The State Government's role vis-

After a brief lull, the recalcitrant herd of wild elephants, which has been wreaking havoc in the riverine areas of the district since the last one decade, is back to its marauding ways. The jumbos have been seen in Neamati area and Mithaichapori in the vicinity.

The Jorhat district administration today called a meeting to prepare the roadmap for the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme here. The scheme, which came into effect from April 1, entails the provision of employment for at least 100 days to every needy rural household in a fiscal year. In the current phase, NREGA will be executed in 14 districts of Asom.

GUWAHATI

The Jorhat district administration has asked the tea garden managements to play a more proactive role to control diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases which are threatening to assume an epidemic form in several tea gardens and adjacent areas in the district. In a marathon meeting held at the conference hall of Jorhat District Rural Development Agency here today, Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ms LS Changsan stressed the need for maintaining a high alert against gastroenteritis during the next five months.

Though the Government of India has announced a series of sops to the Tea industry in the Budget for the current financial year, industry sources said that it would be beneficial only if the funds are released on time. The Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, in the Budget, announced that an amount of Rs 40 crore would be provided for the special purpose tea fund for re-plantation and rejuvenation of the tea bushes. However, tea industry sources pointed out that the Government's decision would be beneficial for the industry only if the funds are released on time.

Diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases have affected several tea garden areas in the district even before the onset of the monsoon season. According to the Jorhat Joint Director of Health Services, the diarrhoea toll has risen to seven so far. However, unofficial sources put the figure at not less than 13. More than 20 people are already down with diarrhoea-like symptoms.

Joint Director of Health Dr A Neog said that seven persons had died of diarrhoea in the last 15 days in Jorhat district, though the unofficial toll has been put at something between 13 and 17. Dr Neog said that deaths from gastro-enteric reasons had occurred in Naginijan Tea Estate under the State-owned ATCL, Rajoi Division of Tata Tea Ltd and Umabari Tea Estate.

At least 17 persons, most of them children and women, have died in three Upper Assam districts of Golaghat, Jorhat and Sibsagar after having consumed wild poisonous mushrooms in the past four days. The state Government has now warned people not to consume unidentified mushrooms. While 10 persons have died in Golaghat, five have fallen victims in Sibsagar and two others in Jorhat. Seven of those who have died are children. At least 20 others are battling for life in different hospitals.

In a bid to boost the production of bamboo, considered to be an important cash crop, the National Bamboo Mission is training about 30 farmers of Golaghat, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts at composite t