREASURY STAFF ABSCONDING AFTER DETECTION OF FORGERY  [S:23-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   BARPETA:   Three employees of the Barpeta treasury office have been
   absconding since February  12  in  connection  with  a  forgery  of
   Rs.98,620  on February 11 by one Amzad Hussain, who impersonated as
   the secretary of the Paharpur Elementary Teachers' Centre.
   
   The  matter came to light when a controversial bill for Rs.1,10,710
   was submitted to the treasury by one Abdul Ali who  claimed  to  be
   the genuine secretary of the centre.  The treasury staff placed the
   bill under  objection.   Police inquiry is on following a complaint
   lodged by Abdul Ali.   Police  sources  said  that  the  absconding
   treasury staff have taken legal recourse in their defence.
   
8  AWASTHI ASKED TO VACATE CIRCUIT HOUSE                 [S:16-FEB-99]
   -------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:  The  Golaghat  district  administration  has  instructed
   former  Superintendent  of  Police  Raghavendra  Awasthi,  the main
   accused in the murder of Jyoti Lohar case to immediately vacate the
   room in the circuit house which he has been occupying after he  was
   given bail  by  the  Gauhati High Court.  Awasthi landed himself in
   yet another controversy after he violated the order of the district
   administration on February 13.
   
   Earlier, he was seen moving around Golaghat town with  full  police
   security  in  a  vehicle  which  was  requisitioned  from  a  local
   journalist.   The  vehicle  was  returned   when   the   journalist
   complained to the authorities.
   
9  RURAL BANK IN DIRE STRAITS OVER LOANS TO SULFA        [S:23-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI: The Pragjyotish Gaonlia Bank, the first and  the  largest
   regional  rural  bank  of  the  Northeast  has  been  badly  hit by
   insurgency in the lower Assam districts, and a massive  outstanding
   dues  of  over  Rs.95 million given to 706 ULFA cadres as part of a
   rehabilitation package for their surrender in the early '90s, which
   is yet to be recovered.
   
   Established on July 6, 1976 under the Regional Rural Bank Act, 1976
   with  its  headquarters  at  Nalbari  and  172 branches covering an
   operational area in nine districts of Kokrajhar,  Kamrup,  Nalbari,
   Barpeta,  Dhubri,  Goalpara,  Bongaigaon, Darrang and Sonitpur, the
   bank aimed to cater to the needs of the rural population.
   
   However, non-repayment of the loans, extortions spree  by  militant
   organizations,   and  failure  to  provide  security  to  the  bank
   employees by the Government has seriously affected the  functioning
   of the  bank.  At least 25 branches in the Bodo-dominated areas are
   running in huge losses due to security problems.
   
   As  many  as seven branches including Baganpara, Borbori, Athiabari
   and Nikachi  were  shifted  to  safer  areas,  while  Bhergaon  and
   Hatigarh  branches in Darrang district were closed to safeguard the
   employees who had to face the  wrath  of  the  ultras  on  frequent
   extortion mission.     Local  businessmen  and  farmers  are  worst
   affected by shifting and closure of the bank branches.
   
10 PATHSALA PUBLIC DUPED BY PRIVATE FINANCE INSTITUTION  [S:24-FEB-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   PATHSALA:   Like  many  other  non-banking  financial   institutes,
   Grassroot  Finance  and  Investment Company (India) also closed its
   business recently, but not before collecting a huge amount  by  way
   of  savings  from  ignorant public, and disappearing overnight from
   Pathsala.
   
   The signboard of the company which claimed that it was governed  by
   the Reserve Bank of India, and having branches in Shillong and head
   office  at  Tezpur, was removed from the office located at a rented
   house at Pathsala Anchali Road secretly at night.
   
   The  company  continued their business from July 1997 to June 1998,
   but suddenly  closed  on  January  18,  1999  which  prompted  many
   depositors  to  claim  their  money,  but were sent back with false
   assurances of returning their money soon.
   
   It employed local people, and through these agents collected a huge
   amount  of  money  by false promises of high interest and easy loan
   facility.   Many  petty  shopkeepers,  rickshaw-pullers,   hawkers,
   handcart-pullers  and peasants deposited their hard-earned money at
   the financial organization.
   
11 SUGARCANE GROWERS DEMAND UPWARD REVISION OF PRICES    [S:20-FEB-99]
   --------------------------------------------------
   NAGAON: The All Assam Independent Farmers' Association (AAIFA),  in
   a  memorandum  submitted to the Nagaon Deputy Commissioner recently
   demanded an upward revision of sugarcane  price  from  Rs.50.25  to
   Rs.73  per  100  kg  at  the growers' field, and demanded immediate
   carriage of sugarcane from the fields to avoid loss of weight.
   
   The sugarcane growers of various parts of Nagaon and Karbi  Anglong
   supplies  sugarcane to the Nagaon Cooperative Sugar Mills at Kampur
   when the crushing season begins.  The mill authorities collect  the
   harvested   product  at  the  farmers  field  itself,  and  arrange
   transportation at their own cost.
   
   Since  the  transportation  is  centrally  controlled  by  the mill
   authorities, harvested sugarcane for  sale  lies  at  the  growers'
   field for five to ten days thereby leading to loss of weight of the
   sugarcane  and  thus  causing  a  definite  financial  loss  to the
   growers, the memorandum claimed.
   
   The mill authorities, however, said that the growers are themselves
   responsible  for  such  a  phenomenon as they prefer to harvest the
   sugarcane from their fields by employing labourers in a lot  which,
   at times, the mill transportation system fails to carry.
   
   Meanwhile, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said that  there  is
   immediate  need  to  raise  sugarcane  productivity  in  small land
   holdings and develop by-products of sugar to improve the industry's
   financial viability.  He  said  this  while inaugurating  the  23rd
   International  Society  of Sugarcane Technologists  Congress in New 
   Delhi  on February 24.

______________________________[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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