State looking to bring back elephants
Assam has the second highest number of elephants (5,719) after Karnataka (6,049), according to a 2017 census. Over the past 16 years, 97 Assam jumbos were sent to other states, primarily for religious activities, on lease for two-three years. However, many of them are overstaying the lease period. Giving out the figures in the Assembly, Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the pachyderms were sent to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, and Jharkhand. He said the state government had been in touch with these states to bring back the jumbos.
Petty crimes keeping city cops on their toes
The cases of mobile-snatching and other petty crimes have been on the rise in Guwahati. Unsuspecting pedestrians have lost their mobile phones, wallets and other valuables to thieves. They would come riding two-wheelers with fake registration numbers and snatch the valuables. New Police Commissioner Diganta Borah advised people to remain alert. He assured that all measures were being taken to ensure security to the citizens. In an incident two days ago, the police fired at two thieves, leaving them injured.
Oppn livid over govt’s ‘conflicting figures’
The Opposition created an uproar on Saturday when the government told the Assembly that 30 people were killed in police actions in 26 incidents in the state from January last year. Last month, the government had told the Gauhati HC in an affidavit that there were 171 incidents of police firing from May last year to August this year in which 56 people were killed and 145 injured. The Opposition is livid that the government shared conflicting figures at two different forums. Delhi-based lawyer Arif Jwadder, who had earlier filed a PIL in the court, expressed surprise as most of the injured were criminals who were shot at for attempting to escape from police custody.
Prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com