IWAI signs MoUs to enhance water transport and river tourism in the North East
A second MoU with the Government of Assam focuses on developing a water metro in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh
Inter-district movement of live pigs banned in Assam amid African Swine Fever outbreak
GUWAHATI: The Assam government has banned inter-district movement of live pigs with immediate effect, amid an alarming rise in cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) across the state, officials said. Sale of pork has also been prohibited in seven districts, which have reported high concentrations of ASF cases, an order issued by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department said on Sunday. It said that ASF, with a 100 per cent mortality rate, has devastated the piggery industry in the state. ASF cases have been alarmingly rising across the state with no bound since January this year, with 297 epicentres reported, spreading to almost all districts with more concentration in seven of them, the order said. These seven districts are Dhemaji, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Darrang, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. The order said 84 epicentres were notified during the month of October alone. In view of the situation and under provisions of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, the inter-district movement of live pigs in the state has been banned for the time being with immediate effect, and until further notice to prevent further spread of the disease, it added.
CHANDIGARH: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has retained the Tarn Taran assembly seat in Punjab, with its candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu defeating his nearest rival and Shiromani Akali Dal nominee Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa by 12,091 votes. An independent candidate supported by the rebel Akali faction finished in third position, while the Congress and BJP trailed in the fourth and fifth positions respectively. Sandhu secured 42,649 votes against Randhawa's 30,558 after the completion of all 16 rounds of counting. Randhawa was leading in the first three rounds of counting before Sandhu took over and maintained a steady lead. The bypoll was seen as a litmus test for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ruling AAP. With todays win, the party has won six of the seven bypolls held in the state since it came to power in March 2022. Tarn Taran falls within Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency which is represented by Amrit Pal Singh who has been booked under the National Security Act and is lodged at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. The Akali Dal had fielded Randhawa, a retired principal having the family legacy of Dharmi Fauji, referring to those who had abandoned the defence services and fought against the Army during Operation Blue Star. Independent candidate Mandeep Singh was in the third spot with 19,620 votes. He was the joint candidate of the Amritpal Singh-led party Waris Punjab De (WPD) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punarsurjit). Mandeep is the brother of Sandeep Singh Sunny, an accused in the murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri. Sunny is currently lodged in the Sangrur jail and had hit the headlines recently for assaulting former police officers, convicted in fake encounter cases, in Patiala jail. Political observers said that the tough fight given by Randhawa testified that the rebel Akali faction has failed to loosen the SADs Panthic grip. Karanbir Singh Burj of the Congress came fourth with 15,078 votes and Harjit Singh Sandhu of the BJP was a distant fifth with 6,239 votes. While Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini along with the top brass of the party both at the state and central level campaigned for him, Sandhu failed to make an impact in the bypoll. There were celebrations at AAP offices in Tarn Taran and Chandigarh with party workers dancing to dhol beats and bursting firecrackers to celebrate the victory. Meanwhile, taking a dig at the Punjab Police, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal wrote on X, I congratulate @DGPPunjabPolice Gaurav Yadav and his team comprising State Intelligence Chief PK Sinha, CP Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, DIG Ferozepur range Harmanbir Singh, SSPs of Tarntaran, Amritsar (Rural), Batala and Moga districts for ensuring the victory of Punjab Police candidate Harmeet Sandhu in the Tarn Taran bye election. God save democracy! A total of 15 candidates were in the fray. The Tarn Taran seat fell vacant after the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June.
Supreme Court refuses to entertain Amritpal Singhs plea challenging his detention under NSA
Amritpal Singh, chief of the Waris Punjab De outfit, is currently lodged in jail in Assams Dibrugarh along with his nine associates under the National Security Act
Guwahati Diary | Zubeens death: Ruling BJP pushes for justice
As BJP-ruled Assam continues to grieve the untimely and mysterious death of music icon Zubeen Garg, the demand for a fair investigation grows louder. People are hitting the roads on a daily basis, demanding Justice for Zubeen. The protesters also include BJP workers. The BJP took out rallies at some places demanding justice for the singer, much to the chagrin of its critics and opposition parties. They asked the BJP to instead ensure that the case is investigated properly and a strong charge sheet is submitted in the court by the Special Investigation Team so that the guilty can be punished. All seven arrested in the case are now in judicial custody. Pre-test of countrys first digital census in Assam Indias first digital census will be carried out in Assam with a pilot project to be undertaken in selected areas of Dibrugarh, West Karbi Anglong and Hailakandi districts from November 10 to 30 in consultation with the state government. In Dibrugarh district, the exercise will cover three wards of Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation. In West Karbi Anglong, it will be conducted in 23 villages while in Hailakandi, the exercise will take place in seven villages. Prior to the field operation, a pre-test of self-enumeration will be carried out from November 1 to 7, allowing residents to enumerate themselves digitally through a dedicated online portal. Gibbon Day celebrated to raise awareness on ape Biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak celebrated the International Gibbon Day with great enthusiasm to raise awareness on the conservation of Indias only apethe Hoolock Gibbon. The Gibbon Day draws global attention to the plight of the animalthe smallest and fastest of all apesmany of which are on the brink of extinction mainly due to habitat loss and hunting. The celebration was held at the Arunachal University of Studies. The Hoolock Gibbon, listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, was recently included in the worlds 25 most endangered primates list at the International Primatological Congress 2025 in Madagascar. Prasanta Mazumdar Our correspondent in Guwahati prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com
In a 'heroic way' a Sepoy (Ambulance Assistant) Sunil of the 456 filed hospital saved the life of an eight month old infant in the Rajdhani Express en route to Dibrugarh.
Former Union minister Rajen Gohain quits BJP, cites betrayal of Assams indigenous communities
DIBRUGARH: Former Union minister and four-time BJP MP Rajen Gohain from Assams Nagaon parliamentary constituency resigned from the party along with 17 other members on Thursday, officials said. In a letter to state BJP president Dilip Saikia, Gohain said he was resigning from the primary membership of the party and stepping down from all party responsibilities with immediate effect. Seventeen other BJP members, mostly from Upper and Central Assam, also submitted their resignations to Saikia, sources said. Speaking to PTI, Gohain said he resigned as the party had failed o fulfil the promises made to the people of Assam and betrayed the indigenous communities by allowing outsiders to settle in the state. He had represented Nagaon parliamentary constituency for four terms from 1999 to 2019 and had served as the Union minister of state for railways from 2016 to 2019.
Assam government extends AFSPA in Tinsukia, Charaideo, and Sivasagar districts for six months
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) was extended for six more months in Tinsukia, Charaideo, and Sivasagar districts of Assam from October 1, following a state government recommendation. This extension occurred despite significant law-and-order improvements, due to sporadic ULFA incidents and NSCN activities. Meanwhile, AFSPA was removed from Dibrugarh, and the state cabinet had recommended its complete withdrawal.
Punjab MP Amritpal Singh casts vote for V-P election from Assam jail
Mr. Singh, the chief of Waris Punjab De, has been in Dibrugarh Central Jail since March 2023
Guwahati-Bound Indigo Flight Carrying Himanta Sarma Diverted To Agartala Due To Bad Weather
According to the Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Sarma was flying from Dibrugarh to Guwahati in an IndiGo flight, which was diverted to Agartala.
Operation Falcon saves Assam rhinos, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
GUWAHATI: The Assam government has achieved a significant success in protecting the one-horned rhinos the pride of the state from poachers since it launched Operation Falcon. Operation Falcon is a collaborative effort of the Assam Police and the Assam Forest Department launched last year. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a video of Operation Falcon through X on Monday, stating, it was breaking the back of poaching and illegal animal trade. According to the video, the killings of two rhinos prompted a rethink in anti-poaching strategy vis--vis the launch of Operation Falcon against poachers. #OperationFalcon breaking the back of poaching and illegal animal trade. @assampolice @assamforest pic.twitter.com/r0B7jvYYHG Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 11, 2025 Stating that poachers were chased ruthlessly using all available resources, the video said coordination and spirit of the personnel helped arrest 42 poachers 18 in Biswanath, eight in Darrang, six in Nagaon, five in Karbi Anglong, two in Sonitpur and one each in Udalguri, Dibrugarh and Cachar districts. Poachers were tracked through extensive use of on-ground and digital intelligence, according to the video. Under this operation, international and interstate nexus were identified. Six major rhino-poaching gangs, linked to illegal trade through Myanmar, were identified, while nine rhino poaching attempts were foiled, the video further stated. On the World Rhino Day last year, Sarma had stated that the poaching of the animal dropped by 86% since the BJP rose to power in Assam in 2016. Ahead of that years Assembly elections, the party had promised that it would protect the rhinos if voted to power. So far this year, no rhinos has been killed According to the rhino census of 2022, Assam has 2,895 rhinos 2,613 of them in the 1,300 sq km Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve. Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, and Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve have 125, 107 and 50 rhinos respectively. Poaching dropped drastically especially after Sarma had donned the chief ministers mantle in May 2021. That year, only one rhino was killed while 2022 was incident-free. One rhino was killed in 2023 and two last year. This year has been incident-free so far. Between 2001 and 2016, when the Congress was in power in the state, several rhinos were killed by the poachers every year, particularly in Kaziranga.
Assam eviction drives aimed at 'creating narrative' before assembly polls: Experts
GUWAHATI: With the Assam government vowing to carry out a series of evictions to clear encroachments, political and social experts have criticised such move, saying that it is aimed at creating a 'narrative' ahead of the assembly elections next year. Eminent people from different fields voiced their 'concern' in the manner the eviction drives are being conducted and alleged that people from different communities are brought to buffer zones of inter-state borders to protect it from aggression from neighbouring states, which have already occupied a huge chunk of Assam land. The state government has carried out at least nine major eviction drives since June this year, affecting several thousand people. The agenda of the recent evictions is not clearing encroachments, but to set a narrative in Upper Assam. 'Inhuman': Massive eviction drive launched in Assam's Golaghat; over 1500 Muslim families affected After Gaurav Gogoi's Lok Sabha win last year and post his appointment as Congress state chief, there has been a 'pro-Gaurav wave' in Upper Assam districts, eminent neurosurgeon Navanil Barua told PTI here. The ruling BJP is trying to create a Hindu-Muslim narrative with these eviction drives and some local organisations have already held 'anti-Miya' protests, he added. I am sure that after March 2026, it will stop, and we may not hear about encroachment by Miyas for a long time thereafter, said Barua, also a political commentator. 'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and the non-Bengali-speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. Referring to the massive eviction drive at Rengma Reserve Forest recently, Handique Girls' College Assistant Professor (Political Science) Pallavi Deka said that, as the people were evicted without proper rehabilitation, it was more than just the government's reported attempt to save the jungle. The narrative building by the ruling party to 'save indigenous tribal commons' from illegal encroachers points towards a fierce communal polarisation in and around the upcoming elections, she added. In the last 10 days, the Assam government has cleared alleged encroachments from 10,537 bighas (over 1,400 hectares) of land from Rengma Reserve Forest, Nambor South Reserve Forest and Doyang Reserve Forest in Golaghat district, and Village Grazing Reserve in Lakhimpur. These drives have displaced around 2,200 families, mostly from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. 114 families evicted from village grazing reserve land in Assam's Lakhimpur: Officials On these recent evictions, eminent advocate Santanu Borthakur said: If it is a forest land, then whosoever stays there for whatever longer period, it does not give them legal rights to settle there permanently. However, targeting only one community, as seen in the recent cases in Golaghat is absolutely discriminatory, he added. The CM's recent comment that no eviction will take place against people from other communities is anti-Constitution and not permitted by law, Borthakur said. In Rengma, 1,500 Muslim families were evicted. The remaining families are from Bodo, Nepali, Manipuri and other communities, who have certificates from the Forest Rights Committee (FRC). According to Kaustubh Deka, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Dibrugarh University, the eviction drive is a significant and sensitive moment for the state, and the whole episode highlights the critical bearing of the state's complex socio-political history. The government must maintain a fair balance between three aspects. One, the allegation that genuine Indian citizens are being selectively targeted, needs to be addressed in all earnestness. Two, the rights given to people under progressive environmental legislations such as 'Forest Rights Act' need to be respected, he added. Also, care should be taken that the ongoing process doesn't trigger complications in Assam's already volatile border dispute scenario with many of its neighbouring states, Deka said. Talking about alleged encroachments in inter-state border areas in Rengma, advocate Borthakur said that normally in border areas, the government settles people in the buffer zones so that no encroachment takes place from the opposite side. We can see such habitation in all border areas. Usually minorities, Gorkha and Bihari people, are settled in such locations, he added. Barua too supported his claim and said that in all the border areas with neighbouring states, usually people or communities originally from outside are settled. The indigenous people usually do not live there. People from communities like Adivasis, Gorkhas and minorities live in such areas, he added. The reserve forests witnessing recent evictions are along Assam-Nagaland border, where people from the neighbouring state had allegedly attempted to occupy land. The evicted people claimed that their previous generation was settled in the forest by the Golap Borbora government in 1978-79 and the AGP government, which came to power in 1985. Borthakur said, Without considering the historical background, carrying out an eviction is not appropriate. Legally, the government has the power, but the manner in which that power was exercised is not acceptable. It is inhuman and arbitrary. He also stressed that evicting people without rehabilitation is wrong. Echoing similar sentiments, Deka said, This is against all democratic norms and practices. Utterly inhumane. Even the Supreme Court judgement says that even pavement dwellers can not be evicted without rehabilitation.
Assam Man Found Dead, Wife And Daughter Plotted Murder, Gave Robbery Angle
A businessman was allegedly killed by his wife and teenage daughter in Assam's Dibrugarh. The case has shocked their neighbours in the district's Barbaruah neighbourhood.
