Tension in Assam town after
bus set ablaze
Guwahati: Tension gripped Nikasi town in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) after a mob set a bus ablaze following a road accident on Wednesday morning in which a man was killed, police said. There was, however, no report of any injury to passengers of the bus. Police said the mob stopped the bus and set it afire after the vehicle hit retired teacher Manmath Medhi, killing him on the spot. Moments after the accident, people gathered in a large number and set the bus on fire. The bus was carrying people to a rally organised by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in nearby Kadamtal area. (IANS)
Dwelling unit target under IAY curtailed by Centre: Assam govt
Guwahati: Assam government on Wednesday claimed that the Centre has cut the target of dwelling units to be built under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) in the state by nearly 60,000 units to around 1.23 lakh in 2015-16. “On April 16, 2015, we were informed through letter from the Centre that 1,83,171 houses would be constructed under IAY through 50:50 share with the state government. This was revised in September that the Centre would spend 90 per cent of the cost,” Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rockybul Hussain said at a press conference. “However, a letter on November 16 from the Centre informed us that the target for IAY has been set as 1,23,193 houses for the current fiscal. This is an anti-poor step,” he added. Hussain also mentioned Annapurna scheme, where the Centre has cut distribution of free rice to around 26,000 aged persons excluded in the old-age pension. Likewise, the Centre had also cut allocation for the state under the Backward Region Grant Fund, he added. Hussain also claimed that the Centre had withdrawn grants for giving salaries to persons hired under contractual agreement for different departments. (PTI)
Committed to develop tourism in Northeast India: Taj Hotels
Guwahati: Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, India’s leading luxury hotel chain owned by the Tata Group, on Wednesday affirmed its commitment to the development of the hotel and tourism sector in the northeast region. “We know we must develop the infrastructure in order to develop the people and human capital of Assam and the northeast. We are duty bound to do that,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Rakesh Sarna said here. Speaking at the launch of the Vivanta by Taj here, Tata Group chairman Cyrus P. Mistry hoped the hotel would boost tourism in Assam and the region. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi formally opened the hotel by unveiling a plaque in the presence of Mistry and Sarna. Equipped with 150 guestrooms, the hotel’s main pavilion is based on the famed Kamakhya temple in Guwahati while the motifs represent Assam’s strong tradition of woven crafts. (IANS)
