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                        Vol.4, No.12 [*] February 26, 1999
                        ----------------------------------

            The path of duty lies in the thing that is nearby,
                     but men seek it in things far off.
                           - Chinese Proverb
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
   
1  CENTRE WILL IMPLEMENT ACCORD FULLY, SAYS ADVANI       [S:25-FEB-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  Union Home Minister L.K.Advani expressed the hope in the
   Rajya Sabha that with the repeal  of  the  IM(DT)  Act,  which  the
   Centre has proposed to do in the current session of Parliament, the
   contradictions  in  the  provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and
   the Illegal Migrants (Determination by  Tribunal)  Act,  1983  will
   also be  automatically  removed.    The  power to issue citizenship
   certificates now rests only with the Central Government, he said.
   
   In a written reply to CPI MP  from  Assam  Mr  Dhrupad  Borgohain's
   questions on Assam Accord and foreigners issue, Mr Advani said, the
   Centre  has  initiated all actions to implement the Assam Accord in
   its entirety.  He elaborated four measures taken by the Government.
   
   The measures are:   the  Citizenship  Rules,  1956  and  Foreigners
   (Tribunals)  Order,  1964  have been amended; Eleven tribunal under
   the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order have been constituted in Assam for
   identifying the 1966-71 stream of foreigners; Special  registration
   officers  have been appointed, while sanction has been accorded for
   creation  of  1,280  additional  posts  under  the  prevention   of
   infiltration  of foreigners scheme; and Sixteen tribunals under the
   IM(DT) Act, have been created.
   
2  ARMY STONEWALL JAMIR KHAN PROBE                       [S:26-FEB-99]
   -------------------------------
   GUWAHATI: Even as the Army claimed that they had  handed  over  the
   case  relating  to  Major  Jamir  Khan,  who  had  shot  dead three
   surrendered ULFA youths of Dibrugarh to the  civilian  authorities,
   reports  in Guwahati indicate that the Army authorities are putting
   up obstacles in the investigations by the police. Police said  that
   the accused was shifted to the safe confines of the Army cantonment
   at Tenga Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
   
   The  Dibrugarh police said that their request to present Major Khan
   and  the  jawans  accompanying  him  on  the  fateful   night   for
   interrogation remains unheeded despite several letters to the Army.
   Police  however,  started  the  investigations  and interrogated 30
   persons, including six people who were witness to the killing.  All
   the witnesses are reported to have disposed against Major Khan.
   
   It may be recalled that Major Khan had  killed  Rana  Gogoi,  Rajib
   Phukan and Utpal Baruah, all surrendered ULFA members at Chowlkhowa
   near Dibrugarh  on  August  27  last year.  Rishiraj Gogoi, another
   surrendered ULFA man in whose house the deceased men and Major Khan
   had assembled prior to the killing, was  killed  at  Christianbasti
   area in Guwahati a few days later by unidentified gunmen.
   
   This had given rise to widespread speculations that the Army  might
   have  eliminated  Rishiraj  to destroy evidence in the case against
   the Major.  Police sources, meanwhile said that they  do  not  want
   any  confrontation with the Army over the case and earnestly sought
   their cooperation.
   
3  BUSINESSMEN, GOVT OFFICIALS ENCROACH TRIBAL LANDS     [S:25-FEB-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   DIBRUGARH:  A group of businessmen and senior government  officials
   have  encroached  upon  vast stretches of tribal lands in Tirap and
   Buridihing mouzas in Dibrugarh.  The  petitions  committee  of  the
   Assam  Assembly  has  also  confirmed  the fact that at least 2,300
   bighas (1 bigha=14,400 sq feet) tribal land have been encroached by
   these people to start tea gardens.  Several students  organizations
   have demanded a high-level probe in the matter.

4  PLAN TO SETTLE BANLADESHIS IN FOREST AREA UNEARTHED   [S:24-FEB-99]
   ---------------------------------------------------
   LANKA:   Lanka  police  in  Nagaon  district,  acting on a tip-off,
   caught a group of about 27 Bangladeshis, as they were going towards
   Nakhati reserve  forest  with  their  families  and  belongings  on
   February 23.
   
   During  interrogation by the police, it was revealed by the leaders
   of the group, Rajab Ali, Ashraf Ali and Abdul Khaleq, that they had
   come from the refugee camp at Sildi in Kokrajhar district.
   
   They confessed that they had been brought by two middle  men,  both
   named  Hasen  Ali,  one  of  whom  hails  from  Lalmati  in Darrang
   district.  They had taken Rs.4,000 from each of them  for  settling
   them in  the  reserve  forest. 
   
   The local MLA, Haji Abdur Rauf is alleged to be  behind  the  whole
   plan of settling the Bangladeshis in the reserve forest of Nakhati,
   according some sources.
   
5  EXCISE SUPERINTENDENT, CONSTABLE ARRESTED             [S:26-FEB-99]
   -----------------------------------------
   NORTH  LAKHIMPUR:  In a dramatic turn of events, the Superintendent
   of Excise, North Lakhimpur, along with a constable, Haren Das, were
   caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs.5,000 from an owner
   of a country liquor shop, Kuladhar Pegu, at  Boginadi  on  February
   24.  The  Excise Superintendent had demanded Rs.5,000 from Mr Pegu,
   and the latter reported the matter to the Deputy Commissioner.
   
   The  Deputy  Commissioner  provided  Mr  Pegu  a  bundle  of  notes
   containing Rs.5,000, and signed one of  the  note.  He  directed  a
   police  team  headed  by  an Additional Assistant Commissioner, who
   later caught the accused persons red-handed as soon as Mr Pegu made
   the offer in the Excise office in the afternoon. Both  the  accused
   are in police custody and a case have been registered against them.
   
6  JORHAT-CALCUTTA FLIGHTS RESCHEDULED                   [S:23-FEB-99]
   -----------------------------------
   JORHAT:   The  time  schedule of the air service between Jorhat and
   Calcutta has been changed.  According to the  new  schedule,  there
   will  be  flights  between Jorhat and Calcutta on Monday, Thursday,
   Friday and Sunday.  Indian Airlines will  operate  its  flights  on
   Monday  and  Friday, while Jet Airways will operate on Thursday and
   Sunday.  The departure time from Jorhat will be at 12:50 pm.

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
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