Current Affairs Assam – October 2017 e-Magazine
October 16
Rajasthan Assembly becomes first in India to call motions online
Rajasthan State assembly become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators. The new online system was inaugurated by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Speaker Kailash Meghwal by sending a call for an attention moved to the state government with a click of a mouse. It facilitates smooth exchange of information and reports among respective departments.
October 17
Tea garden owners in Barak Valley pushing for alternate cropping
The tea industry in Barak Valley is moving towards alternate cropping. With as many as nine tea gardens shut down and 101 gardens tottering for production, the tea garden owners appealed to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seeking his approval on this move.
In the words of Saradindu Bhattacharjee, the in-charge secretary of the Tea Association of India, (TAI), Barak Valley, cultivation of tea alone is not yielding profitable results. Hence, efforts should be made to grow medicinal plants, coffee and even rubber.
“15 years ago, the average production was 1500 kg per hectare. But with the industry webbed in manifold problems, we did not get even 1400 kg in 2013. Production in 2015 dipped to 1233 kg,” Bhattacharjee said. He was quick to add that annual production per labour is recorded at a discouraging figure of 310 kg as opposed to 750 kg elsewhere in the State.
Hinting at the demands of TAI, Bhattacharjee informed that the tea land should be formally permitted for alternate cropping.“We want a coal yard and a tea auction centre to be opened along with transport of goods to places like Kolkata via the water route,” Bhattacharjee maintained.
The TAI leadership has said that insufficient power is affecting tea production since an additional amount of Rs 10 per kg is spent for using generator services during the production process.
First Sports University in Manipur soon: Governor
A sports university will come up in Manipur shortly, Governor Najma Heptulla announced on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for it in Imphal West district.
Heptulla said this while felicitating the eight footballers who were part of the Indian team in the FIFA World Cup. She added that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the sports university.
Earlier, Chief Minister N Biren Singh handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the eight footballers. Himself a national footballer in the past, Biren Singh said it does not matter whether India lost or won.
Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand also gave Rs 5,000 each to the players. Financial assistance is pouring in from all sides for the footballers, most of who belong to poor families.
October 18
Shillong to hold first India International Cherry Blossom Festival
Shillong to holds the first India International Cherry Blossom Festival from November 8 to 11.The festival is being organised by the Meghalaya government in collaboration with the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), a national institute under the Department of Biotechnology, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
The cherry blossom tree, when it flowers, just for a short period in a year – the pink and white glory it exudes is a sight to behold.
It was in Japan that the tradition of planting cherry blossoms (called sakura in Japanese) started. The Sakura Festival started way back in the third century and continues to be a huge tourist attraction. Thus, to convey the message of peace, the Japanese have been planting cherry blossoms across different countries of the world.
Currently 27 countries across the world, including the US, New Zealand, Holland and South Korea, hold cherry blossom festivals. Next month, India will become the 28th.
Though the cherry blossom actually originated in the Himalayas, it, however, did not get popularised in the Himalayan nations like India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Sops for BPOs, push to MSME sector
The State Cabinet gave its nod to eight new policies, most of them related to the industry sector and announced a slew of incentives to promote the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) segment in Assam.
Announcing the key decisions taken by the Cabinet, Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said as per the new IT policy, the government will provide a one-time assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh per seat for setting up BPOs having a minimum of 100 seats. The special one-time incentive will be Rs 1.5 lakh against each employee for software development and Rs 2.5 lakh per employee for R&D (research and development) centre having minimum of 50 seats.
The new policy also has provision of 20 per cent land subsidy for ventures set up within IT parks and 50 per cent subsidy for those outside the parks with a cap of Rs 5 crore. Power subsidy for the BPO and IT-related ventures will be Rs 3 per unit.
The Cabinet also decided to amend the existing Preferential Purchase Policy, making it mandatory for the government and semi-government agencies to make 25 per cent of the purchases from the MSME sector. The MSME will also get a price preference of 20 per cent.
