Sonakshi Sarkar

The Gauhati High Court has struck down a provision of an Arunachal Pradesh law that allowed the minister in charge of Urban Local Bodies to hear appeals against decisions of the State Election Commissioner in municipal defection cases, holding that the arrangement did not provide an adequately independent and impartial appellate forum. A division bench comprising Justices Kardak Ete and Budi Habung, however, upheld the provision under which the chief secretary can act as the appellate authority under the Arunachal Pradesh Urban Local Bodies (Disqualification on Grounds of Defection) Act, 2014. The judgment was pronounced on August 18 on a…

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked people claiming that illegal coal mining is taking place in Sivasagar district to provide photographic evidence along with the exact geographical location, saying he would take action if the allegations are found to be true. “If somebody says there is illegal coal mining in Sivasagar, send me the photograph with the geographic location. I will take action,” Sarma said. The Chief Minister said the state government had repeatedly sought information from the Mining and Geology Department regarding allegations of illegal coal mining in Sivasagar. According to him, the department has maintained that…

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday reviewed the progress of Project Sadbhavana with senior government officials and directed departments to speed up the disposal of pending cases while ensuring that administrative decisions translate into actual relief for citizens. During the review meeting, the government decided to organise departments into 10 clusters, each to be headed by an Additional Chief Secretary. The new arrangement is aimed at strengthening monitoring and ensuring that pending files and cases are dealt with in a faster and more coordinated manner. The cluster-based system will allow senior officials to closely monitor the progress of…

Indian boxer and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Lovlina Borgohain has described her recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a memorable experience, saying his personal interaction with athletes and continued encouragement have given Indian sportspersons a strong sense of support. Borgohain, who won the silver medal in the women’s 75 kg boxing event at the Commonwealth Games, said she was impressed by the way the Prime Minister interacts with athletes and takes an interest in their performances and experiences. “The way he motivates and supports us is incredible,” Borgohain said while recalling her meeting with Modi. She said athletes…

The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday approved a series of welfare, infrastructure, employment and administrative measures, including Rs 2,100 crore for land acquisition and development of the proposed Aerotropolis Satellite City Project in Guwahati and Rs 450 crore for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).The Cabinet approved administrative sanction for utilisation of Rs 2,100 crore towards land acquisition and development of the Aerotropolis Satellite City Project. The project is part of the state government's plans to create new urban infrastructure and support planned development around the Guwahati region. The Cabinet also approved the release of…

Eleven people from Assam were injured, three of them critically, after unidentified armed persons allegedly opened fire near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Dhemaji district on Monday morning, police said. The incident took place in the Mingmang Badati area under Gogamukh Revenue Circle amid allegations of land encroachment along the inter-state boundary. According to an injured villager, around 18 local residents were working in the area when a group of armed men wearing uniforms approached them following a confrontation over land. The men allegedly opened fire during the confrontation. “A group of armed men in uniform came towards us and…

The Assam State Museum has launched an assessment and documentation exercise to determine the extent of flood damage to cultural heritage in Nazira, Sivasagar and Charaideo, with a team of experts visiting affected areas to identify heritage objects and sites requiring conservation and protection.The five-day exercise began on August 8 and will continue until August 12. During the visit, museum experts will inspect heritage sites, historically significant materials and cultural objects that may have been damaged by the recent floods.The team will carry out detailed assessments to document the nature and extent of damage caused by prolonged exposure to floodwaters…

Assam has achieved a significant milestone in vulture conservation with the soft release of 10 captive-bred vultures into their natural habitat in Biswanath district, a move described by conservation authorities as a global first in vulture reintroduction efforts. Five slender-billed vultures and five white-rumped vultures were released on August 7 from the Jatayu Soft Release Centre at Tewaripal in Biswanath. The release was carried out as part of a long-running conservation programme jointly undertaken by the Assam Forest Department and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The birds were bred at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani, where the…