Our Jorhat Correspondent: A set of draconian laws are there to prevent the 100 year long tea industry from flourishing in Assam, says the Assam Tea Planters’ Association President Raj Baruah.
Addressing the 70th annual general meeting of the tea planters’ body, at the Jorhat Gymkhana Club on Saturday, Mr Baruah said a tea estate owner should be free from all statutory liabilities for availing the benefits under the Special Purpose Tea Fund for the rejuvenation and replantation of tea bushes. Mr Baruah stressed on the need to amend the relevant sections of the Plantation Labour Act to provide relief to the tea industry and urged the Government to ensure that there was no dislocation in distribution under the new public distribution system introduced in the tea estates from June this year. He urged the Government to ensure that small and medium-sized gardens are not deprived of the loans available under the SPTF as this sector needs the benefits the most.
Mr Baruah in his address further stressed the need of an early implementation of the proposed e-auction process initiated by the Tea Board to ensure fair price recovery. He maintained that the Centre and the State Government should share the social costs borne by the organized tea sector in the State,
Saying that reforms in the power sector is necessary to cut down transmission and distribution losses, the ATPA president says permission to use natural flavours in tea, exemption from the levy of cess on green tea leaves and a waiver on the payment of agricultural income tax for at least a few years should be looked into.
In his address as the Chief Guest, Chief Economic Adviser to the Union Government Ashok Lahiri says tea quality should be upgraded as the country needs a highly differentiated product to compete in the global market.
According to him, the Indian tea sector, particularly Assam tea, should follow the example set by Brazil which has been able to maintain its overwhelming superiority as the largest exporter of coffee while achieving manifold increase in its domestic consumption
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Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi with fellow Congress workers at her Samadhi Shakti Sthal at New Delhi today. State Mahila President led by Kamla...
3 Feb 2012 - 3:40pm | Anonymous
Each year 2nd February has been celebrated as World Wetland Day around the world. Aaranyak, an organization committed for wetland and biodiversity conservation in Assam celebrated World Wetland Day,...
16 Feb 2012 - 12:44pm | Anup Arandhara
The bail petition of Purna Kanta Borah, the General Manager (Civil) of ONGC, Assam Asset, who was caught red handed by CBI in his office with cash 40,000 is rejected by CBI special court at Guwahati...
12 May 2012 - 12:38am | Jayanta Kumar Das
A national level orientation workshop on transit of Venus, 2012 which had been started in Guwahati Planetarium on May 7 concluded on May 9. 50 numbers of participants from various districts of Assam...
More trouble awaits the Asom Gana Parishad hardly a year before the Assembly polls. The tussle between Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Atul Bora seems to have posed a serious threat to the regional party’s poll prospect.The widening difference between the former chief minister and one time loyalist and working president Atul Bora takes the centrestage of a simmering conflict within the regional party.Senior party leaders told Assam Times that Mahanta’s loyalists what the founder president should be restored six months after he went on leave. They further claimed that the party’s general council allowed the former chief minister to go on leave only for six months. Then the council...
Rongjeng, the name of a tiny spot atop the East Garo Hills in Meghalaya seems to have dressed afresh. People in this beautiful place are busy with preparing for the Rongjeng Festival slated to begin from March 20.The two days event, first of its kind in this place aims at showcasing their produces, wares, handlooms and handicrafts before the tourists of the country and abroad.Ethnic culture and cuisine of the people are expected to steal the focus in the market.Entrepreneur from Assam and Nagaland are also expected join the event. Several state government departments have confirmed participation in the first village trade fair by holding stalls to make the people aware of the schemes...
Jorhat turns into a hotspot for business tycoons from many parts of the globe as the international trade fair is underway. Business tycoons from Afghan, Myanmar, Nepal along with other parts of the world are attending in the mega commercial event which got off to a colourful start on Thursday.In his opening speech, chief minister Tarun Gogoi tried his best to woo the investors citing comfortable situation and potentials.Nepal’s Acting Ambassador to India Krishna Prasad Dhakal Ambassador to India from Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Myanmar’s Sagaing Region Minister for Electricity and Industry U Kyaw Win were among those who listened to Gogoi.Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi stressed investment...
Hours after Tarun Gogoi allocated portfolios to his new council of ministers, the chief ministers exuded his confidence on Monday that the ministers would deliver the goods. Talking to reporters in Guwahati in the afternoon, Gogoi said that he reposed full faith on the new council of ministers.He however, has kept social welfare with him apart from retained home, finance portfolios.
Rongson Das is disappointed on the day of Magh Bihu. The local resident of Aahotguri area in Morigaon district spared no pain to train up his buffalo to be fielded in the fight on Thursday. Till Tuesday he was confident that his animal would steal the show. But the things have taken an unexpected turn. There would no buffalo fight this time. The Assam Government has restricted the game scheduled for Thursday and Friday.“I am totally disappointed. What I left undone to help my animal win this time. But of no avail. Today I am not joining the festival when I got the details of the government instruction,” the 50 year old told Assam Times.Same it is in the case of Bihuwa Kalita whose...
Defying a biting cold wave mejis were burning bright to mark the magh bihu celebration across the state on Thursday.Amid traditional pomp and gaiety, people in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat districts lit up the wooden mejis early in the morning after the whole night feasting and merriment.Traditional straw mejis were lit up in Kamrup, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Barpeta, BTAD areas along with other parts of the state offering pujas to the god of fire. Local people in large thronged the burning mejis seeking divine help from the fire god. Cultural programmes, traditional games and competitions and are lined up for the entire day. Home made sweets, beaten rice, pastries are...
Yet another chance awaits the North East to showcase its culture, tourism potential and exclusive traits in New Delhi. The national capital is all set to host a mega North-East festival in April.Tour operators, travel agents, cultural troops, film and television industries have eince keen interest to hold the event in the national capital. Steps are also on to finalise a brand ambassador for the region.
Hari Shankar Brahma is taking over as Chief Election Commissioner succeeding VS Sampath who retires on Thursday. Brahma, who hails from Assam is taking oath from president Pranab Mukherjee at a brief function. Brahma’s tenure as the chief election commissioner will end in April this year.
Supreme Court on Wednesday talked of two options before the government to end the decade old Assam-Nagaland border row. Taking up a petition in the apex court, a division bench headed by Justice TS Thakur said the dispute could be resolved either by deciding the 1988 law suit filed by Assam or by referring the matter for arbitration.The court further asked the Assam counsel to file the list of its witnesses along with their testimonies in the form of affidavits with the apex court registrar within three months. It directed the Registrar General to conduct the trial in the lawsuit on "day-to-day" basis from April 20 and said the witnesses, whose affidavits will be filed by Assam, will have...
At least ten people sustained injury when security forces sprang upon a huge crowd in Sonitpur district on Wednesday. The incident that sends shockwaves across the state on the eve of the bhogali bihu took place in Rongapara when local residents in large number thronged the police station in the morning demanding immediate release of a youth who was allegedly arrested as NDFB-S rebel during the ongoing joint operation.Senior police official tried to quell the protesters who refused to bend and struck to the demand. Police resorted t lathicharge and blank firing following an altercation. All the injured were rushed to the hospital. Several parties, organizations and individuals...
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