Silchar District Library

The District Library in Silchar, a 46-year-old venerable institute under the education department, was at one time the haunt of bookworms. It now wears a desolate look. The furniture is shabby and the rows of tables in the spacious hall no longer display newspapers and magazines. To top it all, the number of books in various languages has been progressively shrinking with every passing year. The library has many toilets, but no running water as the Silchar Municipality switched off its supply due to non-payment of bills. Last, but not the least, it has no librarian and an assistant librarian has to hold fort. The library has lost its loyal clientele of eager beaver readers. Believe it or not, during the first five days of this month only eight readers had strolled into this library. In the evenings, long spells of power cuts, symbolic of its poor maintenance, give the former hub of scholars the look of a ghost house.

 National drink status for tea

Silchar, March 13: The common man’s favourite cuppa will soon officially have a tag it has enjoyed unofficially all these years. Chandrajit Saikia, executive director of Indian Tea Board, said here yesterday that the Centre has decided to declare tea as the national drink of India. He added that packaged Assam tea would soon be required to carry a declaration indicating the product’s geographical origin. Saikia said the decisions stemmed from a stakeholders’ conference organised by the Union commerce ministry in New Delhi last September. Apart from Kamal Nath, the commerce minister, industry barons, trade union leaders and senior officers of the ministry had attended the conference. The conference had also explored various measures to increase productivity of on-field tea workers and recommended reviewing the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, to improve their conditions. Saikia said a high-level committee was also formed to follow up on the slew of recommendations. The committee held its first meeting in January this year in Calcutta. The executive director also informed that the Tea Board had developed a portal, which would be used to provide facilities like electronic auctioning at various tea auction centres in the country. Saikia said the Tea Board had earmarked around Rs 23 crore for the Northeast in its budget for this year as against Rs 15 crore during fiscal 2003-04.

 Poor turnout skittles Pak tie

Silchar, March 13: Not only did Kapil Dev XI (India) lose to Abdul Qadir XI (Pakistan) by six wickets, the low turnout left the hosts — the District Sports Association, Silchar — a loser, too, at the end of the day. The occasion: the first of the three-match BHEL Rishta Cup veterans’ goodwill series here today. Even in club championships, the turnout is better. Today it was as low as 3,000 in the 25,000-capacity S.M. Dev Stadium here, thanks to the exorbitant ticket prices and the ongoing school and college examinations, which kept the younger crowds away. The tickets were of denominations of Rs 500, Rs 400 and Rs 150. “It isn’t that we aren’t cricket fans. We often make it to the stadium to watch even club matches. But we can’t afford to watch a 30-over-a-side veterans’ exhibition match for such high ticket prices,” said a college student. The stadium counters, naturally, wore a deserted look since this morning. But the DSA, Silchar, put up a brave face, blaming the ongoing examinations that kept the younger generation away from the match. “Besides, the live telecast on television also cut down the crowds,” a DSA official said. He added that the association was expecting nothing less than a 15,000-strong crowd as “there is no denying that the Barak Valley is starved for international cricket”. The DSA plans to extend a portion of the proceeds from the match towards construction of the Assam Cricket Association’s proposed cricket stadium at Guwahati’s Barsapara ground. “We came to watch Abdul Qadir and his men from close quarters. We are least bothered about who won or lost,” said a college girl, while cheering the Pakistani batsmen hammering the Indian bowlers across the stadium ground. The match started around 10.30 am and Kapil Dev XI posted 120 for seven in the stipulated 30 overs. In reply, the Pakistani team reached 123 for four in 23 overs. Humayun Farhat hit a belligerent 78 off just 49 balls before being stumped by wicket-keeper Sameer Dighe of Kapil Dev (1/21).