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           _ m m m  (Guaranteed 100% Pure Local News from Assam) 
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                       Vol.2, No.12 * June 23, 1999
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1  BAMBOO-BASED INDUSTRY FLOURISHING IN DHUBRI           [S:22-JUN-99]
   -------------------------------------------
   GOLOKGANJ:    Bamboo-based   cottage   industries   have   recently
   flourished in  Dhubri  and  its  adjoining areas.  It has become an
   alternative source  of  income  for  the  educated  but  unemployed
   youths.  Nearly  50,000 people are involved in this business.  Many
   more are coming forward to start the business because of its demand
   in other parts of the  country  like  Bihar,  Uttar  Pradesh,  West
   Bengal, and export potential to other countries too.
   
   However, it is the middlemen who gets the maximum benefit from  the
   cottage  industry,  while  the  skilled  who  work  hard  are  paid
   meagerly.  The finished products are sold at a  much  higher  rate.
   On  the  other  hand,  the  bamboo grove owners of nearby West Garo
   hills are also exploited by  the  brokers  who  transport  the  raw
   material from the hilly terrain to Dhubri.
   
   The local people, mostly living in the riverine areas, believe that
   proper  planning  and  regulation by the Government can benefit the
   skilled workers and the bamboo plantation  owners.    If  effective
   measures   are  taken  to  streamline  the  cottage  industry,  the
   socioeconomic  condition  of  the  economically   backward   Dhubri
   district can  be  improved a lot.  It will also give a boost to the
   rich tradition of bamboo craft of the State, they said.
   
2  NEW BUILDING FOR BLIND WITH DONATIONS FROM AFNA       [S:22-JUN-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  With donations received from Assam Foundation  of  North
   America  (AFNA), construction of a new building of a school for the
   blind was started in  mid  1998  at  Basistha  in  Guwahati.    The
   building was  completed  and  opened  on  June  19  this year.  The
   construction work  was  done  under  the  personal  supervision  of
   B.P.Baruah.

3  PANICKED AND AGGRIEVED PEOPLE TAKE OUT PROCESSION     [S:16-JUN-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   BARPETA:   Panicked  and  aggrieved  people  of  Barpeta took out a
   procession across Bartari, Sarupeta, Bhuyanpara, Rupahi, Fatemabad,
   Ananda Bazar covering a length of  32  km.    At  the  end  of  the
   procession, a  public  meeting  was  held  at  Ananda  Bazar.   The
   speakers condemned the rash approach of the Bodo Liberation  Tigers
   (BLT), and advised the people not to pay any money to the BLT.
   
   Earlier, the BLT had issued an ultimatum to all  eminent  citizens,
   farmers  and  traders in Barpeta demanding Rs.100,000 to Rs.200,000
   from each of them.  People  from  all  sections  feared  that  such
   irresponsible  act of BLT would eventually destroy the age-old bond
   between the different communities.   The  meeting  termed  the  BLT
   action  as  a  deep-rooted  and  subtle conspiracy to drive out the
   non-Bodo people from the Bodo Autonomous Council area.
   
4  MARTYRS' KIN OF ASSAM AGITATION APPLY FOR JOBS        [S:19-JUN-99]
   ----------------------------------------------
   JORHAT:  Around 700 applications have been received in response  to
   a  Government  advertisement  for appointment to the next of kin to
   the families of the martyrs and the families having  suffered  from
   police atrocities  during  Assam  agitation.  This was disclosed by
   the State Planning Commission chairman Deba Kumar Bora.
   
   Mr Bora confirmed that during the previous term of office, the Asom
   Gana Parishad (AGP) Government appointed  450  such  candidates  in
   various jobs.    The  rest  of the candidates stood deprived during
   Congress rule that followed.  With  the  AGP  back  to  power,  the
   Government  reopened the appointments as this forms a part of Assam
   Accord, Mr Bora said.
   
5  BHAONA ARTIST KILLED BY ANGRY VILLAGERS                [S:2-JUN-99]
   ---------------------------------------
   TEZPUR:   A `bhaona' artist of repute was killed by a furious group
   of villagers on May 29  at  Diptola  near  Tezpur.    Stage  artist
   Sunanda  Kalita  alias Bubu (40) was acting in a community `bhaona'
   on May 28, when the electric power supply failed.  As a result, the
   play had to be abandoned, which prompted an altercation  with  some
   villagers with him.
   
   The  next  day  when Mr Kalita attended a festival at the `Namghar'
   (community prayer hall), he  quarrelled  with  villagers  over  the
   incident of  the  previous  night.  A section of the furious people
   attacked Kalita with sharp weapon  grievously  injuring  him.    He
   succumb to  his  injuries  the  next  day.    Police arrested Bipul
   Saikia, Indra Mohan Saikia and Liu Kalita in this connection, while
   three other suspects remain absconding.

______________________________[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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