Blog - The Purbottar

15 May

Assam Assembly Gets New Pro-Tem Speaker as Chandramohan Patowary Sworn In

riya EditorAssam

Former minister and senior BJP leader Chandramohan Patowary was on Friday sworn in as the Pro-tem Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath during a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Guwahati in the presence of ministers, legislators and senior government officials. Notably, Patowary’s oath-taking as Pro-tem Speaker comes days ahead of the commencement of proceedings of the newly constituted Assam Legislative Assembly. As Pro-tem Speaker, Patowary will oversee the initial proceedings of the Assembly, including administering oath to newly elected MLAs and supervising the election process for the Speaker of the…

15 May

Sikkim launches austerity drive to cut fuel use and government expenditure

Sonakshi SarkarSikkim

The Sikkim government has announced a one-year ban on the purchase of new official vehicles as part of a wider austerity and fuel conservation initiative aimed at reducing government expenditure and promoting responsible governance. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced the measures during a high-level administrative meeting held on May 14. The meeting was attended by Cabinet ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Heads of Departments, District Collectors and Superintendents of Police, while senior officials from other districts joined virtually. The decisions were taken in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity, fuel conservation and…

15 May

Fuel Prices Soar as State-Run Oil Companies Scrap 4-Year Rate Freeze

anuprova EditorBusiness

Petrol, diesel prices hiked by up to ₹3/litre across India from Friday, May 15, 2026; first major hike in over four years Petrol prices hiked to Rs 97.77 from Rs 94.77 in the national capital, while diesel is now priced at Rs 90.67 per litre. Other major metros saw even higher increases as local taxes kicked in; petrol in Mumbai touched Rs 106.68 and Kolkata’s rates crossed Rs 108.74. The sudden spike follows a long period of price stability, with state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) taking huge losses to protect consumers from volatile global markets. The price revision is largely…

15 May

Himanta Biswa Sarma reviews key infrastructure and power projects across Assam

Sonakshi SarkarNorth East

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that more than 60 per cent of the investment proposals announced during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit had reached advanced stages of implementation, with several projects already becoming operational across the state. The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of major investment, infrastructure and power sector projects during a high-level meeting and said the government was closely tracking proposals worth over Rs 5 lakh crore committed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit held in February 2025. Sharing details after the review, Sarma said the government was focused on ensuring that investment announcements move quickly…

15 May

Himanta Biswa Sarma government announces key portfolio changes after 2026 poll victory

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Senior BJP leader Chandramohan Patowary is set to take oath as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 15, ahead of the first sitting of the newly constituted House following the 2026 Assembly elections.According to official sources, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya will administer the oath to Patowary during a ceremony scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 11:30 am on Friday. As Pro-tem Speaker, Patowary will preside over the initial proceedings of the Assembly, including the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs and the conduct of the election for the Speaker of the House. The appointment is considered a…

15 May

Advantage Assam 2.0 Gains Momentum as 60% Proposals Near Rollout

riya EditorAssam

More than 60 per cent of the investment proposals announced during Advantage Assam 2.0 had reached advanced stages of implementation, with several projects already becoming operational, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Thursday. Sarma took stock of the progress of key development projects across sectors stating that the state government was closely monitoring the execution of proposals worth over Rs 5 lakh crore that were committed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit held in February last year. “Today, I examined the status of these projects and I’m happy to report that over 60% of investment commitments are in…

15 May

India A Team Names Assam Star Riyan Parag as Vice-Captain

riya EditorAssam, Sports

Riyan Parag from Assam has been named vice-captain of the India A cricket team for the upcoming one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka, starting June 9, 2026. He will serve as deputy to captain Tilak Varma in the 15-member squad touring for the tournament featuring India A, Sri Lanka A, and Afghanistan A. "Congratulations to Assam’s very own @ParagRiyan for earning the responsibility of Vice-Captain of India A for the Sri Lanka tri-series," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X. "From Assam to the national stage, he has played every innings with confidence and class. His achievement will inspire countless…

14 May

Pawan Khera Appears Before Assam Crime Branch for Second Consecutive Day in Riniki Bhuyan Sarma Case

Paromita EditorAssam

Pawan Khera on May 14 appeared before the Assam Police Crime Branch in Guwahati for the second consecutive day in connection with cases filed by Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. The cases were registered after Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple passports and undisclosed foreign properties. The Congress leader was questioned for more than ten hours on Wednesday before being asked to appear again on Thursday morning. Khera had reached the Crime Branch office around 10:30 am on Wednesday. Before entering the office, he told reporters that he had been summoned and had appeared in accordance…

14 May

Advisory Issued As Met Office Predicts Heavy Rain In Assam

Paromita EditorAssam

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorm and lightning with heavy to very heavy rain and gusty wind in the next two to three days at isolated places over Guwahati in Kamrup Metro district and other districts of Assam.“The weather pattern suggests that thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rain is very likely at the isolated places in the city and other districts in the coming two to three days, which may aggravate water logging, slow vehicular movement and increase the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable pockets,” a statement issued here by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA)…

14 May

Five Injured During Wild Elephant Control Operation in Assam’s Nagaon, Panic in Area

Paromita EditorAssam

Fresh panic gripped parts of Nagaon district after five people, including a woman, were injured during an operation carried out by the Assam Forest Department to control a wild elephant in the Borma area on May 14. According to local sources, officials from the department, including teams from the Shalna and Udmari forest ranges, were trying to drive away a wild elephant that had entered the locality and caused panic among residents. During the operation, forest personnel reportedly fired warning shots in the air to control and disperse the animal. However, the situation turned chaotic when stray bullet fragments allegedly…