SIVASAGAR, Feb 7 – Muga, or the “golden silk”, has always been the pride of Assam. Over the years, muga silk has become a unique part of Assamese culture and tradition. This Assam’s golden silk has also got recognition in the international arena. Recently, it was declared by skin specialists of the world that dresses made of muga or eri, prevent skin diseases.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi met Union Minister for Railways Dinesh Trivedi at Rail Bhawan here today and urged him to incorporate a slew of proposals in the forthcoming Railway Budget 2012-13, an official release said. Chief Minister Gogoi while stressing the need for 'good connectivity from Assam, so critical for the people of the State and also other North Eastern States' urged him to declare the North east Frontier Railway as a dedicated railway zone exclusively for the North Eastern States and announce the same in this year's Railway Budget.

DIBRUGARH: The Assam State Electricity Board(ASEB), under its much hyped Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification project(RREP) has provided power connection to 75 below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries at Romai Tea Estate in Dibrugarh District recently.

Arunachal Pradesh has informed the Centre that downstream impacts can be studied during construction of the 1,750MW Lower Demwe project which should be cleared as it will not affect Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Dibrugarh district of Assam. “The downstream impacts are limited to a few months of the lean season and will be confined to low-lying flood plains in the Brahmaputra basin. These impacts can always be studied during construction of the project.

Dibrugarh: District Media expert Rituraj Borthakur said that a measles catch-up programme will soon be started in Dibrugarh district by March. Children from 9 months to 10 years of age will be administrated the doses of measles vaccine as a special drive.

While addressing at the campaign on Health and Family welfare launched by the Directorate of Field Publicity, Dibrugarh at Rongagora village under Tengakhat Development Block, he said that awareness should be created among the people about importance of immunisation.

GUWAHATI: In a bid to develop the roads in the State, the National Highway Division of the PWD has taken a slew of initiatives.

While addressing the reporters here today, Chief Engineer, PWD, NH Nripendra Nath Deka informed that the PWD had taken a new project to make the Numaligarh to Dibrugarh road a four-lane highway.

GUWAHATI: The Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha has expressed alarm at the fact that the indigenous people of Assam are slowly losing their land rights.

Assam Sanmilita Manasangha working president Matiur Rahman said, “It is the responsibility of the State Government to protect the land rights of the sons of the soil. But unfortunately, this government appears to ignore the issue of protection of the land rights of the indigenous people.

AGP shows solidarity with protesters; submits memo to Governor

Assam’s north bank continues to be tense following the heavy protest programmes initiated by various organizations agitating against the transportation of turbines to the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project site at Gerukamukh in Lakhimpur district.

The agitators are not allowing transportation of turbines to the project site even as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said he is open for talks with the protestors.

DIBRUGARH: With an aim to implement water security and safety plan, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, Dibrugarh has entrusted the NESYPM, an Non–Government Organization (NGO) with the task to survey the status of drinking water in the rural areas of Lahoal and Barbaruah block in Dibrugarh District.

An awareness programme on National Rural Drinking Water, organized by the Directorate of Field Publicity, Dibrugarh in coordination with Janakantha, an NGO, was held at Walkhabi village under Barbaruah Development Block on Wednesday last.

GUWAHATI: For the first time, the Assam Government will use remote sensing technology to tackle the problem of erosion in the State.

Continuous erosion triggered by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries has been gobbling up huge chunks of land in upper Assam districts, rendering thousands of people homeless and disturbing the fragile ecosystem in the region.