Zubeen Gargs death: Congress MP Gogoi accuses Assam CM of 'shielding' manager Shyamkanu Mahanta

GUWAHATI: Assam Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of attempting to cover up the cause of death of music legend Zubeen Garg. Gogoi claimed that Sarma is shielding Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser of the Fourth North East India Festival (NEIF) in Singapore and demanded a fair investigation into the singers death. If you look at the tweets of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP MLAs and BJPs central IT cell, one thing is clear CM Sarma does not want to give justice to Zubeen Garg. We got indications that his main purpose is how he can shield Shyamkanu Mahanta, Gogoi alleged. Gogoi lamented that the Special Investigation Team had not taken steps to go to Singapore and interrogate the witnesses. Sarma shot back in no time, claiming that Gargs fans were happy with how the investigation progressed so far. Zubeens fans are satisfied that we are arresting one after another. They had no idea the Assam government would work so expeditiously. Given the kind of respects we have shown to Zubeen, 10 per cent of his fans have also become my fans, Sarma said. Stating that he does not want to do politics over the singers death, he said only he would gain from any politics over the incident. I had no relations with Shyamkanu Mahanta. He shared the best relationship with Gaurav Gogoi. Check Mahantas tweets during (last) Lok Sabha elections to the Jorhat seat (that Gogoi represents), Sarma told the media. Late legendary singer Zubeen Garg's wife, sister seek details over circumstances leading to his death Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming at a sea in Singapore on September 19. He had travelled to the country to attend the NEIF. Meanwhile, Rupkamal Kalita, an NRI and member of the Assam Association Singapore, deposed before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Assam on Tuesday. Kalita spent about six hours at the CID office before being taken away. Kalita was on the same yacht as Zubeen Garg in Singapore when Garg died. Seven other Singapore-based Assamese witnesses have not yet responded to the CIDs summons . On the other hand, two individuals Abhijit Sharma and Palash Ranjan Baruah filed a public interest litigation in the Gauhati High Court demanding a probe into Gargs death. They suspected possible criminal conspiracy among others. Mahanta and three others Gargs manager Siddharth Sharma, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and singer Amrit Prabha Mahanta are now in the CIDs custody following their arrest.

After Zubeen Garg's Death, Assam CM Himanta's Warning To Gaurav Gogoi: 'Don't Instigate Violence'

Sarma said that some people, including Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, attempted to instigate violence following Zubeen Garg's death

A life defined by art, shaped by turbulence

In death, as in life , Zubeen Garg remains one of Assams most powerful voices. Revered as a musical genius, social crusader, and cultural icon, Gargs sudden and mysterious demise in Singapore has left a void that transcends the world of music. But to understand why his death has shaken an entire state and beyond, one must understand the man whose life was deeply shaped by Assams turbulent history and whose art reflected its soul. Born into a culturally rich family in Jorhat, Garg grew up during a time when Assam was reeling under political unrest. The rise of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in 1979 had ushered in a decade of strikes, violence, and instability. For a young Zubeen, this unrest was both a constraint and a crucible. It confined his world but also shaped his purpose. In an environment of fear and fragmentation, music became a lifeline. Between the 1980s and 1990s, Zubeen recorded between 8,000 and 9,000 songs an astonishing feat for someone barely out of his teens. He turned the cassette tape into a vehicle of cultural connection, weaving folk melodies, social themes, and modern rhythms into something that felt both urgent and timeless. His song Xunere Xojuwa Poja, a haunting tribute to collective grief and resilience, remains one of the most poignant reflections of that era. But Zubeens story wasnt meant to remain local. In the late 1990s, he moved to Mumbai, a city known to reward talent but rarely accommodate outsiders. Living modestly, he hustled his way through studios, advertising agencies, and jingle work. His Bollywood breakthrough came with Ya Ali from the 2006 film Gangster, a chartbuster that catapulted him to national fame. But his first brush with Hindi cinema came in 2000, with Mere Watan, composed by Ranjit Barot. What distinguished Zubeen was not just his voice but his refusal to be boxed into one genre. From classical (Rasahiya Sajan) to pop, from devotional songs to fusion rock, he dabbled in everything. Over the years, he lent his voice to over 30 Hindi films and thousands of Assamese, Bengali, and regional tracks. He could play 12 instruments. He composed, wrote lyrics, acted in films, directed, and produced. But perhaps Zubeens most dramatic evolution came off-stage. By the late 2000s, he had transformed from a romantic idealist into a defiant public figure. A permanent tattoo of Charlie Chaplin with the words I may fall, but never fail became emblematic of his philosophy. He was increasingly vocal against government policies, censorship, exploitation in the music industry, and social injustice. I have no caste, I have no religion, I am only a human for mankind, he once said at a rally. And that is how his audience saw him. In recent years, Zubeen had become more emotional, impulsive, and candid often revealing his struggles with health and mental exhaustion. Zubeen Garg shot to fame in 1992 with his debut album Anamika. Around this time, he connected with Garima Saikia through a letter she wrote after hearing Anamika and Maya. Studying in Bombay and homesick, she found solace in his musicand eventually, in him. Their relationship faced resistance from her family and strain from Zubeens restless nature but love prevailed. They reunited, and on February 4, 2002, Zubeen married Garima. Zubeen Gargs cremation with full state honours and a 21-gun salute in Sonapur was watched by lakhs. Four days of state mourning followed. But the people of Assam demand answers. Zubeen was more than Assams most popular singer. He was its conscience, its challenger, its voice. His absence leaves a silence no song can fill. And until the truth behind his death is known, that silence will only grow louder. Zubeen Garg was poisoned by manager, festival organiser in Singapore, alleges arrested bandmate

Hope justice will be delivered: Zubeens family after arrest of manager, NEIF organiser

GUWAHATI: Deceased music legend Zubeen Gargs manager Siddharth Sharma and 4th North East India Festival (NEIF) in Singapore organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta were arrested by the Assam Police in Delhi and brought to Guwahati on Wednesday morning. Given public anger, the two were taken out of the airport under heavy security arrangements and produced before the court of Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate. The court sent the duo to a 14-day police remand. The hearing took place at the judges residence as courts are closed for Durga Puja. Sharma and Mahanta had been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing death by negligence. Special Director General of Police (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, who heads the nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), told the media that a lookout notice through the Interpol was issued earlier against the two persons. He said based on the notice, immigration authorities at the Delhi international airport detained Mahanta soon after his arrival from Singapore. Subsequently, he was handed over to a team of the Assam Police that was camping in the national capital. Gupta said Sharma was arrested near the Delhi-Haryana border. The Assam Police recovered Gargs mobile phone that was reportedly in Sharmas possession. Director General of Police Harmeet Singh assured, There will be a final result in the case. Keep faith in us. NEIF organiser, Zubeen Gargs manager arrested in connection with singers death; remanded to 14 days' custody Garg (52) had died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in Singapore on September 19. He had travelled to the country to take part in the NEIF. His family was relieved after the arrest of the two persons. His wife Garima, was hopeful that the investigators would be able to unravel the mystery surrounding the death. We all want to know what exactly happened to him in his last moments. I am confident the investigation will progress well and everything will come to light. We believe we will get justice soon, she told the media on the 13th day rituals of the deceased singer in his native place Jorhat. Gargs sister Palme Borthakur said, Now that the two persons have been arrested, we are feeling slightly better. Justice will be delivered. Stating that the police and the government are doing their job in the right way, she appealed to people to keep trust in the system. All Assam Students Union demanded exemplary punishment for the arrested persons. It said the police must ensure that they could not evade justice by taking advantage of flaws in the probe. Over 60 FIRs were lodged against Sharma, Mahanta and others in connection with the death. The arrests come amid intense pressure on the Assam government to deliver justice in the case. Recently, the government had given time till October 6 to the two arrested persons to surrender. Mahantas all bank accounts have already been frozen. The police launched a separate probe against his alleged involvement in organised financial crimes. Zubeen Gargs death: Assam government bans festival organiser amid demand for CBI probe

NEIF organiser, Zubeen Gargs manager arrested in connection with singers death; remanded to 14 days' custody

North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and singer Zubeen Gargs manager Siddhartha Sharma have been remanded to 14 days' police custody in connection with the singers death in Singapore. The two were arrested and flown to Guwahati from Delhi. Mahanta was held upon arrival at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport from Singapore, while Sharma was tracked and arrested from an apartment in Gurugram after reportedly travelling across Delhi and Rajasthan. Due to Durga Puja holidays, they were produced at the residence of the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate, who granted 14-day police custody. The duo was then taken to the CID office for further interrogation. Zubeen Garg died of drowning in the sea in Singapore on September 19. The Assam government formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Special DGP M.P. Gupta, to probe the circumstances surrounding his death. Speaking from Jorhat, where she attended the singers 13th-day rituals, Zubeens wife Garima Saikia Garg said she is satisfied with the arrests and hopes the truth behind her husband's final moments will emerge soon. I have full faith in the investigating team, she said. (With inputs from PTI) Zubeen Gargs death: Assam government bans festival organiser amid demand for CBI probe

Assam bids tearful farewell to Zubeen Garg; CM Himanta announces samadhi khetra in Jorhat

Zubeen Garg to be cremated with full state honours on Sept 23 near Guwahati: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that popular singer Zubeen Garg will be cremated with full state honors on September 23 at Kamarkuchi NC village near Guwahati, respecting the family's wishes. The decision followed a cabinet meeting that considered proposals from both Guwahati and Jorhat.

Singer Zubeen Garg's family to take final call on cremation site: Assam Minister

Sources close to the family said that Guwahati or its suburbs could be the final choice as the singer's octogenarian father will not be able to Jorhat

Assam CM to receive singer Zubeen Garg's body in Delhi, declares three-day State mourning

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said he will receive singer Zubeen Garg's body in Delhi and accompany it to Guwahati. Sarma said the mortal remains of the singer will be brought to Guwahati on a special aircraft. It is likely to arrive in Assam on Sunday morning. The CM said he will go to Delhi later on Saturday to receive the body. I will be going to Delhi later today to receive our beloved Zubeen's mortal remains, which will arrive from Singapore. From there, we will immediately bring the body back to Guwahati, hopefully by 6 am on Sunday, the CM posted on X. Garg's body is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Saturday night and will arrive in Guwahati on Sunday morning, an official said. Garg died in Singapore on Friday, while swimming in the sea without a life jacket. Sarma said that the body has been handed over to the Indian High Commission in Singapore and the singer's accompanying team members. Sarma reviewed arrangements at Guwahati's Sarusajai Sports Stadium, where his body will be kept for people to pay their last respects. After arrival in Guwahati, Garg's body will first be taken to his Kahilipara residence, where members of his family will spend some moments with the mortal remains, and no public will be allowed, the CM said. Strict security arrangements will be ensured near his residence. I request people to stay away when Zubeen's body is taken to his home so that his family members, particularly his 85-year-old ailing father, can spend some time before the body is taken to the stadium, he said. Sarma further said that several organisations from Jorhat have demanded that the singer's last rites be performed in the Upper Assam town and a memorial dedicated to him be established there. I spoke to the High Commissioner of Singapore, His Excellency Simon Wong, and requested a detailed enquiry into the circumstances leading to the untimely demise of our beloved Zubeen Garg. Excellency has assured me of complete cooperation in this regard. @SGinIndia Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 20, 2025 The government will not make any independent decision regarding the last rites of the singer. We will first consult his family whose wish will be the top priority, and also several organisations of the state, including the Asam Sahitya Sabha (ASS), prominent cultural organisations and the people who were closely associated with him, before we make a final decision, the CM said. Sarma directed his cabinet colleagues, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and Culture Minister Bimal Borah, to hold consultations with various stakeholders in this regard. I reviewed the arrangements at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. It is our highest priority to make sure each and every well-wisher of Zubeen can pay their respects in a smooth and hassle-free manner, the CM later said in an X post. Assam declares three-day state mourning over Zubeen Garg's death The Assam government on Saturday declared three days of state mourning over singer Zubeen Garg's death. Chief Secretary Ravi Kota made the announcement in a post on X. The Government of Assam expresses deep shock and sorrow at the passing of Shri Zubeen Garg, eminent singer, filmmaker and cultural icon, he said. State mourning has been declared from 20th to 22nd September. During this period, there will be no official entertainment, dinners, or ceremonial functions, he added. Kota said the 'Seva Saptah' programmes will also be postponed as a mark of respect. However, service-oriented activities such as health camps, Nikshay Mitra support for TB patients, and plantation drives will continue, he said. Assam's popular singer Zubeen Garg dies while scuba diving in Singapore

Amit Shah sounds Assam poll bugle, trains gun on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced that Assam's leadership after next year's Assembly elections would be on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and not on a leader who protects infiltrators and visits Pakistan frequently. Assam cannot be led by a leader who protects infiltrators. Assam cannot be led by a leader who often visits Pakistan. Assam's leadership cannot be given to people who allow infiltrators to encroach upon land. Assams leadership cannot be given to the corrupt. Assams leadership will be on (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma, Shah said addressing the 'NDA Panchayat Pratinidhi Sammelan' in Guwahati. He did not take the name of the leader but his obvious reference was to Assam Congress president and deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi. Gogoi, the Jorhat MP, is pitted against Sarma as Assam braces for Assembly elections. HCM Dr. @himantabiswa along with Hon'ble Union Minister Shri @sarbanandsonwal attended the first ever Panchayat Pratinidhi Sammelan in August presence of Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ,at Khanapara pic.twitter.com/adiHJs4w6W Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) August 29, 2025 Shah also attacked Gogoi now by taking his name for allegedly opposing the reclamation of land encroached upon by infiltrators. Shah said, A major achievement of the NDA government in Assam is that it reclaimed over 1.19 lakh hectares of encroached land. Should we not clear land encroached upon by infiltrators? But Gaurav Gogoi is opposing it. I want to tell him, oppose it as much as you can, the BJP government will clear every inch of land encroached upon by the infiltrators. He added that the lands of the Satras (neo-Vaishnavite monasteries), encroached upon when the Congress was in power, had been cleared by the government.Assam's biggest problem was child marriage involving infiltrators. Then, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government launched a drive, putting those who married minor girls, behind bars, Shah said. In his speech, he also threw light on how the Modi government restored peace in Northeast by signing various accords with insurgent groups which saw over 10,000 youth lay down arms and join the mainstream, and the unprecedented development that the region witnessed in the past 11 years under the NDA. PM Modi Ji started a new era of development in Northeast. In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma ensured that development reached every village and every individual. The result is that the BJP is winning here time and again, Shah said. Earlier in the day, he inaugurated the newly-constructed 'Brahmaputra Wing' of Raj Bhavan, Assam, marking a significant milestone in the architectural and administrative progress of the states seat of governance.

Road rage incident leads to renaming of 'Daccapatty' locality in Assam town

GUWAHATI: A locality with a Bangladeshi touch in Assams Nagaon town has been renamed, days after an incident where an Assamese youth was assaulted by a Bengali Muslim. On August 9, Anis Rahman had assaulted Tandeep Kakoty following an altercation. The assailant was busy talking on his phone after parking his two-wheeler by the roadside in Nagaons Daccapatty area. Kakoty, who too was riding a two-wheeler behind Rahman, honked twice. This triggered a verbal tiff between the two and it soon turned violent when Rahman hit Kakoty with a helmet. He was arrested by the police soon after. The incident caught on camera went viral. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media that he had directed Nagaon District Commissioner (DC) Debashish Sarma to rename Daccapatty with an Assamese name. So, on Tuesday, Daccapatty, a bustling business centre that got its name during the colonial era, was renamed Roopkonwar Chowk by the district administration. Noted playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and filmmaker Jyoti Prasad Agarwala is popularly called the Rupkonwar of Assamese culture. The renaming of the locality is being seen as a tribute to him. The Nagaon DC said the area had been renamed as Roopkonwar Chowk respecting the sentiments of the people of the town. The area has a bust of Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala. Various prominent organisations celebrate his birthday etc there. Keeping this in mind, a decision was made to rename the stretch as Roopkonwar Chowk, he told journalists. Going back to history, he said in the last part of the 19th century when the British came, they needed skilled people to make biscuits, bind books, sew clothes etc. He said people from erstwhile East Bengal came to Jorhat and then to Nagaon. It was then that Nagaon got a locality by the name of Daccapatty, he added. Incidentally, Jorhat in eastern Assam also has a locality by the name of Daccapatty.

CM Himanta says Assam has many bogus voters, backs SIR

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the voters lists in the states char (sandbar) and other riverine areas have the names of a lot of dead people. He told the media that many women also moved out after their marriage, yet the areas recorded a 100 per cent polling in the past. Batting for special intensive revision (SIR), Sarma said, When there is SIR and the names of voters are linked with their Aadhar numbers, the problems will disappear. He criticised Rahul Gandhi for opposing SIR, stating that the Congress leader was not clear about what he actually wanted. He can approach the Election Commission, ask it to rectify the voter lists and link Aadhar numbers with the names of voters to prevent people from voting at two places. But he is not interested in it, Sarma said. He asked how the Congress won in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana if the voters lists were erroneous. He said the Congress was earlier critical of electronic voting machines and now, it is using voters lists as a new ammunition. Meanwhile, Sarma clarified that the ongoing eviction drives in Assam was only against those Miya Muslims (Bengali Muslims) who had encroached upon land in forests, village grazing reserves, and professional grazing reserves. Our people do not encroach upon such lands, he said. He further stated that unlike tribals, non-tribals are not eligible for land deeds in such areas. They (Miya Muslims) have vast swathes of lands in Assams sandbars and other riverine areas where nobody else goes to live. In fact, half of Assams lands is with them in the riverine areas. But if they want to go to places like Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, where will the Assamese live? Sarma asked. Our aim is to protect the Assamese people, he further stated. Anti-'Miya' campaign continues in upper Assam, CM Himanta Sarma says protests should be democratic

Anti-'Miya' campaign continues in upper Assam, CM Himanta Sarma says protests should be democratic

Guwahati: Even as a campaign against Miyas in parts of upper Assam is getting intensified, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to people not to take law into their own hands. Miya is a pejorative term for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. Sarma said places like Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Sivasagar are the borghar (heartland) of the Assamese. If somebody enters our borghar and nobody speaks up, who will rescue the jati (race)? he asked. He called for raising a voice against it and agitating but within the law. The situation will deteriorate if somebody attempts to wipe out the Assamese. When somebody enters our borghar, it is natural that people will speak up against it, he said. The Bengali-speaking Muslims are concentrated in southern, western, central and northern Assam. Upper Assam is the states eastern part. Sarma said if people had encroached upon government land after being affected by riverbank erosion, they would have grabbed a small plot of land. He mentioned that people grabbed lands measuring up to 200 to 300 bighas in some places. The ongoing Miya Kheda Andolan (movement to drive out Miyas) in upper Assam followed eviction drives carried out by the state government in Dhubri, Goalpara, Lakhimpur and Golaghat districts. Thousands of people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, were evicted. Recently, Sarma had called upon people not to give shelter to the evictees or else, he said, the position of our people that improved through evictions and other means would become bad again. There have been at least three incidents of confrontation in Sivasagar district when the members of some non-Muslim indigenous groups and organisations raided the houses of Assamese Muslims in search of Miya workers. These groups and organisations vowed not to rest until the Miyas are driven out of upper Assam. The All Assam Students Union (AASU) backed the eviction drives by the state government. Stating that the exercise should continue to clear encroachment of government and satra (neo-Vaishnavite monastery) lands, AASU president Utpal Sarma, however, stated that the landless deserved land as per existing norms. Samujjal Bhattacharya, chief advisor to AASU and North East Students Organisation (NESO), said AASU would approach the Supreme Court seeking the re-verification of documents of the applicants of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. Over 19.06 lakh of the 3.3 crore applicants were left out of the NRC. At the same time, NESO demands an NRC for the whole of the Northeast, Bhattacharya further stated, insisting that the detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants should continue.

Himanta Biswa Sarma's 'Pak Link' Jab To Gaurav Gogoi After Pahalgam Speech

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'Vivacious Varenya': The 10-Year-Old Assam Girl Who Has Over 20 Lakh Followers

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Army firepower to get a boost as US Apache attack helicopters to join next week

NEW DELHI: Adding teeth to the Indian Armys Aviation Corps (AAC), modern Apache attack helicopters will be joining the Unit next week. Confirming the arrivals, sources stated that the first three helicopters are expected to arrive on Sunday or Monday. These will add to the attack capability along the Western borders. This paper broke the story earlier. The Unit was formally raised in March 2024. India and the US signed a contract for the acquisition of six Apaches for the Indian Army during US President Donald Trumps visit to New Delhi in 2020. Before that, the IAF had signed a contract with the US Government and Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. The Apache is said to be the most modern attack helicopter meant to take the place of the existing fleet of Mi-35 choppers for assault and anti-armour operations. The AH-64E Apache is designed and equipped with the latest communications, navigation, sensor and weapon systems. It features an improved Modernised Target Acquisition Designation System, which provides day, night, and all-weather target information, as well as night vision navigation capability. Its Fire Control Radar can classify both air and ground targets and operates effectively in maritime environments. It can also be used for missions such as reconnaissance, security, and peacekeeping operations, in addition to attack operations. The first eight Apache copters were inducted at Pathankot Air Base on September 3, 2019 as part of the Helicopter Unit (HU) 125 Squadron (Gladiators). The second HU 137 Squadron is based out of Jorhat, Assam. The US completed delivery of all 22 Apache attack helicopters to the IAF in July 2020. Contract for 6 helicopters India and the US signed a contract for the acquisition of six Apache helicopters for the Indian Army during US President Donald Trumps visit to New Delhi in 2020. Before that, IAF had signed a contract with the US and Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters.

Bills paid or not, hospitals must hand over bodies within two hours of issuing death certificate: Assam CM

GUWAHATI: The Assam cabinet on Thursday decided to crack the whip against private hospitals, making it mandatory for them to release the bodies of patients within two hours post-death certification, regardless of bill payment status. After a meeting of the cabinet, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media that the government often receives complaints regarding various institutions witholding dead bodies as mortgage for three-four days to pressure relatives into clearing hospital bills. Calling such situations 'against human dignity', he said, You cannot keep a dead body as hostage. The cabinet has decided that if any nursing home tries to do that, their licence will be suspended for three to six months and they will be fined Rs 5 lakh. He added that in the event of repeat offences, they would be blacklisted with cancellation of their licence for eternity. A government statement issued later said hospitals must hand over dead bodies within two hours post-death certification, irrespective of pending payment. Delay beyond this may attract penal action, it warned. The government said incidents must be reported to the police and district health authority within four hours. A 24x7 toll-free helpline will allow families to report coercionUpon complaint, the designated authority must visit the site, release the dead body if wrongfully held and initiate legal proceedings, the statement said. Meanwhile, the cabinet approved the proposal for the implementation of the Gaja Mitra Scheme in eight most human-elephant conflict-prone districts such as Goalpara, Udalguri, Nagaon, Baksa, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Jorhat and Biswanath. The cabinet proposed to form a community-based voluntary monitoring and rapid response team in the affected villages. Each team would consist of eight members from the local community in 80 locations for a period of six months during which human-elephant conflict is at peak and coincides with the paddy cultivation season. The Gaja Mitra Scheme will help establish a proactive, trained and community-based support system that can complement the efforts of the Forest Department in mitigating human-elephant conflict by facilitating co-existence, protecting lives and livelihoods, and enabling safe passage for elephants through traditional routes, the statement further stated.

Congress president Gogoi writes to Modi, flags political favouritism in Assam dairy scheme implementation

GUWAHATI: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising concerns over alleged favouritism and irregularities in the implementation of a government-backed dairy scheme. In his letter, Gogoi stated that the scheme provides a subsidy of up to Rs 50 lakh for each beneficiary. The objective is to promote genuine entrepreneurship in the dairy sector and strengthen milk production. However, multiple reports and official documentation point to irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries, Gogoi, also the Jorhat MP, wrote. He pointed out that several recipients of the schemes benefits appeared to be family members or associates of ministers and MLAs, while long-standing dairy farmers were reportedly overlooked despite having applied multiple times and fulfilling eligibility requirements. He said the exclusion of experienced dairy entrepreneurs raised concerns about fairness and transparency in the selection process. Equally alarming is the response from the Chief Minister of Assam, who chose to justify the inclusion of ministers family members in the list of dairy scheme beneficiaries. This open endorsement of political favouritism has fuelled public outrage for undermining the constitutional values of equality and justice, Gogoi said. He further noted that the Gorukhuti agricultural project had also come under scrutiny. Funded through public money and intended for community benefit, the project included the procurement of high-yield Gir cows from Gujarat. Gogoi said official records indicated that these cows were allocated to several elected representatives. The diversion of resources and livestock under a project supported by over Rs 25.5 crore in public funds compromises the very objective of government programmes designed to promote inclusive development, the Congress leader added. If politically-connected individuals are allowed to siphon off benefits meant for the poor, we risk alienating the very people these schemes are meant to uplift, he said. He urged Modi to instruct the government to initiate a probe into the matter at the earliest in the interest of justice and public trust.

IndiGo To Launch Direct Flights To Jorhat, Tiruchirappalli From Delhi

The airline says the new routes will support regional trade, tourism and business.

Guwahati Diary | Solar fence to mitigate human-elephant conflict

In a bid to mitigate human-elephant conflict and facilitate co-existence, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak has installed a 30.1-km solar fence covering three project villages in Jorhat district in collaboration with the British Asian Trust and the Elephant Family with support from the Darwin Initiative. The project has benefitted over 1,047 households affected by human-elephant conflict. There was a time when herds of wild elephants would wreak havoc in these villages while foraging for crops, causing immense hardship to the agrarian community. However, the installation of these solar-powered fences helped significantly ease the problem. 15K bighas of satra land encroached upon: CM The satras monastic institutions within Assams neo-Vaishnavite tradition have lost over 15,000 bighas of their land to encroachment. Taking a serious view of it, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma noted that an area twice the size of Dispur had been encroached upon. The sheer scale of encroachment of the satras is a direct assault on Assams culture and identity. Not anymore. We are dealing firmly with this, he posted on X. The Satra Aayog, constituted by the government for reviewing and assessing the problems of satra land in Assam, has submitted its final report to Sarma with its recommendations. IED case: ULFA chief, 2 others chargesheeted The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and two other members of the banned insurgent group Abhijit Gogoi and Jahnu Boruah for a conspiracy to carry out multiple IED blasts in Assam on Independence Day last year. During the probe, the NIA found that as many as 11 IEDs were planted in different parts of the state, including Guwahati. However, none of them exploded. The investigation agency says the plot was meant to cause deaths and unrest. Boruah, who has reportedly admitted to planting four of the IEDs, was arrested from Dibrugarh in December. Prasanta Mazumdar Our correspondent in Guwahati prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com