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                        Vol.4, No.70 [*] December 17, 1999
                        ----------------------------------
                  I have spread my dreams under your feet;
                Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
                                - Y B Yeats
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1  POWERGRID THREAT TO SEVER POWER LINES TO NORTHEAST  [S:17-DEC-99]
   --------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Powergrid  Corporation of India Limited which is
   engaged in construction, operation and maintenance of  extra-high
   voltage  electrical  transmission system including maintenance of
   regional load despatch centres throughout the country, threatened
   to server power supply lines to Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
   
   The decision to take the extreme step came in  the  wake  of  the
   state  governments  failing  to  pay huge outstanding dues to the
   corporation.  Assam tops the list with  an  outstanding  bill  of
   Rs.908.7  million,  followed  by Manipur for Rs.233.3 million and
   Nagaland, Rs.124.3 million.
   
   The Powergrid also vowed  that  it  will  not  take  up  any  new
   regional  transmission  scheme  in the northeastern region unless
   the constituent state governments sign  bulk  power  transmission
   agreements  for  payment  of  monthly  transmission charges, with
   provision of letter of credit backed by Escrow account and  state
   government guarantee.
   
2  EUROPEAN COMMISSION GRANT FOR HEALTH SECTOR         [S:16-DEC-99]
   -------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  Assam is among the 11 states selected for the European
   Commission (EC) grant of Rs.10 billion for assisting the National
   Family Welfare Programme in  the  first  phase.    The  EC  grant
   constitutes  a  component of the rural community health programme
   also supported by World Bank.
   
   The EC grant is termed as sector investment plan which is a state
   action plan for reforms in the rural community health  programme.
   The  grant,  which  is  need-based  and  not  time-bound, will be
   utilized for mother and child care  in  Nagaon  district  in  the
   first stage and extended gradually to other districts of Assam.

3  MASS's PLEA TO HOME MINISTER ON ULFA                [S:16-DEC-99]
   ------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Manab  Adhikar  Sangram  Samiti  (MASS), a human
   rights group of Assam, has appealed to the Government of India to
   be more liberal and accommodating on the issue of the ULFA.  MASS
   has expressed concern at the rigid stance the Union Home Minister
   L.K.Advani had  shown  discarding  the  ULFA's  terms  as  simply
   unacceptable.
   
   The rights  group  also  expressed  surprise  over  the  contrast
   between  Advani's  stance  and  the attitude shown by the UNO and
   even the senior officers of the Army who termed  it  a  political
   issue not  soluble  through  confrontation.    MASS said that the
   government would be responsible for any further deterioration  of
   the situation.

4  MOSQUE MINARET TO BE DEMOLISHED TO EXPAND ROAD
   ----------------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:   The  local  jamat  of Islampatty in Golaghat town has
   unanimously decided to demolish the minaret of Islampatty  mosque
   paving  way for expansion of the road being carried out under the
   Peoples' Project Golaghat-2000.  The  mosque  is  more  than  150
   years old, according to the elders of the area.

   The  decision was taken after discussions with the jamat members.
   It may  be  mentioned  that  senior  officials  of  the  district
   administration  had  approached  the  jamat to consider a request
   from the deputy commissioner to demolish part of the minaret  for
   expansion of the road. The government of the other  hand  decided
   to compensate the demolition with a sum of Rs.80,000.
   
   Inspired by such a noble decision of the local Muslim  community,
   owners  of  commercial buildings and residential houses have come
   forward willingly to demolish their own  buildings  to  extend  a
   hand of  cooperation  to  the  peoples'  project.    The district
   administration on the other hand  saved  money,  time  and  legal
   wrangles,  which  could  have  been  a  big  hurdle in the smooth
   implementation of the project.

   A  few  years ago the situation around the Islampatty mosque area
   turned tense and volatile when crackers were  thrown  inside  the
   mosque  by  a  procession  of people celebrating puja and passing
   though the area to immerse the puja idols in the nearby  Dhansiri
   river.   The  situation  was, however, brought under control when
   the district administration assured the jamat members  that  such
   incidents will be prevented from taking place in the future.

5  TV SERIAL ON DHOL TO BE BROADCAST BY DD DIBRUGARH   [S:15-DEC-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:  A television serial on the Assamese  traditional  folk
   percussion instrument `dhol' is going to be telecast by Dibrugarh
   station of  Doordarshan  soon.  The making of the serial has been
   started on November 11 at Chinatolly, near Golaghat town.
   
   Poet  Promod  Dutta  has  prepared  the   script   while   Satish
   Bhattacharjee is  the  producer of the serial.  `Dhol bai kot' --
   the serial will portray the different styles of playing the dhol,
   its origin, present plight of dhol artists and of dhol-makers.
   
   
______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation only.
      [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
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