Illegal construction on MB road causes concern

The Mangaldai-Bhutiachang (MB) road has been the lifeline for people living in Darrang and Udalguri districts since pre-independence days.The road connects Mangaldai town (NH 15)with all the important places of Udalguri district including Kalaigaon,Tangla, Paneri,Bhutiachang and Samrang on India-Bhutan border.MB road has also been mostly used by Indian Army's Brigade HQ at Hatigarh.The historic road was newly constructed a few years back from Mangaldai town to Samrang near Bhutan.MB road has also been declared as a State Highway.Unfortunately,the vital road has been blocked at several places in Kalaigaon town by anti social elements.A few businessman,contractors and shop owners have been using the MB road and attached foot paths as own parking places for trucks and tractors,storage grounds for sand and bricks causing much sufferings to pedestrians specially to school going students and woman.Some of the encroacher even have done permanent constructions on the foot paths of MB road for the expansion of their commercial establishments.The eastern approach to the RCC bridge across Noa river in the heart of Kalaigaon town has been totally blocked for years with heaps of sands,stones etc.Although citizens of Kalaigaon have made several representations to the district civil and police administration,no actions were taken so far to evict the encroachment on the sate highway.It is learned that approval from BTC had not arrived for several years.Members of various public organisations of Kalaigaon namely-Kalaigaon Press Club;Nagarik Manch, Kalaigaon;No.2 Kalaigaon Mahila and Sishu Kalyan Samiti; Aryabhatta Science Centre,Kalaigaon etc urged district civil administration and BTC authority to evict all the encroachment on MB road with immediate effect.

Noted astronomy activist of Assam UN Deka passes away

Noted astronomy activist of NE and secretary of Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association,Guwahati Planetarium Uday Narayan Deka breathed his last in the ICU in International Hospital, Guwahati today at 12.20 am.He had been suffering from kidney related ailments for last twenty days.He was born on September 8 in 1944.He had been working in RBI in Mumbai for twelve years till his joining in RBI Guwahati branch as a Manager.During his stay in Mumbai,he was elected as the Hony. Treasurer of Bombay Amateur Astronomers Association.In 2002 he was elected as the secretary of the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association, Guwahati Planetarium.He was responsible for organising village level astronomy workshops in Assam as well as in other states in NE.He was also closely associated with Assam Science Technology & Environment Council,(ASTEC),Guwahati,Assam Science Society and Regional Science Centre,Khanapara.He was instrumental in arranging more than two hundred astronomical telescopes given to Aryabhatta Science Centres in Assam by ASTEC.He was cremated in Nabagraha crematorium this afternoo.Dr.Arup Kumar Misra, Director,ASTEC;Prof.Anil Kumar Goswami,former Director,ASTEC;Dr.Chandrarekha Mahanta,Vice president,PRAAG;Babul Bora, Curator, Guwahati Planetarium etc had attended the funeral and offered floral tribute to late UN Deka who leaves behind his wife and two daughters.