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Tag: ASSA

  • Assam govt tells EC to hold polls before Bihu

    Assam govt tells EC to hold polls before Bihu

    For the Lok Sabha polls and four state Legislative assemblies, all phases and geographical areas of the elections shall be the basis for determining “repeat” offences…reports Asian Lite News

    An Election Commission (EC) team reached Assam on a two-day visit on Tuesday. The team consisting of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other top officials will hold Lok Sabha poll-related meetings with the concerned state government officials during the course of its visit.

    The EC team will meet the Chief Secretary of the state and other government officials to discuss the preparedness of the state for holding the upcoming general elections. The team will also interact with the District Commissioners and Superintendent of Police of each district during its two-day visit.

    Meanwhile, the Assam government has insisted on holding the polls in the state before the Bihu festival, which is scheduled to take place in mid-April.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier, “The state government has already urged the EC to conclude the elections in the state before the Bihu festival. During the Bihu celebrations in Assam, people get into a festive mood. The talks of BJP-Congress cannot match that atmosphere.

    “The Chief Secretary will again convey our request to the EC team. If there is no such difficulty, we will appreciate finishing the elections before the Bihu festival.”

    However, according to an official, it is unlikely that the Lok Sabha polls in Assam will be over before mid-April.

    “In 2019, elections in Assam were held in three phases — April 11, April 18, and April 23. The chances are high that the EC might go with a similar schedule this time too,” the official said.

    Meanwhile, taking note of the various trends and cases of plummeting levels of political campaign discourse in recently held elections, ECI has issued further advisory to all political parties to maintain decorum and utmost restraint in public campaigning and raise the level of election campaigning to “issue”-based debate.

    The poll body has also put the ‘Star Campaigners’ and candidates on a ‘notice’ in case of violations that followed the previously known methodologies during elections to avoid breaching the Model Code of Conduct.

    For the Lok Sabha polls and four state Legislative assemblies, all phases and geographical areas of the elections shall be the basis for determining “repeat” offences.

    It may be recalled that Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar recently emphasised that political parties should foster ethical and respectful political discourse that inspires rather than divides and promotes ideas instead of personal attacks.

    The Commission has urged all the political parties, their leaders, and the contesting candidates to remain within the confines of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the legal framework.

    It has been emphasised that any genre of surrogate or indirect violation of MCC and surrogate means to plumage level of the election campaign will be dealt with stern action by the Commission.

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  • PIWTT can make Assam a tea export hub

    PIWTT can make Assam a tea export hub

    At present, most of the tea produced in the region is transported by road to Kolkata for export…reports Asian Lite News

    Land-locked Assam can become an export hub for tea if the beverage is shipped out through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade route.

    The recent arrival of cargo vessels from Patna to Guwahati, via the protocol route, has given tea growers a hope that Guwahati can become a hub for the tea trade.

    At present, most of the tea produced in the region is transported by road to Kolkata for export.

    “To achieve this export feat, proper hand-holding by the Centre for at least five years will be required and a special scheme may be devised under the government’s Act East Policy initiative,” Bidyananda Barkakoty, Adviser to North Eastern Tea Association, said in a memorandum to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her recent visit to the region for a post-Budget interactions with industrialists and stakeholders.

    If India can achieve export volumes of 300 million kgs annually, a large part of the industry’s issues will automatically get resolved, the Memorandum said.

    “Though 300 million kgs export of tea from India is easier said than done but it is not impossible.

    “There is potential for tea producers of Assam to export directly from their factories instead of exporting through merchant exporters based outside Assam,” it said.

    Livelihood of a sizable section of people is dependent upon the tea industry in the state.

    Assam alone produces over 50 per cent of the country’s annual tea output.

    Besides, citing installation of irrigation machineries as expensive, the association urged the Centre to chalk out an irrigation scheme for the sector comprising both sprinkler and drip technologies.

    “Tea is a climate dependent industry. In recent years, we have witnessed a huge impact of Climate Change in the tea industry. Due to this it has become almost impossible to survive without irrigation,” the Association said.

    Lastly, it sought support for installation of solar plants in the tea estates, which understandably will reduce some burden on energy costs in the long-run.

    “There is huge potential for the installation of solar plants in tea estates. In every tea estate there are barren lands which are not suitable for tea plantations and can be used for installation of solar plants.

    “Thus, a scheme on solar plants specific to the tea industry would be a win-win situation,” it said.

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