Guwahati:&nbsp;Union Home Minister Amit Shah planted a sapling here on Tuesday morning, marking the first year of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government.Shah, who is in the northeastern state on a two-day visit, will also be addressing a public rally here later in the day on the occasion of the completion of the state government's first year.Attaching photos of Shah planting the sapling, Sarma tweeted: Marking completion of one year of our Govt, we're blessed to have august presence of Hon Union HM Shri @AmitShah ji amidst us. He planted a sapling today as a symbol of another new beginning &amp; embodiment of our unflinching commitment.Adarniya Pradhan Mantri has always reiterated that Seva Parmo Dharma' should be mantra of any government. As we complete a year, we rededicate ourselves to this, he added.Sarma had succeeded Sarbananda Sonowal as the chief minister to head the second BJP-led government in the state. Its other partners in the current ruling coalition are the Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal.—PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah planted a sapling here on Tuesday morning, marking the first year of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government.

Shah plants sapling to mark first year of Himanta govt

Guwahati: A "slip of tongue" by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a public rally where he interchanged the official designations of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has kicked off a political controversy in the state.The Bharatiya Janata Party maintains it was a 'human error', while the Opposition smells conspiracy to "promote" Shah as the next prime minister.The faux pas occurred while Sarma was speaking at a public rally in Guwahati on Tuesday to mark the first year in office of his government, which was also attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.During the course of his speech, Sarma expressed his gratitude to “Prime Minister Amit Shah and our dear Home Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president J P Nadda” for their guidance and inspiration.The nearly 15-second video clip is now being used by the Opposition parties in Assam to question the "agenda" behind this interchange of designations of the two top BJP leaders.The Congress sharing the clip in its social media accounts referred to similar 'faux pas' concerning Sarma and his predecessor Sarbananada Sonowal.”When @sarbanandsonwal Ji was the CM, MP @pallablochandas on several occasions referred to cabinet minister @himantabiswa ji as the CM in public!” it tweeted.”Has #BJP decided its next @PMOIndia replacing @narendramodi Ji? Or a campaign has been launched to promote @AmitShah ji as the PM?” the Congress questioned.The Assam Jatiya Parishad also alleged ulterior intentions and its spokesperson Ziaur Rahman tweeted claiming that Sarma addressing Shah as prime minister is "not a slip of tongue but one of his strategy".He referred to Sarma being addressed as chief minister by Lok Sabha MP Pallab Lochan Das and others towards the end of Sonowal government's term in the state.Rahman said, ”The main agenda behind such an address became clear later. So, in today's context it is not hard to understand the agenda behind Chief Minister Sarma addressing the union home minister as prime minister by the chief minister.”BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami, however, rubbished the Opposition's claims maintaining that it was a "mere mistake".”It was a human error, just a slip of tongue. It can happen to anybody,”He also maintained that the "error" has not caused any "public damage or harmed the people of the state in any manner".Even Narendra Modi or Amit Shah are not angry over it, he added.Goswami said the Opposition parties should concentrate on listening to the problems of the public and speak on "real issues" concerning the people instead of focussing on such matters.—PTI

A "slip of tongue" by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a public rally where he interchanged the official designations of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has kicked off a political controversy in the state.

Himanta's slip of tongue elevates Amit Shah as PM, sets off controversy

Dispur: Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave contracts to companies of his wife and son's business partners to supply PPE kits at "exorbitant rates" in 2020, a charge rebutted by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who threatened to file a criminal defamation suit against him. At a press conference in the national capital, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia said two websites had collaborated on the story on the alleged "scam" and published it two days ago.Assam government spokesman Pijush Hazarika said the allegations against the Sarma family were ''false, imaginary and malicious". He said there was no scam and asked why are the two media organisations were not going to the court if they have evidence.Sisodia claimed that while the Assam government procured PPE kits at Rs 600 apiece from other companies, Sarma, who was then the state health minister, gave urgent supply orders to his ''wife's firm, JCB Industries, and Meditime Healthcare, which belonged to a close associate," at Rs 990 apiece "taking advantage of the COVID-19 emergency". ''It is a major scam by the chief minister of Assam and his close associates. It is a solid corruption case and the ED is after (Satyendar) Jain who is working hard to provide quality healthcare to the residents of Delhi," Sisodia said. The ED had arrested Jain, Delhi's health minister and AAP leader, on May 30 in a money laundering case after hours of questioning.Sarma refuted the allegations, saying his wife's company gifted the PPE kits to the government and that Sisodia was "cherry-picking from half the documents". The BJP leader said his wife managed to bring in a few kits to save precious lives at a time when Assam did not have a single PPE kit."Although the NHM issued order, the company raised no bill and the kits were gifted to the government... not a single penny was transacted, where is the corruption(sic)," he tweeted."Due to acute shortage then, every government including yours waived the tender process for PPE kits and went for direct purchase... Don't cherry-pick from half the documents. Have the courage to put all the facts," he added.The chief minister also attached a letter of appreciation from the then National Health Mission director Dr Lakshmanan for providing the PPE kits as corporate social responsibility during COVID-19 by JCB Industries, of which Sarma's wife Rinki Sarma Bhuyan is a partner.''Stop sermonising. I will see you in Guwahati as you (Sisodia) will face criminal defamation,'' Sarma said.Sisodia alleged that business partners of "Sarma's son also got a lucrative order to supply PPE kits at a rate of Rs 990 per piece. Agile Associates, a company owned by a business partner of Sarma's wife, received orders to deliver 10,000 PPE kits for Rs 2,205 per piece"."Despite an incomplete supply of orders, these close associates of the Sarma family bagged orders to supply more PPE kits at a rate of Rs 1,680 per piece," Sisodia alleged.The firm belonging to his wife does not even deal in medical equipment, the AAP leader alleged.Sisodia asked why the members of the BJP were silent on "corruption" by a chief minister of a state ruled by the saffron party.He claimed the Enforcement Directorate arrested Satyendar Jain on "bogus" charges of corruption and the Centre told the court on Friday that he is "not an accused"."On the other hand, the central government has turned a blind eye towards corruption by BJP ministers. When will the BJP take action against its ministers?" he asked.The ED had arrested Jain on May 30 in a money laundering case after hours of questioning.The agency has alleged that the AAP leader and his wife had amassed disproportionate wealth worth Rs 1.47 crore between February 2015 and May 2017, more than double their known sources of income.Hazarika, also minister for water resources and information and public relations, said the allegations against the Sarma family "can be attributed as the handiwork of a certain section with vested interests".At the beginning of the pandemic two years ago, none knew how to deal with the situation and experts said that PPE could provide full protection to deal with COVID infection. But there was no firm in Assam which manufactured the kits, while many other states had stopped transporting them as they themselves needed those, Hazarika said.''During an emergency situation, it is not possible to follow the general rules and regulations. The Cabinet had taken a decision that a committee will be formed and if its members gave the nod to buy the necessary kits and equipment to deal with the situation, then it can be bought,'' Hazarika, who was then the minister of state for health, said.Accordingly, orders for PPE kits were placed with 35 firms and finally only nine firms could supply them to the government. An order of only Rs 85 lakh was placed with the firm referred to by the portals, he said.Some PPE kits were arranged under corporate social responsibility but not a single paise went from the government. ''So how can a scam or a scandal take place ?" Hazarika asked.The chief minister's wife Riniki Sarma Bhuyan tweeted that in the first week of the pandemic not a single PPE kit was available in Assam."Taking cognisance of the same, I reached out to a business acquaintance and delivered around 1500 PPE kits to the NHM (National Health Mission) with a lot of effort. Later on, I wrote to the NHM to treat the same as a part of my CSR," she said.Bhuyan claimed that she did not take a "single penny" for supplying the PPE kits and asserted that she had always been "transparent" about her "giving back to the society" irrespective of her husband's political standing.—PTI

Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave contracts to companies of his wife and son's business partners to supply PPE kits at "exorbitant rates" in 2020, a charge rebutted by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader who threatened to file a criminal defamation suit against him.

Sisodia says Assam CM gave PPE kits contracts to kin; Sarma denies

Guwahati: President Ram Nath Kovind Tuesday called Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and enquired about the prevailing flood situation in the state.The chief minister said that he was honoured to receive a call from the president who enquired about Assam’s flood scenario and the ongoing relief and rescue operations.”Extremely grateful for his concern. It will boost our morale in overcoming this situation”, Sarma tweeted.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also called Sarma to enquire about the prevailing flood situation in the state. Assam faced devastating floods this year which claimed 180 lives and affected 90 lakh people so far.—PTI

 President Ram Nath Kovind Tuesday called Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and enquired about the prevailing flood situation in the state.

President Calls Himanta, Enquires About Flood Situation

Kokrajhar (Assam) :&nbsp;A suspected bag snatcher was injured in police firing in Kokrajhar district of Assam when he tried to snatch the service weapon of an official, police said on Wednesday. According to a senior police official, the accused was taken to a location in Balajan Tiniali of Kokrajhar district to recover a snatched bag on Tuesday night. "While returning, he tried to snatch the pistol of one officer and ran away. Though he was asked to stop, he didn't pay heed. With no option left, the police team fired one round injuring him on a leg," the official said. With this, altogether 54 people have been killed and at least 140 others injured in police action while allegedly trying to flee from custody or attacking the personnel since the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assumed office in May 2021. The Assam government on June 20 informed the Gauhati High Court in an affidavit that "no extra-judicial killing" has taken place in the state. PTI

A suspected bag snatcher was injured in police firing in Kokrajhar district of Assam when he tried to snatch the service weapon of an official, police said on Wednesday.  The man was hospitalized. According to a senior police official, the accused was taken to a location in Balajan Tiniali of Kokrajhar district to recover a snatched bag on Tuesday night.

Suspected thief injured in police firing in Assam

A suspected bag snatcher was injured in police firing in Kokrajhar district of Assam when he tried to snatch the service weapon of an official, police said on Wednesday.

The man was hospitalized. According to a senior police official, the accused was taken to a location in Balajan Tiniali of Kokrajhar district to recover a snatched bag on Tuesday night.

New Delhi (The Hawk) : Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Agradoot group of newspapers today via video conferencing. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chief patron of Agradoot’s Golden jubilee celebration committee, was also present on the occasion.Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated the ‘strong voice of the Northeast in the Assamese language’ Dainik Agradoot for the occasion and complimented them for keeping the values of unity and harmony alive through the medium of journalism.The Prime Minister remarked that under the guidance of Kanak Sen Deka, the Agradoot always kept the national interest paramount. Even during the Emergency, when the biggest attack on democracy took place, even then Agradoot daily and Deka ji did not compromise on journalistic values. He created a new generation of value-based journalism, he said.The Prime Minister empathized that for the past few days, Assam is also facing great challenges and difficulties in the form of floods. Normal life has been greatly affected in many districts of Assam. The Chief Minister and his team are working very hard day and night for relief and rescue, he said. The Prime Minister assured the people of Assam, the readers of Agradoot, that the central and state governments are working together to reduce their difficulties.The Prime Minister underlined the sterling contribution of Indian language journalism to Indian tradition, culture, freedom struggle and the development journey. Assam has played a key role in the development of language journalism in India as the state has been a very vibrant place from the point of view of journalism. Journalism started 150 years ago in the Assamese language and kept on getting stronger with time, he added.&nbsp;The Prime Minister recalled that the journey of the Dainik Agarkar in the last 50 years narrates the story of the change that has taken place in Assam. People's movements have played an important role in realizing this change. People's movements protected the cultural heritage and Assamese pride of Assam. And now Assam is writing a new development story with the help of public participation.The Prime Minister said when there is dialogue, there is a solution. It is through dialogue that possibilities expand. Therefore, along with the flow of knowledge in Indian democracy, the flow of information is also flowing continuously. Agradoot is part of that tradition, he said.On the eve of 75 years of independence, the Prime Minister questioned limiting the intellectual space among a few people who know a particular language. He further said this question is not only of emotion but also of scientific logic. This may be seen as a reason for lagging behind in research on the three industrial revolutions. The Prime Minister said the expansion of Indian languages ​​was stopped during the long period of slavery, and in modern epistemology, research was limited to a few languages. A large section of India had no access to those languages, to that knowledge. He added that the scope of Intellect's expertise kept shrinking. Due to this, the pool of invention and innovation has also become limited. In the 4th Industrial revolution, there is a massive opportunity for India to lead the world. This opportunity is due to our data power and digital inclusion. The Prime Minister stressed that “no Indian should be deprived of the best information, best knowledge, best skill and best opportunity just because of language, this is our effort. That's why we encouraged studies in Indian languages ​​in the National Policy on Education.” The Prime Minister continued on the theme of knowledge in mother tongue and said that “ it is now our endeavour to make the world's best content available in Indian languages. For this, we are working on the national language translation mission. The effort is that the Internet, which is a huge storehouse of knowledge, and information, can be used by every Indian in his own language.” He also talked of the Bhashini Platform, a Unified Language Interface launched recently. “It is important from every aspect, social and economic, to make the Internet available to crores of Indians in their own language”, he added.Underlining the biodiversity and cultural richness of Assam and Northeast, the Prime Minister said Assam has a rich legacy of music and that it needs to reach the world at large. He said efforts of the last 8 years with regard to physical and digital connectivity of the region will be hugely beneficial for the tribal tradition, tourism and culture of Assam.The Prime Minister said the positive role played by our media in campaigns like the Swachh Bharat Mission is appreciated all over the country and the world even today. “Similarly, you can become a participant in the country's resolutions in the Amrit Mahotsav”, the Prime Minister said.“Well-informed, better-informed society should be the goal for all of us, let us all work together for this”, the Prime Minister concluded.

“Agradoot has always kept the national interest paramount” “Central and state governments are working together to reduce the difficulties of people of Assam during floods” “Indian language journalism has played a key role in Indian tradition, culture, freedom struggle and the development journey” “People's movements protected the cultural heritage and Assamese pride, now Assam is writing a new development story with the help of public participation”

PM inaugurates Golden Jubilee celebrations of Agradoot group of newspapers

“Agradoot has always kept the national interest paramount”
“Central and state governments are working together to reduce the difficulties of people of Assam during floods”
“Indian language journalism has played a key role in Indian tradition, culture, freedom struggle and the development journey”
“People's movements protected the cultural heritage and Assamese pride, now Assam is writing a new development story with the help of public participation”


Varanasi: Rebutting the claims made by Jharkhand MLA Kumar Jaimangal, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Uttar Pradesh Sushil Singh on Tuesday said the Congress MLA had gone to Delhi to meet Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma of his own accord.The BJP MLA was dismissing Jaimangal's claims that it was Sushil Singh took him to Sarma and Union minister Pralhad Joshi.Refuting the charges, he said, "He himself (Jharkhand Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal) went to Delhi to meet the Union minister Pralhad Joshi for discussing issues related to their state. The MLA knew him (Himanta Biswa Sarma)."Meanwhile, Assam Minister Piyush Hazarika also stated that Jaimangal's allegations carried no weight.Speaking to ANI, Hazarika said, "The FIR filed by Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal is baseless. It was proven today he met Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pralhad Joshi in Delhi in connection with his state's issues. Even, he accepted that. His allegations are baseless and not at all true. I didn't delete the tweet."While Hazarika had posted pictures of a meeting where Sarma, Joshi and Jaimangal were present, the Jharkhand MLA claimed the tweet had been deleted."I was at Pralhad Joshi's Delhi home around 25-26 July. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma took me there. We discussed issues related to coal. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren knew about the visit. I have not levelled allegations against MLAs. The money that has been caught with the MLAs is a matter for income tax," the Congress MLA had claimed.The controversy began after three Congress legislators were caught with a substantial amount of cash in Kolkata. BJP raised questions at the Congress while the Congress claimed it was an attempt to topple the JMM-led government in Jharkhand.Jaimangal had written a letter alleging that three of his colleagues arrested in West Bengal recently had asked him to meet Assam chief minister in Guwahati and that he would be given a ministerial berth and huge cash to bring down the JMM-Congress government.BJP leader Hazarika, in a tweet earlier today, said that Kumar Jaimangal should "face the law for making a fraudulent allegation" against Sarma."Mr. @KumarJaimangal has been regularly meeting HCM Dr.@himantabiswa sir. He should face the law for making a fraudulent allegation against Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam and against those tribal MLAs," tweeted the Assam MLA.A Congress MLA from Bermo, Jaimangal had on Sunday alleged that BJP is trying to topple the JMM-Cong coalition government in Jharkhand. He claimed that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had a major role to play in it.Reacting to this, Assam chief minister on Tuesday took to Twitter to share pictures posted by Assam BJP MLA Pijush Hazarika in which Jaimangal is seen meeting union minister Pralhad Joshi in his presence.Sarma tweeted that an FIR lodged by the Congress MLA was akin to the Congress asking Ottavio Quattrocchi to file a case against Bofors."Fake FIR in #Jharkhand. The so-called FIR looks like @INCIndia asking Ottavio Quattrocchi to file a case against Bofors," Sarma tweeted.Jaimangal earlier wrote a letter of complaint against three Congress MLAs nabbed in West Bengal's Howrah with a huge amount of cash.His letter stated, that Assam CM 'is doing it with the blessings of top shots of BJP political party sitting in Delhi.'The Bermo legislator said he was asked by the arrested Congress MLAs to come to Kolkata and leave for Guwahati together. Besides Rs 10 crore for each MLA, Jamtara legislator Irfan Ansari told him that he had been promised the health minister's post in the new government of the BJP. Kumar Jaimangal Singh addressed the complaint letter to the Argora police station in Ranchi. Following this, a zero FIR was lodged by the Jharkhand police.Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand were detained in West Bengal's Howrah district on Saturday evening after a huge amount of cash was found in their vehicle, police said. The SUV in which MLAs Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari were travelling was intercepted on National Highway-16 at Ranihati in the Panchla police station area.General secretary and party in-charge of Jharkhand Congress, Avinash Pande said, "The three MLAs, who were held with a mountain of cash yesterday, have been suspended from the party with immediate effect."BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said "Whenever Congress or leaders from the Jharkhand government land up in any difficulty they immediately start using the word 'destabilization' like Pakistan's government use Kashmir word. But they cannot escape by blaming BJP."Notably, JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha)-Congress alliance is in power in Jharkhand and BJP is in Opposition.&nbsp;—ANI

Rebutting the claims made by Jharkhand MLA Kumar Jaimangal, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Uttar Pradesh Sushil Singh on Tuesday said the Congress MLA had gone to Delhi to meet Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma of his own accord.

UP MLA Sushil Singh Claims Had No Role In Taking Cong MLA To Meet Assam CM Himanta

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that if a single irregularity can be found in the recently-held recruitment examinations, his government will quit. Distributing the appointment letters to around 11,236 fresh recruits in 24 government departments here, he said: "I request the journalists to visit every household of freshly recruited youths, if any single case of scam in appointments is found, our government will leave power in Assam." Noting that many people have blamed the government for failing to conduct the recruitment procedure fairly, some even moved court against the internet shutdown decision during the examinations, and a few have alleged that many candidates from outside the state also received jobs, Sarma said: "But I challenge them to prove their claims. I assure that the entire recruitment process was carried out purely on merit and in a transparent manner." "We shall suspend internet for 20 hours next time without any hesitation in order to carry out a transparent examination to give jobs to poor and under-privileged families," he added. Sarma also said that the recruitment process for filling up 26,000 Grade III and IV posts has already started. Advertisements for 10,000 more posts will be published soon &amp; steps will be taken for the self-employment of 2 lakh youth. He also urged the new recruits to work with dedication and help in fighting corruption. Sarma has also attacked previous governments by sharing his past experience. He said that when he was not an MLA in 1998, jobs used to be given to candidates without any selection process, particularly in the Education Department. "When I was given the education portfolio in 2011, transparent recruitment methods were introduced in the Department," he said.
—IANS &nbsp;

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that if a single irregularity can be found in the recently-held recruitment examinations, his government will quit.

 Govt will quit if any irregularity found in recruitment: Assam CM

Guwahati (The Hawk): On Sunday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, announced that the state's Kokrajhar district would get a brand-new stadium.
The stadium will cost Rs 150 crore to build, according to the state government.
The stadium, according to Sarma, would help develop and identify the region's youth's sporting abilities.
The Chief Minister made a point of stressing the necessity of proper and meaningful rehabilitation for all those who were impacted by violence during the unrest of the Bodoland movement while attending the third triennial conference of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) at Chandrapara in the Kokrajhar district.
All communities in the Bodoland Territorial Region must put the painful memories of the past behind them and work together to usher in a new day and period of peace and advancement, he continued.
Sarma also gave high marks to the Bodoland Territorial Council currently in place, which is presided over by UPPL president and Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro.
Sarma cited BTR as an illustration of how a formerly turbulent region may change into one of the most peacefully run institutions, giving praise to Boro's leadership and the support of the general population from all ethnic communities.
He urged the UPPL leadership to keep up the good work and assured them of the Assam government's full support, including financial support.
On Sunday, the Chief Minister also went to Gossaigaon College's Golden Jubilee celebration.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Sunday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, announced that the state's Kokrajhar district would get a brand-new stadium.

The Assam government will construct a cutting-edge stadium in Kokrajhar

Ahmedabad (The Hawk): Rahul Gandhi currently has the appearance of Saddam Hussain, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was speaking to a crowd in support of a BJP candidate in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Gujarat will hold Assembly elections next month.
Rahul Gandhi is invisible in Gujarat, Sarma claimed in response to questions about his scant travels there in the run-up to the polls. He travels to the state as a visiting professor... He did not run for office in Himachal Pradesh either. He is exclusively travelling to locations where there are no elections. Perhaps as a result of his fear of failure.
In an apparent allusion to actors Pooja Bhatt and Amol Palekar who had participated in the Yatra, the Assam Chief Minister further said that the Congress may have bribed Bollywood stars to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo yatra.
Aftab Ameen Poonawalla, the man accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar in Delhi's Mehrauli neighbourhood, is said to have admitted to only dating Hindu girls because they are emotional. Earlier that day, Sarma made the call for strict laws to stop "love jihad" while speaking to a public gathering in Dhansura.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Rahul Gandhi currently has the appearance of Saddam Hussain, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was speaking to a crowd in support of a BJP candidate in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Gujarat will hold Assembly elections next month.

Assam CM: Rahul Gandhi resembles Saddam Hussein

Guwahati (The Hawk): According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is being built at Changsari, Guwahati, would be formally opened in next year.
Sarma announced, "AIIMS Guwahati would be formally opened and will be operational in 2023," while speaking at a gathering at Namghar, Guwahati.
It's noteworthy because this will be Assam's first operational AIIMS.
Sarma also revealed some plans for his Jalukbari home district.
Ten high schools will be built in the Jalukabari region, along with model schools in Changsari and Rangmahal, according to the Chief Minister.
Sarma added that work on the Palasbari-Sualkuchi bridge will begin the next year. There will also be a new bridge built at Saraighat, and work on it will shortly start.
Sarma celebrated the occasion by congratulating deserving Jalukbari students who aced the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams this year.
(Inputs from Agencies)

According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is being built at Changsari, Guwahati, would be formally opened in next year.

The Guwahati AIIMS will open its doors the next year

New Delhi/Guwahati (The Hawk): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that it is the Army's prerogative to decide what to say, when to say it, and whom to take into confidence in response to the opposition parties' demand that the clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh be discussed in Parliament."Army and China are engaged in a crucial fight at Tawang. Eyes were directly in contact. All of us have watched footage showing how the Army is fighting China "Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Sarma added.He stated, "The Army's overarching plan includes information sharing on the strategic border challenges.Sarma responded, "If any information is provided with Owaisi, you never know where it will end up," in response to a query about AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi's demand that the government transport opposition leaders to Tawang."Anyone may view the footage to see the challenge the Indian troops made to the Chinese army."Sarma added that the Congress must not be provided even 1% of the information regarding the violence on December 9 in the Tawang sector. He demanded an explanation from the party regarding why it accepted funding from China for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation."Until Congress establishes its integrity, no one can be sure of its relationships with others. We don't know how much your leader has taken before this, but you took 1.5 crore, which is a record "He claimed.Sarma said that the Congress leaders were dining with ambassadors and advised against sharing any information with the party because of its dubious trustworthiness.On December 9, PLA soldiers attempted to cross the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, but Indian soldiers resolutely blocked their path, sparking a conflict between the two sides. According to sources, although there were no fatalities or serious casualties, few Indian and Chinese soldiers were slightly hurt during this conflict.(Inputs from Agencies)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that it is the Army's prerogative to decide what to say, when to say it, and whom to take into confidence in response to the opposition parties' demand that the clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh be discussed in Parliament.

Border clash: Assam's CM says, Army has right to determine what to say & to whom

New Delhi/Guwahati (The Hawk): On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled the second version of "Orunodoi," the state government's flagship programme for giving financially vulnerable households financial security.
Sarma described "Orunodoi" as the largest social-sector initiative in the state's history with the potential to fundamentally alter the lives of millions of its citizens while speaking on the occasion at the ceremonial launch held at the Assam House grounds in the nation's capital.
According to him, the first phase of this social sector scheme saw about 17 lakh women get payments of Rs 1,250 apiece on the 10th of every month using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
The Assam CM stated that there would be more than 27 lakh beneficiaries overall after the addition of an additional 10.5 lakh new beneficiaries starting today.
According to the Chief Minister, the state's poor families will benefit greatly from the guaranteed minimum income flow of Rs 1,250 in achieving the government's goal of reducing poverty.
He added that starting in April 2023, Orunodoi 2.0 would include all current recipients of the Deen Dayal Divyangan Pension Yojana and the Indira Miri Widow Pension Scheme. The "Orunodoi" programme would also cover Divyangans and transgender people.
Households with members who are dwarfs or who have diseases like cerebral palsy, thalassemia, haemophilia, etc. will also be covered by the Orunodoi programme, he continued.
According to the state government, a survey conducted during Orunodoi Month revealed that 2.75 lakh beneficiaries under the "Orunodoi" programme had been removed from the list of eligible beneficiaries because, among other things, some had passed away and others had been found to be ineligible for the programme.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled the second version of "Orunodoi," the state government's flagship programme for giving financially vulnerable households financial security.

Assam government introduces "Orunodoi 2.0" to benefit over 10L people

Guwahati (The Hawk): According to officials, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 17 development projects totaling Rs 853.15 million in Assam's Jorhat district.
The projects include the Komarbondha-Jorhat Road, the Lachit Maidam and Cultural Project, an integrated DC office in Jorhat, a flyover at Komarbondha over the railway line, etc.
Ajanta Neog, the minister of finance, Pijush Hazarika, the minister of I&amp;PR, the minister of water resources, UG Brahma, and others were present.
"I'm excited to launch so many development initiatives here. I'm hoping that when these improvements are finished, the district's development will pick up steam "Speaking on the occasion, he remarked.
With the laying of foundation stones for new projects and the inauguration of ones that have already been finished, the Assam government is celebrating a "fortnight of development" in 11 districts throughout the state with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.
The "development fortnight," which the state cabinet approved last month, would be broken up into two halves.
The plan to jump-start infrastructure projects will commence its second phase in January.
Sarma reiterated his government's commitment to Assam's development and claimed that in order for it to happen, the state needed to be free of the "dharna" and "bandh" cultures.
Additionally, he recognised the importance of people in helping to usher in a new era of growth. He also requested support for development from all groups of Assamese citizens.
The Chief Minister added that Assam will undoubtedly rank among the top five states in the nation for performance if current pace of development efforts lasts for ten years.
(Inputs from Agencies)

According to officials, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 17 development projects totaling Rs 853.15 million in Assam's Jorhat district.

In Jorhat, Assam CM launches development projects worth Rs 853 billion

Guwahati: Politics in Assam in the year ahead seems to be moving along the polarising highway, political pundits in the state point out. With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma batting for the Uniform Civil Code and speaking up on love jihad and other polarising issues, understanding the signals does not require a high level of political acumen. Although Assam does not have any major elections slated for next year, the political environment is hot with Sarma at the centre. Three northeastern states -- Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland -- will go to the polls in early 2023. However, Assam will remain the epicentre of these state elections as Sarma, chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), will be the primary pulling force for the BJP's election machinery in these states. Meanwhile, Sarma is also eyeing to win at least 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the N-E 2024. Assam has 14 LS seats, and in the last parliamentary election, the BJP won nine seats. This time the party leaders have set a target to win at least 12 seats, leaving one or two seats that have a large number of Muslim votes. Sarma has formulated a strategy to achieve his target, which he tried and tested in the 2021 state election. He relies on the polarisation of votes. Assam has approximately 30% Muslim voters. The Chief Minister has stated unequivocally that he will not seek Muslim votes because they will not vote for the BJP anyway. A clever politician like Himanta Biswa Sarma knows perfectly well that his provocative statements against the Muslim community will consolidate the Hindu vote bank. He will cultivate this further over the next year, and it may reach its peak before the Lok Sabha elections. When in the Congress, Sarma was known for his liberal image. He enjoyed quite a good following among Muslim voters. Though he started his career with the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Sarma was never seen as an Assamese hardliner. Rather, he was known to be soft towards the Bengali speaking community in Assam, which constitutes nearly one third of the population of the state. Interestingly, in the run-up to the 2016 assembly elections in the state, Sarma garnered an image as a hard-core Assamese leader. He openly advocated 1951 as the base year for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, which was a long pending demand from AASU and other organizations. His statement caused a stir because, according to the Assam agreement, the NRC update process began with March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date The Congress immediately condemned Sarma's remarks, but the statement helped the BJP gain votes in upper Assam, where the party performed exceptionally well. Sarma also sent a message that they would come down heavily on immigrant Bangladeshi Muslims, which helped to consolidate the Hindu vote bank in favour of the BJP. Sarma further changed his position after the BJP swept to power in Assam. He began to present himself as a Hindu hardliner. On the other hand, opposition unity is at stake in Assam. After breaking away from the grand alliance, the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) are locked in a tussle. State Congress president Bhupen Bora continues to maintain that they will stay away from the AIUDF. There will be no more alliances while he is president. Even after the Congress abruptly left the grand alliance last year, AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal insisted on fighting elections together to keep the BJP out of power. After the Congress repeatedly rejected his offer, Ajmal has made up his mind to teach the Congress a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections. Ajmal may field strong candidates in minority-dominated seats across Assam, where the Muslim vote is a decisive factor. If Ajmal sticks to his stand, then it will make the Congress' road more difficult in the Lok Sabha elections in Assam. The state today has three Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi is the MP from Kaliabor, while Pradyut Bordoloi and Abdul Khaleque won on Congress tickets from Nagaon and Barpeta the last time. The AIUDF has warned that it will field strong candidates for each of these three seats. If this happens, the Congress may face a debacle in 2024. The AIUDF at present has one Lok Sabha MP, Badruddin Ajmal. He contested the election from the minority-dominated Dhubri seat and may win it again in the next election. The BJP has already kept this seat out of their calculations. Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to consolidate the Hindu votes in the BJP's favour, while he won't mind if Muslims vote heavily for the AIUDF. This might be the trend in the future in Assam, where these two parties will shine in the polls with their polarising politics. —IANS

Politics in Assam in the year ahead seems to be moving along the polarising highway, political pundits in the state point out. With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma batting for the Uniform Civil Code and speaking up on love jihad and other polarising issues, understanding the signals does not require a high level of political acumen. Although Assam does not have any major elections slated for next year, the political environment is hot with Sarma at the centre.

 Himanta polarises Assam politics as Cong, Ajmal fight it out

Guwahati: The political situation in poll-bound Meghalaya is both interesting and confusing. The Bharatiya Janata Party's top leaders are training their guns on their former coalition partner Conrad Sangma and his National People's Party (NPP), with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma leading the attack.
Meghalaya has become the number one corrupt state in the country under NPP rule, according to Shah, despite that BJP has been a partner of the government led by the NPP for the last five years and still continuing in it.
The BJP leaders have said that they do not have any alliance with Conrad Sangma's party, however, NPP is a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP state president, Ernest Mawrie, spoke to IANS for an explainer of what has been cooking in the hill state. IANS: There is a lot of confusion. Are the NPP and BJP allies?
Ernest Mawrie: In Meghalaya, we have not forged any alliance with the NPP, and we have not done so in 2018. We are fighting on our own, and they are also fighting on their individual strengths. NPP has been involved in large-scale corruption for the last five years, and our party has taken a stand for zero tolerance against corruption. IANS: But you were also part of the NPP-led government.
Ernest Mawrie: Yes, we have been in the MDA government. But the BJP had only two MLAs and a single minister, and we did not have any important portfolio in the ministry. The departments like power and others where most of the corruptions happened over the last five years were either with the NPP or their alliance partner, the UDP. IANS: How could you know about the corruption?
Ernest Mawrie: Through a lot of RTI applications we filed in the last year or so, we have seen how rampant corruption was going on in Meghalaya under the current regime. We have all records.
IANS: Then why did not you leave the government and surprisingly you have a minister till today!
Ernest Mawrie: Look, BJP is a national party, and we cannot take the decision to leave or forge an alliance at the local level. We had informed the party hierarchy about what has been happening in Meghalaya and were waiting for them to take a call in this matter.
The NPP has been continuing to be a part of the NDA and the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) here. So, the NEDA chairman or the party leaders in Delhi must decide on this issue.
IANS: Have you discussed the corruption issue with NEDA chairman Himanta Biswa Sarma? Ernest Mawrie: Yes, yes. Whenever the Assam Chief Minister met us in the last couple of years, we told him about the corruption. He advised us to wait for a decision.
IANS: Political analysts are saying that the BJP has been keeping a door open to be back in the government if NPP returns to power.
Ernest Mawrie: No, you should not look into it that way. This time, we have fielded candidates for all 60 seats in the state. We are expecting a good show, and after the poll result, we may look for parties whose hands are not immersed in corruption.
IANS: But, you have too few options to choose from. You cannot go with Congress or TMC.
Ernest Mawrie: It is impossible to go with these two parties. Right now, we are concentrating on winning as many seats as possible. We have a projection to win 34 out of the total 60 seats in the assembly.
IANS: Between Conrad Sangma and Mukul Sangma, who is the better Chief Minister?
Ernest Mawrie: I cannot draw a comparison between them. I have already talked about Conrad Sangma's corruption. If Trinamool wins here, the state will witness large-scale Bangladeshi infiltration. We have been facing this issue for quite a long time, and we just cannot 'invite' more Bangladeshi people here.
IANS: But the BJP has brought the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Ernest Mawrie: First, in the CAA, a timeline has been established after which no people from Bangladesh will be allowed to live here. Moreover, the Centre introduced CAA more than three years ago. Have you seen any Bangladeshi infiltration issues? The answer is no. IANS: In a state like Meghalaya, where at least 90 per cent follow Christianity, do you believe that people are ready to accept the BJP's hardliner stands on the beef ban, CAA, and other issues?
Ernest Mawrie: It has been nine years since the BJP came to power at the Centre, and we have not seen any Church under attack. There is no restriction being put on consuming beef too. I eat beef and I am in BJP, there is absolutely no problem with this. I am assuring you that the people of Meghalaya are with the BJP this time. You will see that on March 2.
—IANS

 The political situation in poll-bound Meghalaya is both interesting and confusing. The Bharatiya Janata Party's top leaders are training their guns on their former coalition partner Conrad Sangma and his National People's Party (NPP), with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma leading the attack.

‘I Eat Beef And I Am In BJP, I See No Problem In It’: Meghalaya BJP Chief

Guwahati: Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state.
As of Wednesday, 161 veterinary personnel and 32 fisheries development officials have received appointment letters from Sarma. Other appointment letters included thirteen for the Department of Industries and Commerce and four for the Department of Public Health and Engineering.
Sarma said his administration is making good progress towards its goal of creating one million government jobs for young people in the state.
Sarma, who spoke at the event, said that hiring talented and competent young people from the state is an important step towards expanding and boosting public service in the areas of fisheries, animal husbandry, and veterinary medicine.
The Chief Minister has stated that the state government is adopting a number of measures to bring in additional momentum in the areas of fishery, animal husbandry, and veterinary medicine, all of which have the potential to accelerate the growth trajectory of the state.
"The government is working to revamp the animal husbandry and veterinary department to make it as competent as the health and family welfare department. New posts for veterinary officials will be created to cater to the treatment requirements of the livestock population of the state," he added.—Inputs from Agencies

 Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state

 Assam govt to soon fulfil one lakh jobs poll promise: CM

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state

New Delhi: The man who stitched together the various alliances which saw Bharatiya Janata Party's sun rising in the Northeast has done it again.
BJP's poster boy from the region, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emerged as the party's deal maker, flying almost “on a daily basis” to all the three states of the northeast where polls where held in February this year in between running his own state.
First by picking on Neiphiu Rio as the man to bank upon and piggyback to power for a second term in the insurgency ridden state of Nagaland and then by helping Delhi pick up the unassuming Manik Saha as the man who could undo the damage to the saffron party's popularity in the vital border state of Tripura.
Last, but not the least by getting Conrad Sangma who broke off his NPP party's alliance with BJP just before the election to Meghalaya's assembly, (Contd On Pg 2)

The man who stitched together the various alliances which saw Bharatiya Janata Party's sun rising in the Northeast has done it again.

Himanta Sarma: BJP's Deal-Maker In The Northeast

Bengaluru: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is visiting Karnataka, said he intended to shut all the madrasas (Muslim religious schools) in his state, as they were not needed in "New India". Addressing an event in Belagavi on Thursday night, Sarma said what Assam needed were schools, colleges and universities to produce doctors, engineers and other professionals to serve the state and the country, and not madrasas.
"I come from Assam, where everyday people arrive from Bangladesh. There is a threat to our culture and traditions," the Chief Minister said. "Recently in a TV interview in Delhi, I was asked what my intention was in having shut down 600 madrasas. I said that I have shut 600, but my intention is to shut all madrasas," he added.
Going on a tirade against opposition parties, Sarma accused the Congress and Communists of having distorted history and misrepresented facts. He also labelled the Congress "new Mughals".
"There is no need of madrasas in this 'New India'," he asserted, adding, "We have to move forward in this direction, we have to transform our education system; time has come to rewrite our history in a new way as it was distorted earlier." The Assam chief minister was addressing a large gathering after inaugurating a light and sound show on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Noting that Abhay Patil, a local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, had planned the light and sound show six years ago, Sarma again made accusations against the Congress. "The Congress government then did not extend any help. Why will Congress help," he asked, adding, "Congress will never help. Congress will think about Babar, but not Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."
"With this light and sound show, he (MLA) has ensured that the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be followed in this country and that in the future too Sanatana (dharma) will be followed, and that Sanatana ideals will become stronger in this country," he said.
Pointing out that there are a large number of people in this country who claim with pride that they are Muslims or Christians, the Assam CM said, "I have no objections, but we want people who will with pride say, 'I'm a Hindu'."
Sarma then went on to make unsubstantiated remarks about the 17th century Mughal ruler Aurangazeb allegedly trying to destroy Hinduism, while recalling his contemporary Shivaji's contributions to protecting Sanatana Dharma and its traditions. "Till today India is Sanatani and Hindu, and until the sun and moon exist India will go forward on the basis of its traditions," he declared.
Sarma also claimed that it was communist historians who tried to make it appear that Aurangazeb ruled with "complete" India under his control while all of south India and the region from Assam to the North-East was never a part of his kingdom.
"We will have to rewrite that history in a new way. We will have to tell that Shivaji Maharaj was stronger than Aurangazeb. Such history has to be written by Indians," he said.
Sarma insisted that India's history is only that of Shivaji, Durgadas Rathore and Guru Gobind Singh and claimed that "Congress and Communists have made the history of Babar, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb as India's history."
Speaking about the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the construction of corridors at Kashi, Ujjain, and Kamakhya among others, Sarma claimed that "the badshahs of Delhi spoke and worked on destroying temples".
"But in the time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, constructions of temples are happening," he said. "This is new India."
He went on to compare India's Mughal rulers with the Opposition party, Congress. "Earlier, Mughals tried to weaken India, and now Congress is doing it," he said. "Congress people are today's new Mughals....they have an objection to Ram Mandir. Are you (Congress) children of Mughals? Why do you speak in favour of Babri Masjid and not for Ram Mandir? They represent new Mughals."
—PTI

 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is visiting Karnataka, said he intended to shut all the madrasas (Muslim religious schools) in his state, as they were not needed in "New India". 

Will Close All Madrasas, Assam CM Says In K'taka

Guwahati News: The Assam government on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won the Gold medal on March 26 in the Women's World Boxing Championship.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made this announcement during the ongoing Budget Session of Assam Assembly,

The announcement comes after Lovlina, who won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, achieved another milestone by winning her first Gold medal at the World Championships on March 26.

Australian boxer Caitlin Parker, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, was defeated by Lovlina -- who hails from Assam, in the 75 kg weight class final of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Delhi.

"Lovlina has made us proud and the Assam Assembly today unanimously decided to award her Rs 50 lakh," Sarma said.

"Borgohain is the first Assamese sportsperson to clinch a medal in the Olympics and now a gold at the World Boxing Championship. This is a very special moment for us," the Chief Minister added. IANS

Lovlina Borgohain, who won the Women's World Boxing Championship gold medal on March 26, received Rs 50 lakh from the Assam government on Wednesday.

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