TEZPUR, February 16: An amount of Rs 252 crore has been sanctioned by the central government to save the world’s largest river island Majuli from any further erosion and work on the whole project will start in September next, said Dileep Singh Bhuria, Chairman National Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. Talking to this correspondent, Bhuria said the government is living no stone unturned to save Majuli island and expressed his shock that despite the central government sanctioning huge amounts every year no development work had been carried out in Majuli. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 17, 2000)

NALBARI, February 17: Trading charges between the Union minister of state for water resources Bijoya Chakraborty and state’s chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on the multi-crore Pagladia dam project continues though, the fate of the project seems to be hanging in the balance due to the alleged indifference of the state government to rehabilitate the people likely to be affected by the project. When this correspondent visited the proposed site of the project at Thalkuchi and its neighbourhood a few days back, to make an on-the-spot study of the situation there, what transpired is an astounding story, which no one upholding the state’s cause, will like to face. The Brahmaputra Board though initiated the spade works for the construction of the dam in April 1998 after a long and abortive wait for the clearance from the Public Investment Board (PIB), it had to suspend all such works in March 1999. Repeated protests from the locals also hampered the construction-related activities. The hostile situation under which the Brahmaputra Board officials had to carry out their operations can be grasped when one comes across the fact that a wooden bridge and two base camps set up by the board officials were burnt down by some ‘miscreants’. The board had sanctioned an amount of Rs 406.48 lakh for the preliminary works precluding the construction activities for the dam. Of this amount, Rs 11 lakh was spent on drilling of pits, construction of the wooden bridge and setting up the two base camps. Now, the entire amount of Rs 11 lakh stands wasted. The pre-construction work for the project, though lacked the PIB clearance, had the approval of a high level central team consisting representatives from central Water Commission (CWC), central Soil and Material Research Station (CSMRS), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Brahmaputra Board, which visited the project site at Thalkuchi, 30 km north-west of Nalbari, the headquarter town of Nalbari district, prior to the initiation of the preliminary works. (Ramen Kalita; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 18, 2000)

GUWAHATI, February 19: Rubber cultivation in the Northeast, particularly in Assam and Tripura, is getting increasingly popular among the rural people and has already transformed the lives of hundreds of farmers who have switched over to the plantation crop from their previous subsistence agriculture. Along with the increased returns accruing to the cultivators, the rural folks are also being provided with the opportunity to secure gainful employment in the plantations which are labour intensive in nature. It has indirectly helped in weaning away a large number of youths from the path of militancy too. The possibilities of the crop are immense says officials of the Rubber Board, the agency responsible for encouraging and aiding rubber cultivation. Parts of lower Assam are already witnessing a transformation in the economic status of the farmers. Tempted by the success of their colleagues more farmers are venturing into its cultivation. According to figures available with the Rubber Board’s Guwahati zonal office, up to 42,532 hectares (ha) of land has been brought under rubber cultivation till 1998-99 out of a potential hectarage of 4,50,000. Production last year in the region was to the tune of 12,183 metric tonnes (MT). Tripura is, by far, the biggest producer with 8,588 MT produced from a planted area of 24,120 ha. Following that state is Assam which produced 1,785 MT of rubber from 10,805 ha under rubber cultivation. Two other significant producers are Meghalaya and Nagaland. The former produced 1,424 MT in 1998-99 while the latter produced 167 MT during the same period. Upto 1,305 ha of fresh area was brought under rubber cultivation during 1998-99 in the region (except Tripura), under the Ninth Plan proposal to increase the area under the crop by 6,375 ha. (Anujata Dasgupta; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 19, 2000)

CHERRAPUNJEE, February 21: Cherrapunjee has regained its status of being the heaviest rainfall area in the world. During the last three years, it has recorded a heavier rainfall than Mawsynram situated at a distance of about 16 kms from Cherrapunjee which has, of late, been known as the wettest place. According to BP Mandal, senior observer at the Meteorological Office at Cherrapunjee, the rainfalls of 8,993.6 mm, 14,536.9 mm and 12,502.8 mm that he has recorded in 1997, 1998 and 1999 respectively, were higher than the corresponding figures of Mawsynram. The latest figures prove that the epicentre of the rains has not shifted away from Cherrapunjee as was believed. Mandal also disproved reports that the intensity of rains in Cherrapunjee has weakened. For instance, the rainfalls during the last two years were higher than the normal rainfall of 11,070 mm, calculated on the basis of the figures available with his office since 1973, when it was established. Until then, the responsibility of measuring the rainfall rested with the post office at Cherrapunjee. He recorded the heaviest daily rainfall of 1,563 mm on June 16, 1995. Until then, the maximum rainfall for a single day was recorded in 1876, when 1,041 mm of rain fell in 24 hours, as mentioned in the Gazetteer of Khasi and Jaintia Hills (1900). While the fact that Cherrapunjee, which was once the Capital of the Northeast region, has recovered its lost position will gladden the hearts of its 30,000 or so residents, they never believed that it ever lost its status as the wettest place. They have genuine doubts about the authenticity of the rainfall figures that emanate from Mawsynram. As it is, there is no proper observatory at Mawsynram and the Meteorological Department has installed an ordinary rain gauge and a self-recording gauge. This has raised doubts about the authenticity of the figures. (AJ Phillip; The Indian Express; New Delhi; February 22, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 21: The government has decided to revamp the power grid system comprising generation, transmission and evacuation of power networks of the seven Northeast states. The decision was taken as the region faces a shortage of power because of low plant load factor in thermal plants, inadequate sub-transmission and distribution system and power evacuation problems, and operation of some generating units in isolation due to inadequate grid connections. To overcome these problems deliberations were held with the power ministers of Northeast states and Sikkim for developing the vast hydro-electric potential to improve the per capita consumption of electricity in the region for speedy economic development. It was decided that all the three units of 25 MW each of the Doyang hydro-electric (HE) project in Nagaland should be commissioned by March this year at an escalated cost of Rs 758.70 crore against approved estimated cost of Rs 384.75 crore. The project is being implemented by the North eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). NEEPCO has also taken up the 60 MW Tuirial project in Mizoram at an estimated cost of Rs 368.72 crore. The project is being funded by the overseas economic corporation fund (OECF) and is expected to be completed by July 2006, sources said. The government has also set up a hydel task force under the chairmanship of the power minister to monitor the execution of these projects. Union Power ministry has ensured to meet 100 per cent funding of various ongoing NEEPCO projects. The sources said to exploit the hydro potential of Arunachal Pradesh steps have been taken to execute projects as per schedule. In order to minimise the extent of submergence, a strategy has been evolved by Brahmaputra Board of cascade development of the hydro potential of Subansiri and Dihang basins in Arunachal Pradesh and identified three projects each across Subansiri and Dihang rivers for a three stage execution. Similarly, the Brahmaputra Board has also investigated and prepared report for lower site of Dehang. The estimated aggregate capacity of these two basin is estimated to be 21000 MW. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 22, 2000)

GUWAHATI, February 21: The North East Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has developed the biggest and most comprehensive database on the North East which can also be accessed on the internet. According to chairman Jayanta Madhab the basic objective is to attract fresh investment and entrepreneurial initiative by providing up to date data on the resources and infrastructure of the Northeastern Region. The database would mainly help to make the data available at a single source and also on the internet and encourage research on the region, classify and organise data uniformly in the Northeast, cut down for the region as a whole in terms of time and money spent on data collection and tabulation by avoiding duplication of efforts. The web-site is being launched next month. ‘We want to put it in a big way’, said Madhab. In the North East ironically all relevant information do exist, but in a very discreet and scattered form. Most agencies, both in the government, and non-government sector do gather information required for their operations. However, there exists no single source. Also, there is duplication of efforts. The NEDFi, National Informatics Centre (NIC, Assam state unit) along with North Eastern Council (NEC) felt the need for joining hands for a strategic alliance to undertake the venture of creation of a regional resources database for the region. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 22, 2000)

GOALPARA, February 22: The ongoing project of construction of railway line from Goalpara to Kamakhya is unlikely to see the light of day before the forthcoming Rangali Bihu, it is learnt. The railway line from Jogighopa to Guwahati was, it may be recalled, sanctioned in 1983-84. The construction of the railway line was a part of the overall Guwahati-Jogighopa project which also included construction of a rail-cum-road bridge across the river Brahmaputra at Jogighopa. The 2.284-km bridge (Naranarayan Setu) constructed at a cost of Rs 301 crore was inaugurated by Prime Minister AB Vajpayee on April 5, 1998. Along with the opening of the bridge, the 18-km railway link up to Goalpara as a part of the new line was also commissioned. Construction of the 142.5-km rail line, which started late, suffered time and again for several reasons as a result of which the estimate was revised several times and also it could not achieve completion on the target date of March 31, 1999. While the initial delay was due mainly to inadequate budgetary allotment, non-release of funds and resultant delay in the acquisition of land, the later factors included difficulty in the collection of ballast consequent on the closure of quarries by the ministry of Environment, financial crunch and law and order problem. Carriage of huge quantity of ballast to the construction site, public demand for more level crossing, other public demands and above all incidence of killing, abduction and extortion of the railwaymen and contractors had a detrimental effect the pace of progress. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 23, 2000)

It was a great disappointment. What I expected at Cherrapunjee, the rain capital of the world, situated 1,300 metres above sea-level, were lush green forests, heavy, unpredictable rains, deafening waterfalls, mountainous springs and meandering streams. But what I could see were women and children trekking long distances to fetch drinking water, barren hillsides and huge gorges that were bone dry. I then realised that this was actually one of the "wet deserts" of the world. For Cherrapunjee's 30,000-odd people, this is one of the worst periods of the dry season. Old residents say the situation has been deteriorating with each passing year and the pity is that there is no solution in sight for their problem. All they can do is to wait for the rains. The last showers they remember to have received were in November, although the Cherrapunjee meteorological office recorded 27.8 mm rainfall in January. "The problem Cherrapunjee faces is very simple. There is hardly any soil left there to retain water because the rain, over thousands of years, has washed it all away. Five minutes after the rain, there is no water to be seen anywhere there," says Balajied Syiem, a local ruler, speaking at his headquarters at Smit, near Shillong. (AJ Phillip; The Indian Express; New Delhi; February 24, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 24: Five Northeast states — Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura — today jointly pressed the ministry of surface transport to upgrade the Stillwell Road to the level of a National Highway. Reiterating their demand for opening up trade routes between the Northeast states and its neighbouring countries, the five ministers including Pradip Hazarika, Assam transport minister, Nimarson Momin of Meghalaya, Gopal Das of Tripura, P Enyei Knyak, of Nagaland, CC Singhpho of Aruanchal Pradesh, all ministers of food and civil supplies today submitted a joint memorandum to the surface transport minister. The ministers pleaded that the main hurdle in smooth flow of transport from the region was unavailability of roads, while traditional routes were neglected. If the trade route in shape of the old Stillwell Road is developed it will facilitate growth of trade and commerce with Myanmar and China, they pointed out. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 25, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 24: Even as both the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the Oil India Limited (OIL) have not been able to keep pace with the demand for associated and free gas in the region, over 0.6 MMSCM of gas valued at Rs 5.86 lakh is being flared up daily in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Divulging this at the Rajya Sabha, the minister of state for petroleum and natural gas, IE Ponnuswamy, in a statement disclosed that of its 12 consumers with a demand of 3.514 MMSCMD in Assam, both the public sector oil companies have been able to meet the requirement of only 11, leaving out the Lawka LPG plant managed by the Gas Authpority of India (GAIL). The Lakwa plant’s demand is in the order of 0.115 MMSCMD. Its other consumers are HFC (0.643), ASEB Namrup (0.454), APL, Namrup (0.086), IOC Digboi (0.173), NEEPCO Kathalguri (1.055) tea gardens (0.392), ASEB Maibella (0.463), HFCL Namrup (0.035), Sonari Gas grid (0.053), other tea estates (0.045). Even out of its allocation ASEB has not been able to draw its supply. While its Kathalguri plant has stopped drawing gas. Amguri gas plant has not been drawing gas allocated to it. The total production of associated and natural gas by the ONGC and OIL in Assam for the period April - December 1999, was 1563.53 MMSCM. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 25, 2000)

GOLAGHAT, February 24: A growing demand for rhino horns in east India and its barter for arms by the extremists of the region are pushing the Indian one-horned rhinoceros to the brink of extinction, says a Traffic India report. Rhino horns, which can fetch up to Rs 8 lakh per kg are bartered by the Northeast militants with the poaching syndicates in Nagaland and neighbouring Myanmar for arms. Some evidence of such exchange came to light in Manas, the report said, adding that Assamese and Naga ultras sell the horns to fund their activities. More than 800 rhinos have been killed by the poachers during the last one decade in India, mainly for the horns which enjoy a huge demand in East-Asian oriental medicine markets for its aphrodisiac and medicinal qualities. According to some accounts, rhino horn is one of the components put together to prepare basic printing dye to print fake currency notes in underground presses by militant outfits of the Northeast. A large number of Naga and Bodo ultras are involved in poaching of rhinos in central and lower Assam along with the Assamese insurgents. They use sophisticated silencer-fitted weapons for the killing of rhinos to get just Rs 10,000 to 20,000 in return. Syndicate organising poaching have access to 303 and 7.62 mm rifles, including self-loading rifles, from neighbouring countries. In 1993, Taiwanese authorities arrested Deiky Wangchuk, the aunt of Bhutanese king Jigme Singye Wangchuk while entering that country with a consignment of nine bear-ball-bladders and 22 rhino horns worth 769,000 US dollars. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 25, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 25: The maiden budget of railways minister Mamata Banerjee today was disappointing for the Northeast region, with no provisions for new projects and announcement of new trains, which provoked a sharp reaction from the members of the region who staged a walk out protesting the neglect of the region. The budget, failed to reflect the priority given to the region by the central government as most of the provisions concerning the Northeast Frontier Railways were routine in nature and mere continuation of ongoing projects. The only new project proposed for the region is a pilot project developed as a new anti-collision safety device. When installed on locomotives, brakes vans, stations level-crossings and other vulnerable locations, the device will avert collisions or reduce their crossing impact. In order to comprehensively test the system, a pilot project is now being undertaken on NF Railway," she said. Even as the Railway minister was presenting her budget, members belonging to the Assam Congress and CPIML among other rushed to the well of the House protesting the neglect of the region before staging a walk out. The APCC president Tarun Gogoi, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Abdul Hamid, Santosh Mohan Dev Jayanta Rongpi among others were seen walking out. Among the new projects, the Railway minister has proposed are to connect Jogighopa – Maynaguri. Besides, the ongoing Goalpara – Kamakhaya project is proposed to be completed before March 2000. During the 2000-01, the ministry proposes to go for gauge conversion of Makum – Dangri and Amguri – Tuli sections. While the new survey sanctioned for the region is the Kohima – Dimapur section. For construction of new lines, the railways has made a provision of Rs five crore for the Bogibeel-road-cum-rail bridge, which is now estimated to cost Rs 1000 crore. For the first phase of Diphu Karong line connecting Imphal, Rs 15 crore has been earmarked for the year. For the Harmoti – Itanagar line Rs 10 lakh has been sanctioned. While for the Kumarghat – Agartala line a provision of Rs 10 crore has been made. For construction of the Dudhnoi – Depa line Rs 10 lakh has been earmarked. For completion of the Rangia Rail Division, a sum of Rs 30 lakh has been earmarked. For improvement of Maligaon stadium and development of its hostel facilities a sum of Rs 4.50 crore has been earmarked. The Railways has earmarked Rs 20 lakh for gauge conversion projects including New Guwahati – Lumding comprising Haibargoan, Guwahati, Kamakhya linked branches. A sum of Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned for conversion of Dibrugarh – Lumding link branch line, while for Lumding – Silchar conversion work Rs four crore has been provided. (Kalyan Barooah; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 26, 2000)

GUWAHATI, February 25: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today agreed to a suggestion made by an eight-member delegation led by Rajya Sabha members Jayashree Goswami Mahanta, Gurudas Dasgupta and Abani Roy, to take special measures for the supply of adequate quantity of foodgrains and kerosene to the NE states under the PDS quota, said official circles here today. The Prime Minister also agreed to look into the allegation made by the delegation, which also included the Food and Civil Supplies ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura, that the central government subsidies to the open market dealers operating in the filed of foodgrain supply in the NE region, have not been benefiting the common people of the region. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 26, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 28: Unfavourable weather conditions in the North East has hit tea production and its output is expected to be lower by 60-65 million kgs during the current year, though prices would remain steady, according to the Economic Survey report (1999-2000) tabled in the Parliament by the Finance minister, here today. There was a dry spell during the first quarter of 1999 followed subsequently by floods which affected production of tea considerably in the Northeast. It is expected that production could be lower during the current year, the survey report which is released a day before the Union Budget, said. But because of the lower volume of export from 189. 36 million kg in January-November, 1999 to 166 million kg in November-December, the decline in this year’s production has even out short-fall in the domestic market. The prices of tea, therefore, remained steady till April though some upstream was seen thereafter, the report said. (Staff Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; February 29, 2000)

NEW DELHI, February 29: The first Union budget of the millennium held a mixed bag for the northeastern region, with the Union finance minister, Yashwant Sinha proposing to set up 50 more industrial training institutes and 446 computer information centres for the region, besides earmarking Rs 500 crore for various developmental projects under the non-lapsable pool of funds. Reiterating the Union government’s commitment for speedy economic development of the Northeast including Sikkim, he said priority would be given for development of infrastructure, special airports, railways, power and national highways so as to remove the sense of isolation perceived in many parts of the Northeast. Though he did not specify the projects proposed to be taken up for development of the infrastructure, he mentioned that about Rs 500 crore are expected to be released for projects in the Northeast states and Sikkim out of the savings from the budget of different central ministries. The amount earmarked would mean a marginal increase over the last year’s sanction of Rs 303.97 crore. The central assistance for the North Eastern Council (NEC) for 2000-2001 too has not seen any significant increase and a sum of Rs 450 crore has been sanctioned, which is an increase of Rs 25 crore compared to the last year’s budgetary allocations. Meanwhile, the Union finance minister, in his budget speech said that agriculture and horticulture will be the new thrust areas stating that for development of these two sectors schemes for minor irrigation will be encouraged. A technology mission for horticulture development in the Northeast states will be launched, he announced. However, it was in the area of flood control assistance that holds depressing news for the Assam government, as Sinha has made a provision of only Rs 30 crore and that too the amount will be in form of loan. The Brahmaputra Board has been given Rs 15.50 crore, which is in form of a grant-in-aid. In addition, for the flood control works in the Brahmaputra valley a sum of Rs 45.50 crore has been provided and for the Pagladia Project a sum of Rs 40 crore has been earmarked. (Kalyan Barooah; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; March 1, 2000)