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India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Assam Cabinet approves expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 4 (ANI): Assam Cabinet under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday approved the expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares under its sixth extension. According to the Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO), this will strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism at the Kaziranga National Park. CMO Assam shared an X post which said, 'Assam Cabinet has approved the expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares under its sixth extension. This move aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.' As per the X post shared by CMO Assam, villages Gopal Jarani, Gonaitapu, Jobre, Thute Chapori, Baligaon Biswanath Ghat, Umatamoni, Gakhirkhaite, Silghat and Hatimura are included in this expansion project. Expansion of the national park comes as a part of decisions taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati on May 21. Earlier, the Assam Cabinet decided to grant arms licences to original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens residing in vulnerable, remote, and border areas of the state. The decision was made with a focus on enhancing the security of the people in the region. 'This scheme will act as a deterrent to unlawful threats and enhance the personal security and confidence of such individuals and communities,' the Assam Chief Minister said. In addition to that, the cabinet has given the green light to a Rs 250 crore proposal for upgrading 34 polytechnics and 43 government ITIs into Centres of Excellence in collaboration with Tata Technologies Limited, aiming to boost skill development and employment opportunities. To honour Assam's stalwarts, the cabinet also approved renaming three institutions. The Sarusajai Sports Complex will now be called Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, the Mangaldoi Stadium will be renamed Raja Dharma Narayan Stadium, and the State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development will be renamed Golap Borbora State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development. The cabinet further approved land allotment by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to Greenko Energies for a 900 MW off-stream Pumped Storage Project in West Karbi Anglong, alongside relaxations in land categories for oil palm cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), enabling more farmers to benefit from the scheme. (ANI)
Mint
24-04-2025
- Mint
Pahalgam terror attack: How a Hindu Brahmin survived by reciting Kalima, the Islamic prayer; ‘When I started...'
Debasish Bhattacharya, a Hindu Brahmin, narrowly escaped the terrorists' bullets during the deadly Pahalgam terror attack by reciting the Islamic 'Kalima', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. Bhattacharya, a Bengali professor at Assam University in Silchar, was on holiday with his family in Jammu and Kashmir. Just 20 minutes into their visit to the Baisaran meadows, the Brahmin heard a gunshot, which he initially assumed was fired by the forest department to scare away wild animals. 'We were just enjoying the view when I heard a gunshot. When I inquired about it, I was told it might be from the forest department to scare away wild animals,' Bhattacharya told NDTV over a telephonic interview. However, he soon saw a man with a gun who shot a tourist after a brief conversation with the couple. Soon, four gun-totting terrorists started targeting tourists visiting the picturesque spot. Bhattacharya said the people around him crouched on the ground and started reciting the 'Kalma', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. 'So I also followed them. A terrorist walked up to us and shot the man next to me. Then he looked at me and asked what I was doing,' Bhattacharya said. 'Kya bol raha hai,' asked the terrorist in Hindi. Terrified Bhattacharya said he started reciting the Kalma louder, 'and did not reply to his question'. 'I don't know what happened; he just turned around and left to join his group on the other side,' he shared. Emphasising that it wasn't just the Kalima that saved his life, the professor said he followed what everyone else was doing in an 'absolutely instantaneous, heard mentality' way. The professor said that after the terrorists left, he, along with his wife and son, immediately abandoned the place and walked back. 'I somehow managed to escape by crossing the 7-foot high fence,' he said, adding that they walked following the hoof marks of the horse. Bhattacharya told NDTV that locals helped them throughout. 'Our horse guide (pony riders_ came searching for us. They came back for us. They found us, and took us back.' He shared that the driver of the cab they had hailed for coming to the Baisaran meadows rushed them back to their hotel in Srinagar. Bhattacharya, who shared that his family's trip was to end on Saturday, said the Assam government is making arrangements to bring him and his family back to their hometown. The Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO) also posted an update about the same on Twitter (now X). It said: 'The CM Office Assam has spoken to a survivor from Assam of the dastardly Pahalgam Terror Attack and has taken a full brief of the incident which they have faced yesterday.' 'The entire family's return to the state is being arranged on priority, and the government of Assam is in touch with the government of India to bring the family back to Assam at the earliest,' it added. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said his office is in touch with Bhattacharya. 'We will ensure his safe return to Assam soon.' A group of terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadows, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states, and injuring several others.
Mint
24-04-2025
- Mint
Pahalgam terror attack: How a Hindu Brahmin survived by reciting Kalma, the Islamic prayer, ‘When I started...'
Debasish Bhattacharya, a Hindu Brahmin, was saved by a whisker from the terrorists' bullets during the deadly Pahalgam terror attack by reciting the Islamic verse 'Kalma'. Bhattacharya, a Bengali Professor at Silchar's Assam University, was holidaying with his family in Jammu and Kashmir. Just 20 minutes into their visit to the Baisaran meadows, the Brahmin heard a gunshot, which he initially thought was from the forest department to keep wild animals away. 'We were just enjoying the view when I heard a gunshot. When I inquired about it, I was told it might be from the forest department to scare away wild animals,' Bhattacharya told NDTV over a telephonic interview. However, he soon saw a man with a gun who shot a tourist after a brief conversation with the couple. Soon, four gun-totting terrorists started targeting tourists visiting the picturesque spot. Bhattacharya said the people around him crouched on the ground and started reciting the 'Kalma', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. "So I also followed them. A terrorist walked up to us and shot the man next to me. Then he looked at me and asked what I was doing," Bhattacharya said. 'Kya bol raha hai,' asked the terrorist in Hindi. Terrified Bhattacharya said he started reciting the Kalma louder, 'and did not reply to his question'. 'I don't know what happened; he just turned around and left to join his group on the other side,' he shared. Emphasising that it wasn't just the Kalma that saved his life, the professor said he followed what everyone else was doing in an 'absolutely instantaneous, heard mentality' way. The professor said that after the terrorists left, he, along with his wife and son, immediately abandoned the place and walked back. 'I somehow managed to escape by crossing the 7-foot high fence,' he said, adding that they walked following the hoof marks of the horse. Bhattacharya told NDTV that locals helped them throughout. 'Our horse guide (pony riders_ came searching for us. They came back for us. They found us, and took us back.' He shared that the driver of the cab they had hailed for coming to the Baisaran meadows rushed them back to their hotel in Srinagar. Bhattacharya, who shared that his family's trip was to end on Saturday, said the Assam government is making arrangements to bring him and his family back to their hometown. The Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO) also posted an update about the same on Twitter (now X). It said: 'The CM Office Assam has spoken to a survivor from Assam of the dastardly Pahalgam Terror Attack and has taken a full brief of the incident which they have faced yesterday.' 'The entire family's return to the state is being arranged on priority and the government of Assam is in touch with the govt of India to bring the family back to Assam at the earliest,' it added. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said his office is in touch with Bhattacharya. 'We will ensure his safe return to Assam soon.' A group of terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadows, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states, and injuring several others. Some of the eyewitnesses have claimed that the victims were asked about their religion before they were shot. The terrorists only targeted men. First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 12:05 PM IST
