Development Schemes in Assam

Planning and Development Department: Assam

Mandate of the Department
»

The Planning and Development Department is the core Department as far as the formulation and implementation of the State Plan schemes are concerned. The department maintains vertical relation with the Planning Commission, the apex
body of planning at the Centre and horizontal relation with the line departments of the State in respect of formulation, implementation and review as well as maintenance/
reporting of records on physical progress and financial achievements.
» The Department prepares draft Annual Plans and Five Year Plans as per the guidelines of the Planning Commission and as per needs and aspirations of the people. After finalization of the resources likely to be available for the concerned Five Year Plan or Annual Plan, the Department quantifies the flow of funds for various sub-plans viz., Hill Plan, Tribal Sub-plan (TSP), Scheduled Caste Component Plan (SCCP) and Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) Plan. From the balance, the Department distributes sector wise FiveYear Plan and Annual plan outlays for preparation of plan budget under General Areas.
» The main functions of this Department are preparation of Five Year Plans, Annual Plans, their break-up into District and Sub-divisional Plans, carrying out periodical review of plan performance, removing bottle-necks in the implementation of plan schemes, assessing and obtaining central assistance from the government of India, manpower planning, evaluation of schemes, etc. The functions are advisory and mainly relate to co-ordination and liaison between the Planning Commission and the State Government.

Activities of the Department
» Anundo Ram Barooah Award:
Anaudu Ram Barooah Award was introduced in 2005-06 with a view to provide Personal computers to the meritorious students who secured 1st Division in HSLC /High Madrassa Examination. In 2005-06, an amount of Rs. 21.82 crore has been expended against the scheme to cover 12,750 meritorious students in the State.
» Rajiv Gandhi Computer Literacy Programme:
This Scheme was introduced in 2003-04 with the objective to provide computer with accessories to Higher Secondary Schools so as to enable computer literacy and e-learning among the students. During 2005-06, an amount of Rs. 30.00 crore has been spent for providing computers and peripherals to 223 Higher secondary Schools. The programme has covered a total of 623 H.S. Schools till March 2006 and in 2006-07 another 300 High Schools are being covered both in rural and urban areas of the State.
» Mukhya Mantrir Jivanjyoti Bima Aachani:
This innovative scheme was introduced in 2005-06 with a view to provide Insurance benefit to the general people living both in rural and urban areas of the State. It is expected that many people of the state will be benefited from this Insurance Scheme.
» Sub-Divisional Development Special Problem
The Sub-Divisional Development Special Problem is one of the Sub-sector of Planning & Development Department under Decentralized Plan of the State. The objective of the Sector is to provide certain freedom for participation & implementation of need based scheme at the District/Sub-Divisional level. The main purpose is to generate employment through people's participation in the Planning process.

During the 10th Plan period (2002-2007) against approved outlay of Rs. 13600.00 Lakh, a total of Rs. 38,302.00 Lakh has already spent till 2005-06 and Rs. 22455.00 Lakh is earmarked for 2006-07.

Under Sub-Divisional Special problem head, the following schemes are implemented
» MLA's Local Area Development Scheme:
The MLA's Area Development Schemes was introduced in 1994-95 out of the existing provision of Untied Fund under Sub Divisional Development of Special Problem. The Scheme was brought under operation in the line of MP's Local Area Development Schemes. Under this Scheme, District Authority will consider and implement the schemes as per recommendation of the concerned MLA of the Legislative Assembly constituency. Each MLA is entitled to get Rs. 30.00 lakh annually with the maximum limit of individual work not exceeding Rs.5.00 Lakh.
» Untied Fund Schemes:
Special attention has been given for Infrastructure Development of most needy areas of the district. Under Untied Fund, selective schemes particularly in the areas of health & water supply, education, culture, agriculture and allied sectors etc .are being sanctioned and placed under the disposal of concerned District Authorities for its implementation. Under Untied Fund special attention has been given to provide special benefits to the local people by implementing state priority schemes such as, Kalpataru, Buniyad, Gyanjyoti, and Dharmajyoti Scheme that are highlighted below
» Kalpataru:
The Scheme has been introduced in 2003-04 with a view to provide direct self-employment to the youths of the society. Priority has been given to the boys and girls of the family living below poverty line both in rural and urban areas of the state except 6th schedule areas. Self-employment opportunities are to provide with an individual scheme cost between Rs.7000/- to 25,000/-only with the beneficiary's contribution to 20% costs of the scheme.
» Buniyad:
The Scheme has been introduced in 2003-04 with a view to provide basic infrastructure to all Educational Institutions so as to directly benefit the student community of the State. All Deputy Commissioners of the district other than 6th schedule areas are the implementing agencies of the Buniyad Scheme.

MLA FUNDS AND ITS USES

In India a scheme named LADS (Local Area Development Scheme) is commonly known as MP Funds which amounts to be approximately 2 Crores per term and it must be spent to develop the concerned area. Similarly, in Assam a scheme named MLA funds which amounts to Rs. 30 lakhs per annum for the local developments is there.
What are the things that can be developed by this money? There is a clear Guidelines and it is as per the following rules.
Choice of the Projects
The works to be undertaken under MLA fund scheme should be for
a public purpose only and not a private purpose. The works that can
be taken up under this scheme fall under the following broad
categories:
1. Construction of school buildings
2. Construction of community halls/ barat ghars/ chaupals
3. Construction of subways wherever found technically feasible
4. Hostels specially for working women or girl schools
5. Public libraries
6. Construction of culverts, bridges/ foot bridges
7. Public toilets at different locations
8. Sports complexes
9. Crematoriums or development of burial grounds
10. Construction of tube wells and water tanks for providing drinking
water to the people in the villages, towns or cities, or execution of
other works which may help in this respect
11. Construction of roads and drains including part roads, approach
roads, link roads, approved by lay-outs
12. Sanitation
13. Parks
14. Computers in school
15. Street lighting
16. Provision of common services/ community services including
maintenance of group toilets, courtyard, common path and similar
other services.
The following works are not be allowed under the scheme:
1. Office buildings, residential buildings and other buildings relating
to central or state governments, departments, agencies and organisations
2. Works pertaining to commercial organisations, trusts, registered
societies, private institutions or cooperative institutions
3. Repair and maintenance works of any type other than special repairs
for restoration/ upgradation of any durable asset
4. Grants and loans
5. Memorials or memorial buildings
6. Purchase of inventory or stock of any type
7. Acquisition of land or any compensation for land acquired
8. Assets for an individual benefit, except those which are part of
approved schemes
9. Places of worship

NORTHEAST FRONTIER RAILWAY AND LUMDING

The Northeast Frontier Railway has its historical roots in the former Assam Railways & Trading Company, Assam Bengal Railways and Eastern Bengal Railways. The Assam Bengal Railways had the largest contribution to make in the formation of the present-day N. F. Railway.

Assam Railway & Trading Company laid the first Railway line in Assam as early as 1882 between Amolapatty (Dibrugarh) and Dinjam Stream – a length of 15 miles for transportation of tea and extended upto Makum collieries at Margherita in 1884. The Company also established the first passenger Railway system in Assam under the name Dibru Sadiya Railway. The Eastern Bengal Railway constructed the sections Haldibari - Siliguri, Barsoi - Kishanganj, Manihari – Katihar- Kasaba and opened these
sometime before 1900. They expanded the network to other sections namely, Hasimara - Alipurduar, Gitaldaha Bamanhat, Golakganj - Amingaon, Rangiya - Rangapara & Dhubri during the period 1900-1911. The Assam Railway & Trading Company, the Eastern Bengal Railway and the Assam Bengal Railway which was also operating in the Barak Valley region, were merged during World War II and came to be known as the Bengal Assam Railway. Thereafter, some of the Company-owned Railways namely, Bengal Dooars Railway, Jorhaut Provincial Railway, Chaparmukh Silghat Railway and Katakhal Lalabazar Railway etc. were merged with the Bengal Assam Railway system.

With the partition of India in August 1947, the Bengal Assam Railway was bifurcated according to the political boundaries, leading to the formation of the Assam Railway with its headquarters at Pandu. In 1948 the Darjeeling - Himalayan Railway was also taken over by the Government of India and merged with Assam Railways.

The partition of the country and formation of the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) led to complete severance of communication with the State of Assam from the rest of India. It was restored with the completion of the Assam Rail Link Project in January 1950.

During the reorganisation of Railway zones in 1953, Assam Railway and Avadh - Tirhut Railway were merged to form the North Eastern Railway with headquarters at Gorakhpur. The N. F. Railway system was carved out of the North Eastern Railway on 15th January, 1958 and based at Maligaon, Guwahati at the foothill of Nilachal 'Parbat', the abode of Goddess Kamakhya.

N. F. Railway is the smallest of the 9 zones on the Indian Railways, but has the unique distinction of serving as many as ten States of the Indian Union, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram. Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal. Besides, it also serves as a rail-head for the Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan and provides interchange facilities with Bangladesh Railway.

Administration :

NF Railway has got 5 Divisions viz. Katihar – covering the states of Bihar, Sikkim and Part West Bengal including the prestigious Darjeeling –Himalayan Railway, World Heritage Site, stretching for a route length of 370 Km in BG, 406 Km. in MG and 87 Km in NG; Alipurduar Jn. – covering the states of Assam and West Bengal, stretching for a route length of 218 Km in BG and 477 Km. in MG; Rangiya - covering the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam stretching for a route length of 319 Km in BG and 652 Km. in MG; Lumding– covering the states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura stretching for a route length of 360 Km in BG and 529 Km. in MG; and Tinsukia – covering the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh ans Nagaland, stretching for a route length of 490 Km in BG and 21 Km. in MG.

Brahmaputra erosion destroys nearly 4,000 sq km of Assam land

The mighty Brahmaputra has wiped out nearly 4,000 square kilometres of area at a rate of 80 square kilometres per year, destroying more than 2500 villages and affecting more than five million people in Assam.

Assam’s Water Resources Department has identified 25 vulnerable and very severe erosion-prone sites and estimated that the Assam valley portion of the Brahmaputra has lost approximately 7.4 per cent of its land area due to river bank erosion and channel migration.

The Committee for Developing Mitigation Strategies for Brahmaputra River Basin Flood and Erosion Problem a joined committee comprising experts from Assam and the USA, have come forward with a set of short and long term measures to address the problem and develop cost-effective solutions.

The experts have pointed out that the key factors in causing the river extremely unstable at many reaches are ’aggradation’ (raising of the river bed due to sediment deposition), intense ‘braiding’ and large water discharge.

They pointed out that till now both short and long term measures to tackle the erosion problem had been done only on a piecemeal basis during emergency situations depending on availability of funds.

Experts in the committee are: Retired professor of civil engineering, University of Alaska, Dr Arvind Phukan, senior project manager at Woolpert, Virginia, Deva Borah, chairman of the Surface Water Hydrology Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers Ananta Nath, Assam Water Resources Department’s senior engineer Rajib Goswami and professor of civil engineering in IIT, Guwahati, Chandan Mahanta.

They have recommended phase-wise solution for the mitigation of erosion by including a combination of measures including strategic dredging, protection of erodible bank materials with anchored bulkhead or tie back sheet piles, spurs, toe and bank revetments.

Improvement of data quality and quantity by extending rain, flow and sediment monitoring network using state-of-the-art equipment and consider physical modelling to study severe and potential scour sites and their control have also been suggested by the experts.

The experts further recommended development of advanced and efficient computational tools capable of utilizing the detailed hydro-meterological data and predicting real-time flooding and hydraulic characteristics of the river for planning and designing effective flood and erosion control measures.

The committee has suggested taking advantage of modern technologies such as satellite image-based morphological study, studying of successful erosion control measures in major rivers of the world and feedback from international experts among steps to stem the erosion in the Brahmaputra at the earliest.

The committee suggested strengthening and monitoring of anti-erosion measures already taken up at Majuli Island and severely eroded towns along the river and armouring existing embankments located at urban and other strategic locations.

THE COLOURS OF LUMDING

LUMDING STATION

Lumding Railway Station is a place that always remains closed to my heart. It was the place I had to cross atleast twice daily as I had to cross it to go and return from school. It was the place we used to eat Dosa, I remember. A small town life can be exciting enough if simplicity remains there in heart. I now thinks those were the golden days of my life.



I still remember when me, Kanai, Chandu (Prasenjit Das), Raghu (Biplob Nandy) used to go to wheeler in the station everyday in the evening, to buy a copy of Assam Tribune.



Lumding Station is the first lesson of communication to most of the children of Lumding still now, as train is the only means of communication leaving aside the erratic and painful bus service to nearby areas like Diphu, Lanka, Hojai, Nagaon etc. So, we are the generation who grew up knowing that Indian Railways is the safest, luxurious and the only mode of travelling out of station!
Railway Station is a place where one would find people from different segments, classes of society, having altogether different viewpoints about society! So-called "High Class" (read railway officials and businessmen of the town) to labour class people from Gadhi Nagar to "Coolie Patty", Lumding Station is for everyone.



For many of us it the place where we had got our first lesson of psychology.
I still remember my first journey through "PAHAR LINES" i.e. the NC HILLS section of NFR ( Northeastern Frontier Railways). The scenic route passes through beautiful hill valleys, miles after miles of wild bamboo orchards, wild banana orchards. The beauty of NC Hills is beyond any description. The platform no.1 is alloted for MG Train (Meter Gauze train) towards Silchar through "pahar lines". So many memories are there with Lumding Station that it is impossible to forget it's charm.



REALLY HOME REMAINS ALWAYS A SWEET HOME AND I MISS LUMDING SO MUCH.



"ONCE A LUMDINIAN.....
FOREVER A LUMDINIAN..."


...subhankar karmakar

Lumding Railway H.S. School: from its days of glory to the present gloomy condition......

In the year of 1948 this school was established by the Railway Government.
Since then it has been constantly grooming the talents of Lumding, achieving many milestones in between. Over the years it has produced many talents who are well established both in India and abroad. Many students secured ranks in the merit list in the history of Railway School, yet it could not modernized itself to compete with the other premium schools in this region.....
Lumding Railway Higher Secondary School, the school that have been grooming hundreds of real talents since its inception in 1948 was established by railway government to cater the quality education to the children of railway employees of the Lumding Railway Division. Justifying the cause of its inception the school quickly had established a niche' for itself among the schools of Assam. It is evident from the list of the students who had secured position in HSLC examination (Xth board) conducted by SEBA Secondary Education board of Assam).

The students who secured rank/position in HSLC Examination from Railway School:

Mr. Hemchandra Majumder (6th, 1953);
Mr. Jagadis Kumar Chachra (9th, 1953);
Mr. Sailendra Nath Chakraborty (7th, 1956);
Mr. Prantosh Kumar Bhattacharjee (10th, 1957);
Mr. Prabhash Ranjan bhattacharjee (12th, 1957);
Mr. Ardhendu Bikash Dasgupta (4th, 1958);
Mr. Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee (6th, 1958);
Mr. Pranab Chakraborty (6th, 1959);
Mr. Vidyasagar Bajaj (6th, 1960);
Mr. Sekhar Nath Chakraborty (8th, 1960);
Mr. Bijoy Bose (7th, 1964);
Mr. Nripati Roy (3rd, 1969);
Mr. Ashish Das (3rd, 1974);
Ms. Uttara Dey (19th, 1986);
Mr. Subhankar Karmakar (13th, 1991);
Mr. Sumanta Das (19th, 1991);
Mr. Jyotirmoy Biswas (19th, 1993);
Mr. Arghya Chattarjee (16th, 1998);

Although the school couldn't produce rankers since 1974, but the performances were not so bad from 1974 uptu 1985, but it had successfully churned out bright students who had just missed the merit list narrowly. Among them one was Dr. Atul Krishna Banik, now an Asst. Professor in NIT Durgapur (incidentally it was my Alma Mater too). In 1986 Uttara di got position breaking the jinx of bad spell of luck. Our previous batch also produced a group of multi-dimensional talents like Ajitesh, Debal Majumder, Priyojeet Chakraborty, Snehashish, Tanmoy Som and others.
Our next batch was very good, Anirban Sammaddar (who now works in Bijoya Bank) did very well, there was Rajib Mitra (who is an MBBS now, working in NF Railway). Jyotirmoy Biswas of 1993 batch again had secured rank (he is a software professional now). So the batches up to late '90s were good enough to churn out groups of brilliant students from Lumding and Railway School still was influential, as the legacy was still alive.But the new millennium had at last put the last kill on the coffin, as DBS was continuously out performing Railway School on board examination. This in turn made people to avoid Railway School for their children, as by that time DBS, Lumding had become matured enough to produce very good results with an enviable consistently making railway schools traditional students base as well-to-do families had started to choose DBS for their children. It had created a mess as the total system efficiency had been greatly reduced due to the lack of good students. Although there were few good students still then, but the lack of proper teaching always discouraged them to be innovative.
So exactly what was the principal reason behind these lackluster performance of a school which was once considered as one of the best schools of the state?
As far as my intuition says, I believe that there was no single principal reason behind these quality erosion of the students, but of course there were some major factors behind these continual degradation of academic standard of the school. One of them is the change of the method of studying. As cramming became the most popular trend among the students of present generation without having a proper understanding of the subject topics and this in turn made the theoretical base of the students very weak particularly in the subjects like Mathematics & Physics. The second most important factor was the shortages of quality teachers at the school level. Moreover, the school administration had separated the girl's block into the boarding house and distributed the faculties into two groups, as a result the shortages of quality teacher became more acute forcing the results to degrade. And of course emergence of DBS had a profound impact on Railway School as good students migrated to DBS as well as to Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lumding. During the last couple of years Pranav Vidya Mandir, the English Medium School run by Bharat Sevashram Sangha had scored well in HSLC Examination.
Still we hope that in near future the school administration
would be properly reformed to gain its LOST GLORY.