Karbi Anglong organisations resent nomination to KAAC

DIPHU MARCH 21 : In the midst of demand for nominating selected ‘Member of Autonomous Council’ (MAC) from sixth schedule tribes, who cannot elect its own representative like the Rengma, Kuki, Shyam etc. most important pressure groups of Karbi Anglong ‘Karbi Students Association’, Karbi Cultural Society, Karbi Anglong Ingenious Youth Association, Dimasa Sahayta Sabha, Karbi Students and Youth Council, have expressed its resentment over nomination of non indigenous persons to the KAAC.

These organizations have alleged Congress ruled KAAC of violating the Indian Constitution by selecting non indigenous tribes to the house of KAAC. The organizations have demanded to revoke its choice.

Alike the Karbi civil societies the association of Kuki village headman of Karbi Anglong have resented the decision of the congress ruled KAAC for not inducting MAC to the council from Kuki community.

P T Kipgen chairman of the association has cautioned the present executive committee of the council that if the quandary of the Kukis and their suffering is not looked after, then they will adopt its own policy to fight for the legitimate rights.

KPLT linkmen held

Diphu 12 Mar : Based on specific information provided by Gagaraj core of army intelligence, Borpathar police arrested two suspected linkman of KPLT Sunday night from Chokihola.

The arrested persons have been identified as Khorsing Teron 29 and Biren Singnar of Rong Hanse village, Koilamati. Bokajan sub-division.   Police recovered two KPLT extortion notes and three mobile hand sets from them.  Police also seized TVS motor cycle (AS 05E0840) used by the linkmen

21 selected , 20 MLAs take oath as Parliamentary Secys

Dr. Mansing Rongpi of Hamren Constituency absent during the oath

Bidya sing Engleng and Dr. Mansing Rongpi from Karbi Anglong amongst others .

Guwahati 1 March :Twenty MLAs were today administered the oath of office as Parliamentary Secretaries at a function at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi administered the oath to the MLAs who would later be assigned their departments.

The MLAs who were inducted into the Government as Parliamentary Secretaries included Rajendra Prasad Singh (Tinsukia), Raju Sahoo (Chabua), Jivantara Ghatowar (Moran), Pradan Baruah (Jonai), Sarat Saikia (Mahmora), Jon Jonali Baruah (Morigaon), Sukur Ali Ahmed (Chenga), Chandan Kumar Sarkar (Dakshin Abhayapuri), Bidya Sing Engleng (Diphu), Monilal Goala (Patharkandi), Abu Taher Bepari (Golokganj), Ilias Ali (Dolgaon), Bibekananda Doloi (Jagiroad), Rana Goswami (Jorhat), Bhupen Kumar Bora (Bihpuria), Sumitra Doley Patir (Dhemaji), Bolin Chetia (Sadia), Rekibuddin Ahmed (Chhaygaon), Maneswar Brahma (Barama) and Rakeswar Brahma (Majbat).

Twenty-one MLAs were supposed to be administered the oath but Mansing Rongpi was absent today.

Of the 21 MLAs, 19 belong to the ruling Congress and two are from its ally the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF)

Chief Secretary-in charge PP Varma conducted the oath-taking ceremony

Police Outpost attacked by Villagers in Karbi Anglong, nine injured

Diphu, 26 Feb: At least nine people, including four policemen, were injured in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district Sunday after a clash between police and villagers.

Four armed constables of 23rd IRB including five civilians were injured when a mob of around 500 persons attacked Deithor police outpost at around 10.30 am Sunday, which is believed to be the stronghold area of KPLT.

All the injured police personals and civilians were rushed to Golaghat civil hospital. The outpost is under Borpathar police station in Bokajan subdivision.

According to Siraj Ingti, officer in charge of Borpathar police station “some armed persons” in the midst of the mob fired on the police constables camped inside,meanwhile  havildar Nripan Kalita and constable Diganta Deka sustained bullet injuries in their abdomen.
The rampaging horde also destroyed the food stock of the reserved police, he said.

A Sumo patrolling vehicle and a motor bike used by the police have also been damaged by the crowd.
The office in-charge said that to disperse the mob, police had to fire more than 50 rounds in air, and in the cross firing at least four police personnel sustained injuries, a portion of the outpost have been torched by angry mob.

According to Shiraj Ingti, police patrolling party detained three youth on “suspicious” from a village near Deithor outpost on Saturday.
However, they were released on Sunday as the police did not find anything objectionable against them.

Police said that the youth after their release went back to the village and came back with more men to attack the police station.
After the incident an additional police force including CRPF has been deployed in Deithor to take stock of the situation.

“The situation turned worse when the group attacked the policemen and two of them were seriously injured,” police said adding that they had to resort to firing to control the mob.

“Four policemen and five villagers were injured during the incident,” police said adding that all the injured have been shifted to Jorhat Civil Hosiital in Jorhat.

Both Superintendent of police and deputy commissioner rushed to Deithor to take stock of the situation.
While talking to this reporter from the place of incident, Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong Rakesh Kumar said “our priority is to arrange to save the injured, all the eight persons are being shifted to Jorhat Medical College and now the situation is totally under control”.

Stormy KAAC budget session

DIPHU 25 FEB :  Non congress members of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Friday walked out of the emergency budget session of KAAC protesting against various anomalies in both plan and non planned financial statement.

ASDC and PAPA backed MAC Jagat Sing Engti, Kang Jang Teron, Robin Son Kro later held a press meet at ASDC (P) office in the evening and blamed the ruling congress for its total failure in protecting the interest of the autonomous district.

Jagat Sing Engti said that the so called KAAC budget has been prepared by Assam government where no provision for proposed medical college, polytechnic, has been made.

Bizzare situation in Diphu Water Supply

From a Correspondent

(From Sentinel Assam)

DIPHU, Feb 21: Karbi Anglong is a land of rivers and streams, therefore, to say that water scarcities haunt the entire district is laughable if not condemnable. The citizens of the district are not generally aware of how the district PHE is functioning. People in the town, especially Diphu, are having a hard time coping with this menace of water scarcity. The scarcity exists not because of non availability of water but the water available is not safe for anyone to drink. The PHE is constantly failing in its role in providing this basic necessity to its citizens in Diphu town. It is mentionable that Diphu town alone have more than one lakh inhabitants. Out of these one lakh population, only 8,000 citizens are getting proper water supply facilities. While having conversations with one of the staff in the department, he enlightened that the water capacity is poor as compared to previous days. Previously, he said, they use to have fresh machines with high HP to pump the water and can extract required amount of water with ease. Now, the machines have got old and the heavy underground pipes used for supply of water have many leakages which have weakened the required flow of water, he said.

Due to the non reachability of water through the supply system, the residents of Diphu town have to adopt different means to acquire water. They hire vehicles for carrying water from the distribution point. It is fascinating to see how the PHE department has arranged the water delivery point for the proper distribution of water to the entire population of Diphu town. Each day the distribution point get jammed with vehicles. According to the version of the staff, they have daily distribution of around five lakh litres of water in an around Diphu town, each thousand litre cost an amount of Rs 10. The department trucks are charging Rs 240 per trip and it’s a fixed rate, but, the rate may change if the truck has to cover more distance. Auto vans charge Rs 150 per trip, but here too, the rate may change depending on the distance covered. But sadly, only those who can afford to pay can hire these vehicles. Those who own private vehicle are reaping the benefits and earning thousands. One Basumutary, who used to drive a truck for somebody, now, has his own truck bought out by the income he made by selling water. Similarly, there are others like Basumutary who are earning a lot and are becoming affluent in the short span of their career as water supplier.

On the other hand, the former EM of PHE has done little for the upgradation of the proper water facility in Diphu town. Government of India had sanctioned Rs 8.54 crore under NLCPR in the year 2008-09 for the augmentation of Greater Diphu Water Supply Scheme. The amount was disbursed during the tenure of this particular EM. However, the ground reality offers a different picture. No trace of work could be seen anywhere. Unofficial record tallied by one of the staff disclosed that more than 15 crore of rupees have been sanctioned for the augmentation of Greater Diphu Water Supply Scheme under NLCPR. Therefore, it is questionable to those in authority as to where has all the money gone?

Political turmoil in DHAC. Newly elected Chairman Kur Rongpi threatened to be ousted.

Haflong , 20 Feb: The Political Equation in Dima Hasao Autonomous Council has once again become very fluid. A sharp difference between congress leaders within the party has virtually created a split in the party. In a recently held Chairman election of the Council, where Kur Rongpi from Garampani Constituency (Umrongso)  won the chairmanship of the council by 5 votes has brought the conflict within the party into the open.

During the election of chairman of DHAC, the faction supporting G C Langthasa , President of DHDCC ( Dima Hasao District Congress Committee ) has supported Depolal Hojai , who got 10 votes where as the faction supporting CEM Debojit Thaosen proposed the name of Kur Rongpi, who got 15 votes.

Meanwhile in a related development, the district unit of congress has resolved to demand the ouster of the chairman and all the executive members who had thwarted the election of Hojai, the party official candidates for the post of chairman. The decision was taken in a meeting held on Friday. This was stated by district congress spokesperson Kalijoy Sengyung and Samuel Changsan, executive member and member of DHAC respectively, who are still loyal to Langthasa and their APCC bosses in Guwahati.

It is interesting to note that those loyal to CEM Debojit Thaosen are those who had joined the party after deserting ASDC and BJP.

Karbi students’ body criticizes government’s apathy

GUWAHATI, Feb 16: The Amri Karbi Students’ Union (AKSU) has slammed the State Government for not fulfilling the demands of the people of the 18 tribal villages in the Gorbhanga area near West Guwahati along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

Addressing a press meet here on Thursday, president and general secretary of the AKSU Hareswar Ronghang and Bishnu Nandan Teron respectively said that the people of those 18 villages had recently expressed their desire to merge their villages with Meghalaya. “It’s really shameful on the part of the Assam Government. The Assam Government has utterly failed to address the grievances of the people of these 18 villages,” said Teron, “Most of these villages don’t have basic infrastructure facilities despite submission of several demands by the villagers. In the last many years, no government schemes were implemented in those villages. There are no medical facilities, good roads and electricity.”

The villagers also submitted their grievances to the West Guwahati MLA, Hemanta Talukdar, but nothing has been done so far. “The MLA misbehaved with them instead of solving their problems,” alleged Teron.

The AKSU has also urged the State Government to do development works in those backward 18 villages along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

New KAAC executive body declared.

New KAAC Executive body.

1. Joyram Engleng, CEM – Finance, Personnel (Council and transffered sector), GAD, All centrally sponsored schemes/ projects and any other subjects not allocated to any other EMs.
2. Jivan Ch. Pathak ,EM – Water resourse, town and country planning.
3. Dominik Uphing Maslai, EM – DRDA, P&RD.
4. Bhuban Ch. Terang, EM – Forest and Environment, Tourism.
5. Premola Beypi, EM – Social Welfare, ICDS
6. Bidya Sing Rongpi, EM – PHE, Art & Culture.
7. Mongol Sing Timung, EM – Agriculture
8. Longki Timung, EM – Soil Conservation, Co-Operation
8. Raton Engti, EM – PWD
9. Alice Engtipi, EM – Handloom &Textlies, Sericulture
10. Ashok Teron, EM – Health & Family Welfare
11. Tuliram Ronghang, EM – Education
12. Pradip Difusa, EM – Animal husbandry & Veterinary, Library

Gun display by former insurgent in Diphu

(From Special Correspondence of KIN)

Diphu: Alex Singh a former KPLT militant who surrendered on 26 Jan. 2012 on Republic Day openly displayed his pistol in Diphu town. On the afternoon of Jan 31, 2012 he happen to have an altercation with a youth when the car he was riding tailgated a bike.

Surrendered KPLT member, foreground, Alex Singh, openly brandishing a pistol in Diphu town, Karbi Anglong. In the background are his men beating up a youth, on the left.

A trifle matter that can be solved with a little politeness was blown out of proportion when Alex Singh draw out his pistol and openly threaten the youth. Somehow KLNLF militant leaders got wind of the incident and reached there. Local reporters were already there when the biker youth was being beaten up by the former militant Singh.

The incident left people wondering as to how a surrendered militant, who is now a civilian can go around town with arms. People are saying that some quarters might have an interest in keeping surrendered militants with arms in order to carry out doubtful activities. Such incidents are a precursor to bringing ‘gun culture’ into the society.