Assam - The Purbottar

20 Aug

The new government will determine the future of VCDCs in Bitcoin, according to Himanta

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the fate of the Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs) in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) will be determined only by the government elected after the upcoming assembly polls.Speaking to reporters, CM Sarma stated, “Whether VCDC should be scrapped or not will be decided only by the government that forms here. BJP is not the enemy of anyone.” His remarks come amid rising political discussions in the BTC region, where the relevance and functioning of VCDCs have become key talking points ahead of elections. The Chief Minister emphasized the BJP’s focus on…

19 Aug

GMCH infant death: High-level probe ordered

editorAssam

GUWAHATI: A tragic incident at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has raised serious concerns over neonatal care after three newborns reportedly fell from an overcrowded ICU bed, resulting in the death of one infant. The deceased, a baby girl, was the daughter of Smita Deka and Utpal Bordoloi. According to hospital sources, the infants were undergoing phototherapy treatment for jaundice when three babies were placed on a single ICU bed. Despite several vacant phototherapy machines being available, staff on duty allegedly kept them together, leading to the mishap. One infant sustained fatal head injuries and succumbed, while the other…

19 Aug

Guwahati police summon journalists Karan Thapar, Siddharth Varadarajan on sedition-linked case

editorAssam

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Police has summoned senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with a case registered on sedition charges, according to the notices. The two journalists, both with digital media platform The Wire, have been asked to appear before the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police on August 22. The identical summonses stated: "It is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain the facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation." However, no FIR or charges were provided to the accused scribes along with the summonses, an official of The Wire…

19 Aug

Assam CM Sarma pushes inclusive land policy for BTR communities

Purbalee DuttaAssam

In the BJP's campaign for the September 2025 Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke at two rallies: one in Orang, which covered the Pasnoi Serfang and Rowta constituencies, and another in Udalguri, which covered the Bhairabkunda and Dhansiri constituencies. Although the BTC has grown and developed since its founding in 2003, Chief Minister Sarma stated that a number of issues have not been resolved. Sarma made reference to the 2020 BTR Peace Accord, claiming that it brought "permanent peace and prosperity" to an area that had previously been plagued by insurgency and intercommunal…

18 Aug

Assam plans tourism circuit in Bongaigaon featuring waterfalls, hills, and Kakoijana Forest

editorAssam

In an effort to promote important local attractions, Assam Tourism and Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass announced plans on Sunday to create a tourism circuit in Bongaigaon. The proposed circuit would include the Borjhora waterfalls, the Nakakati hill view, and the Kakoijana forest, which is well-known for its golden langurs. Speaking to the media, Dass also disclosed a plan to improve tourist management in the area by moving the Assam tourist Department office from Siliguri to Bongaigaon. Dass opened the Kamatapur Autonomous Council's new gate at North Salmara earlier in the day. He then called a review…

18 Aug

An IndiGo jet carrying an Assam minister does a quick U-turn in Guwahati and lands without incident

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Passengers on an IndiGo flight from Dibrugarh to Guwahati, including Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, faced a few tense moments on Sunday afternoon when their aircraft made an unexpected go-around just seconds before touching down at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport. The incident involved IndiGo flight 6E-187, operated on the Dibrugarh–Guwahati route. As the Airbus prepared for its scheduled landing, the aircraft suddenly pulled up and climbed back into the skies, leaving several passengers startled. Moments later, the plane circled the airport and landed safely on its second attempt, much to the relief of those onboard. Airport officials later…

18 Aug

Silchar set for Netaji Statue unveiling by chief minister on August 31

Banasree SarkarAssam

Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma will dedicate the recently erected Netaji statue at Rangirkhari Point on August 31st, according to local MLA Dipayan Chakraborty. The ancient statue at the same location in Silchar town will be replaced by the new one, which was created by renowned Mysorean sculptor Arun Jogiraj. At midnight on Saturday, the enormous statue arrived in Silchar and was positioned atop the pedestal. Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, Chakraborty, who is also the head of the committee that was established to build the new statue of Netaji, announced that the Chief Minister would unveil…

16 Aug

Indian Railways launches biodegradable bedroll bags on Independence Day

editorAssam

In a significant step towards more ecologically friendly train travel, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have partnered to replace traditional plastic bedroll bags on trains with biodegradable ones. The program was officially launched on August 15, which is India's Independence Day. Approximately 40,000 environmentally friendly bags were delivered by 25 trains that left from major ports in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. The in-house research team at IIT-Guwahati created the bags, which are completely compostable and made to break down swiftly without endangering the environment. Instead of using single-use…

16 Aug

Assam-Nagaland border tension rises after brutal attack on youths

Banasree SarkarAssam

The spirit of Independence Day was overshadowed by a shocking incident at Merapani, a sensitive town along the Assam–Nagaland border, where three young men from Assam were brutally attacked by a group of alleged Naga miscreants. The assault, which took place on August 15, has once again brought the fragile peace of the border region under scrutiny. According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the victims — Simsat Basumatary, Subrat Nayak, and Prakash Boro — had travelled from their native village of Kadamguri to a forested area across the inter-state boundary in Nagaland for a picnic. The outing, which was meant…

14 Aug

IAF Band to perform at Guwahati’s Dighalipukhuri on Independence Day

Mohini BarmanAssam

Guwahati will host a public performance by the No. 7 Air Force Band at the War Memorial, Dighalipukhuri, on August 15 at 5.30 PM, marking the 79th Independence Day. Organised under the Ministry of Defence and Air Headquarters, the programme aims to foster national pride and highlight recent achievements, including the successful completion of Operation Sindoor. The 25-member No. 7 AF Band from Air Force Station, Borjhar, will perform 16 patriotic numbers in a 75-minute set. The presentation will pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of armed forces personnel while reflecting the discipline and musical expertise of the Indian…