Serial blasts mar R-Day celebrations in Assam, no casualty

Assam on Thursday celebrated the 68th Republic Day in the shadow of serial blasts by the anti-talk ULFA (Independent) in four districts. However, there was no report of any casualty or damage to property in the low intensity blasts that took place in Charaidow, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

In Dibrugarh town, the blast occurred in a drain at a tea garden just 500 metres away from Chowkidingi Parade ground where the national flag was unfurled at an official function, police said.

IEDs were exploded near a petrol pump at Dholbagan and at Bihu Bor in Charaidow district. In neighbouring Sibsagar, two blasts took place at Lengibor and Majpani. In Tinsukia district, the insurgents detonated two IEDs - one inside an empty water tank at Sisimi village and another near Dhola bridge in Sukan Pukhuri area, police said.

Police said the militants exploded the IEDs to register their presence.

Meanwhile, in the official Republic Day programme here, Governor Banwarilal Purohit said all urban local bodies would be declared open defecation free by next financial year under Swachh Bharat Mission.

Hoisting the National Flag, Purohit said, "In order to improve the urban sanitation scenario under Swachh Bharat Mission, all the 97 urban local bodies of Assam will be declared open defecation free during 2017-18."

For achieving this target, 66,624 individual household latrines and 2,280 community or public toilets will be set up.

"100 per cent door to door garbage collection in all the 97 ULBs under municipal solid waste management component of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) will be done," Purohit said.

Talking about digital literacy, the Governor said the Information and Technology Department has undertaken a project to make at least one person per household digitally literate in all the constituencies of the state within next five years.

"The project was launched on August 24, 2016. So far, 1,07,562 beneficiaries have been registered and 65,025 have been trained through 1,670 training centres," he added.

"A new Information Technology Policy for Assam will be promulgated in 2017" he added. On flood control measures, he said the Water Resources Department has prepared a plan for raising and strengthening of Brahmaputra embankment at a cost of Rs 4,454.09 crore and the DPR is under observation of CWC.