TEZPUR, March 19 - With panchayat elections approaching, the ruling BJP kickstarted its election campaign in Dhekiajuli LAC in Sonitpur district on Sunday. In a huge party rally organised under the aegis of the Dhekiajuli MLA, Ashok Singhal in Misamari, some 25 km from Dhekiajuli town, State Health and Education Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that schools will be provincialized and the students studying in higher secondary stages will get free textbooks.
Mentioning the commitment of the saffron party mentioned in their election manifesto during the last Assembly election in his speech, Dr Sharma mentioned that the Government is implementing a number of policies in the educational field in which over 14 lakh students are availing free admission facility. �During the Congress regime, students till class VIII only availed free textbook facilities, but after the BJP came to power, it has made sure that the benefits of the project can be availed by students upto class IX and now we are going to make admission free for the students of till the higher secondary standard,� he said. He also mentioned that in the health sector also, a good number of schemes for the economically poor people have been taken up and Rs 2 lakh is being given for kidney and heart patients.
In the programme, around 150 persons from different political parties including veteran Congress leader of Misamari area Rathindra Dey joined the BJP.
Documentary on Baresahariya Bhaona released: A documentary on Baresahariya Bhaona, the world�s biggest theatre arena, produced by a journalist of Kolkata, Kamalesh Kamila was released recently at the Sahitya Sabha Bhawan here. The documentary made on the 15th century Neo-Vaisnavite culture, introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva and its impact on the overall development of the diverse Assamese nation is an outcome of long-time effort of a group of dedicated cultural activists and journalists working in the cultural field, including Pulak Kumar Deka and Rajib Baruah. Besides a host of dignitaries, the programme was graced by noted playwright Asarya Kakoti, retired professor of Tezpur Darrang College, Puneswar Nath, noted litterateur, Dr Sadhinata Mahanta, satradhikar of Beseria Modarguri Satra, Jaigeswar Mahanta, and Kamalesh Kamila.
In his speech, Puneswar Nath said that the Baresaharia Bhaona celebrated in Pokamura Pothar of Jamuguri Hat area in Sonitpur district having a history of 220 years is the ultimate example of secularism. �The man behind the lessons of unity and integrity, saint Sankardeva was the first man to introduce the open stage culture in the world,� he said.
Alongwith other dignitaries present in the programme, noted litterateur, Dr Sadhinata Mahanta, Satradhikar of Beseria Modarguri Satra, Jaigeswar Mahanta, journalist Kamalesh Kamila mentioned the unmatched contributions of Srimanta Sankaradeva towards Assamese culture and literature.
It needs mention here that the script for the 21-minute long documentary is written by senior journalist and cultural activist, Pulak Kumar Deka, voice over given by artist Prithi Raj Rabha and he is assisted by Naju Hatikakoti.
KVK Sonitpur bags best zonal award: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi has declared the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay �Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar� for the year 2017. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sonitpur situated at Napam, near here was selected as the best KVK at the zonal level for Zone VI. The KVK under the administrative control of Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat has been conferred the prestigious award based in recognition of their outstanding performance and contribution for the farming community of the district. Since its inception in 1981, this KVK has been trying to uplift the economic condition of the farmers through various activities like capacity building, front line demonstrations of proven agricultural technologies in farmers� field, exposure visit of farmers to different agricultural institutes, entrepreneurship development, production of quality seeds of important agronomical crops like paddy, toria, pulses in their own farm as well as in farmers field through PPP mode.
They are also trying to motivate the farmers for double or triple cropping instead of mono cropping to increase the cropping intensity in the district. This KVK is involved in carrying out the Central government�s flagship programmes like issuing of soil health card to the farmers, awareness programme on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY, cluster frontline demonstrations on oilseed and pulses to increase the area and production of oilseed and pulses in the district etc. The head of KVK Sonitpur Dr Promod Ch Deka and all staff members have thanked the ICAR for this award.
