Tea auction centre celebrates glorious 50 years
The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) celebrated its golden jubilee on Friday and what a chequered history it has been. From selling nine million kg tea at an average price of less than J6 in 1970, the GTAC was able to sell 204 million kg tea at an average price of J139.63 last year. Unfortunately, the pandemic stole the opportunity of a gala celebration. The GTAC was opened on September 25 in 1970. The first lot of 1,317 kg of Broken Orange Pekoe tea of Haroocharai Tea Estate was bought by a trader at J42.50 a kg.
Bodoland Council polls deferred, BJP blamed
The Assam government’s advice to the State Election Commission (SEC) not to hold elections to the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in the near future due to the Covid pandemic has set tongues wagging at Dispur. People feel that the BJP government led by Sarbananda Sonowal wants to keep the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), which has ruled the BTC ever since its creation in 2003, out of power for as long as possible so that people “forget” the party altogether. The EC had scheduled the polls on April 4, but it was deferred in the wake of the pandemic. Subsequently, Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi assumed to himself the charge of the BTC. The Council comes under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the Governor is its constitutional head.
Cop shows poetic facet, pens poem for comrades
Kamrup Superintendent of Police Parthasarathi Mahanta showcased his literary side by penning poems. The dedicated service rendered by the cops and the challenges they face have been depicted in the creative work. A video of “Mur Parichay ”– the poems’ collection – was released by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal the other day. Sonowal was confident that the poems would inspire and motivate fellow police personnel. The SP said he wrote the poems to pay tributes to those personnel who had to undergo sufferings and make sacrifices in the line of duty. Militancy has waned in the state, but several cops had lost their lives during the pandemic.
Scam-tainted ex-DIG, BJP leader on the run
The Assam Police has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of former DIG PK Dutta and BJP leader Diban Deka. The duo are wanted for their allegedly role in the leak of question paper regarding the recruitment of police sub-inspectors. The police conducted raids at various locations but there was no trace of them. Dutta had built an empire with money that he allegedly earned through this racket. The police claimed the former DIG owned a chain of luxury hotels, tea gardens, 100 bighas of land etc. The exam had to be cancelled.
prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com