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VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 41 JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

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Engineer engineers

AIIMS controversy? With the Raha stir for AIIMS growing bigger, city engineers wrangle on the issue with some backing Changsari and one batting for Raha

Are children being forced into sex trade in Guwahati?

LIFE BEHIND BARS A look at the Guwahati Central Jail

10 In Conversation with

Imtiaz Ali

Ward watch

14 Ward no 31

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Lead Story

Engineer engineers

Rahul Chanda

AIIMS controversy?

 AIIMS controversy grows bigger as engineers and other intellectuals jump into the debate  JN Khataniar says AIIMS at Changsari is technically not advisable  Khataniar says the proposed site at Changsari (Jalah Beel) is like Deepor Beel and there will be environmental destruction if AIIMS is set up there  Engineers’ forum rubbish Khataniar’s claim and back AIIMS at Changsari  Forum says Khataniar misleading public  Forum gives a pointto-point rebuttal to all claims of Khataniar

Protesters blocking the national highway near nagaon.

With the Raha stir for AIIMS growing bigger, city engineers wrangle on the issue with some backing Changsari and one batting for Raha

he location of AIIMS in Assam is a question that the people of the state are deliberating and discussing these days especially after the issue became a major matter for brainstorming both for the government and the state’s intellectuals. On 28th June, the state government handed over more than 571 acres of land at Changsari to the Centre to set up the super-speciality hospital at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,000 crores. Strong protests erupted in Raha and middle Assam against this decision with senior citizens of the area starting an indefinite hunger strike. To pacify the agitators, the state government announced setting up of an All India Institute of Ayurveda at Raha but the move didn’t work. The ruling BJP’s ally, AGP, lent its support to the agitators and party leader and former chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, paid a visit as well. Other bodies like AASU, Tiwa Students Body, AJYCP, Congress, Koch Rajbangshi Sanmilani, Tai Ahom Students body, Bengali Samaj and others also extended their support to the demand. But which is the most feasible site for the institute? Many intellectuals also are debating on the issue and recently the state’s engineers’ forum talked to the media through a press conference pitching for Changsari and slammed

consultant engineer JN Khataniar for his views. So what was Khataniar’s assessment and what is the engineers’ forum opining? G Plus presents an analysis.

Khataniar’s view Engineer JN Khataniar said that it is technically not advisable to set up AIIMS at Jalah Beel near Changsari at North Guwahati. According to Khataniar, Jalah Beel is a naturally created water body covering a huge area of land between Jalah village in the north to the east and Purabi Nagar at the foothills of Kotamur Pahar in the south and existing Changsari, a small township along the NH-37 in the west. Khataniar said that the Guwahati Water Bodies (Prevention and Conservation) Act, 2008 notified vide no. LGL. 103/2008/14 mentioned that it is an act to provide for preservation, protection, conservation, regulation and maintenance of water bodies and to develop the water bodies into natural water reservoirs to be converted into eco-tourism recreation centres to suit ecological balance within the jurisdiction of GMDA and to protect the water bodies from encroachers and damage. Khataniar said that he is surprised at how the former chief minister Tarun Gogoi had given approval

to destroy the entire Jalah Beel which is a natural water body by constructing buildings and other required infrastructure for AIIMS at Changsari. Khataniar said that 575 bighas of land is equivalent to 7,69,236 Sq M area. So if the average depth of earth filling is considered as 3.00 M, the total volume of filling soil will be 23,07,708 Cu.M. If the carrying capacity of a normal truck load is considered as 6.00 Cu.M, then the total trips of truck loaded with filling earth will be 3,84,618. Khataniar opined that such huge amount of filling material will be available only by destroying the nearby green hills which are under eco-sensitive zone. So how is this acceptable? Khataniar also said that after filling up the entire Jalah Beel areas up to the required level where the displaced natural water of about 231 crore litres will be accommodated is a matter of serious concern. He said that Raha in Nagaon district is located in the middle of the northeast, is an environmental friendly place attached with Asian Highway-1 and is totally free from all the above issues and so may be considered as the most suitable site for setting up the AIIMS. He added that the place was recommended by Himanta Biswa Sarma. So Khataniar is basically saying that Jalah Beel is like Deepor Beel and if AIIMS

is set up there, it will lead to unwarranted environmental destruction according to his technical calculations. G Plus thereafter reviewed what the engineers’ forum had to say.

Engineers’ forum In a joint press meet recently, engineers Dr. Diganta Goswami of Assam Engineering College, AREIDA president PK Sarma, Kailash Sarma of Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, Anil Sarma, Amit Baruah, Bimal Sen Deka, Pritam Nath, GS of Association of Architects among others, pitched for Changsari as the site which has been selected by experts and rubbished all claims made by Khataniar. AREIDA president PK Sarma, talking to G Plus, said that the selection was made by an expert committee constituted by the Government of India and this committee considered over thirty different aspects while making the selection. These technical parameters include mandatory environmental impact assessment, accessibility, national and international connectivity, technical feasibility, comparative project cost analysis, and existence of support infrastructure in the vicinity. The state government had proposed 7 sites out of which two sites in north of Guwahati were shortlisted and finally

 Himanta Biswa Sarma says he wants AIIMS in Assam and it can be located anywhere close to an existing airport

Changsari was selected after detailed analysis. The engineers’ forum said that JN Khataniar is neither an expert nor an authorized spokesperson of the engineering fraternity and alleged that he was making false technical statements to mislead the public. Regarding violation of the Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation, Conservation and Protection) Act, 2008, the forum said that this Act has specifically notified the following water bodies in the Schedule I to IV, the Sarusala, Borsola, Silsako, and the Deepor Beel. Bondajan was added as Schedule V in the ammended Act 2010. The Jalah Beel is not a water body covered under the Act and hence Khataniar’s allegation that AIIMS construction would violate the said Act does not hold water. Regarding the statement that Jalah beel will be filled up and construction would be on eco sensitive zone the forum said that the permissible built-up construction in the area allotted to AIIMS is 50.92% as per the notified Master Plan. The Building Construction Regulation Bye Laws 2014 restricts the ground coverage of such institutional buildings to 35% as per clause 26 (1) (c). Therefore, the AIIMS construction would cover a maximum of 35% of the plot area and leave the balance 65% as open space. The wetlands, hills, rivers,

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Lead Story that have been achieved. Even at that time some fake ‘experts’ had warned that the whole of North Guwahati would be submerged. The best hospitals in the northeast are located near Guwahati not out of choice but out of compulsion. Patients and specialist doctors often need to be flown in at short notice to medically combat life

threatening situations. One can imagine the plight of a top level specialist or an emergency patient being caught in water logging at Jorabat or in the numerous road blockades and bandhs en route to another location in upper or middle Assam. A classic example of failure due to wrong location is that of the AIIMS standard North East

Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) set up in Meghalaya at the cost of thousands of crores of tax payers’ money. It neither has good doctors nor patients except the local ones nor is a great wasted opportunity. So the engineering forum backed the decision of setting up AIIMS in Changsari and rubbished all claims made by Khataniar.

The political reason

another protest demanding aiims to be set up at raha

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain, said that the AIIMS in Assam should be constructed in Nagaon district after the land was allotted in Kamrup for the facility. Gohain, a Lok Sabha MP from Nagaon, demanded that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences be set up at Raha instead of Lower Assam’s Changsari in Kamrup, near Guwahati. “The AIIMS should be set up at Raha in central Assam viewing all aspects of north-eastern states. I will try my best to do it as a central minister,” he said. Gohain said that all central projects, including AIIMS, must serve the people of northeast in

equal manner. There are also reports that it is Himanta Biswa Sarma who wants AIIMS to be set up at Changsari as it is his constituency. But Sarma, in an interview to a local television channel, said that he doesn’t require AIIMS to woo the people of his constituency. He humorously added that it is better if it doesn’t come to his constituency as it will be an added headache for him with people coming to him with requests for this or that every time - like contracts of sand or stone supply, etc. He finally asserted that AIIMS should be in Assam but in a place where communication is easier and after landing at the airport people can reach the hospital within a span of 15-30 minutes. He sidelined the question of the present status of the hospital and ridiculed the people who feel he wants AIIMS in Changsari to woo his voters. Whatever be the decision finally, the only worry is that in the midst of all the cacophony and confusion, AIIMS should not be taken away from the state. The state had lost IIM to Mehalaya if memory serves us right! rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Janasanyog/179/16

natural streams, forests, as admitted by Khataniar himself, constitute only 20.25% of the plot area. Hence, this area obviously need not be touched at all. In spite of this Khataniar has misled the public with an imaginative statement that the entire eco sensitive area would be destroyed. The forum rubbished that all the nearby hills would be destroyed for earth filling. According to the forum, first of all, his calculation is ridiculous. Without ascertaining the design topography and landscaping how can anyone calculate the volume of earth fill and why should the low lying areas at all be filled when the built-up area would not exceed 35%. Whatever earth fill is required can easily be obtained from the nearby Brahmaputra which is generating so much silt that its bed level is rising every year. The hills would not even be needed to be touched as falsely alleged by Khataniar. The forum said that the land allotted for IIT, Guwahati was 80% swamp land. By proper topography design and landscaping, preservation of the natural wetlands and drainage channels and a well designed drainage network, we are witnessing the wonders

Buzz

KALYAN DEB

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

‘Awesome Assam’

set to give a big fillip to tourism

 The policy proposes the creation of a framework to transform tourism into a major economic sector of the state  The policy will hopefully increase tourist inflow two to three folds in the next five years.  In 2015, around 56,00,000 domestic and 26,000 foreign tourists visited the state.  The top five frequented states viz. Tamil Nadu (4.68 million), Maharashtra (4.41 million), Uttar Pradesh (3.1 million), Delhi (2.38 million) and West Bengal (1.49 million)

Adib zamali/G Plus

he global tourism industry has reached an unprecedented level of demand. Tourism as an industry has developed so much that it can easily change the economic scenario of a country. Several countries have transformed themselves through tourism and created a global presence in the tourism industry. India has been moving in the same direction and as per the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) during 2015, India ranks 40th in terms of international tourist arrivals. Meanwhile Assam, due its popular wildlife has become a wellliked tourism destination. However, according to a recent report of India’s Ministry of Tourism, Assam along with the rest of northeast has seen a comparative downfall in the recent past. In fact, neither Goa nor Kerala but Tamil Nadu has emerged as India’s most popular state for foreign tourists. The top five frequented states viz. Tamil Nadu (4.68 million), Maharashtra (4.41 million), Uttar Pradesh (3.1 million), Delhi (2.38 million) and West Bengal (1.49 million) have been the consistently top ranked states in the country in terms of tourism. The top 10 states contributed about 88.4% to the total number of foreign tourist visits to the country during 2015. These states also house some of the major cities of India where tourists usually arrive before they go on to explore other parts of the country. Meanwhile, Assam is endowed with plenty of natural and cultural resources which can form the basis for a very lucrative tourism industry, creating employment and generating income not only in the urban centres but also in the rural areas.

What Assam has to offer? The need of the hour is to market Assam vigorously in order to refurbish its image in the national and international tourism market using latest technological interventions. Assam

can become one of the most sought after destinations in the country because of its magnificent tourism products like exotic wildlife, awesome scenic beauty, colourful fairs and festivals, age old historical monuments, lush green tea gardens and golf courses, the massive Brahmaputra River and its tributaries, serene and tranquil

“What had held tourism back in Assam were its insurgency issues, remoteness, and a sense of perceived insecurity and negative publicity of the place ... Assam has its luxuriant greenery and wildlife which is very unique in a sense that it brings one close to nature. In order to do justice to the state’s tourism potential, we are working towards branding Assam,” Paul Barua, Director, Assam Tourism.

country side and warm and hospitable people. “What had held tourism back in Assam were its insurgency issues, remoteness, and a sense of perceived insecurity and negative publicity of the place. Meanwhile, the figures of Tamil Nadu, Goa and Delhi are better because these states are transit points for tourists. Some of these are industrially established cities due to which they get footfall of several business delegates regularly. Meanwhile, Assam has its luxuriant greenery and wildlife which is very unique in a sense that it brings one close to nature. In order to do justice to the state’s tourism potential, we are working towards branding Assam,” mentioned Paul Barua, Director, Assam Tourism.

Awesome Assam The state is set to take a big leap into the money-spinning world of

Yearly status of flow of tourist Financial year

Footfall of domestic tourists

Footfall of foreign tourists

Total

2010-2011

41,27,447

15,633

41,43,080

2011-2012

44,08,336

16,660

44,24,996

2012-2013

45,44,666

17,708

45,62,374

2013-2014

44,44,393

19,086

44,63,497

2014-2015

48,63,826

20,005

48,83,831

2015-2016

56,42,950

26,320

56,69,270

tourism. It has come up with a draft tourism policy which includes ‘Awesome Assam’, a campaign to boost tourism in all sectors including wildlife, spirituality, tea, golf, adventure, leisure, monsoon, film, and so on. Assam will first have to overhaul its image of a militancy-hit zone by re-branding itself and putting the latest technological interventions to use, the draft Assam Tourism Policy, 2016, says. The policy proposes the creation of a framework to transform tourism into a major economic sector of the state and increase tourist inflow two to three folds in the next five years. In 2014, around 48,00,000 domestic and 20,000 foreign tourists visited the state. “Assam has special things to offer, but it needs to get a framework in place to realize the benefits. Promotion is a major way through which the rise in footfall can be witnessed. We are working towards promoting Assam in different states by penetrating into other cultures and showcase our culture at a national platform. Activities such as cultural shows, road-shows, direct interaction with tour operators are being carried out. We have Bangaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad with Barasha Rani Bishaya as our ambassador. However, in the project Awesome Assam, discussions are in pipeline to have an ambassador of international repute,” Barua stated adding that the hospitality sector is being intervened in order to boost the tourist footfall in the State. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Governance

Is ‘visionary’ Himanta’s budget impractical? to balance the revenue generation and development of the state.

What’s costly and what’s cheap Sarma in his budget speech said that the total budget size would be Rs. 78,253.36 crores and of the total expenditure, 38% would be plan expenditure and 62% would be non-plan expenditure. Accordingly, on the tax proposal, he said that VAT on certain products will be decreased and increased.

Cheaper E-rickshaw, candle, citronella oil, jaggery, tamarind, baby feeding bottles, kerosene stoves and parts, packaged drinking water, LED bulbs, tubes, holders, indigenous mekhala chador, hospital equipment, cable TV rental fee, hospital room rent, stamp duty on property registration by women chief minister, sarbananda sonowal and finance minister himanta biswa sarma on way to present the budget

The state government presented the Rs. 2,880.91 crore deficit budget, announced many schemes giving importance to many sectors and also made an announcement to reward people who give clues about corruption

he 2016-17 Budget recently announced by the state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seemed full of vision as he claimed that the budget was planned not for just five years but aimed for a developed Assam in the future. He started his budget speech by saying that budget presentation is a sacred duty. Besides, it is a historical practice, constitutional mandate and a codal exercise. G Plus takes a look at the major decisions announced by the minister and the areas where Guwahati will gain.

The state’s economic status The finance minister commenced his budget speech with a reference to the Vision Document of the BJP and reiterated the government’s commitment to the Document. Talking about the state’s economic status he said that Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Assam for the year 2014-15 was Rs. 1,83,798 crores and per capita income (PCI) of the state was Rs. 48,490 per annum (current prices). Thus, Assam stands at 19th position in the country and its PCI is far lower than the national average of Rs. 88,533 per annum. The growth of the economy during 2014-15 was 6.44% compared to the national figure of 7.3%. Total revenue receipt of the state during

2015-16 (BE) was Rs. 57,064.10 crores and the Revenue Expenditure was Rs. 51,562.85 crores exhibiting a revenue surplus of Rs. 5,501.25 crores. DebtGSDP ratio was 17.43% and Fiscal Deficit as a percentage of GSDP was (-)2.33% which are well within the parameters prescribed in the Assam Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005.

The schemes The minister said, “I would like to caution that the parivartan in a democracy cannot happen overnight. If it happens overnight, it will create upheavals. It has the risk of being called ‘revolution.’ Therefore, the parivartan that this Government seeks to achieve is through evolution: Deepen the process of engagement with the people and with the last man on the ground.” Some of the new schemes are:  Cash award of Rs. 25,000 to anyone whose information, evidence, mobile or video records lead to apprehension of any bribe giver or bribe seeker  All procurements of departments for an amount of Rs. 10 lakh and above will be made through e-procurement platform  Government to open 25 new sub treasuries in next five years  CCTVs to be installed in all the treasuries and sub-treasuries to strengthen security and vigilance

 Government to increase allocation for road maintenance by the PWD to Rs. 600 crores from Rs. 300 crores  Anundoram Borooah Award will be restricted to students who obtain star marks only from next year  Free text books will be provided to students of class IX and X from next academic year  Government announced a new scheme ‘Aarohan’ where prominent persons and officers will mentor at least three students each  Computer aided learning will be extended to 297 upper primary schools  Government proposes to allow 50 SEBA-affiliated schools to impart education by obtaining affiliation from CBSE from the next academic year  Government proposed to set up 21 new polytechnics in 21 districts, three more universities by upgrading existing colleges at Barpeta, Bihpuria and Hojai  Government proposes to brand and market Assam’s ethnic drinks along the lines of Russia’s vodka or Goa’s feni  Government to outline state’s first population policy which will check population where people will get benefits and preferences in government jobs and reservations in higher education if small family is raised Along with many schemes the government also increased and decreased taxes in some commodities

Costlier Gold ornaments, bitumen emulsion, mobile phones with camera, cigarettes, two-wheeler, IMFL, fancy vehicle registration numbers, stamp duty on property registration by men, cinema tickets

What did Guwahati get? Himanta Biswa Sarma made some special announcements for Guwahati. He said that due to enormous delay in implementation of the JnNURM water project, the central government had foreclosed the project and now the state government was compelled to bear the burden. “I, therefore, propose to allocate Rs. 5,150 lakhs so as to ensure completion of the West Guwahati drinking water project,” he said.  He committed that on the first day of coming Bohag, people in some parts of West Guwahati and South Guwahati will get drinking water through JnNURM and JICA projects respectively.  Regarding the Smart City project, the minister said the project envisages about Rs. 2,256 crores of investment over a period of five years in order to improve the quality of life in the city. Of this, the centre’s contribution is Rs. 488 crores and state’s contribution is Rs. 500 crores. The remaining amount of Rs. 1,276 is to come from convergence of existing programmes like AMRUT etc., (Rs. 786 crores) and through PPP (Rs. 468 crores).  Floods in Guwahati are a major concern for all. Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the government is talking with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to undertake a massive and technologically viable solution, and the government is hopeful of sharing the details in the Assembly once the discussions with ADB come to a conclusion.

Rahul Chanda  The GDD Minister is proposing to create a master plan of open spaces and parks of greater Guwahati and interconnect them on the lines of Singapore’s Park Interconnect Model. The project will be called, GOPI (Guwahati Open spaces and Park Integrator) Network. Citizens can move by foot, bicycle or bus from one park to another seamlessly. This would also cover the water bodies.  To begin with, the State Government has decided to develop an international standard botanical park on the site of the old jail complex in Fancy Bazar. Sarma proposed to allot Rs. 100 lakhs for the preparatory works.  Sarma also said that the government is going to erect solar panels on each and every electrical post and generate solar energy not only for the street lighting but also to contribute to the electricity grid.  Sarma said that the foot-over-bridges (FOBs) constructed in Guwahati are not being used by the pedestrians because they are not user-friendly. The government has therefore proposed to install lifts at the FOBs for safety and better traffic.  The government has proposed to allot Rs. 1,363.95 lakhs for Shraddhanjali Kanan Multi-storeyed car parking and Rs. 500 lakhs for MMC Hospital car parking so that both the utilities would be ready within this financial year.  The ropeway project from Guwahati to North Guwahati has been taken up for encouraging tourism in the State and efforts shall be made to complete it at the earliest. Sarma set aside an amount Rs. 2,349.85 lakhs in the budget for the purpose.  Also shops in Guwahati can remain open till 12 mid-night and round the clock when there are festivals like Bihu, Durga Puja, etc. The critics Congress meanwhile said that in the budget nothing was mentioned by the finance minister to control price rise. Senior APCC spokesperson, Apurba Bhattacharjee, talking to G Plus said that when the diesel price increases the price of all the commodities increases and the finance minister did not say anything about how to control price rise. He also said that many schemes were announced but completion deadline for not even a single scheme was announced by the government. He said that three universities have been announced but what will be taught in the universities has not been thought of. The students mainly go out of Assam because many subjects are not taught in the state’s universities. So the government should have given this factor a thought. He said it is a visionary budget but not practical and the government did not talk about unemployment at all which is disheartening. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Business

KALYAN DEB

RBI Banking Ombudsman disposes off 97% complaints

Life support training for city police

 Banking Ombudsman received a total of 1,328 complaints in 2015-16 as against 1,054 complaints the previous year, showing an increase of 26%  Assam accounted for 61% of the complaints received, with Manipur a distant second with 7%, Tripura with 5.35%, Meghalaya with 2.56%, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland with 2.33% each, while Mizoram accounted for just 0.60 % complaints  The complaints received from rural and semi-rural areas together comprised of 53% against 48% last year  Pension related complaints accounted for 10.5%  Of the total complaints received BO disposed off 97.25% against the requirement of 95% with no complaint being kept pending for more than one month

he RBI Banking Ombudsman for the northeast has successfully disposed off 97.25% of complaints received against the requirement of 95% with not a single complaint pending for more than one month. The RBI also set a consistent report of achieving no-pending cases over one month throughout the year. During the annual report of 2015-16 it came to light that the number of complaints received by the Banking Ombudsman had risen by 26%. Against 1,054 complaints registered in 2014-15

N rbi banking ombudsman, anindita bhattacharya addressing the media, Adib zamali/G Plus

there were 1,328 complaints in 201516 - an increase of 26%. However, the Banking Ombudsman has expressed dissatisfaction over the modest rise in the number of complaints. Assam accounted for 61% of the complaints received with Manipur a distant second with 7% followed by Tripura with 5.35%, Meghalaya with 2.56%, Arunachal Pradesh with 2.33%, and Nagaland with 2.33% while Mizoram accounted for just 0.60% of the complaints. The RBI Banking Ombudsman in the northeast said complaints from the region are very few compared to other places of the country. “I am definitely not happy and want more complaints. As compared to other centres across the country, the northeast must obviously be at the tail-end. Mizoram accounted for 0.60% which comprises of around 8 complaints and that cannot be right at all. I want that people be educated about the process so that we get more complaints,” Anindita Bhattacharya, RBI Banking Ombudsman for the northeast, said while addressing a press conference held on 26th July last. She said the increase of 26% is attributed to the awareness campaigns by the office in various areas under its jurisdiction, besides advertisements in the media. Awareness campaigns have also been stepped up throughout the year to reach out to people in remote areas to get a much higher number of complaints. “The complaints received from rural and semi-urban areas comprised

of 53% as against 48% last year. It was also for the first time that the rural and semi-urban areas have outstripped the urban areas and it means that our message is reaching but I want the message to go out to more remote areas,” Bhattacharya mentioned. The largest proportion of complaints (39%) was received on grounds of non-adherence to fair practices code and failure to meet commitments by banks whereas the second largest proportion (14%) was related to cards (ATM/Debit/Credit). Meanwhile, complaints from pensioners accounted for up to 10% in this year’s annual report. RBI appealed to all pensioners’ associations not to

solve complaints related to certain services rendered by banks. During 201516 (July 2015-June 2016), the office of Banking Ombudsman, Guwahati, received a total of 1,328 complaints as against 1,054 complaints the previous year - an increase of 26%. The office of the Banking Ombudsman, Guwahati, looks after Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 enables inexpensive, expeditious and transparent resolution of complaints of bank customers relating to certain services rendered by banks. The Banking Ombudsman is an officer of the Reserve Bank of India

Banking Ombudsman is accessible through post, email on boguwahati@rbi.org.in and a government online portal called CPGRAMS through which one can register complaints. hesitate in approaching the Banking Ombudsman for any kind of complaints. “Pensioners are a very vulnerable demography as their access to the grievance redressal system is very limited. That is why we look forward to take special care because it affects the senior citizen and puts them in a lot of concern,” Bhattacharya added. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme (2006) was introduced to re-

in the rank of Chief General Manager/ General Manager appointed by the Reserve Bank of India to redress customer complaints against certain deficiencies in banking services under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006. The area of operation of the Banking Ombudsman, Guwahati is Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Adib zamali/G Plus

arayana Super-Specialty Hospital recently organized a Basic Life Support (BLS) training program for the city police. The training program was arranged in the premises of Bharalumukh Police Station where around 25 policemen including officers as well as constables participated. A BLS training is a program that provides the best possible paramedical care in case of any unforeseen medical situations until full medical care can be given. Policemen were taught immediate actions to be taken in case of any medical emergency including accidents or medical situations. They were made to perform mock-medical emergency procedures like CPR, in order to gain practical experience which would help them to understand the immediate protocols to be followed when such incidents occur. Speaking about the program, Abid Tauqeer, Facility Director at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati said, “When it comes to road traffic accidents, the policemen are in most cases the first ones to swiftly respond and carry the injured to a nearby hospital. Our BLS training program will sensitize them about the significance of golden hour in road accidents and help them in safe evacuation of the victim.” Eminent doctors, Dr. Apurba Kr. Baruah, HOD, Critical Care Unit and Dr. Saumar Dutta, HOD, Emergency Medical, along with other technicians, conducted the training program. On the training session the doctors said, “We come across many fatalities due to road traffic accidents, which clearly indicate lack of awareness on immediate responses during the medical emergencies. To address those issues, we have started with this BLS training program to raise awareness for swift response during critical medical emergencies.”

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

In Conversation

“There is connection between Assam, its culture and music” Imtiaz Ali, Filmmaker

Rahul Chanda

Big time Bollywood director, Imtiaz Ali, recently visited Guwahati to attend the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival. Through his short and busy schedule he talked exclusively to G Plus and shared what he felt about Guwahati and also how the aspiring filmmakers of the region can make it big.

Lot of people feel that it is not distinctive and all my films are the same. I am glad that you feel they are different from each other. I make films to entertain the audience and I always make sure that the message reaches the viewers and they are entertained.

 In Tamasha, a clown appears in some of the scenes. What exactly does the clown symbolize?

 Is this your first trip to Guwahati?

Yes, it is my first trip to Guwahati.

 What have you liked and disliked about the city?

I like the fact that it’s a very respectful city. It’s very religious and it is also very developed. So these are the good things. I have not really seen any bad side of it as uske liye thoda time chahiye hota hain. I feel it is very influenced by the Kamakhya Temple and other religious places and stories.

 You know about lot of Assamese artists. Have you watched any Assamese films before?

I have not watched Assamese films but I have read stories and there is one thing I would like to say. I feel happy that there is a connection between Assam, its culture and music. Even in contemporary or popular music in the film industry, we had people like the Barmans. Then, there is Bhupen Hazarika and Joi Baruah will be a big name in the future I feel.

 Talking about your work, you have made serious films like Socha Na Tha, Tamasha, Rockstar on the one hand and you have also made romantic movies like Love Aaj Kal and Jab We Met on the other. How do you move from one genre to the other in ideas and creativity?

Know the man: Imtiaz Ali Birth place : Jamshedpur, Jharkhand Date of birth : 16 june 1971 Age : 45 years Occupation : Film director, writer and actor Religion : Islam Brother : Arif Ali Spouse/wife : Preety Ali (divorced in 2012) daughter : Ida education : Diploma course from Xavier Institute of Communication

As a Director

Socha Na Tha (2005) Jab We Met (2007) Love Aaj Kal (2009) Rockstar (2011) Highway (2013) Tamasha (2015)

Awards

Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for Jab We Met in 2008 Stardust Award for Best Director of the Year for Love Aaj Kal in 2010 Zee Cine Award for Best Director For Rockstar in 2012 Stardust Award for Best Director for Highway in 2014 Guild Award for Best Dialogue for Jab We Met in 2008 IIFA Award for Best Dialogue for Jab We Met in 2008 Zee Cine Award for Best Screenplay for Rockstar in 2012 and for Jab we Met in 2008 Guild Award for Best Story for Love Aaj Kal in 2010

The clown symbolizes the disruptive force in your life which is actually the constructive reason for anything good to happen in your life. The clown symbolizes the anti-establishment instincts inside you which have the potential of making the inception.

 All directors have a dream project. What would be yours?

The point is that every project that I do is a dream project so I won’t say there will be a particular one.

 And your next project that people will get to see?

It is a movie that is yet to be announced and we are starting shooting from 20th August 2016 for it. We do not have a name for it yet.

 Is film-making as expensive as before despite the new equipment and digital technology coming?

Yes. But at the same time there are a lot of other expenses that gets added up as other equipments become more expensive. Film making is still very expensive but there are ways of making it cheaper.

 One question from the aspiring film makers of not only Guwahati but entire India - what is the criterion for working with you as an assistant director?

See the problem with assistant is that there is very little space. In my last three films, I had only two assistants and I cannot take a huge number of people. I might not be able to take just

anybody as an assistant. But I feel people who are in the northeast or other remote places don’t have to come to Mumbai to become assistants or film makers. They can shoot on their phone as many phones have cameras now and software with which they can edit the material and make short films. I saw some very good short films and none of them were made in Mumbai. So you can make it here and if you are good, the power of internet will allow you all the exposure that you require.

 But lot of people have hopes of working with you.

less.

Yeah but the vacancies are very

 Many people might have asked this question to you before. Who are your favourite male and female actors in the industry with whom you enjoy working?

Male - Ranbir Kapoor and female ... ummm ... it’s difficult to say, all are good. Maybe Kareena, Deepika and Alia. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

City

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Juthika Baruah

Sealing of marriage halls a zero-sum game with no effective results  Three wedding halls namely Maheswari Bhawan, Terapanth Bhawan and Jon Beli sealed by GMC  The halls have been sealed for violating norms and operating without trade licenses  Lack of parking space is one of the main reasons for which the halls have been sealed

file photo of a marriage procession

The GMC has sealed the marriage halls due to violation of norms and regulations; such exercise do not yield any result as such halls reopen without following the requisite norms after a certain lapse of time

he marriage halls or bibah bhawans of the city repeatedly violate norms. Due to this, many halls have been sealed by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) but the department consistently fails to enforce the drive as a result of which the halls are again reopened when the heat cools off. Recently, GMC sealed three marriage halls viz. Maheswari, Terapanth and Jon Beli for violating norms related to trade license, building permits, parking space and the required width of the passage to the entrances of the halls. The marriage halls create massive traffic jams as they do not have adequate parking space for which the vehicles have to be parked on the roadside resulting in traffic chaos affecting the normal life of the commuters. Mushroom growth of marriage halls not following the relevant norms has become one of the reasons behind public nuisance late at night as well. During the wedding season the sight of the grooms’ parties dancing along the roads is a common sight giving the general public a hard time with resultant traffic jams that hamper the normal flow of traffic. It may be mentioned that in a directive, as its order in the Case no. PIL 73/2013 filed by Rajib Kalita seek-

ing intervention of the high court in the menace created by marriage halls, the Gauhati High Court had asked the managements of marriage halls to comply with the norms set for running marriage halls and had also asked the district and police authorities to see that the norms are strictly adhered to. The Gauhati High Court said that marriage halls that do not have license would not be allowed to carry on the trade henceforth. Halls which do not have license have the liberty to apply to the GMC for one. The bibah bhawans, the high court said, may also take necessary steps for fulfilling the requirements of law and norms but such establishments have not taken any step towards the same and are running the halls without any norms and regulations. “The licenses of bibah bhawans, which do not fulfil the requisite norms even after the opportunity is granted, shall not be renewed after the validity of the licenses expires. They shall not be allowed to run the bibah bhawans after the expiry of the present term of the licenses because abrupt closure of bibah bhawans may create harassment for the public during the marriage season,” the high court directive said, and added: “The management of the bibah bhawans, which are allowed to carry on business, shall ensure that

their approach roads/roads linked to the approach roads are not blocked by vehicles parked by the hosts/guests/ invitees attending the functions/ceremonies and that no inconvenience is caused to the commuters/pedestrians using the approach roads/roads linked to the approach roads by such parking of the vehicles.” The court further said that the management of the bibah bhawans should ensure that no speakers/public address systems are used by the hosts/ guests/invitees of the functions at these venues between 10 pm and 6 am. Although only a few months have passed since this directive, non-com-

pliance in following the norms by the marriage halls in the city has already come into notice. It has been come into notice that after the marriage halls are sealed, they are reopened after a certain lapse of time without the norms and regulations being fulfilled and the concerned authority has also failed to take any step against them so far although, it can only be awaited to be seen if strict action will be taken against those violating the norms. Talking to G Plus, Executive Member of Greater Guwahati Marriage Halls Welfare Association, Lohit Hazarika said, “A few marriage halls in the city were constructed much

before the building byelaws of 1998 and 2006. Some of these marriage halls obviously do not meet the present prescribed norms as there were no such provisions of accommodating parking space, etc. when these were established. The authorities should take a practical approach and resolve the issue in a mutually conducive atmosphere.” Earlier GMC had issued notices to 62 out of 89 marriage halls in GMC area to furnish the ‘No Objection Certificate’ obtained from GMC and traffic police, as well as their trade licenses. 20 of these failed to do so and GMC planned to seal the halls. Another 5-6 halls were sealed which have been reopened again. Running wedding halls has become an easy business for the entrepreneurs as they can earn easy money out of it as citizens today opt for the wedding halls to hold all kinds of functions, be it marriage anniversary, birthday parties, weddings etc. “The owners of the halls do not follow the norms thinking that they are running the halls in their own residential premises and do not need extra permission or have to submit relevant documents to the concerned authority,” informed by an official source of GMC. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Concern

Disorderly Jyotikuchi scrap yards turn area into ‘graveyard’

What the

Tweet!? Rahul Chanda

Er. Vikas L Apte @ApteVLA #IromSharmila Let’s hope she does not go the Kejriwal way and gets lost in the political rigmarole.

 3-4 scrap yards in Jyotikuchi Dhupolia road functioning in a disorderly manner

Rakesh Sharma @rak_strong How in d world can any1 abandon food n water for 16 yrs.Still she doesn’t get much attention,sud be popular than @ narendramodi #IromSharmila

 Local people complain that the yards block half the road creating problems for the commuters

Shuvro Ghoshal @shuvro_ addict Irom Sharmila, Mary Kom.. and many more we know not. The women of Manipur are something else. Not strugglers but heroes.

 Councillor of Ward No. 27 says there is a nexus between the yard owners, police and the GMC authorities  Councillor also says that the yards are functioning without trade licenses  Police says it has not received any complaint so far and so, cannot take action

ccording to many experts, the narrow streets of Guwahati is one major reason for traffic jams and lack of parking space that forces people to park on the roads adds to the agony. According to the police and the city authorities like GMC, people can park their vehicles only in places allotted as parking lots and they cannot park at the No Parking zones. Police sources also said that it is illegal to block roads for personal work and the people doing so can be prosecuted; this is the reason why street vendors are evicted from many areas every now and then. In Jyotikuchi area on the Paltan Bazar-Lokhra Road, there is a road that goes towards Dhupolia where some scrap yards are located adjacent to each other. G Plus recently visited the place and discovered that the people living in the area are facing a tough time because of some disruptive workflow in the yards.

Twitter on Irom Sharmila

Oil-Gas-tronomer @sgekar She may be surprised by the number of votes she gets... Meena @meenabg This is NEWS!!!! From which party Irom Sharmila is contesting elections? the site of the scrapyards at jyotikuchi, Adib zamali/G Plus

The local people of Jyotickuchi Dhupolia are irked with some scrap yards located in the area and the local councillor says there is nexus between police and yard owners The chaos A local resident of Jyotikuchi Dhupolia said, “We have to necessarily take this road to reach Shankar Hotel (Jyotikuchi Tiniali) from where we can go to either Paltan Bazar or Lokhra but the damps (scrap yards) located on the road since a long time have created a chaotic situation for us.” The resident said that the authorities construct the road once in five to six years, but within a span of six months the road condition deteriorates. The sole reason is the scrap yards located on the road. According to the resident, heavy vehicles are brought to the yards and disassembled after which the various parts of the vehicles are sold. In the process, the scarp yards function in a very disorderly manner as there are no particular timings of such vehicles coming. The recovery vehicles bring unused, old vehicles at any time of the day and block the road while towing the vehicles into the yards. Also, the recovery vehicles and the old vehicles are parked near the yards in a manner that they block half the road creating traffic jams most of the time. The resident said that the owners of the yards are very influential and even though many local people had raised their voices, nothing good has transpired

till date as the authorities do not act against them. Many other residents of the area have complained saying that the activities of the yards block half the road most of the time and sometimes even the whole road. Some residents also said that the yard owners do not repair the road despite the fact that it is only because of the yards that the road gets broken. The children of the area face a tough time going to schools as even with a small downpour the road becomes muddy. A female resident in the area said that during the nights the labourers working in the yards get drunk and taunt the females who pass by. The woman said it is scary for women to pass by the yards at night as these turn out to be virtual ‘graveyards’ for them. The residents also said that many incidents of quarrel and brawls have occurred near the yards but no one does anything.

The authorities As the area falls under Ward No. 27 G Plus spoke to the councillor, Jona Rabha. Rabha said, “I am fed up of the yards in Jyotikuchi Dhupolia Road as the road is always blocked and because of the heavy vehicles entering the yards every now and then, the road gets spoilt frequently creating chaos in the area.” Rabha said that he

has complained to the police and even the GMC authorities many times but no action has ever been taken. Rabha said that the local police (Fatasil Ambari) collects money from the yards on weekly basis and so do not act against them. Rabha also said that the GMC officials are aware of the fact that the yards are functioning without any trade licenses but they are also not doing anything. The councillor also said that there is a huge nexus between the yard owners, police and the authorities like GMC. When G Plus questioned the local police as to why they are not taking any action against the yards, the police said they have not received any complaint and can act only if they receive complaints. So, the police and the authorities are awaiting complaints despite the huge irritation of the local residents with the way the yards are functioning and creating problems. The police should do something about the issue as blocking a road for personal work is illegal. G Plus tried to talk to the yard owners but they were not available for comments. The managers of the yards said that they couldn’t be bothered with our report and have nothing to comment about anything. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Amitabh Barooa @ AmitabhBarooa Very happy to know that #IromSharmila will break her 15 years long fast.... RISHNA DAS KUMAR @68755f3377a8469 Wlcm ur decision,dat U break ur strike,but not agree, U wanna join politics Irom Sharmila U r a brave lady of our NE Savitha Rengabashyam @ savi_r Wonder what it takes to change one’s mind after 15 years of struggle #IromSharmila #complexhumanmind Anubha Bhonsle @ anubhabhonsle a day like this I want to run back home-reach out with octopus arms. Talk, or be a silent spectator. #IromSharmila Kaushal Kishore @HolyGanga Kaushal Kishore Retweeted Sanjay Bragta This is a new development in more than a decade, no? #IromSharmila #AFASPA devesh gupta @_ deveshgupta Great News: #IromSharmila Set to break fast. I hope she changes #Manipur for good.... Overrun Ibobi government... Ratnpriya! @jimmy9_girl Sixteen years of struggle and half of India doesn’t even know her name. #IromSharmila #ScrapAFSPA

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Concern

Rahul Chanda

Are children being forced into sex trade in Guwahati?

child rights activist talking to G Plus in anonymity said that recently some sex workers were rescued from some brothels located in Silchar and it was found that a few among the many rescued, were children. This proves that children are being forced into commercial sexual exploitation. Talking about Guwahati in the backdrop of many articles G Plus has done over the years on the subject, it can well be assumed that sex trade in Guwahati may well exist undercover. If commercial sexual exploitation of children exists in Silchar which is a transit and destination point in the state for sex trade, Guwahati being a similar transit junction and gradually also becoming a destination, does commercial sexual exploitation of children actually take place here?

 Some children rescued from brothels in Silchar  Silchar turns into a transit and destination point for commercial sexual exploitation of children  Guwahati is a transit point in the northeast for sex trade; fast becoming a destination as well

Minors rescued from sexual abuse and cases registered under POCSO

 Most workers belonging to the age group of 16-21

2013 – 5 2014 – 3

 Suspected sex rackets where children are forced exists in slums near Guwahati railway station

2015 – 8 2016 – 1 (till June 16th)

The possibilities According to a lady officer in the police commissionerate, migrants from different states and also countries come to Guwahati in search of work. On failing to secure a job and getting fed up in the process, they foray into criminal activities by forming gangs that lure poor people from outside the state. The poor girls are brought from other states with promises of jobs and a better life and then are forced into flesh trade. The age group of the sex workers is usually 16 to 21. They get into the business and some residential premises are used as brothels. To lure customers the sex workers wait at the pickup points at night. The pickup points are mostly located at the populated junctions and markets where a huge nexus work in cohesion to lure customers who are then taken to hotels, or the houses where the act takes place. She also said that immoral activity is a major problem in Guwahati and the number of cases is increasing. On being asked about children and their commercial sexual exploitation, the lady said that in the last three years, many cases of sex trade were busted in Guwahati and in many of those cases minors were also rescued. The officer said that the exact age of the victim or the worker

Adib zamali/G Plus

With the city turning into a transit and destination point for sex trade, the civil bodies ask authorities to determine if children are also being sexually exploited is difficult to identify but the girls are mostly aged between 16 and 21. The city-based child rights activist who mostly works in slums near the railway tracks, talking to G Plus, said that even he has information of sex trade which happens in the slums near the railway station and some people even force the children into it but the children are threatened and trained in such a way that they do not disclose anything to the civil societies and the police when questioned or rescued. The activist said that child labour exists in a big way in the slums there and similarly it is suspected that commercial sexual abuse of the children also occurs. But catching the culprits red-handed and rescuing the children is a challenge as the incidents go unreported.

The alertness “Places like Silchar are already a transit and destination point for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). There should be no complacency on the part of the government and the civil societies to foresee the same in Guwahati city keeping in mind the increasing migration to the city due to floods, ethnic conflicts, general backwardness in rural Assam and also investment opportunities in the city. Therefore, measures should be taken to read the signs of CSEC and create adequate awareness around the issue and also to take adequate measures to combat CSEC,” said Miguel Das Queah, child right activist and founder of the NGO, UTSAH. There

might not be a huge number of CSEC cases registered by the police but the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases registered says that sexual exploitation of children happens in the city. With rise in number of criminal elements in the state, the Assam government has put in place stringent measures to curb these illegal practices. But despite these measures criminal activities are still on the rise. Four people were arrested in connection with a human trafficking ring. They were apprehended from Maligaon in Guwahati. The traffickers are allegedly from Haryana and have been identified as Sher Singh, Motilal Minnar and Lakshmi Devi. Similarly, there are many cases which show that minors are trafficked to different states from

Assam. The NGO, Childline, had rescued minors from places like Kolkata, Delhi and some northern states. Similarly, children are being rescued from Assam too with the Silchar incident being a case in point. In Guwahati, the police said that in many cases the workers are between 16-21 years and the age cannot be exactly proven. So it can be suspected that children are forced into commercial sex trade in the city but the police need to be more alert, stringent and active. An activist said in anonymity that the local police mostly have a nexus with the gangs running the racket. There are some discotheques in the city where sex trade takes place and the police have the necessary information but hardly conduct raids because of the nexus. If the police are questioned, they say that they can raid discos only with the permission of excise department. Last year, there were raids and sex racket busts in some city spas where girls from different regions including Nepal and Thailand were working. The age of the workers are never verified. Before the issue gets to a level like Silchar, the authorities should take some steps starting with increasing the awareness level. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN 31 July

MON 01 August

TUE 02 August

WED 03 August

THU 04 August

FRI 05 August

Clouds with showers

Thunderstorm

Clouds and sun

Partly Sunny

Rather cloudy

Cloudy, a t-storm

24 / 33 °C

26 / 36 °C

26 / 37 °C

29 / 37 °C

SATURDAY

30July

Thunderstorm

25 / 33 °C

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

In the news

Recurrent annual Assam floods leave state devastated

ach year, during the monsoons, torrential rains and subsequent floods of the mighty Brahmaputra have caused havoc in the upper Assam district of Dhemaji, one of the most flood-prone districts of Assam. But this year, an alarming situation

a scene of the devastating floods in one of the flood affected areas

prevails across the state as more and more districts have been engulfed by water with every passing day. Heavy deluge and incessant rains have led to overflowing of rivers, paralyzing the normal life of more than 15 lakh people.

As reported by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the districts which have been affected maximum are Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Bongaigaon.

Overflowing water of the swollen Brahmaputra and its tributaries has overrun roads in many areas snapping surface communication, breached embankments and caused large scale erosion in many areas, ASDMA said, adding that the deluge has also submerged over 25,000 hectares of agricultural land and damaging standing paddy crops. The overflowing water of Brahmaputra River has overrun many areas of Guwahati too. Guwahati floods have already exceeded the danger level of 49.68 meters till 27th of July. The river water has already entered parts of Bhootnath and Fancy Bazaar, leaving the residents in a state of panic. Apart from damage to homes and roads, the flood waters have inundated 60% of Kaziranga National Park, and have entered over 40 forest camps which were protecting the endangered one-horned rhino. Teams of NDRF and forest officials have initiated rescue measures to safeguard the animals of the park. Water level of Brahmaputra has also crossed the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat, Dikhow at Sivsagar, and Dhansiri at Numaligarh. Authorities of ASDMA have initiated establishments of 5 relief camps across districts of the state, to accommodate 4,736 people.

GPLUS NEWS

As several tributaries of the Brahmaputra continued to overflow and inundate new villages every day, authorities have deployed the Army, NDRF, and SDRF personnel in rescue operations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All units under the Area of Responsibility of the Gajraj Corps (Tezpur) are fully alert and geared up to react swiftly to any flood related contingency,â&#x20AC;? said an army official. On the other hand, it is feared that several labourers of Dima Hasao district, who were engaged in stone quarries were washed away by floods in the Jatinga River. Landslides, rising level of water and torrential rain have cut off the road and railway connectivity of many parts of Assam. Assam has been subject to torrential floods year after year and the Government at the centre has been negligent about it. The state budget presented recently clearly put Assam as an agrarian economy and yet property and crops worth lakhs of rupees are destroyed every year with no contingency plan in place. This is not a problem that can be ignored and deserves due national attention and support from the Centre. It is already too late this year in terms of creating a contingency plan but the future has to be better planned. A prosperous Assam cannot Assam emerge if it is drowning.

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Special Feature

The captive humans: Life in

Central Jail, Guwahati

KALYAN DEB

Life in Guwahati Jail begins

5:00 am And ends with sun down at around

6:00 pm Breakfast is served at

7:00am Breakfast is served at

Tea including 20 ml milk and sugar with bread (roti) and 30 gms of jaggery (gud)

7:00am

Lunch served between

10:00 to 11:30 am Dinner served between

Rice with dal and mixed vegetables are served for both meals Non-vegetarian fare is served in two meals per week

4:30 to 5.00 pm Inmates are let out of their barracks following a head count at sunrise

onfinement within four walls, one of them bearing steel bars, is certainly not the most comforting of thoughts nor does it ever figure among one’s fondest desires. However, there is a fairly large population that spend years behind bars. One’s action always has a suitable repercussion and some of these repercussions make one end up in jail shutting one off from society, family and loved ones. Jail reflects the sediments of the microcosm of the society outside. Thus, to no one’s surprise, there are 1016 inmates in the Central Jail, Guwahati alone. From petty criminals such as those convict-

ed for theft to criminals as dangerous as terrorists, all are housed under one roof and behind bars in the facility called Central Jail, Guwahati. Set up in 1881, the earlier structure of Central Jail was at Fancy Bazaar until 2012 when it was moved to Sarusajai. The upgraded jail was innaugurated on 30th April 2010 but only started functioning from April, 2012 when 805 inmates were shifted there. The older structure of the jail had a capacity of 500 inmates whereas the present structure has double the capacity. It would not be surprising if one feels intimidated by very the

thought of taking a stroll through a jail filled with convicts and being surrounded by people who are deprived of freedom against their will. A mere visit is enough to submerge anyone in a plethora of emotions. The outer yard is usually filled with visitors (friends and family members) lining up for permission to meet their near ones who are behind bars. As one gets closer to the main premises, one cannot help notice an overwhelming murmuring buzz coming from the other side of the mammoth walls of the inner jail: a constant low, monotone hum that remains throughout the day.

Life in a prison Jail life is certainly not easy and is a solid reason to discourage people from indulging in criminal activities. Prison environments are unnatural and inhuman. Along with other aspects of prison life, it can easily lead one to serious psychological disarray. Beside the strict regulations imposed on the prisoners, criminals such as dacoits, murderers, black marketers and smugglers are all placed under one roof. Spread over 28 acres including 11 acres of the actual jail area, the Central Jail was constructed with a capacity for 1000 inmates of which 900 are for male and 100 for female inmates. However the current capacity of inmates has been overstretched by 116 with 1016 male inmates being accommodated against the capacity of 900. However, there are 48 female inmates against the capacity of 100.

Infrastructure The Central Jail, Guwahati receives around 20 under trial prisoners (UTP) on a daily basis. The jail has 5 buildings that have 8 to 10 barracks where the inmates are lodged. The prisoners are awakened at dawn and are sent back to their cells by dusk. Dawn would be around 4:00 am to 5:00 am during summer. Timings may differ during winter. Inmates are let out of their barracks after a head count and are allowed to remain in the open within the jail area. The food served in jail has always raised curiosity. In the Guwahati jail inmates are served breakfast at around 7:00 am. Breakfast consists of tea, bread (roti) and a piece of jaggery (gud). It is followed by lunch which is served between 10:00 am to 11:30 am, reason being the convicts often have to be presented in the court. The meal consists of rice, dal and some vegetables. Non-vegetarian fare is served in two meals a week. Before the inmates are sent back to their barracks before dusk dinner is served at around 5:00 pm. It basically consists of the same food as served for lunch. The Central jail also consists of a 45-bedded hospital with x-ray facility and a laboratory. The hospital is supported by 2 doctors, a pharmacist, a nurse, a radiographer and a lab-technician.

 The earlier structure of

Central Jail, Guwahati was located in Fancy Bazaar which was set up in 1881

 The new structure in

Sarusajai, which is spread over 28 acres and has the capacity of 1000 inmates, started functioning in 2012

 The structure has 5

buildings and has 8 to 10 barracks in each building

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Special Feature

Security The notion that prisoners are dangerous criminals automatically requires the jail has to be heavily guarded. Several men in khaki are deployed by the police department and officials of a battalion equipped with firearms guard the boundary of the jail round the clock. Meanwhile,

there are 46 warders apart from the clerical staff that keep an eye on the inmates. The warders’ department is monitored by a chief head warder and a head warder. There are others such as jail staff, clerical staff and ministerial staff. The 46 warders work on two different shifts (day and evening) and carry out the process of head count besides ensuring the smooth

functioning of any activity within the jail premise. Solitary confinement is another major part of a jail that correction officials describe as a prison within the prison, and for good reason. For 23 hours a day, inmates are kept inside a cell that is approximately smaller than a typical horse stable. Cells are furnished with a bed, sink and toilet,

but rarely much else and the food is delivered through a slot in the door. However, according to officials of the jail, solitary confinement has been disengaged and is only used for medical purpose on being prescribed by the doctor. It was mentioned that the confinement is only used when an inmate is infected by a communicable disease such as tuberculo-

sis. Such confinements are also used when a prisoner goes haywire and become difficult to control. In Guwahati Central Jail an alarm buzzes off when such havoc takes place whereby all prisoners are asked to get back to their respective barracks while those creating the nuisance are battered by the jail authorities.

There has been no escape from Central Jail, Guwahati since January, 2015 There are no death row convicts currently in Central Jail, Guwahati There are a total of 31 jails in Assam 6 Central Jails in Assam 22 District Jails District jails serve as the main prisons in States/UTs where there are no Central Jails. States which have a considerable number of District Jails are Uttar Pradesh (56), Madhya Pradesh (33), Bihar (31), Maharashtra (27), Rajasthan (25), Karnataka (19), Jharkhand (17) and Haryana (16).

1 Special Jail in Nagaon

1000 is the accommodation capacity of Central Jail, Guwahati 900 Males 100 Females 1016 is the Current number of inmates lodged Overcrowded by 116 male inmates against a capacity of 900 48 Current number of female inmates Activities Along with the disciplinary measures there are also several activities carried out in the jail that help the prisoners to remain occupied with productive engagement. Along with the maintenance of the jail premise, the inmates are engaged in craft work such as making products out of plastic, cane and bamboo and other utilities such as boxes, buckets, mugs, etc. These are not sold but are transported to other jails as per requirements. Other utilitarian goods are brought from other jails. Apart from menial labour, those who are skilled are engaged in activities according to their expertise keeping the safety measures in mind. The inmates are also paid for their hardship; the skilled ones are paid a wage of Rs. 75 and the menial labourers are paid Rs. 55 per day. The total amount is transferred in an account provided by the jail authority after an inmate has served his or her term.

Jail to have a rain water harvesting project The Central Jail will soon be equipped with rainwater harvesting system. The expected completion time is by the end of this year. Due to overcrowding the jail has been suffering from acute scarcity of water which increases during the dry winters. Currently, the jail is dependent on two bore-wells which are also expected to be augmented by another bore-well in the near future. Meanwhile, the rainwater harvesting project will be initiated in an under-construction building and will capacitate 40,000 litres of water. Rainwater harvesting is a technique used for collecting, storing and using rainwater from sources such as rooftops and/or other manmade over ground hard surfaces.

Special jail means any prison provided for the confinement of a particular class or particular classes of prisoners. Such jails are high security facilities that have specialized arrangements for keeping offenders and prisoners who are convicted of terrorism, insurgency and violent crimes.

1 Open Air Jail at Jorhat Open jails are minimum security prisons. Prisoners with good behaviour satisfying certain norms prescribed in the prison rules are admitted in open prisons. Prisoners, here, are engaged in agricultural activities. Seventeen states have functioning Open Jails in their jurisdiction. Rajasthan reported the highest number of 23 open jails. There are no Open Jails in any of the UTs as at the end of 2014.

1 Lockup Jail in Halflong In Assam hangings are carried out in Central Jail in Jorhat Prison inmates lodged in Indian jails are categorised as Convicts, Under-trials and Detenues. A convict is a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court or a person serving a sentence in prison. An under-trial is a person who is currently on trial in a court of law. A detenu is any person held in custody.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number Central Jails, the number being 11.

kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

 Apart from several police of The jail receives around 20

under trial prisoners everyday

ficials who guard the jail, there are there are 46 warders who keep an eye on the inmates

 Prisoners are indulged in

craftsmanship and are paid a fee of Rs. 55 to Rs. 75 per day

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Ward Watch

GAURAV PRATIM DEY

Massive water logging leaves Panjabari surroundings in ruins

WARD NO

Concentrated area: Tribeni Path, Chilarai Path, Chandan Nagar Ward Number: 31 Sub Division: 31(A) Councillor: Swapan Das Phone Number: 9864067152 Area Sabha Member: Aminur Rahman Phone Number: 9435116294 Problem: Water Logging, Street Lights, Poor Roads

the road leading to suraj nagar, Adib zamali/G Plus

round a 200metre stretch of Tribeni Path that connects Anand Nagar to VIP Road and further links several crucial areas has been in shambles for the past several months. Rides and walks over the road are fraught with danger. Barring a couple of metres of the road that is comparatively walkable, there are stretches which are not even motorable on a rainy day or any other day. Slush and filthy water spilling from the chuckholes all over is what this stretch is all about. Since monsoon has hit the city early this year, the condition of the road becomes a recipe for disaster after every down pour. Anand Nagar plays a very important role as a connecting route from VIP Road till Six Mile. The long stretches of Tribeni Path, Chilarai Path, Shankardev Path, Chandan Nagar face different issues.

Tribeni Path: With the mushroom growth of real estate in the area and new apartments and buildings coming up, the lane faces many issues like water logging, poor road condition, blockage of drains and lack of street lights. A mere one-hour shower gets the area flooded and residents face the consequences. The lack of street lights keeps the area in pitch darkness at night. Moreover, blocked drains having no outflow worsen the situation

during rains. One really needs to have special biking and driving skills to tackle the route. “Our Tribeni Path had a well constructed road once upon a time, but after the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) ploughed through the road to lay the water pipelines neither has GMDA nor PWD restored the roads and it’s been years that the road has remained in this condition. Big builders are constructing apartments on this lane but none are bothered about the road. When it rains the entire area gets flooded and we really face a lot of issues about it,” said a local resident.

is their responsibility,” said councillor Swapan Das.

Chandan Nagar: Despite having good roads, Chandan Nagar faces the worst situation of water logging. The water takes around 2-3 days to dry up. Local residents go to 6 mile and then take a detour via VIP Road. It is only a matter of time that the road will deteriorate under the onslaught of the water logging. “My entire lane stays under water and it is very unfortunate

that the media, government or the district administration does not give importance to this area. I need to get my vehicle serviced thrice a year as the water logging regularly spoils my engine,” said Mr. Bora, a resident of Chandan Nagar.

Councillor says: “As I mentioned earlier, I have been sending pump mounted autos to extract the water out. Chandan Nagar can be termed as the next Anil Nagar/ Nabin Nagar of Guwahati but the

Councillor says: “Condition of Tribeni Path is really not good; during water logging I send auto pumps to suck the water out. Regarding the street lights, I have already spoken with the GMC Commissioner but the local residents and Unnayan Samiti need to provide electric power from their own houses and they are not cooperating. I may ask the builders or apartment societies to help construct the road but the local residents are not cooperating. Apparently, GMC does not have enough man power due to which we are unable to deploy labourers to construct or clean the drains. JICA and GMDA are supposed to construct the road on completion of their projects as the PWD says that it

unfortunate scenario is that it doesn’t get any attention or support from the district administration. Residents of the area require SDRF and boats to rescue or ferry them during water logging. I won’t say our new GMC Mayor is good or bad as I can only make a comment after one year of his tenure.”

Chilarai Path Being a sub lane in Chandan Nagar, Chilarai Path is also a victim of water logging. Being in the interior part and next to VIP Road the lane stays under water for most of the monsoons. “I am a small businessman and the water logging affects my business on a daily basis. Water enters my shop and it destroys my stock inside,” said a local businessman who runs a paan and utilities shop.

Councillor says: “After it rains heavily the water from Jorabat Ganesh Mandir via Greenwood Resort gets accumulated in the areas of Six Mile, Panjabari, VIP Road and parts of Ananda Nagar. It takes time but the water goes out via Juripar. I have already spoken with the Deputy Commissioner on the matter but until and unless the water from Meghalaya does not get diverted this scenario will continue.” tribeni path, Adib zamali/G Plus

gauravpratim.dey@g-plus.in

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Snippets

3 Lakhs washes away

with the rain

Awareness programme on trafficking in city today

Guwahati Monsoon sure has everyone in a dull spirit with the rain dampening every plan made. Adding to the woes, Assam has been hit by severe floods. Aircel did gain Guwahati’s attention when they installed a lifeboat in the name of public service with the caption ‘Sail through our network this monsoon.’ And definitely not by the grace of God, the lifeboat was stolen (shocker!). Here is how Guwahati lent us their creative opinions: Rajkhowa Siddhartha Slow claps for the one responsible for this stupid idea of installing a boat in public place during monsoon season in a flood affected place like Northeast .. Well whoever did this has a valid reason to go court and sue Aircel instead for double face..

caught by police can file a defamation case against aircel for there so called promo.

Tamoghna Das I doubted it the day it was installed.. this is the reality of Guwahati. Full of thugs. Atleast they could have installed a CCTV opp to it

Ganesh Nagori Thats what was written on the hoarding...’’sail through our network this monsoon’’... needy people must have taken that seriously..

Ranjit

John L. Sang Instead of that better donate to poor people who are victims of flood. Its stolen very good, brainless!! Don’t know where to utilised money.

Suraj Singha The rope had to be

Sazish Ul Haque Good.......very good....!!

Aircel is advertising on people’s problems & pain....Height of Advertisement

Prithoo Medhi Well, it does say, “In case of emergency, cut the rope.” and I would think a flood is an emergency a lifeboat could be useful in. Anurag Deb There might be

a case of emergency.. Any needy if

Kakati The theft must be from the area of NAGAR(nabin,anil,tarun or lachit) :-D

cut due to emergency. No hard feelings .. :P

Nabajyoti Das Well planed Aircel. You got our attention.

Dipikshaa Rumyy Kashyap boka aircel monsoon aya start

huwa nhi abhi se network ka halat kharab hai... Jab ayega toh kya hoga I can imagine that (Monsoon hasn’t even started yet and they’re already in trouble. I can’t imagine what will happen when monsoon actually hits.)

Sonu Boro Guwahatianz afta all, wat else did u expect them to do.... to stand dr & tk selfies! Is it ?

he District Child Protection Unit, Kamrup (M) is organizing an awareness programme on trafficking today. The awareness programme includes a rally, one street play and an awareness meeting on trafficking. The awareness rally will start at 9 AM from the office of the Child Protection Unit, Kamrup (M), Uzanbazar. The rally will pass through the Latasil Police Station, Gauhati High Court, Dighalipukhuri, Session and District Judge Court, Meghdoot Bhawan, and thereby a street play will be held in front of the D.C office, Kamrup (M). After completion of the street play, the rally will move to the office of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Uzanbazar via Circuit House, Ganesh Mandir and Planetorium. An inaugural session including a technical session will also be held from 11 AM at conference hall, Directorate of Social Welfare, to mark the occasion.

1st Death Anniversary of Abdul Kalam observed

he 1st death anniversary of former President of India, Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was observed by Kamrup (M) District administration at the District Library auditorium, on 27th July. Dr. M. Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M) delivered the welcome speech. The programme was attended by Shri VK Pipersenia, Chief secretary, Assam, Shri Mukesh Saahay, DGP Assam, Shri Mrigen Sarania, Mayor, GMC, Shri Mukesh Agarwal, Commissioner of Police, Smt Bijuli Kalita, Deputy Mayor, Guwahati and Hem Bharali, renowned freedom fighter and social activist.

Para-cyclist on a mission for Assam

akesh Banik, a para cyclist from Nagaon, will embark on a journey that many just talk

about. Rakesh will undertake a ‘Ride for Hope’ journey on 20th August from the capital of India, New Delhi to the capital of Assam, Dispur. The journey is approximately 1900 kms. The ‘Ride for Hope’ is a noble cause and the money raised from the activity will be donated to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund for the flood affected people of Assam. Rakesh hopes to inspire the youth of the entire country so that everyone could contribute to such issues that require the entire country’s strength and support. Let’s encourage and support his journey so that his efforts are not in vain.

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

G Talk

Expectations from Budget 2016-17

See you on the other side

ver heard of the Stockholm syndrome? It is that situation where a hostage, long held in captivity, begins to actually empathize and sympathize with his captors’ ideologue, especially if it is a political kidnapping. Essentially, it is a change of mind that seems irrational and is difficult to comprehend given the grave dangers that the hostage is exposed to. The talking point today is “change of mind” of the Manipuri Iron Lady. I had always contended that Irom Sharmila was the proverbial agitationist – something like Anna Hazare - who wanted to change the system from “outside.” Hers was a heroic stance, a dangerous exercise carried out bravely through the prime of her life for a belief that she held very dear. By and large, it remained her individual struggle without any mass support or mass participation. It failed to gather the momentum of Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption mainly because her demands were raised from and concerned remote Manipur and never got the national exposure that it deserved. For all of Sharmila’s tenacious struggle for a decade and a half, she could not exert enough pressure to get the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) repealed from her beleaguered, terrorism-ridden state. In this context, her decision to give up her fast and get into the system through the prevailing constitutional provisions of elections and subsequent legislature is correct and most welcome. Arvind Kejriwal has done it before and has so far had a reasonable, albeit funny, career. How much of corruption has been wiped out by Ke-

jriwal from within the system than without is something I am not sure though. By the same yardstick, Nelson Mandela did way better from within the system and the South African assimilation is a shining example of the power of politics. But democratic politics is a game that is funny, confusing and makes strange bedfellows. There is just no guarantee of victory and the admiration that a candidate might command socially is often politically immaterial. BJP candidate Bhupen Hazarika’s resounding defeat in a parliamentary election is a case in point as much as Imran Khan’s total annihilation in one of his country’s elections is another. What Manipur is confused about today is what preempted Sharmila to take this amazing decision. Is it because realization has dawned on her that her struggle is getting her nowhere in getting her demands to be met? Does she also feel that she might be able to get her job done from within the system? That being the case, how would her simple soul get around to tackling the complex vortex that is Indian politics? Will she win an election? From which party? And if she does come within the system, would a variety of Stockholm Syndrome kick in whereby she finds herself actually endorsing the continuation of AFSPA in Manipur? A thousand questions can be raised at this point but it will be interesting to see Sharmila on the other side. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Disgracing the media

o it is evidently clear that Arnab Goswami and Barkha Dutt do not like each other and they’ve made their spat a full blown public affair. But what if one authority mandates the shutting down of the other? This is the way everything has been functioning in this country. There has to be one alpha and one person who dictates what is right or wrong. Sometimes they change their forms to media personalities or political parties or even spiritual gurus for that matter (basically, whatever sells). Media, the 4th pillar of democracy, is being gagged by each other so much so that even the journalist fraternity does not share a cordial relationship among each other. This cutthroat industry only believes in being the first one to report and so, star one-upmanship. The media feeds and the public consumes; we are all hypocrites who have chosen sides in this bitter quarrel and labelled people as terror sympathizers or pro Pakistan or anti national. No, I am not a journalist, but have worked in close quarters with them and thus consider myself an appropriate person to offer this opinion. But please know that this is just an opinion and no one is forcing you to believe this.

The public has only fuelled this debate by adding random curse words and irrelevant tags because Retweets = fame. The public is supposed to be an intelligent organism that has evolved opinions and yet they continue to be easily manipulated. A media house is not supposed to please the public. It is our duty to report if the Guwahati Press Club decided to have Anup Chetia over as their ‘Guest of the Month’. We are not supposed to sensationalize charges that an ex-ULFA leader has already been acquitted of. We do not force opinions or make assumptions. We believe in keeping the public informed and that is what was needed to be done instead of demanding gagging media houses. It was the same Barkha who earned laurels for her reporting during Kargil and it is the same Barkha who is being chided for being pro Pakistan. Every time the public is considered to be intelligent, we prove that we are a herd of cows, ready to take any direction we are guided to and we charge head on. We are involved in a fight where we have the option to just change the television channel and silence will follow automatically. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

n 26th July 2016, Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the first budget of the BJP led government with Rs. 2880.91 crore deficit for the current financial year, i.e., 2016-17. Among high hopes and aspirations, just an overview of the budget by the finance minister would allow a sense of positivity for the immediate future. It seems an attempt has been made to give a populist shape by taking into account different aspects of socio economic life of common people. The budget goes with the motto ‘Sabka Sath Saabka Vikas’ as it takes along with it all sections of people in the process of building up a new Assam and thereby paving the way for a very positive change to our state. The prime reason for the importance of the current budget is that the finance minister himself sought suggestions from various concerns and sections of the society. In his budget speech in the state assembly, Sarma revealed that the total budget size would be Rs. 78,253.36 crores and of the total expenditures, 38% would be plan expenditure and 62% would be nonplan expenditure. The total receipts for the year are estimated to be to the tune of Rs. 2,54,599.87 crores against total estimated expenditure of Rs. 2,47,974.36 crores, leaving a surplus of Rs. 6,625.36 crores. However, because of the opening deficit of Rs. 9,506.27 crores, the year is estimated to end at a deficit of Rs 2,880.91. The very term ‘deficit’ associated with the budget speaks of a sadistic angle for the previous ventures undertaken. Given these crucial economic times of the state, where the state’s finances are in deficit and people are also dissatisfied with price rise, the budget has tried to reduce VAT on certain things while VAT exemption is proposed on certain others. This makes certain commodities cheaper such as e-rickshaws, candle, citronella oil, jaggery, tamarind, baby feeding bottles, kerosene stoves, packaged drinking water, LED tube, hospital equipments, room rent of hospitals, bamboo industry products, indigenous Mekhela-Chador, locally made gold ornaments, etc. On the other hand, VAT on

Dear Sir,

certain commodities is proposed to be hiked. The commodities which become costlier are cigarettes, imported gold ornaments, furnace oil, alcohol, mobile phone, marble, granite, car, etc. Though inflationary in nature in the short run, VAT is beneficial in reducing the burden of fiscal deficit in the long run. The Finance Minister has proposed creation of a tax surveillance

prominent persons and officers will mentor at least 3 students each. This is a very encouraging initiative which will boost up human resources development.

Health: Introduction of health insurance called ‘Atal Amrit Abhiyan’ will be a life line to BPL families. Total sum assured will be Rs. 2 lakhs per person per year. The scheme will be free for BPL people. Putting up All India Yoga Institute, adding super specialty wards in hospitals will boost medical tourism for the 6 NE states.

State Employees :

Jayanta Barooah

wing to detect and tackle cases of tax evasions. Provision of imprisonment of transporters and dealers habitually indulging in tax evasion for a period of 7 to 14 years is also proposed. Hence the budget is very much concerned about unethical issues of bribery, corruption and tax evasion so that the burden of deficit and the need to procure revenue does not absolutely fall on common or poor Assamese people.

Education : Priority to education and allied sectors is a welcome move. Along with the addition of new technical institutions, medical colleges and three more universities will be set up by upgrading the existing colleges at Barpeta, Bihpuria and Hojai. But along with a boost in quantity, the need of the hour is a serious review into the quality of the prevailing institutions. So quality has to be improvised and improved upon to yield significant results. TET appointments will help the grass-root education but again their performance has to be monitored closely to bring a social change. The Government also proposed a new scheme ‘Aarohan’ where

The Government has proposed a housing loan of Rs. 15 lakhs to all eligible employees with focus on Grade III and IV employees while higher education loan will be provided for children of state government employees. This initiative will indirectly help in reducing corruption.

Agriculture : CMSGUY is a very good scheme and will boost both marginal farmers’ confidence as well as initiate rural development with a multiplier effect. It will go a long way to change Assam’s economy but only if the grass-root bureaucracy is sensitized and made responsible for any discrepancies in its implementation. Agricultural tax exemption ceiling has been raised and it will complement the CMSGUY scheme. For the first time a well projected budget for development with tax structure to generate fund is seen in this year’s budget to meet the expectation of the people. So it would be proper to say that this is a good budget and quite ambitious with a strong pro development initiative. What remains to be seen is how well it is going to be implemented. Given finance minister Sarma’s track record, I am hoping for the best! The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Narangi Anchalik Mahavidyalaya, Guwahati

Letter to the Editor

It was a pleasure to pick up the Vol 3 Issue 40 of G Plus. The tabloid looks cool. The matter of Dr. Prakritish Bora appears to be a clear case of sexual harassment with the hospital guilty of not putting in place any institutional mechanism to encourage employees to seek redressal. It has happened earlier with a nurse and now this lady doctor. It is in violation of Visakha Guidelines detailed out by the Supreme Court. Dr. Prakritish Bora is apparently under treatment for clinical depression too. He really should not be seeing patients till he sorts out things in his head. Sumanta Deb Via email

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

In Focus

The Assam Budget; correct way forward to set Assam on a new path? I am happy as a Guwahatian to have received so much attention on the city this budget. Drinking water projects completion, work on flood mitigation, Guwahati Open Spaces and Park Integrator, Botanical Park, more FAR on our building spaces, FOBs, ropeways, car parks. Let’s participate in making this happen without any obstruction/ dharnas and work on our civic sense to consume them these services responsibly.

Meet

Daisy Rani Nath Entrepreneur

Reet Gogoi The state budget presented is an effective document and primarily has proven that the vision of the state government is in tune with the Central Govt. It is not just that Himanta has made a political merger, but also an ideological merger. After the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, it is evident that the institutional set up must be changed and thus it has also been proposed that the Planning and Financial ministries will merge. The concept of ReSTART Assam is much similar to the Niti Aayog at the centre and is in tune with cooperative federalism. On paper, the budget is a great document but the key lies in implementation of the same. The 10:90 ratio of funding is also proof that the state will generate revenue from outside investors much like the case of auctioning of oil fields in the state.

Pranab Bharadwaj Himanta Biswa Sarma’s budget is path breaking. The budget is a game changer for it has chosen to focus on agriculture, rural area, health and education. The budget presented by the new Government has vowed to plug the leakage and reform the financial laws. If all of this is well implemented and executed together, this will propel Assam to a new trajectory to growth.

Anoop Khanna The choice of the name VIVACIOUS ASSAM, for an Investors Meet planned by the newly elected BJP- led State Government later in the year demonstrates the difference in its approach to governance compared to its predecessors. This is amply seen in the State Budget for 2016-17, the key provisions of which are closely aligned to the party’s Vision Document for the state published prior to the polls. In a marked departure from the previous government, the Finance Minister laid out an overarching long term vision of development, though many would argue that the budgetary exercise is merely an annual accounting one and should be treated as such. There is a thrust on three primary areas - education, health & family welfare and agriculture together account for about 35% of planned expenditure. There are clear timelines mentioned for some of the “low hanging welfare fruits.” What is a budget without any mega announcement? This one does not disappoint as it proposes to spend over Rs. 1 crore on each of the state’s 28,000 villages for developing an economic model based on that individual village’s strengths and requirements. For the first time, phrases such as “enabling a village economic ecosystem” are being heard. Driving accountability and transparency in public expenditure is another major theme in the budget. The Assam Public Expenditure Accountability Act is a marked departure in a state known for the “31st March syndrome” and preponderance of dubious utilisation certificates. Now, the state’s public expenditure system will be integrated with the RBI’s payment platform, eKuber, so that payments of bills and scrolls can be done electronically. The only missing piece in the financial puzzle is to lessen dependence of central funds and grants and generate more tax revenues within the state - this budget does not appear to score too well on that front. As far as attracting private investment to VIVACIOUS ASSAM is concerned, the government has announced long term measures to increase power generation (based on the Karnataka model), wherein Assam’s power generation company will be able to set up power generation plants in other states such as HP, Uttarkhand, creation of a land bank for industries (easier said than done), as well as a start up fund for entrepreneurs. However, the big idea that seems to be missing from this budget is time bound public investment in road infrastructure which is abysmal, particularly in the Barak Valley.

Sumanta Deb It’s a budget that is path-breaking and has been in line with the vision document issued at the time of elections demonstrating sincerity of purpose. For the first time we see that instead of planned and Non- planned expenditure, the budget has been made in Revenue and Capital accounts, which is the way it should be accounted. Efforts are apparent to ensure transparency. Rationalization of value added Tax, Entry Tax and Luxury Tax to protect local Industry, Commerce and Service Sector are steps in right direction. Health Sector would welcome reduction in entry tax on Hospital Equipments and rationalization of Luxury Tax on Hospital rooms. Another welcome move is the announcement of Amnesty scheme for liquidation of arrears, which will help resolvetax dues and disputes on the one hand and provide a window to dealers to come clean. Raising the Threshold limit of Agriculture income tax,Service tax reduction in cinema halls are also welcome.Exempting Bamboo products for 3 years will give boost to the ailing paper mills in the state. Announcement for Land Bank to provide Land to Industry would be welcomed by Investors.I hope that the details would contain requisite measures so that land for Industry and MSME Entrepreneurs could be available, without hampering the interest of the Agricultural sector of the state. The Tax rates have been increased by another 0.50% after the interim increase of 1%. This, I feel is inflationary in the short run, but, a preparation for impeding imposition of GST. While, reduction of stamp duty for female buyers is welcome, increase in for registration of Property in name of male/other juridical person need reconsideration. The Government however, needs to be cautious and take measures to curb the burgeoning revenue and establishment expenditure. Paying Salary to the ever increasing bureaucracy cannot be the only objective of the state.

Sandeep Khaitan

or a Guwahati girl, who lost her father at the mere age of sixteen, Daisy Rani Nath went on to become the founder of the first e-commerce site of Assam. Born in Guwahati to an army man and a mother who was a government employee, Daisy is the eldest of three sisters. Though the family was financially stable Daisy and her sisters chose to live life on their own terms and took educational loans to pursue higher studies. Creditably, they also closed their loans by themselves. Schooled at St. Mary’s School, Barpeta Road, Daisy joined Cotton College for higher secondary and went on to pursue a degree in B.Sc. from BH College. Daisy moved to Bangalore in 2006 and completed her M.Sc. from Bangalore University in 2008. Life took a major turn when she got married within twenty days of her final exams to a corporate IT sector worker in Bangalore and thus settled there. She joined Wipro but destiny had other plans for her. “Within a few years after I joined Wipro, I realized that I was not suited for this job. There is a saying that you should do what you love to do. But I had no idea what I would do next and leaving the job immediately was not an option,” Daisy stated. In the meantime, Daisy became a mother. With a new born in her life and amidst the associated difficulties, Daisy started mulling on the idea of starting something on her own. Having learnt the basic procedure of weaving and having spent a childhood watching her mother and aunts weaving at home for daily wear, Daisy always held a keen interest in the art. “It was during my maternity leave that my dreams got ignited and I started working on setting up a new venture. I always had a love for sarees and mekhela chadors. When I went home, I visited Sualkuchi. I discussed with the owner of the looms and explored the prospect of online sales for people like us who stay

outside Assam. After much discussion, I convinced them to sell the product online, though they were sceptical that their designs might get leaked and copied. Finally, I started making my own products apart from silk and stocking them which helped in fast delivery. Moreover, it was like giving an opportunity to local weavers a source of income without any investment for them. This social responsibility of helping them earn their living gives me satisfaction and internal happiness,” Daisy mentioned to G Plus. Her maternity leave also gave her the idea of establishing the first ever e-commerce site for shopping Assamese silk products. When Daisy’s child was just 2.5 months, her sister’s marriage was fixed. “Everyone was shopping for the marriage and I was at home with my baby. I ended up wearing a silk Mekhela Chador bought by someone else and I was very disappointed. That is when I decided that I should do something. To fill this gap I started www.assamsilkshopping.com in 2012,” the entrepreneur mentioned. Her venture boomed with the very first order of Rs. 50,000 which came from a Sattriya dancer in France who wanted the costume in silk and custom made for her. Gradually people started visiting the website and sending queries and orders at the same time. “The project was way ahead of its time in Assam and people were sceptical about paying so much of money before inquiring. Back when I started I had only one industry from whom I procured products and delivered. Gradually I started working with different weavers from Assam who were economically frail. I started buying raw materials for them and customized the products myself which I sold online,” Daisy mentioned. Currently, Daisy is working with 3 individual families and around 10 weavers for cotton and other fabrics and has 25 looms for silk. Assam Silk Shopping offers Assam silk Mekhela Chadors and Sarees which include Mulberry Silk, Tassar Silk, Muga Silk, Raw Silk, Eri Silk along with collections of Ghicha Silk, Art Silk, Staple cotton, Padmini and other cotton. The website also offers a platform to designers to sell their products. Her website is a platform for people outside Assam to satisfy their craving for Mekhela Chador. Daisy had also come up with her own retail outlet “Tatkala” in November 2015 at Fancy Bazaar. However, her success also has its own share of hurdles. She regularly has to juggle between her personal life and profession. “It is always difficult to manage personal and professional life when you have kid. I still remember when I started Assam Silk Shopping I used to work at night after he slept. But I always wanted to do something which gave me happiness. Now he is 4 years old and goes to school. So maintaining balance between work and home is easier,” Daisy asserted, holding the vision of producing pure handloom fabric and making different garments under her own brand.

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Lifestyle

VAASTU SHASTRA ROLE OF FENG SHUI IN RELATIONSHIPS

Mi Notebook Air

iaomi unveiled its first pair of notebooks from the Mi Notebook Air series. The name has directly taken a dig at the Apple Air series. But they come at an insanely competitive price range. We’ll talk about the laptop that features the 13.3” full HD display and is equipped with the Core i5 microprocessors. The price of the ultra-thin all-metal notebooks starts from $525 (including taxes) which could make them very competitive in various markets considering the features it offers. As with most Xiaomi products, they will be available in China first. Xiaomi is trying to build a Mi Ecosystem (which includes smartphones, an Android TV STB, tablets, power banks, headphones, a wrist band and also an air purifier) and many have raised the question of spywares, but nonetheless, their sales have continued to take the top spot across several countries because of their innovation and competitive prices. The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3” is based on the dual-core Intel Core i5-6200U (2.3/2.8 GHz, 3MB LLC, 15 W TDP, Intel HD Graphics 520, etc.) and is equipped with NVIDIA’s GeForce 940 MX discrete GPU featuring a 1 GB GDDR5. The notebook sports 8 GB of DDR4-2133 memory, 1 MP webcam, two microphones and custom AKG speakers. The laptop uses USB-C for charging and display output, two USB-A 3.0 ports and one HDMI connector.

In Guwahati, Feng Shui articles can be bought at Gift House, 11 Lohia Market, Fancy Bazar. Ph: 0361-2514494 CPU

iGPU

Dua Astro Vastu, Near Shine Tower, Sarabhati. Ph: 9864014686

SKU

Intel Core i5-6200U

Base

2.3 GHz

Turbo

2.8 GHz

SKU

Intel HD Graphics 520 (GT2) 24 EUs, Gen 9 1050 MHz

Turbo GPU

NVIDIA GeForce 940MX

DRAM

8 GB DDR4-2133

SSD

256 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 (1500 MB/s) 13.3” Full HD display 1 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A HDMI 3.5mm TRRS jack

Display Ports

Dimensions Weight Price

H: 14.8 mm W: 309.6 mm D: 210.9 mm 2.82 lbs (1.28 kg) $750 Rs. 50284 (Approx)

Vaastu and Feng Shui, MRD Road, Silpukhuri. Ph: 9435980620

ike Vaastu, the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui too believes in the harmony of the five basic elements for good relationships. The five Chinese elements are fire, water, earth, wood and metal. One of the main causes of problems in domestic harmony is the conflict between the fire and the water element. This is visible in the kitchens without many of us realizing it. If water or any liquid like milk or curry etc. is kept near or over the stove (except when it is not being heated), it creates a conflict. Sometimes, the oven or the mixer-cum-grinder (basically fire elements) is kept over the refrigerator (water element) to save space. This creates tensions among the family members. A water pipe line near the stove or an overhead water tank above the kitchen gives equally bad results. The southwest is responsible for relationships and it is the place of the earth element. The wood element can destroy the earth element. So if many

Ziya

ometimes, you keep going back to a place just to savour and taste the food. The flavours keep tingling long after the meal is over. Ziya certainly cannot boast of plush interiors and snazzy settings, but it makes up for all that is lacking with its food. It celebrates food and Chef Mousum lovingly creates dishes that leave a lasting impact. Living in Guwahati, if you were to go looking for European food, you would be truly disappointed. Belle View served up some amazing old Anglo Indian Dishes. But once they closed their doors, there has been nothing much to look forward to. You cannot serve over cooked pasta in thick white sauce, laden with cream

and processed cheese and pass it off as European food. So when Ziya opened its doors, Guwahati had a proper address for European Food. The menu has been designed by the chef himself, keeping in mind his patrons. He has had a long career with the Leela Group of

Hotels and has worked abroad until he decided to return to his homeland. He tells me, “I almost shut shop, because it was so challenging during the first six months.” Mercifully, he did not. And now we get to enjoy his creative passion in the delectable fare that he serves.

trees are grown in the southwest, the destruction of the earth element can affect relationships. The southwest can be energized by crystals. So use of crystals, chandeliers etc. at southwest is recommended. It is a custom for the Chinese to wear and gift pearls at weddings. Keeping love birds, mandarin ducks, conch shells at southwest also enhance relationships. Feng Shui advocates the use of metals like lucky coins at northwest and west to improve relations among family members. Used items like old toys, books, broken furniture, clothes etc. radiate negative vibrations which affect relationships. These should be disposed off immediately.

The menu has two sections European and Chinese. I haven’t tried the Chinese section. Hence I shall not comment on that this time. The soups here are a delight. I chose the beet root and coconut soup. The earthy, smoky flavour of beetroot married so well with the delicate subtle taste of coconut, with just a hint of chili. Smooth, perfect: a comforting mug of soup that I wanted to savour with every sip. Then I tried the Tomato Khichdi with chilli ice cream - a tantalizingly toothsome dish with the ice cream sitting elegantly atop the tomato rice. The cold ice cream with the warm Khichdi and the small discs of poppadom speckled with pepper is indeed an explosion of flavours in your mouth. The hot and cold complimented each other so well that you understand why they were paired together. The Barbequed Pork rib with house made sauce was superlative, juicy, succulent, bronzed and sticky with perfect searing. The mains followed: the spaghetti with mushroom and vodka sauce was smooth and creamy. The savory taste of mushroom with a hint of vodka in the sauce coated the spaghetti seductively. I loved this dish.

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist

Then came the Jamican Jerk spiced, grilled chicken with sauteed vegetables and a brown sauce. Well, this definitely wasn’t my favourite dish. Tad overdone, the chicken lacked the flavour although the vegetables were crisp and not limp! The bacon wrapped Basa was a clever dish. I’m not particularly fond of Basa but wrapping it with bacon gave it character. The crisp bacon gallantly covering the fish and the accompanying aioli made my heart skip a beat. Indeed a charming dish! I missed ending such an indulgent meal on a sweet note. The menu unfortunately had no desserts except for ice creams. One simply cannot finish a magical meal with predictable commercial ice cream. Hopefully, Chef Mousam will soon have a creative dessert menu. A meal at Ziya calls for nothing more than good company. Bring in your friends and family for some impeccable food served with love within a homely setting, and you shall not leave disheartened. Kashmiri Nath Foodie, owner at XOXO cupcakes, food blogger, recipe developer and expert on Assamese cuisine

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Lifestyle A better

One life, make it count

ou only have one life to live. Make it count. That’s what many of the legends truly believe in. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam are just a few of them who made it large in their lives. We have witnessed many legends walk this planet; their deeds have shaped the world into what it is today. They did not waste their lives playing games or watching TV; they embraced the gift of life, gave their 100% and ensured that their names appear in the books of history forever. I invite you not to underestimate yourself and your power within. I invite you to realize you’re no different. You are capable of shaping a brighter future for humanity and be legendary in whatever

LIFE

you do. It is this commitment which led Steve Jobs to radically change the IT industry, followed by the music and the smartphone industry. It is this discipline that led Henry Ford to completely revolutionize the automobile industry. It is this dedication which is now empowering Elon Musk to improve the space and the electric automobile industry. One thing that’s common in all the legends is that they believed

and believe in themselves, no matter what the world had to say to or about them. They are focused, disciplined, consistent and confident about what they want from life and what they want to do for mankind. It is you who would choose whether you want to be remembered or forgotten long after you’re gone. And if you desire to do good for humanity, for yourself, start today. Free yourself from the grasp of your day-to-day activities, from the technology which you’ve become a slave to. Challenge your own thinking, pay attention to your thoughts, doubt the reality of any true authority and question everything. Look beyond your fears as fear is merely your mental condition. Rise and never give up. Understand the true meaning of your life. You were put here for a reason - not just to go through it with a 9 to 5 job but to impact the masses with your actions. You are capable of improving lives of the people around you with what you do – don’t stop. Don’t just go through life, grow through life.

Nobody is born a legend; legends are made here. Madhur Jain

Madhur Jain is a full time practicing Chartered Accountant, a blogger and a columnist. He loves to read, write and talk about personal development. For more visit his blog at www.maadhurjain.in

Cool Couture

8 Gorgeous ways to apply eyeliner

irstly to prevent your eyes from creasing make sure to use an eye primer. To create these looks choose a gel eyeliner or any other liquid eyeliner which helps you get a steady grip. Basic Eyeliner – Simply apply the eyeliner across the natural shape of your eye. This look can be your everyday look as you go to college/school or even for work. Basic Bold Eyeliner – Line the natural shape of your eye just like you would in a basic eyeliner and instead of leaving the lines thin, dense them up to be slightly thicker. This look is a midway between being too subtle and being too dramatic. Winged Eyeliner – Line your natural eye shape and once you are at the outer corner, begin towing it out in proportion to wear your eye brow ends. Smoothly merge the winged outline to the natural line you have created. This look is quite a classic and can help you add some drama to your eyes. Double Winged Eyeliner – Once you have achieved the basic winged eyeliner, from the outer corner of your eye draw a line in parallel to the wing. Make sure to leave some space between the original winged liner. This style is quite

simple and it can be carried off for an evening party or a wedding. Cat-eyed eyeliner – This look is a combination of a basic and a winged eyeliner. After you attain the winged eyeliner, colour the surface of the wing edge to the natural shape in a thicker stretch. Form a triangular look to the end. Apply some dark coloured eye-shadow to further enhance the look. Upward Double Winged Liner – Make a basic winged eyeliner, and from the edge of the winged liner stretch the line onto the crease of your upper eye lid. This look is very bold, dramatic and extremely stylish. Dropped Flick Look – Just like a basic eyeliner, line across the natural shape of your eye and extend the line slightly downwards instead of edging it out upwards. This is a very everyday routine. Fish Style Eyeliner – This style is a combination of two looks. Firstly make a basic winged eyeliner and then combine this look with a liner down look. From the outer edge of your eye, at a center point it will give a shape of a fish tail. Stretch the line downwards and join both the wings eyeliner on the upper lid. Draw a thick line on to the lower lid as well.

My personal favourite eyeliners are:

Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner Colorbar Waterproof liquid liner Check retail shops at Fancy Bazar for a variety of eyeliners available from various brands. Sonika Ajmera Fashion Blogger

TIPS TO LIVE FITTER LIVES - II I

n the last issue, we had talked about the middle years and muscle decline that takes place in this time period as also the importance of muscle repair. Let us see this time how to arrest muscle decline, duration of exercise to retain muscle mass and the usage of protein thereof. So what is the best general advice for people wanting to arrest that decline? Sadly, muscle just becomes stiffer and it becomes fatter. So, smaller, fatter, stiffer – those are the three joys you have to look forward to growing older. But it’s all about physical activity. Children run from room to room, adults don’t. Physical activity and a combination of all forms of physical activity, is the answer. If you you’re going to the gym and only doing one thing, one circuit or one type of class, that’s great, but you’ve got to mix and match. Everything from walking to sprinting to lifting weights, riding a bike and any form of physical activity, any form of muscular loading, is great. How long should you exercise in terms of retaining that muscle mass and strength? At the end of the day every single second helps. The research shows that exercise done in small chunks is just as good as exercise done in a continuum for cardio-vascular fitness and general health and wellbeing. Yes, to maximize your performance, there are specificities around periodization, rest intervals, loading, frequency, speed of movement, type of movement – that’s the domain of athletes. But for all of us who want to look good, feel good, be good, it’s a combination of everything. You are particularly interested in protein, so what do we know about its role in our muscular health? We’ve tended to ignore what proteins can do in terms of health. So research is focused on how proteins can help you rebuild and repair muscle. There are several questions there: how much protein, and what type of protein? We’re still a long way short of understanding the most effective protein mixes that help you rebuild and repair muscles. The third question is around the role of protein more generally in

our body’s health. Protein has had an undervalued role in terms of health, but that’s not to say we should be eating more protein. So what can science usefully tell us about how to use protein? Maybe we should be thinking about the types of protein we have in our diet, and maybe we should be exploring both animal and vegetable proteins more than we have been doing – starting to think about ways in which we can produce higher quality, better quality protein. That means exploring the value of lean red meat. We know the research shows it is important in older people, but the question is how important it is for the rest of us. With yoghurts and fermented foods, we’re starting to understand the value of what traditional cultures used to do, ferment things, break them down. There is a whole new generation of research starting to understand the value of protein. We’re sold all-wheel-drive cars on the basis of us somehow getting back a fabulous lifestyle of getting out there into the great outdoors and exercising. But the sad reality is that most people are experiencing real, significant and real decline in many facets of their health. And we should be so much more aspirational about living for the here and now. I want to keep surfing, roller-blading, I want to bungy jump, I want to do a high kick, rhumba, whatever. So that’s where the frontier needs to be, and we need to be learning so much more – how we can be the best we can be.

Data collection:

Lesmills international Kamal Sinha ( HEAD TRAINER- Gold’s Gym Ganeshguri) BSc,ACE-CPT, Rehab master trainer. Lesmills international certified trainer ( Body pump,RPM,Body Combat,Born to move). Kamal Sinha

( HEAD TRAINER- Gold’s Gym Ganeshguri) BSc,ACE-CPT, Rehab master trainer. Lesmills international certified trainer ( Body pump,RPM,Body Combat,Born to move)

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Reviews Cast: John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Akshaya Khanna Director: Rohit Dhawan

ishoom rejigs the buddy cop movie, with John Abraham and Varun Dhawan being assigned to the case of missing Indian cricketer. The film is fashioned as a fast-paced caper. It’s got flash but the plot keeps stuttering and stops the film from really zip-zapzooming. And in the second half, it nose dives, meandering off in some Arabian Nights style fantasy space before remembering what it had set out to do. It begins with promise. Match-winning boy-in-blue Viraj Sharma (Saleem) disappears just a couple of days before a crucial match with Pakistan. Indian Special Task Force cop Kabir Shergill (Abraham) is parachuted into a Middle Eastern country, which is the site of the crime.

vie Mo view Re

ber where she cavorts in the midst of leering men, and the latter who’s around for purely decorative purposes. Dishoom’s villains are a letdown, not even properly evil in a matching comicbook way. Neither Rahul Dev nor Akshaye Khanna have any menace: for fellows who keep threatening to off their victims, they are curiously minus impact. And that’s what ails the film as a whole. It comes alive only in bits and pieces: Akshay Kumar’s cameo, for instance, as a pouting-selfie-clicking man bun is a hoot. Some of the Abraham-Dhawan brotime is okay too, but borrows from the ‘Men In Black’ duo Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in the way they, Kabir and Junaid, go about addressing each other, yes, K and J.

Local boy Junaid Ansari (Dhawan) partners with the visitor, and off they go, sleuthing. The slit-eyed stony-faced experienced cop and the bumbling rookie is an old Hollywood cliché but can turn into fun in the hands of good actors and directors: here, Dhawan and Abraham display limited wares, the former in his young wideeyed Joe avatar, and the latter swathed in tight tees and a permanent frown, swaggering down sandy desert outposts and shadowy villains’ dens. Both also get to shuck their shorts and show off their stuff in colourful briefs. The boys have comely female company in the shape of the two gals, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri, the former with a few speaking scenes and an item num-

will also keep the BFG safe from the other, meaner giants. The chemistry between Barnhill and Rylance forms the basis of the film and it’s her belief in all of it that really sells you on it. While the CGI used for Rylance might be a little off in places and somewhat dated-looking, Rylance’s performance shines through with all of his charisma and warmth intact. It’s worth noting that The BFG was in pre-production for almost thirty years, with a lot of the delay held down by the fact that a suitable actor couldn’t be found. Of course, you couldn’t imagine anyone other than Rylance in the role - even Robin Williams, who was reportedly considered for a time. The villains, Hader and Clement, both give enough gusto to the role and that it’s

played for fun - as it should be. Where the film begins to falter somewhat is when it goes into the third act with a slightly odd scene involving a fartmaking juice and the Queen of England, played by Penelope Wilton. Melissa Mathison’s script perfectly captures the essence of Roald Dahl, all whimsical, low-brow humour - as mentioned earlier with the fart-making juice. However, Mathison also gives it a huge amount of heart and deepness to it. There’s a beautiful little moment when Sophie discovers precisely why the BFG is so careful to hide young Sophie away and why the other giants are so terrifying - almost to the point that you begin to think it might too much for children to cope with. However, that’s classic Spielberg.

Album: Artist:

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 The BFG 10.45 (H) AM & 3.05 (E) PM kABALI 6.05 PM

Apsara Cinema Ulubari 0361 2541335 Dishoom 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8:00 PM

vie Mo view Re

GOLD Cinema ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

Author:

PVR Cinemas

Dishoom 10:30 AM, 12:55, 3:20, 5:45 & 8:45 PM

India’s Wars: A Military History, 1947- 1971

The Amazing

or a set of contemplative rock that brings to mind words like “reverie” and “tapestry,” look no further than Ambulance, the Amazing’s fourth LP and follow-up to Picture You. It picks up where that album left off, perhaps slightly more introverted in demeanor, but with equally elegant guitar work by their three guitarists. That, along with Christoffer Gunrup’s intimate murmur, and tasteful keyboard and drum reinforcement, seems to transport it to a state of suspended twilight. The album’s eight tracks were captured live in one room at Stockholm’s Buller & Bäng studio with minimal rehearsing. Per usual for the Amazing, who

Ghostbusters 9.45 AM & 2.30 PM Dishoom 11.45 MA, 5.15 & 8.30 PM

HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

Book:

Ambulance

make a habit of not publishing lyrics and refusing to discuss meaning or process, little else was revealed about the work other than that the players relied heavily on improvisation. This is the impression of the title track, which floats over a repeated drum rhythm. Electric guitars and a shimmering blend of vocal effects, piano, and string tones offer little to add to a clear perception of structure before the song fades to a close. However, the album avoids getting lost in a haze of sameness. “Blair Drager” has a distinct groove and eerier guitar effects. The guitar twang on “Floating” accompanies a sweeter melody as

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

Fun Cinemas

Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton Director: Tasha Robinson he BFG more or less follows the story of the original. Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a young orphan who’s taken by a giant (Mark Rylance) in the middle of the night when she spots him skulking around the streets of London. Initially frightened at first, Sophie soon realises that that giant is actually a big, friendly giant - the BFG of the title and is actually trying to help people by collecting dreams and delivering them via a magical trumpet. However, Giant Country is also home to a small group of man-eating giants, led by Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement), who are planning to go on a hunt for children in the real world. Sophie concocts a daring plan that’ll both rescue the children of the world and

Anuradha Cineplex

u Yo LD OU N SH ISTE L well as chord progressions with palpable motion. “Moments Like These” brings acoustic guitar picking to a folkier entry, and “Through City Lights” is almost sparse in comparison to the rest. Still, the Amazing have found a balance to their sound that not only sets them apart, but also presides over the album, even given these variations. The whole work hits like a long-forgotten memory. Fans of Picture You, or of wistful atmosphere in general, will want to dig deep into Ambulance, and, to its credit, will find the room to do so.

Arjun Subramaniam

The armed forces occupy a special position in Indian society. Yet, standard accounts of contemporary Indian history rarely have a military dimension.In India’s Wars, serving Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam seeks to give India’s military exploits their rightful place. Beginning with a snapshot of the growth of the armed forces, he provides detailed accounts of the principal conflicts from Independence to 1971: the first India-Pakistan war of 1947-48, the liberation of

u Yo LD OUad H S re Hyderabad and Junagadh, the campaign to evict the Portuguese from Goa in 1961, and the full-blown conventional wars against China and Pakistan.Laced with veterans’ exhilarating experiences in combat operations, India’s Wars fuses the strategic, operational, tactical and human dimensions of war with great finesse. Deeply researched and passionately written, it unfolds with surprising ease and offers a fresh perspective on modern Indian history.

Dishoom 11.00 AM, 5.15, 8:00 & 8.30 PM Madari 2.30 PM kABALI 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM SULTAN 2.00 PM

GOLD Cinema Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177 Dishoom 11.00, 11.30 AM, 2.00, 5.00, 5.30 & 8:00 PM SULTAN 2.15 & 8.30 PM

GOLD Cinema LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Dishoom 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8:00 PM

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Entertainment

Guwahati Premiere of

‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’

new Assamese feature film titled ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’ was recently screened at ‘Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival 2016’ on 24th July at Pragjyoti ITA Centre, Machkhowa. Since the entry to the festival was free, the producer of the film urged everyone to go and enjoy the movie. Positively so, the movie received great reviews from the viewers. The film has already been screened at different places of Assam and earned great reviews from viewers and critics alike. The film has been written, edited and directed by young Dhruva J Bordoloi and produced by Dhruva J Bordoloi and Hemanta Kumar Bordoloi under the banner of ‘Pixelray Films.’ The story revolves around Hiranya Barua, a private insurance employee who, with his family, shifts to his hometown. With his son excelling in academics, daughter winning accolades in dance and his wife deftly managing the household as always, his long cherished dream of giving his family a simple, honest and fulfilling life seems to be real. Aditya, his son, ambitious, practical

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

and a little skeptical about his father’s dream, knows that life in this small town may not be that simple and the future, not very rosy. However, even he isn’t prepared for what is yet to come upon his family. With elements of myths, facts and facets from the serene land of Assam, ‘Dooronir Nirola Poja’, is a reminder of the struggle of the small towns of India. The key roles in the film have been essayed by Mintu Baruah, Jayshree Goswami, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Partha Hazarika, Raghavi Dutta and Arup Jyoti Rabha among others. The film’s music has been composed by Tony Deori Basumatary and Utkarsh Dhotekar, lyrics have been penned by journalistlyricist Rajdweep. The film has been shot by Suruj Deka around some beautiful locations of Tezpur and Dhekiajuli. The executive producer is Narayan Seal. The film’s associate director is Anupam Baishya, assistant directors are Priyanku Baruah and Jyoti Bhargav Baishya, creative director is Sowrik Datta and costumes have been designed by Rumi Bhuyan.

Digitizing Hiren ‘Runjun’ Bhattacharyya’s in Prithwiraj Theatre legacy T

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

iren Bhattacharyya was one of the best known poets who published his work in Assamese. He had innumerable works published in Assamese and received many awards and accolades for his poetry. Known as ‘Hiruda’ among fans, this Sahitya Akademi Award winning poet had also written several songs, one of which is ‘Endharaloi Haat Melidilo Kijani Tomak Pao...’ With the digital age creeping in, this song will be released in a video format which has been produced by ‘Contemporary Art Group Entertainment.’ The main intention of releasing this video is to pay tribute to this poet and to take his creativity to the youth. The song has been composed by J P Das and the music has been directed by Abhijit Barman. The song has been beautifully ren-

dered by Hemanta Debnath. The main lead in this video has been played by renowned artist of the Assamese film industry, Abdul Mazid and supported by Abhijit Barman, Prantik Phukan, Saurav Kumar Das and Hemanta Debnath. The song’s video has been directed by national award winner Kaushik Borbora and the assistant director is Champak Deka. Stills have been arranged by well-known artists Samsul Huda Patgiri and Jayanta Bora; art is by Siva Prasad Marar. A notable aspect of the video is the special play of light and shadow and the violin played by Bidyut Mishra. According to the producer, the video will be officially launched by the Hiren Bhattacharyya Trust and Assam Government’s Cultural Association on the eve of the poet’s birthday.

he world of glamour and acting is not for everyone and yet, every day there are hundreds of newcomers from villages and small town who are trying to make a name for themselves in this field. The big question that always remains are how many of them have been successful? How many of them have cracked the code to success in the field? Does talent really matters? Runjun, a talented village girl also dreams of becoming a good actress and to mark her identity in this fast paced world of glamour. But when she enters this world, she is exposed to the dark side, the side people only whisper about. Pointing out this serious issue will be popular mobile theatre group ‘Prithwiraj Theatre’ who will stage a play titled ‘Runjun’ this season. The play has been written and directed by well known story-teller and noted journalist Hillol Kumar Pathak. Hillol’s work has always been about being to the point. He has avoided cluttering his work with unnecessary dance numbers. His work has always been about making a serious and credible product which is why his plays have been highly appreciated by the audience. Hillol shared his feelings by saying that, ‘the story of this drama should be impactful and will reach out to the people.’ The title song of this play has been written by journalist, lyricist Kalyan Kumar Kalita, musically arranged by Pranjal Prodip Bharali and rendered by Rintu Saikia and Gitasree Borah. Popular actor of the Assamese movie industry Dipan Bharali, known for his work on television screen and on stage has been signed for this season of Prithwiraj Theatre. He will share the stage with Reb Bora and Dipsikha Bora along with many other newcomers and established artists as well. Surajit Bora, the producer of Prithwiraj Theatre said that, ‘to compete

with the other popular theatre groups, Prithwiraj Theatre has prepped the whole group with some new concepts and latest techniques.’ He also added that among all the three plays of this theatre, which have been written by three different writers and people will be exposed to different entertainment with each. The other two plays are Abhijit Bhattacharya’s ‘Debota’ and Samarendra Barman’s ‘Bahuboli’. The theatre group has already started their rehearsal starting last week.

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Citypedia Horoscope of the week

Taurus

This week is a great week of knock and bash. You will remain surrounded with your professional acquaintances. You shall have plenty of financial gains coming your way. It shall be a great week to give and take affection and warmth from all your family members and colleagues. Your love life shall blossom up now thus making you spend some romantic time with your spouse.It is necessary to control and turn into right direction. Otherwise, it may spoil understanding.

Cancer

This week invites some optimistic and cheerful views for you from your near and dear ones only. You shall try your level best to be the best and shall get up to the understanding soon. While trying this you are likely to take some risk for that. The risk taken is more likely in funds and finance related matters. This will not be a good time for investment and speculations. You shall spend a lot of time for yourself as to perceive yourself in ideal circumstances. You will have good time with your family and relatives.

Libra

Gemini

This week has stockpile of many surprises and gift for you. Many new things are on the anvil that includes an increase of you connection and communication with influential and prominent names. There will be lots of local but significant collaborations. The progress of children in studies and scholastic matters will be slow but satisfactory. Keep a sensible and realistic approach towards them. Nevertheless, you will find less time to enjoy with them. If in business, you will make an effort to initiate new projects or activities that will expand and stretch your imagination.

This week shall keep you in action and exploit from various aspects of life. It shall be a hectic time for all natives as life may demand a lot in terms of time and attention. You may seek an aggression for the revenue and profession. Handle these things well by avoiding discord, spitefulness and even squabble. You are probably trying to figure out how to balance various areas of your life to make things run more smoothly. Some sort of compromise has to take place. Attention to personal relations is also required.

This week has stockpile of many surprises and gift for you. Many new things are on the anvil that includes an increase of you connection and communication with influential and prominent names. There will be lots of local but significant collaborations. The progress of children in studies and scholastic matters will be slow but satisfactory. Nevertheless, you will find less time to enjoy with them. If in business, you will make an effort to initiate new projects or activities that will expand and stretch your imagination.

This is a week of great chances and challenges for you. You are advised to end all your pending tasks and have fresh start at your workplace. You shall get ample chance to improve your knowledge . You shall get completely involved in family matters and pass happy time with your family members. Impulsiveness and overlooking of minor issues might create certain problems. Adjustment should be made to remain happy and contented. You are advised to make use of your natural abilities and common sense.

Leo

Scorpio

Virgo

Sagittarius

There is possibility that your opponents may win. During this period, your confidence will make you unbeatable. You will also command much regard and respect. This is also a very good week for love and romance. Suddenunexpected gains are also possible. You will come into contact with higher officials and authorities. People in job will have strong chances of promotions and perks. You will feel strongly inclined towards religion and might visit sacred places.

Your efforts will bear the preferred results. Even you may also get a golden possibility of foreign traveling. Your name and fame will increase during this week. You will able to come midst famous and powerful people. You will have adequate vigor to accomplish your creative pursuits successfully. Money would be flowing very easily. You will have lot of chances to increase your income. Good news on all fronts will make you much cheerful. Make the most of this jovial time and enjoy the life to the hilt.

This week shall bring in a fine start in terms of work and profession. Success falls on your way through tough challenges and hard work. Take all your obstructions lightly and nonchalantly. Students will be reasonably practical to achieve their goals. Their burden is likely to increase. You are required to pace up now to keep the things on the right track. Laziness and self-indulgence should be avoided to progress ahead. If in business, you will find it hard to manage internal affairs or to push the work at secondary level.

This week will keep you well occupied with family, friends and food. There will be certain sense of responsibility especially in money matters and financial transactions. This week also foresees good opportunities for all natives. You shall be busy attaining parties where you will entertain others as well as get entertained. You are advised to manage your budget judiciously and clear all your pending debts and dues. Family and commitments may you are your attention.

It is indeed a good time to feel loved and respected by others. Affection and respect will welcome you with open heart. Your hard work and labor will fetch you dividends. Short distance travels will be fruitful. Good news from abroad is possible. Your brothers and sisters will also assist you. Your contact with new people will also increase by the dint of your social activity. If you are involved in any speculation, encouraging results are on the anvil. You will bask in the glory of the artistic expression and interpretation.

This week brings some special clarifications and explanations for you. You shall have a focus on your individual as well as professional life. This week also brings for you many gifts and privileges. It is a fine so go ahead and start immediately. The crucial point lies in being able to sustain the situation with all courage and audacity. There will be considerable highlighting on studies and research. Deal with your friends and family members with great diplomacy and subtlety.

Capricorn

GUWAHATI

Aquarius

EMERGENCY NUMBERS RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288

24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) D Modern Medicos, Maligaon (9864366763) Candid 24x7, Panbazar (2604422) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118, LPG Booking (ivr System) 7670024365 Child line Guwahati 1098

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

BLOOD BANK

Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594

AMBULANCE

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 Free Ambulance to GNRC Hospitals Toll Free: 1800-345-0011

police station

Pisces

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About Sudoko

A Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 cells which are divided into nine columns, rows and regions. The task is now to place the numbers from 1 to 9 into the empty cells in such a way that in every row, column and 3×3 region each number appears only once.

Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627

Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344 Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

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Comissioner of Police: 0361-2540278 DCP, Traffic: 0361-2731847 DCP, (Central): 94350-49599 DCP, (East): - 94350-83103 DCP, (West): - 94350-27744 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285

Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 92070-44374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444) International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998)

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last week solution

Aries

Hospital

TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 IHR-Institute of Human Reproduction 0361-2482619, 098641-03333 Dispur Hospital Reception 97070 20370 82539 99124 361-2235759 (Landline No. / Fax) Hayat Hospital 8011003110 GNRC Hospital 1800-345-0022 (Toll Free) GNRC Ambulance 1800-345-0011 (Toll Free)

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

1800-345-3767

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Event

Days

An absolutely smashing gig with

SIDEFORM (July 23)

who played an amazing set.

Events

Photo: DEEJAY DEE

July 30th to Aug 05th

JULY 30 TERRA MAYAA

AUG 06 UNDER DOGGS

Michael Angelo Batio The ambidextrous guitarist who blazed

through the fretboard with sweeps. legatos, arpeggios and also flaunted his wizardry on his signature double-neck guitar. Photo: ‘OwlYou’

JULY 30 TOPAZ

JULY 30 CEFA COPA

Blot! at TerraMayaa as DJ Jawed spun the Guwahati crowd into madness!

JULY 30 XS

What’s happening at Rabindra Bhavan » 1st – 7th August: Natasurya Drama Festival » 8th – 11th August: Drama by Abhinoy Anushthan

JULY 31 SHANGHAI SALSA

G PLUS JUL 30 - AUG 05, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week Say No to Bribery! The Assam Budget’s recent announcement of an award of Rs. 25000 that will be awarded in case someone provides evidence against an act of corruption has been lauded by the public. With GPlus being the first one to bring this information to the public, the post received about 707 Shares and over 1.5K Likes and counting. facebook.com/guwahatiplus

Guwahati

twitter.com/guwahatiplus

GYAN

Did you know?

Peace Centre

New

Chic on the block

Kankana Baruah About Me

My name is Kankana Baruah and I am from Guwahati. I finished my graduation in English Literature and will pursue my Post Graduation in English from Cotton College.

Mojo

I love being fashionable and I feel style is something that comes naturally to us all over time. It brings with it a certain comfort level. I love dancing and I am a trained classical dancer.

Route in the woods

ot many are aware of the functioning of The Peace Centre that stands tall at Ambari. Built in 2002 the centre is an initiative of Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil for bringing well-being in the region. The five storied Peace Centre is a symbol of the church’s commitment to peace in northeast India. It offers services in sections such as Guwahati Gana Seva Society (GGSS) that focuses on the upbringing of the less privileged of the society and improve their social

and economic conditions. It also houses a counselling centre, The Pauline Book Centre, Good Books Library that conducts Bible Correspondence Course, a prayer room, Liturgical Centre that provides devotional materials useful for prayer and a conference hall. Guwahati Peace Centre was inaugurated just three months after the proclamation of the Decalogue of Peace by the participants of the Prayer for World Peace held in Assisi with Pope John Paul II and representatives of various religious leaders.

I don’t know where I would go, but I will not disappoint any discipline I am in.

Ka m u r of the week

lood threat was a major kamur this week for Guwahatians as with the news of Brahmaputra water rising above the danger level and reports of water entering Bhootnath and other river side areas like Fancy Bazar and Pandu, people feared that if the river water submerges the city what will be the consequences. The NDRF people even rescued some priests from Umananda who were stuck there as ferry service were stopped.

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

escribing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “mastermind” behind the arrest of AAP MLAs, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal recently alleged that Modi and the BJP could get him “killed” in the coming days. “They can go to any extent. They can get us killed. They can get me killed as well. Talk to your families. Jail is a very small thing. It is clear now that everyone will have to go to jail many times. Along with jail, anything can happen to you. If you are ready, then stay with us. If you are not ready, there is some weakness in your mind, then leave all this for a few days,” said Kejriwal.

PIC OF THE The job of selling jobs. Photo: Adib Zamali

WEEK

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641