Assam - The Purbottar

04 Feb

Himanta’s family occupies 12,000 bighas of land across Assam: Gaurav Gogoi

Paromita EditorAssam

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's family has grabbed around 12,000 bighas of land across the state.Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi also claimed that Sarma has raked up his alleged Pakistan links to "cover up" the land scam."The Congress has done an investigation, and found that almost 12,000 bighas of land have been occupied by the CM and his family across Assam," he said.Gogoi claimed that the figure is not the final one as the "investigation" is still going on, and it will go up in the coming days.Asked about his…

04 Feb

Assam Hit by Mild Quake, No Damage Reported

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

An earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale was felt in several parts of Assam early Wednesday morning, causing brief panic among residents in different districts. The tremor occurred shortly after dawn, when many people were still at home, and was strong enough to be noticed indoors. According to preliminary seismic information, the epicentre of the earthquake is believed to be near Dhekiajuli. Mild to moderate shaking was reported from surrounding areas, including parts of Guwahati and nearby districts. Residents said they felt beds, doors, and windows shake for a few seconds, while some household items rattled briefly. There were…

04 Feb

Gaurav Gogoi to Lead APCC Election Panel Ahead of Assam Polls

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The Indian National Congress has announced the formation of the State Election Committee of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) as the state prepares for Assembly elections later this year. Congress Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi has been appointed as the Chairman of the committee with immediate effect. The decision was conveyed through a letter dated February 3, issued by Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal. In the letter, Venugopal stated that the proposal for constituting the committee had received formal approval from the Indian National Congress President. The newly formed committee brings together a wide range of senior and…

04 Feb

Massive fire ravages Subhasnagar in Dima Hasao, 13 houses reduced to ashes

Banasree SarkarAssam

In the Dima Hasao district, a huge fire tore through Subhasnagar beneath the Maibang police station, destroying at least 13 homes and displacing residents. In the crowded residential area, the fire broke out early on Tuesday and quickly spread. Although the cause is being investigated, local reports confirm there were no injuries. In accordance with district procedures, Maibang station firefighters arrived quickly and fought the fire for two hours before putting it out. This tragedy highlights the persistent fire vulnerabilities in Maibang's rural homes, where previous outbreaks have been caused by inadequate safety infrastructure. More fire extinguishers and awareness campaigns…

04 Feb

Study Traces How Kaziranga Became the Final Stronghold of the One-Horned Rhino

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

From the wetlands of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) emerges an ecological narrative regarding the evolution of the one-horned rhinoceros, influenced by climate change, vegetation shifts, invasive species, and herbivore activity. Factors such as rapid urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, and natural disasters contribute to global ecological degradation, particularly impacting biodiversity in Northeast India—a critical region within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot known for its endangered species. Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences utilized pollen from sediment cores extracted from KNP’s Sohola swamp to uncover long-term palaeoecological records related to palaeoherbivory. Their research, published in the journal 'Catena,' reveals a stark…

04 Feb

Search Underway for Three Students After Boat Capsizes in Assam River

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are carrying out an intensive search operation along the stretch of the Gangadhar River in western Assam’s Dhubri district to trace three students who went missing on Tuesday after a country boat ferrying them capsized in the river. A group of 22 students had travelled to the riverine island to perform shraddh , a traditional funeral ritual when the mishap took place at Belpara Char in the Tamarhat area. According to witnesses, the boat lost balance midway through the return journey and overturned in the river. Even as most of the other…

03 Feb

BIS SEIZES UNCERTIFIED PLYWOOD, FLUSH DOORS DURING GUWAHATI RAID

Paromita EditorAssam

Acting on specific inputs and discreet investigation, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Guwahati Branch Office conducted an enforcement raid on Tuesday at the premises of M/s Kushal Hardware and M/s Malati Hardware in Sarab Bhatti, Guwahati.The operation revealed that the establishments were engaged in the storage and sale of plywood and flush doors of substandard quality, including products bearing spurious or misused ISI Marks and uncertified materials.During the raid, misuse of the BIS Standard Mark was detected and 92 plywood and flush doors were seized.The traders were found selling products that were not certified by BIS, despite plywood, block…

03 Feb

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam Dismisses Claims of Large-Scale Illegal Bangladeshi Muslim Presence in Assam

Paromita EditorAssam

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam on February 2 rejected assertions that a large number of Bangladeshi Muslims are residing illegally in Assam, claiming that a proper house-to-house survey would show the figure to be extremely low — possibly not more than 1,000 people. Speaking on the issue of citizenship verification, Islam said the status of Muslim residents in Assam has already been examined multiple times through various official processes over the years. He argued that Muslim communities in the state underwent particularly intense scrutiny during the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). According to him, their documents were checked…

03 Feb

Queen Mother of Bhutan conferred ‘Soldier of Humanity’ Award in Assam

Paromita EditorAssam

The queen mother of Bhutan, Gyalyum Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, was conferred with the 22nd Upendra Nath Brahma ‘Soldier of Humanity’ Award, 2025, at Kokrajhar in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).She was presented with the award in recognition of her exemplary humanitarian services and compassionate leadership.She received the award from Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a ceremony held at the Jwhwlao Nileswar Brahma Auditorium, Bodoland University, Kokrajhar.Speaking on the occasion, Governor Acharya described the occasion as more than a felicitation and award presentation ceremony. He termed the award ceremony as a powerful reaffirmation of collective commitment to human dignity,…

03 Feb

Two Elderly Persons Killed in Elephant Attack in Assam

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

On Tuesday morning, a tragic incident occurred in Khairani (Beltol Supa) village, located in the Baksa district of Assam, where two elderly individuals fell victim to a wild elephant. The incident took place around 5:30 am, as the elephant strayed from a nearby forest and attacked Gobinda Mizar, aged 75, and Umi Mizar, also known as Umi Maya Sarki, aged 60. Both suffered severe injuries as a result of the attack. Despite being rushed to Dr. Ravi Boro Civil Hospital for medical attention, Gobinda Mizar was pronounced dead upon arrival. Umi Mizar sustained serious injuries primarily to her left leg…