Current Affairs Assam – October 2017 e-Magazine
October 4
Work on trilateral highway gets under way
The process for the construction of the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand has started. Once completed, the highway will go a long way in improving connectivity between the North East with the East Asian countries.
The road is also vital for the implementation of the much talked about Act East Policy of the Government of India.
The proposed route of the trilateral highway starts from the Indo-Myanmar border at Moreh in Manipur and passes through Tamu, across the border in Myanmar, to reach Moe Sot at the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The Moreh-Kyigone-Kalemyo section, also known as the “India-Myanmar Friendship Road,” was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of the Indian Army, through aid provided by the Government of India. It was handed over to the Government of Myanmar in 2009.
Presently, the Government of India is also facilitating the construction of 71 permanent high-level bridges on this road. The section from Kyigone to Kalewa towards the east is under repair and construction by the BRO. This section also is a part of the “India Myanmar Friendship Road”. The section from Kalewa to Yagyi is proposed to be upgraded to two-lane standard through aid provided by the Government of India. The remaining stretch – “Yagyi-Monywa-Mandalay-Moe Sot,” is likely to be taken up by the governments of Myanmar and Thailand in their respective countries.
Children’s homes not registered under Juvenile Justice Act to face punishment
To check flouting of norms and ascertain the quality of care given in the children’s homes operating in State, the Department of Social Welfare has directed the District Child Protection Units to act tough on NGOs not initiating the process of registering the children’s homes under the Juvenile Justice Act. The quantum of punishment for such unregistered homes includes prosecution of the persons responsible, sealing such homes and shifting the children to other suitable locations.
At present, there are 27 child care institutions in the State and 19 specialised adoption agencies run by the NGOs. Besides, there are five government-run homes for children and four other government institutions under various categories including disability. Approximately, there are 56 such institutions in Assam that receive government grant.
Moreover, there are other societies and organisations operating in the State, where the children in need are kept, taking the total number to 99.
October 5
US back India on OBOR
US administration threw its weight behind India’s opposition to China’s ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying the US $ 50-billion project passes through “disputed territory” and no country should dictate the Belt and Road initiative.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), over which India has conveyed its protests to China. The area covers the Karakoram mountain ranges, including the Siachen glacier.
Panel constituted for NE water management
In a significant step, the Centre has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of water resources in the North Eastern Region under the chairmanship of the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
The committee would facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydroelectric power, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism. The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) will serve as the coordinating point. The committee will submit its report, including the plan of action, by June 2018.
During the review of the flood situation with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister had announced constitution of a high-level committee for holistic management of water resources in the NE Region. The meeting noted that the optimum management of water resources is a cross-cutting task which requires multi-sectoral interventions and concerted strategy, including management of catchment areas in upper reaches involving Central ministries concerned and State governments.
The Brahmaputra and Barak river systems, which account for one-third of India’s run-off, are highly prone to floods. The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river systems in the world and causes considerable distress and expenses in the region through frequent flooding and erosion, said sources.
‘Sankalp se Siddhi’ programme held at Shillong
The 39th and the last of the Nationwide “Sankalp se Siddhi” programme was held in Shillong, with Union Minister for State Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal administering six oaths for a “New India” to the gathering.
He said that Sankalp se Siddhi (New India-We Resolve to Make,) which aims at good governance, is a five-year plan under which the New India movement has begun from August year.Meghwal said: “We must pledge to rid of garbage, poverty, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism out of the country in the next five years to build a new India.”
Emphasizing that the valedictory function of Sankalp se Siddhi is being held here after 38 such programmes organsied all over the country, Meghwal added, Shillong has a historical significance in the country’s history.The Minister said that Shillong was the capital of composite Assam and several freedom fighters from Meghalaya have sacrificed for the freedom struggle.
India’s Renewable Energy to be double by 2022
India’s renewable energy capacitywill more than double by 2022 to overtake renewable expansion in the European Union for the first time.
The country’s renewable energy installed capacity is 62 GW as per the recent government data. The government has a target of raising it to 175 GW by 2022 including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy.
Earlier this year, the solar and wind power tariffs dropped to an all-time low of Rs2.44 per unit and Rs3.46 per unit in a tariff-based competitive bidding conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
FACTFILE – Renewable energy in India
- India’s Renewable energy accounted for 18.37% of the total installed power capacity in India in 2017.
- India set a target of producing 40% of its total energy needs through renewable sources by 2030, as stated in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions statement in the Paris Agreement.
- The country has an installed capacity of 62,053 MW of grid-connected renewable power as of 31 November, 2017.
- Wind power capacity is at 32,746 MW, making India the fourth-largest wind power producer in the world.
- Installed solar power reached 16,611 MW as of January 2018, through both solar parks as well as roof-top solar panels.
- India currently has the third largest solar park in the world at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, with a capcity of 1000 MW.
- Large hydro installed capacity was 44.41 GW as of 28 February 2017 and is administered separately by the Ministry of Power and not included in MNRE targets.
- India has an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of energy from renewable sources by 2022 – 100GW through solar power, 60GW from wind power, 10 GW from biomass power and 5GW from small hydro power. The government has announced that no new coal-based capacity addition is required beyond the 50 GW under different stages of construction likely to come online between 2017 and 2022.
- India was the first country in the world to set up a ministry of non-conventional energy resources, in the early 1980s.
- Solar Energy Corporation of India is responsible for the development of solar energy industry in India.
October 6
UP, Arunachal and Meghalaya sign MoU to boost tourism
In an attempt to boost cultural ties, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ programme.
“Under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ programme, efforts are being made to boost cultural relationship between different States of the country. Under this, the States will connect with each other to know more about the culture, heritage and traditions of each other,” UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said. “India is full of diversities. Despite diverse languages, dialects, costumes and culture, a single thread binds us together,” he said.
The programme aims at actively enhancing interaction between people of diverse cultures living in different States and Union Territories, with the objective of promoting greater mutual understanding among them, the statement stated.
Under the programme, each year a State and a Union Territory would be paired with another for interaction between their people. This exchange aims at promoting enhanced understanding and bonding between people.
Mizoram’s Tuirial costliest power project in India
The 60 MW Tuirial hydroelectric project in northern Mizoram, expected to be commissioned this month, will be the costliest power project in India. When the project approved in 1988, is finally completed after 19 years, the cost of power per unit will be Rs 8.44, the highest in India.
While the State currently purchases power at the rate of Rs 4.25 per unit from outside the State, purchasing the same at Rs 8.44 per unit, that too from State’s own hydel project, is not feasible for an economically backward State like Mizoram.
The high cost of power is caused by the high cost of the project resulted by delays.
The original estimated cost of the project was Rs 368.72 crore. The project had been delayed and when the power project was finally revived, the estimated cost went up to Rs 1381.71 crore, which has caused the high cost of power. However, 12 per cent of power produced by Tuirial will go to Mizoram as royalty.
Panel to look into Assam Tea Corp crisis
With the Assam Tea Corporation (ATC) facing severe financial crisis, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has constituted a three-member committee of ministers to look into the affairs of the Corporation to decide the future course of action.The members of the committee are Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and the Minister of State for Labour Pallab Lochan Das. The committee has already met once but no decision on the future of the Corporation has yet been taken.
The immediate problem for the government is clearing the provident fund dues of the ATC workers. He revealed that the Supreme Court has given a directive to all the states to ensure clearance of the PF dues and the dues of the ATC amounts to around Rs 350 crore.
According to an estimate, the ATC can be run at no-profit-no-loss basis if the gardens manage to produce around three crore kilograms of green leaf per year. Over the years, the production was coming down gradually. However, because of the government support, the production came up to around two crore kilograms of green leaf last year, which is still not at all adequate to make the Corporation viable.
Tripartite meet reviews Bodo Accord implementation
Plans to hand over Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Departments to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) by December 31 was finalised at a meeting between the Centre and Bodo leaders.A tripartite meeting to review the implementation of the Bodo Accord was held at Delhi. The meeting, chaired by Joint Secretary (Northeast), Satyendra Garg, was attended by BPF leaders Chandan Brahma and Rajya Sabha MP Biswajeet Daimary. The Assam Government was represented by Principal Secretary, State Home Department, LS Changsan, while officials from various departments including DoNER also took part in the meeting.
About the handing over of the departments, it was agreed that the State government would transfer the two departments by the timeline set. The Joint Secretary (Northeast) is, meanwhile, going to visit Kokrajhar on October 27 to chair another review meeting.
Meanwhile, regarding the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Bodos living in the Karbi Anglong areas and North Cachar Hill districts, it was decided that a fresh Bill would have to be drafted and passed by the Union Cabinet. The previous Bill pending in the Parliament had some technical flaws.
