Assam CA 8 July 2023

Amid a rise in involvement of police personnel in criminal activities, Assam Police on Thursday announced a slew of measures to keep its personnel in check. The director general of police (DGP) Assam, Gyanendra Pratap Singh issued several guidelines after a high-level discussion session.

According to information received, any Assam Police personnel named in any sexual abuse related case, will be dismissed from duty immediately, if found guilty in due investigation.

Moreover, those officials who are caught taking bribe in either cash or kind, shall be dismissed from duty if the charges stand proved.

Furthermore, drinking or being intoxicated while on duty will also be dealt with strictly with immediate dismissal from duty if found guilty.

Police officials found extorting money from vehicles on road, be it private or transport vehicles, will also face disciplinary actions. Officials found owning property proportionately more than their income, will have to face the investigation of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Cell, and if found guilty, will face disciplinary action.

Meanwhile, all officers-in-charge (OC) and ICs have been given strict directions to ensure that every personnel coming under their purview shall be given at least one day off every week.

Also, if a junior officer is negligent in carrying out his or her responsibilities during the course of investigation of a case, all supervising officers shall be held responsible

The 30th Assam Aquatic Championship is kicked off on Friday for three days and will conclude on Sunday, July 9. The championship is organized under the initiative of Assam Swimming Association. The inter-district competition organised on all Assam basis has begun at the Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatic Complex at Guwahati Sarusajai.

Assam Swimming Association flag was also hoisted in the presence of more than 500 athletes from all districts of Assam.

An initiative of natural honey production in Assam aims to empower farmers and promote sustainable beekeeping practices.

The product from the initiative, Purabi Natural Honey, is sourced from local beekeepers in the State and has a distinct natural taste, making it stand out from commercially produced honey.

The initiative has produced over 500 kg of honey in the first lot and an additional 650 kg in the second. Farmers have also witnessed an increase in income – 50% higher than local market rates.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 8 shared figures of number of accident cases in the state for the month of June 2023 as compared to last year’s figures, thus expressing concerns over the rising trend.

The state government under the leadership of CM Sarma have been actively implementing several initiatives, including awareness campaigns to curb road accidents.

With improved infrastructure to implementation of traffic rules and penalty system, the state government has been working towards the goal of improving the situation and bring down the figures of fatalities due to accidents. But looking at the figures, one needs to think beyond government action and retrospect on individual responsibilities as well.

One of India’s foremost biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak on Friday handed over raincoats, Garmin GPS and solar-powered ranger torch lights for the frontline forest staff of Dima Hasao district of Assam to encourage and facilitate well-being of the frontline forest staff whose relentless contributions have been key for biodiversity conservation.

Aaranyak has been working in Dima Hasao district along with Karbi Anglong and Jaintia Hills over a large forested landscape to understand the natural resources use and status of forest conservation along with key wildlife with support from the US fish and Wildlife Service. The study will help to understand forest conservation status and scenario about how local communities are dependent on the natural resources. This will further assist in future conservation planning of the natural resources of the district as well as to understand livelihood opportunities of the indigenous communities. Aaranyak has been working closely with three Autonomous Councils of Assam, namely, Bodoland, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao Autonomous Councils to support their efforts of forest and biodiversity conservation while ensuring sustainable livelihoods for local communities dependent on forest resources.

Haflong Civil Hospital is the only civil hospital in the entire district with an area of 4890 sq.km and a population of 2.4 lakh which won the award in the Swasthya Sewa Conclave in three different categories like Kayakalp award, eco-friendly hospital award, and Swasthya Sewa Utsav award.

As a part of the ongoing forest festival held from July 1 to July 7, hosted by 61 Bn SSB Bhairabkunda, a mass afforestation drive was carried out at Dhansiri picnic spot in coordination with the Dhansiri Forest Division, Udalguri on Wednesday.

The District Health department of Darrang has been awarded the first prize in the ‘Kayakalpa’ segment along with two other awards in the different ‘Swasthya Sewa Utsav’categories in the Swasthya Sewa Conclave held on Wednesday evening at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakhetra, Guwahati.

Earlier, under the initiative of Deputy Commissioner Munindra Nath Ngatey, Darrang Swasthya Sewa was organised in 42 health institutions of Darrang and out of which seven health institutions were awarded A grade. A total amount of Rs 57 lakh was also awarded to the health institutions of Darrang district in the conclave.

As many as 139 electric vehicle charging stations have been set up by Indian Oil in Assam since 2020-21 to meet the country’s net zero emission target by 2070.

10.

In an effort to cater to the needs of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries in Assam who find it challenging to afford the standard 14.2 kg LPG cylinder, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has introduced a new offering. Instead of the larger cylinder, IOCL is providing two 5 kg LPG cylinders as a refill package.

However, the implementation of this initiative has faced some obstacles, resulting in slower progress than anticipated. Over the course of the past year, Indian Oil, a prominent energy PSU in India, has managed to distribute only 1 lakh “mini” cylinders among the 34 lakh beneficiaries who rely on liquefied petroleum gas. Assam, with approximately 56 lakh families below the poverty line, has seen 44.14 lakh families become beneficiaries of PMUY, entailing a free single-cylinder LPG connection.

According to officials from Indian Oil’s Assam Oil Division (AOD), about 25% of beneficiaries have not applied for refills due to various reasons such as affordability concerns and the availability of firewood for cooking. This leaves approximately 34 lakh beneficiaries interested in continuing to use LPG, provided it is more affordable.

Indian Oil’s field officials have identified some practical challenges in promoting the 5 kg cylinders. An official pointed out that the cost per kg of LPG is nearly the same for a 5 kg cylinder, which is currently priced at ₹422 per cylinder. Nevertheless, BPL consumers hesitate to settle for 10 kg (two 5 kg cylinders) when they initially used the 14.2 kg cylinder. The standard 14.2 kg cylinder is priced at ₹1,152.

In addition to this initiative, IndianOil, which holds an 87% LPG market share in the northeast region of India (excluding Sikkim), has been actively marketing a 10 kg translucent, fiberglass cylinder with a blow-molded plastic outer jacket for urban consumers. This cylinder is not only visually appealing and lightweight but also allows users to monitor the gas level and order a refill accordingly. Currently, the fiberglass cylinder is priced at ₹821.

The company’s efforts to cater to specific consumer segments also extend to a 5 kg commercial version called Chhotu, priced at ₹567, which has gained popularity among urban migrants such as students, individuals in transferable jobs, and truckers. Additionally, IndianOil plans to introduce Munna, a 2 kg cylinder priced at ₹247, targeting individuals who require a portable and convenient option. Distribution of Munna is expected to commence soon in the northeast region.

For commercial consumers, IndianOil has introduced XtraTeJ in 19 kg and 47.5 kg variants. This product generates a high-temperature flame for faster cooking while saving a minimum of 5% of fuel.