Beating the heat for zoo animals
The authorities at Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, widely known as Guwahati Zoo, have taken several measures to give relief to animals from rising temperatures. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tejas Mariswamy told TNIE that the steps were taken for the comfort of the animals, particularly those with thick fur, such as bears and the cat species. “For tigers, we have made shade platforms using bamboo sheets. This will reduce the temperature of shelter houses. Also, bath pools were built and fans installed,” he said. The other measures include installing showers, he added.
APSC cash-for-jobs scam probe deepens
After arresting 56 gazetted officers of the civil administration and police in connection with the multi-crore-rupees cash-for-jobs scam in the Assam Public Service Commission, the police have now turned up the heat on a group of agricultural officers who secured the plum jobs allegedly by shelling out cash. Last week, six Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) deposed before the Dispur police in Guwahati in connection with the scam and were grilled for hours. The police had summoned eight officers, but two of them did not show up. It was learnt that the ADOs were summoned following detection of anomalies in their answer scripts. They were allowed to go following intense questioning.
Ex-CM Gogoi gets a new address
Three-time former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has got a new residence. Seventeen years after he stayed at a guest house on the Koinadhara hill, the seasoned Congressman was allotted a quarter at the Cabinet Ministers’ Colony in Dispur. Built in 1976, the guest house at Koinadhara has witnessed the ups and downs of Gogoi’s life. He moved to it following his appointment as the CM in 2001. And he kept staying on as the Congress won the next two elections under his leadership. Gogoi did not vacate the house even after the defeat of his party in the 2016 polls, as the incumbent CM, Sarbananda Sonowal, made the Brahmaputra guest house, located beside the mighty Brahmaputra river, his home.
Drop in demand for imported fish
Blame it on formalin that the demand for imported fish has suddenly slumped in Guwahati. Ten days have elapsed since the government lifted the ban on its sale, but people are not in a hurry to buy the “chalani” fish. They have not yet recovered from the formalin scare. The ten-day ban was enforced on July 10 after imported fish was found to be formalin-laced. The development has left traders in imported fish in a spot of bother. Several of them have started selling local fish. And taking advantage of the situation, the sellers of local fish have arbitrarily increased the prices, much to the chagrin of fish lovers.
prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com
