As the construction work for the Bharalu – North Guwahati bridge is ongoing and Ring Road initial work is also in progress within the Guwahati city, development authorities are mulling to shift the Fancy Bazar wholesale market to North Guwahati to decongest the city. A source in Dispur talking to GPlus said, “The government has received a proposal from the city development authorities to shift all wholesale markets located in and around Fancy Bazar to North Guwahati,” adding that a detailed discussion on the issue is in the pipeline. The source further said that the proposal is beneficial for the city as in, if Fancy Bazar’s wholesale market is shifted to North Guwahati the heart of the city will be decongested.

“The proposal proposes to construct a logistic park at North Guwahati where all the wholesalers from Fancy Bazar can be accommodated with all the required amenities,” said the source. He also said that as the proposal is in the initial stage the location for the logistic park is yet to be identified. “But the leaders in Dispur are backing the proposal as it is a major solution to decongest Guwahati,” stressed the source. In a move to develop the congested areas of the city, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is formulating a “master plan” under the “local area plan” for areas between Bharalumukh to Uzan Bazar.

“The work of the master plan is in the final stage,” said a source in GMDA adding that the plan will be discussed with the public. A senior official of GMDA talking to GPlus said, “The survey of the area is complete and the ownership details of the area are also studied.” Local Area Plan (LAP) is the sub-scheme under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The goal of this scheme is to support the preparation of Local Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning Scheme (TPS) on a pilot basis in 25 States/ Cities and build local capacity for undertaking such tasks. States should be able to replicate this exercise on their own in several of their towns and cities to meet the challenges of planned urban development. Accordingly, Guwahati was selected for the task and the GMDA official explained that usually the most congested areas in a city or a town are selected because it is the central business area.

“Bharalu point till Uzan Bazar, the entire area is choked with traffic. The buildings are too close to each other. There is so much congestion, and it requires redevelopment,” said the official adding that accordingly the area was selected for LAP. The total area of the LAP identified portion from Bharalumukh to Uzan Bazar is 300 hectares which is around 2700 bighas, said the official adding that the entire area is the business hub of the city. The plan will include details on, land use zoning and density, public open space, private open space, car parking, provision of infrastructure, conservation of built heritage, conservation of the natural environment, provision of traveller accommodation, community facilities and design and development standards. The master plan will look at wider roads, and arcades on the buildings, said the official. In architecture, an arcade is a set of contiguous arches that are all supported by columns or piers.

Arcades on the outside of a building normally create a walkway, while an arcade on the inside can be found on the lowest part of the walls. Regarding how will be the plan executed, the official said that if a plot owner is approached to leave a portion of the land whatever ratio it may be depending on the master plan–10 feet or 5 feet, instead of offering cash, the property owner will be given Transferable Development Rights (TDR), which will be a certificate with the help of which the property owner could build one more floor on top of the building, or in a property which is located somewhere else, or even the property owner can sell the TDR to a builder for whatever price he/she wants. In places like Ahmedabad, everything is done through TDRs, stressed the official. On asking the GMDA official if the shifting of the Fancy Bazar wholesale market is part of the master plan, the official did not want to comment saying it is being “studied”.

It needs to be mentioned that in October this year, the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) raised concerns about shifting the wholesale market from Fancy Bazar. Through a press statement, the AIPC said that the government’s plan to shift the entire wholesale market from Fancy Bazar Galla Patty to Amingaon is a cause for concern. This move may lead to problems with syndicates during loading and unloading, disrupting the livelihoods of local businessmen and complete removal of commercial activity in the area.

The Finance Department of the Assam Government issued an Office Memorandum (OM) regarding the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) to the state government employees, pensioners, family pension holders, extraordinary pension holders, and compassionate family pension holders. The revised rates are applicable from July 1, 2023, and align with the Assam Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2017.

According to the memorandum, the DA/DR rates have been enhanced to 46 per cent of the basic pay or basic pension, effective from July 1, 2023. The order is applicable to government employees who transitioned to the revised scale of pay from April 1, 2016, and those who elected to retain the previous scale. For the former, pay for DA purposes includes stagnation increment. Employees who chose to retain the pre-2016 scale will continue to draw DA appropriate to the pay scales in force on March 31, 2016. The order extends to work-charged employees and those paid from contingencies with posts carrying identical pay scales as regular establishment employees of corresponding categories. The sanctioned amount will be classified as DA/DR, and the expenditure will be debited to the detailed head of Salary, Wages, or Pension under the respective head of account from which government employees draw their pay and pensioners draw their pension.

The enhanced rate of DA/DR will be paid along with monthly pay/pension from December 2023. Arrear payments from July 2023 to November 2023 will be disbursed in two installments, with 50 per cent in December 2023 and the remaining 50 per cent in April 2024. The arrear DA/DR for employees whose superannuation was/is due from July 2023 to November 2023 will be considered while computing their leave encashment benefit. The Treasuries, Sub-Treasuries, and Authorised Public Sector Banks in Assam have been instructed to facilitate the payment of Dearness Relief to pensioners, family pension holders, and extraordinary pension holders based on the issued memorandum.

The Assam Government has introduced a revised tax policy encompassing a spectrum of activities, including fees for permissions ranging from cultural processions to the establishment of petrol pumps and gas agencies. Under the new policy, individuals must now remit Rs 300 for the privilege of organizing cultural processions, ceremonies, and events, including traditional Bihu functions. Political rallies, events, and meetings come with a hefty price tag of Rs 2,000, while street plays, awareness rallies, and similar events require a payment of Rs 500. Those seeking permission for trade fairs, food expos, and similar events are obligated to pay Rs 5,000.

The business sector is not spared either, with a substantial fee of Rs 10,000 imposed for opening petrol pumps and gas agencies. Workers involved in construction now face a fee of Rs 300 for verification, and individuals seeking verification for rented accommodation and PG accommodations are also subject to this charge. Police clearances for commercial constructions have seen a significant surge, with a staggering Rs 50,000 required for projects in Guwahati city (GMDA area) and Rs 25,000 for those outside the city.

The impetus behind these modifications stems from the fees and charges instituted through the Assam Police Citizens Service Portal, also known as Assam Police Sewa Setu. The Governor of Assam has justified these changes under Section 4 of the Assam Right to Public Services (Amendment) Act, 2019. This legislation serves as the cornerstone for the revamped tax and fee structure, outlining the financial obligations individuals must fulfill to obtain authorization for various services.

This move has sparked a massive stir among citizens, who are expressing their discontent with what they perceive as burdensome charges for essential activities and services. Political groups are also joining the fray, denouncing the revised policy as an undue financial burden on the people. As debates intensify, the socio-economic implications of these changes are poised to become a focal point in the public discourse, shaping the landscape of civic engagement in Assam.

Badruddin Ajmal, Lok Sabha MP and chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has sparked a huge controversy in Assam after he allegedly disrespected ‘cheleng’, a traditional Vaishnavite scarf. The Upper Assam Muslim Kalyan Parishad, a social organisation, has issued a stern warning to Ajmal for his ‘act’ and imposed a ban on his entry in seven Assam districts. “Badruddin Ajmal has disrespected the whole Assamese community through his action,” according to Manirul Islam Bora, a leader of the organisation.

He said, “The AIUDF leader has insulted Vaishnav and traditional civilization and culture, besides hurting the self-esteem of the Assamese people. Therefore, until he apologises for his actions, Ajmal will not be allowed to enter the seven districts: Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, and Shivsagar. “Badruddin Ajmal knows nothing about Assamese tradition. He grew up in Arab culture,” Bora claimed.

Dispur Police in Guwahati successfully apprehended a notorious fraudster involved in the forgery of land documents. The arrest took place in Juripar, situated in the Panjabari locality of Guwahati. The fraudster, identified as Amjad Ali, was allegedly engaged in a series of fraudulent activities, primarily centered around the creation of counterfeit land-related documents.

Officials revealed that Ali specialized in producing forged land registration papers, often using the names of deceased individuals to conceal his illicit activities. One specific instance involved the accused forging the signature of a deceased person named Ahidur Rahman.

The unraveling of this intricate fraud scheme began when the family members of Ahidur Rahman discovered the illicit activities and promptly lodged a formal complaint at the Dispur Police Station, with the case assigned the number 1158/23.

Promptly responding to the filed complaint, the Dispur Police launched a thorough investigation into the matter. The diligent efforts of law enforcement led to the identification and subsequent arrest of Amjad Ali. The arrest represents a significant breakthrough in curbing fraudulent land-related activities that can have far-reaching implications for affected families and communities.

The Indian Meteorological Department had predicted rains in several parts of Northeast India during the week. The prediction came in a forecast bulletin published at midday on Monday by the IMD. The states of Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive rainfall at isolated places on November 16 and 19, fairly well-spread rains on November 17 and scattered rainfall on November 18. While the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura have been predicted to receive isolated rainfall on November 15 and 19, fairly well-spread rains on November 16 and 17 and allocated rains on November 18, Arunachal Pradesh is not expected to get rains during this spell.

An upper air cyclonic circulation formed over the South Andaman Sea and extending up to middle-tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height is the cause of the weather disturbance. Under the influence of this disturbance, a low-pressure area is expected to form over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and is expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the West Central Bay of Bengal around 16th November. While another upper-air cyclonic circulation lies over the Southwest Bay of Bengal extending up to the middle-tropospheric levels, causing the change in weather.

Several other parts of the country have also been predicted to receive rain because of this weather system. Light to moderate rainfall at most places very likely over Andaman & Nicobar Island with chances of thunderstorms. Light to moderate rainfall at many places accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning & gusty winds likely over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe, Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Rayalaseema. Rains have also been predicted for Bengal and Odisha.

Even as the opposition’s seat-sharing deal is yet to be sealed for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress, the principal opposition party in Assam, will soon initiate the process of accepting formal applications from its aspiring candidates for all the 14 parliamentary constituencies of Assam.

A source in Congress told TOI that it will start accepting the applications anytime after December 3, the scheduled date for declaration of results of the recently concluded Mizoram assembly polls. However, the process may start from November.

A “probable list” of 84 aspiring candidates from 14 Lok Sabha seats, compiled by Assam Congress, miffed its alliance partners recently. Some of the leaders of the alliance accused the grand old party of sidelining the aspirations of its coalition partners.

“Congress is going ahead to accept the applications from all 14 seats. If the INDIA bloc and AICC decide to offer some seats to other parties to contest, then we will withdraw our candidates from those seats. But as a party, Congress is strong enough in Assam and will go ahead with its own set of plans,” a senior Congress leader said.

Opposition politics is being taken forward by two alliances in Assam — as INDIA bloc and United Opposition Forum (UOF). The UOF has 15 parties, which also include Jatiya Dal (JD), Raijor Dal (RD) and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

Days after Diwali, Guwahati is covered with thick smog from the aftereffects of firecrackers.

In the midst of Diwali festivities, Guwahati’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is still 174 AQI (POOR) as of Tuesday morning even as the recommended limit for PM2.5 concentration is 3.20 times higher in Guwahati, at 80 µg/m3.

Compared to other cities, New Delhi has 589 (severe) AQI in real time on Monday morning, and 448 (µg/m2) of PM2.5 is present, which is 17.92 times more than the recommended limit.

With an AQI of 92 (bad), Mumbai has 1.72 times the recommended limit of PM2.5 at 43 (µg/m2). As of right now, Patna had 476 AQI, New Delhi had 378 AQI, and Noida had 362 AQI on the previous day. These are the three most polluted cities in the nation.

The cities with the lowest levels of pollution in the nation are Kolar (8 AQI), Aizawl (4 AQI), and Kohima (7 AQI). Moreover, Guwahati’s 24-hour average AQI is 138, higher than Assam’s 132 as a whole. However, India’s average score remains at 138 AQI.

The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has unveiled plans to build a Kamakhya Temple in the state of Maharashtra. This announcement comes after a positive response from Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who extended his support for the ambitious project. The initiative aims to promote cultural and spiritual ties between the two states and foster a sense of unity through this remarkable endeavor.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared the details of this collaboration, highlighting the harmonious inter-state effort to build a Kamakhya Temple and a Namghar in Maharashtra. “When Eknath Shinde came to Assam, I proposed building a Kamakhya Temple and also a Namghar in Maharashtra,” CM Sarma stated, adding that Shinde readily accepted the proposal and invited him to Mumbai for in-depth discussions.

The Assam chief minister expressed his eagerness to meet his Maharashtra counterpart to further deliberate on the project. This initiative holds great promise for reinforcing cultural connections between the two states and enhancing the spiritual landscape in Maharashtra.

According to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam government plans to construct the Kamakhya Temple on land owned by the state near Mumbai. This strategic location is expected to serve as a symbol of religious harmony and unity, where devotees from all walks of life can come together to offer their prayers and seek spiritual solace.