Development / Assam

Jorhat, June 9: A Switzerland-based international labour union has taken up cudgels on behalf of India?s 20 lakh-strong tea workforce, which is bearing the brunt of the worst recession in the industry?s chequered history.

In a letter to Union commerce minister Arun Jaitley, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers? Associations said the plight of tea labourers was cause for ?grave concern?.

The union is affiliated to the International Labour Organisation and represents three million workers from 124 countries.

Its general secretary...

GUWAHATI, June 3? Power consumers in Assam have often suffered big losses with their electrical gadgets getting burnt out due to sudden power fluctuations. Consumers have often complained about their televisions, refrigerators, ACs, music systems and even bulbs and tubes being damaged. The power supplier, Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB), says it has no control over the fluctuations, laying the blame on the power generating utilities like NEEPCO.

Asked about the reasons behind the fluctuations, especially in the evenings, ASEB officials, not wishing to be named, said that the problem is...

GUWAHATI, June 1 ? Floods caused by the rivers Brahmaputra and Barak and their 52 major tributaries cripple the socio-economic development of Assam and according to a report prepared by the State Water Resources department, floods claim more than 40 lives a year. According to the report, more than 1950 persons lost their lives in floods during the period from 1954 to 2000 and highest number of 221 persons were killed in the year 1988. The total damage to crop and public utilities during the period was estimated to the tune of Rs 4,391.94 crore. During the same period, more than five lakh...

GUWAHATI, May 29: The Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, beginning with the lack of basic amenities to the invasion of rats, is now grappling with another problem? that of mass exodus of superspecialist doctors who, after their return from higher training abroad, resign from their Government jobs at the GMCH. These superspecialists from the GMCH are send abroad by the State Government for higher training, but as they quit the GMC after their return, the fruits of their training fail to reach the poor patients of the State who are...

GUWAHATI, May 29? Digboi refinery, the oldest refinery in the country, has not been able to produce speciality products to its full capacity due to lack of demand in the North-eastern region. Digboi refinery sources revealed that the refinery produces speciality products like MTO, JBO, Solar Oil, wax oil, binder oil, rhino shine, indo coat, indo paste, wood oil etc to cater to the requirements of the tea companies, paint industry, shipping industry, jute industry and various other industries. But some industries are still using such products imported from outside mainly due to lack of...

Guwahati, May 26: Three states of the Northeast ? identified as one of the most potent breeding grounds of the deadly HIV virus ? today signed the ?Guwahati declaration? for accelerating development of AIDS vaccines and to provide high-quality healthcare to people affected with the disease.

Political leaders of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam pledged their support to research and development of AIDS vaccines, including clinical trials and other prevention technologies as per the needs of the northeastern region.

Manipur, the worst-affected state, accounts for nearly eight per cent of the country?s...

GUWAHATI, May 24 ? At the tender age of seven years, Purnima Rongpharpi of Tekelangjun in Karbi Anglong has lost all colours of life and is left staring at a bleak future. Affected by deadly fluorosis, Purnima is suffering from acute backpain, chronic dysentry and mattled teeth at such an early stage in her life when she should be playing with toys.

Deadly fluorosis has deprived a large section of population in Karbi Anglong of their child hood and youth. Drinking water in many parts of Karbi Anglong hill district particularly in Tekalangjun, Dengaon, Ransapathar, Lungnit, Kheroni, etc, is...

GUWAHATI, May 23 ? A study conducted by the Soil Conservation Department recently, reveals that the degradation status of the city hills is ?almost directly related? to encroachments upon them. The study also reveals that the city?s 18 hills are covered by 75 villages, consisting of 26,985 households with a total population of 1,23,979. Ironically, this was the total population of the city in 1971, said the study.

The hills like Sunsali, Kalapahar, Khanapara, Nabagraha, Gandhibasti are subjected to ruthless devastation by the encroachers, while Basistha, Sonaighuli, Kamakhya etc, hills have...

GUWAHATI, May 23? About 300 employees of the Assam State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd (ASCARD) have been going without regular salaries for the past 22 months. The headquarters of the bank in a highrise building at Ulubari is in a state of utter despair. A sense of gloom prevails everywhere. For years, the bank has done little. For years, the bank has been unable to recover crores of rupees due to it from its creditors. Among the defaulters are some of the ?respectable? persons of the state. According to office bearers of the ASCARD bank employees union, over Rs 6.81...

NEW DELHI, May 20? The very existence of Majuli ? the largest river island ? situated within the two arms of the mighty Brahmaputra, is under threat with acute erosion engulfing chunks of it, scientists have said. If no corrective measures through proper scientific planning and management are taken, Majuli, will soon be engulfed by Brahmaputra and become extinct from the world map, scientists from the Regional Research Laboratory and Dibrugarh University, said.

?When the river floods the state every year, the entire population of Majuli Island fears that it may be engulfed by the mighty...