Favoured train of smugglers
The Rajdhani Express has emerged as a favoured train of narcotic smugglers who come to the Northeast from various parts of the country. There are very days when the GRP personnel in Guwahati return empty handed while carrying out raids to confiscate marijuana and other narcotic items smuggled on this train. In the latest incident, two women were arrested along with drugs worth several lakhs of rupees. The GRP says the smugglers consider the Rajdhani Express as the safest bet as they believe they will be above the suspicion of the police given that mostly affluent people prefer this train.
Akshay Kumar wins hearts
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has won many hearts in Assam by appealing to the people to not just grief on the social media but “react” to help the victims with whatever money they can afford. He himself has donated I2 crore as flood aid. The actor was moved after coming across a photograph where a woman in neck-deep water, with her minor child placed on her shoulder, was seen battling the deluge. But, Priyanka Chopra’s silence drew criticism from the public. Later, the Assam government came out with a statement that its contract with the Bollywood actress had already expired. Priyanka was the brand ambassador of Assam tourism.
Soaring veggie prices
Blame it on unscrupulous traders who play all tricks to earn profit. The prices of vegetables have sky-rocketed in Guwahati much to the resentment of city residents. The prices differ from vendor to vendor and, sometimes, in the same market. Retail vendors say the prices have gone up as the supply is very low. They blame whole-sellers for the high prices of vegetables. Recently, the Assam government-directed authorities in all districts to regulate the prices. The government also directed them to visit the markets regularly to monitor prices. Despite that, the vendors are selling vegetables at exorbitant rates.
Ad scam in Railways
A massive advertisement scam has jolted the Guwahati-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). Recently, the CBI raided offices, official quarters and private residences of six NFR employees, including a senior public relations officer, who were allegedly involved in a Rs 158-crore scam. The federal agency also registered a case against them. The NFR staffers embezzled the money by showing payments being made against advertisements bills to some newspapers which actually did not exist, the CBI said, adding that the accused had submitted and cleared 5,842 bills worth I157.40 crore from 2014 to 2018.