Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Jorhat Medical College welcomes first batch

JORHAT, Aug 10 – “Establishment of an educational institute has always been an event of national importance. And the functioning of the Jorhat Medical College is one of the remarkable occasions that took place in the national scenario of Assam,” said Himanta Bishwa Sarma, State Minister of Health and Family Welfare, at a function organised to welcome the first batch of students of Jorhat Medical College at Shri Shri Pitambar Deva Goswami auditoriam, Jorhat District Library here today.“We are aiming at producing about 1000 MBBS degree holders in Assam every year in forthcoming years”, he said, adding, “It will reverse the present equation of demand and supply of doctors in Assam”. He further said that if the number of doctors multiplied on a large scale within a short span of time, the doctors would have no option but to go to the rural areas to serve.Sarma also revealed that the students passing out of the Jorhat Medical Institute after completing their three-years course had been offering tremendous service in the rural areas of Assam. The popularity of those former students in those areas is quite enviable, he said. Discussing their achievements he said that earlier the death rate of people due to malaria in the State was about 1000 per year. But after these physicians went to the rural areas, hardly 50 persons died of malaria this year. He also declared that the students of the second batch of the Jorhat Medical Institute will receive appointment on August 18 this year.Talking about the upgradation of the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, the Health Minister said that the process of transplantation of pacemaker would be introduced before December 31, 2010. An MRI machine would be installed in JMC within October 2. A new CT-scan machine would be brought to the institute as soon as possible.“A 100-bed hospital will be established in the biggest river island shortly”, he said. “This is going to be a joint venture of NRHM and Vivekananda Kendra”.The students of the JMC took oath from Dr Umesh Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Shrimanta Shankardev University of Health Sciences.Sarma said in his speech that from now onwards the four medical colleges in the State would come under the fold of this university. Significantly, this was also the first batch to enrol under Shrimanta Shankardev University of Health Sciences.Earlier, the welcome speech was delivered by Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora, Principal, JMC. Jorhat Deputy Commissioner RC Jain and Jorhat MLA Rana Goswami also spoke at the function. Dyushanta Madhab Sharma, District Information and Public Relations Officer moderated the programme.Jaychandra Goswami, Commissioner of Health, Devajit Hazarika, Director of Medical Education, Rupjyoti Kurmi, MLA, Mariani LAC, Nabin Chandra Burhagohain, former MP and many other dignitaries were present at the function.

Broad day light shoot-out in Guwahati; Coca cola employee shot dead, Rs 12 lakh looted

In a broad daylight robbery, one person was killed and Rs 12 lakhs were looted from near the Punjab National Bank at Ganeshguri this morning. The deceased, Keshab Phukan, was an employee of a cola distributor and he was attacked when he was on his way to deposit the money in the bank. No arrest has been made so far. Making mockery of the futile claims by the government of securing the lives and properties of Guwahati, one person was shot dead and a huge amount of money was looted from him by armed miscreants barely a few hundred metres away from the police check point at Ganeshguri. The incident occurred near the Punjab National Bank on the RG Baruah road at around 10.30 AM. The deceased, identified as Keshab Phukan was an employee of Swastik Enterprise, a cola distributing company. He was on his way to the bank to deposit an amount of Rs 12 lakh when he was attacked by some miscreants. According to the police, three motor cycle-borne miscreants intercepted Phukan and another person accompanying him near the bank. On seeing the miscreants, the other person fled leaving Phukan alone. The miscreants then fired upon Phukan injuring him seriously and looted the entire amount concealed in the tool box of the motor bike. Phukan was rushed to the nearby International Hospital where he was declared brought dead. The top police officials rushed to the spot immediately and investigation is on. The police are unwilling to say whether it was a work of extortionists or criminals till the investigations are completed. From the nature of the case, they also suspect that the miscreants had meticulously planned the attack. The SSP also declined to comment on the involvement of any militant group in the attack. However, from the empty cartridges recovered from the spot, police are sure that two types of weapons were used in the attack. They also do not ruled out the possibility of the involvement of any outside criminals in the attack. But from the nature of the case, they did not find the involvement of any contract killers in the incident. The miscreants fled from the scene soon after committing the crime. However, how they managed to escape despite various checking points in the nearby areas of the spot is a big question. The incident once again showed the lawlessness prevailing in capital city Guwahati. It is to be mentioned that incidents of murders and robberies have increased in Guwahati manifold in the recent times.

Call to boycott I-Day celebrations in northeast

Security forces were put on maximum alert across the northeast as five guerrilla groups on Tuesday called a 17-hour general strike to boycott Independence Day celebrations on Sunday. “We call upon the people of our region to boycott and prevent the celebration of India's Independence Day as a mark of solidarity against Indian colonial occupation and military repression,” a rebel statement by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) said.The militant groups that called for a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations include the ULFA, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), fighting for a separate homeland comprising parts of Assam and West Bengal, the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), an umbrella group of several Manipuri rebel groups, and the Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF).These groups are active in Assam, Manipur and Tripura. As part of the boycott call Aug 15, the militant groups have called for a general strike from 1.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Sunday.Militant groups in the northeast have for years boycotted national events to protest New Delhi's rule over the region.Security forces have been put on maximum alert across the region to thwart possible rebel strikes, officials said.