Afternoon News - 13 March, 2020
03:55 Share

**Assam economy progressing in a positive direction: Himanta Biswa Sarma. **Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the state is performing well in economic front under the BJP-led alliance government unlike the previous Congress rule.  Due to the endeavours of the incumbent government the state is currently progressing at the rate of 12 per cent GDP, he said. Such economic progress has enabled the state government to provide pensions to various sections of the society, the minister hinted. He said in the state assembly on Thursday that the government would provide pension to 1lakh widows under the Indira Miri Pension scheme. 10 thousand divyangas will also get pension, he added.

**A Congress MLA will join BJP soon: Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. **Like Madhya Pradesh, defection by some MLAs or senior leaders is likely to startle the Congress in Assam. On Thursday, finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that one prominent Congress MLA expressed willingness to switch the side. Some other Congress leaders will also follow the route sooner or later, claimed Sarma. The minister said, “people of Assam will get many new news in the days to come.”

**CAA does not take anybody’s citizenship: Union Home Minister Amit Shah. **In an attempt to contain the protest against the controversial Citizenship(Amendment) Act Union Home Minister Amit Shah once again reiterated that the Act would not cut any Indian’s citizenship rights.  Appealing the people not to be panic, the Home minister on Thursday said in Parliament that some section of people had created unnecessary ruckus over the C(A)A. He also assured the minority community that they need not be worried over the Act.  This way Shah reflected that the Modi government has no intention to roll back the CAA.

**Job scam: Railway Protection Force arrested NF Railway employee. **An employee of the North-east Frontier Railway on Wednesday night has been arrested by the RPF on charges of issuing fake appointment letters to some persons. Sources informed that Biplab Chakraborty allegedly had issued fake appointment letters to 10 persons. Acting on a tip-of sleuth of the Railway Protection Force arrested the accused from his quarters at Accounts Colony, Pandu. The investigative team recovered some incrematory documents from his possession. Later, he was handed to the police.

**Closure of government tols, madrassas from August 15, 2020. **Assam government is all set to close all Sanskrit tols and Madrassas in the state by August 15, 2010. Last month Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the BJP-led Assam government will no longer fund any religious educational institute in the state. Keeping the stance, the minister on Thursday said in the state Assembly that all the tols and madrassas will be closed by August 15. He also informed that the private or khertai madrasses must teach science and mathematics.

**BASSA protests against State land policy at Dispur Last Gate, Guwahati. **The Bhumi Adhikar Sangram Samity (BASSA on Thursday staged protest at Dispur Last gate demanding cancellation of the State Land Policy formulated by the Sarbanada Sonowal-led government. The protesters castigated the Land Policy as anti-farmer and urged the government to stop allocation of land.  They also raised slogan for immediate release of all arrested anti-CAA activists.  On the other hand, some Special Policer officers staged protest demanding regularization of their jobs.