Strong message to liquor cartel
Driving a road roller, Assam Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya crushed over six lakh seized liquor bottles, worth J168.54 crore on the outskirts of Guwahati the other day. The liquor bottles were destroyed in following a court order. The minister warned that the law violators would be dealt with sternly. Two years ago, about 17,410 cases of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) were seized from 14 Guwahati-bound trucks in the hill district of Karbi Anglong. It was the biggest ever seizure of IMFL in the Northeast state.
Making Assam the ‘land of immortals’
Popular Assamese singer Zublee Baruah dreams about making Assam the “land of immortals”. To create awareness on organ donation, the Zublee Foundation recently organised the fifth edition of ‘Organothon’ in Guwahati. “Eight to nine years ago, I had taken a pledge to donate my organ after death. If a person donates an organ, it can save up to nine lives. That way, the person will be immortal even after death... My dream is to make Assam the land of the immortals,” the popular artiste said.
CCTVs in train kitchens
To ensure greater supervision of quality food for train travellers, Guwahati-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway is installing CCTVs in base kitchens. Already three of the eight base kitchens have been fitted with CCTVs and the rest will be covered by end of August. Live feed from the base kitchens will be available at the Divisional Commercial control rooms for constant monitoring. By doing this, railway officials will be able to monitor whether basic hygiene standards are being adhered to and that the kitchens are free from pests.
Suicide shakes Kamrup authorities
The suicide by a 23-year-old man has shaken the Kamrup (Metro) district administration. Chandan Bharali had been arrested on the charge of harassing a girl on social media. After a local court remanded him in three-day police custody, he was taken to Panikhaiti outpost on the outskirts of Guwahati. However, at night, he escaped and hours later, his body was found hanging from a tree at a nearby place. The district authorities have ordered a probe into the death. Four policemen were placed under suspension, and five home guards discharged from services.
Misconduct at children’s village
The assistant director of SOS Children’s Village in Guwahati was arrested for allegedly molesting three minor girls. The accused, who hails from Manipur, is accused of inappropriately touching the girls on the last day of a six-day leadership camp. The Rotaract Club had organised the event. A journalist blew the lid off the scandal by writing to an executive director of a child rights organisation. The accused was suspended by his employers.
Prasanta Mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com