Sonakshi Sarkar

With the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections fast approaching, political temperatures in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) are rising rapidly. Leaders of three major parties—the BJP, UPPL, and BPF—have hit the campaign trail with massive rallies aimed at winning the confidence of voters in what is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested elections in recent years. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing large gatherings in Kalipukhuri under Salakati BTC constituency and Khasiyabari in Jamduar BTC constituency as part of the BJP’s Sankalp Samabekh on Monday, launched a scathing attack on both the current BTC administration…

A major confrontation is brewing between government employees in Assam and the Centre over pension reforms, as the All Assam Government NPS Employees’ Association has once again voiced strong opposition to the proposed Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) and demanded the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The employees’ association made its stand clear during its 3rd Biennial Conference held at the Assam State Freedom Fighters’ Association auditorium in Rupnagar, Guwahati, where several prominent organisations, including teachers’ bodies and employees’ unions, extended support for the cause. Newly elected President Achyutananda Hazarika and General Secretary Apurba Sharma announced that the Association…

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday formally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an independent investigation into alleged illegal quarrying in the Panimura Range of Karbi Anglong district. In his letter, Gogoi expressed serious concern over quarrying operations reportedly taking place without valid environmental clearances, which he said are posing significant risks to the ecological balance, public safety, and the legal regulatory framework. According to the Congress leader, while quarry operators were initially permitted to extract three lakh cubic meters of stone over a seven-year period beginning in 2017, actual extraction has reportedly crossed 80…

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have agreed to coordinate all future activities, including plantation drives, in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the Assam–Nagaland border. The understanding comes after a series of high-level talks between the two leaders following recent friction in the sensitive border zone. An official statement from the Nagaland Chief Secretary’s office said the decision was intended to prevent further escalation and ensure that the DAB remains a zone of peace and cooperation. The DAB, which stretches across several sectors of the 512-km Assam–Nagaland boundary, has historically been a flashpoint,…

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 5-crore project to transform the historic Sootea police station into a heritage tourist destination. The site holds immense historical significance, as the Indian tricolour was first hoisted here in 1942 during the Quit India Movement, marking a bold assertion of patriotism in colonial Assam. Addressing the gathering, Sarma highlighted the project’s aim to preserve Assam’s proud history and inspire future generations. “It was a pivotal moment in India’s freedom struggle. The hoisting of the national flag at Sootea symbolised courage and determination, showing how even…