Arunachal News

Another gamble after a gamble
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: Elections, no less a festival of sorts, have ended in the State with only the results to be declared on October 22. Nevertheless, the festive spirit lingers on, with a difference, thanks to Diwali, ‘the festival of lights’.
As elsewhere in Arunachal Pradesh also election for most is almost a gamble. So is Diwali. The difference is, when elections come once in five years, Diwali let the people of the State gamble to their hearts content every year.
Every Diwali, young and old, men and women wait eagerly to have a go at what is known as jhandi-munda or the game of dice, for it is legal during this time to gamble.
Those who venture out to gamble as customers need only money on them while those who organize or mahajans in local sobriquet also need a special ‘permit’ besides of course the money.  According to the Capital district administration, this year permits have been given to at least 150-160 applicants to organize jhandi-munda as mahajans. To add to its benevolence, the administration took special care this year to give certain number of permits to persons with disability. Besides, it gave bulk permits of about 20 each to all the Bazaar committees of the capital complex.
The ‘permits’, however, don’t come cheap. No matter you make profit or not the administration charges Rs 10,000 per permit in advance. Last year the permit ‘fee’ was Rs 8,000.
Additional Deputy Commissioner B Basar told The Sentinel Arunachal that the hike has been necessitated owing to hike in official fee structures of the government. But is not the fee on the higher side of the scale?
Basar has a very good reason to disagree.  He says, “If not for the high permit fee, there would be thousands applying for it and ultimately cause law and order problem on the streets during the puja.”
He, however, adds that the fee structure is not uniform and depends on where the applicant wants to put up his stall. Also persons with disability and bazaar committees are charged nominally.
The revenue generated from the permit fees goes to the government exchequer through the treasury and some part of it goes to the district administration for local use.
But that’s not all that mahajans have to dole out. Besides the permit fee, they also need to pay Rs 2,000 to their respective bazaar committees, which charge the fee as ‘rent’ for the shed they erect for the ‘gamblers’ for two days and one night.
“At the hindsight, there is not much scope of a good profit when compared to the non-refundable investments made by us,” tells Y Raja, who like last year is putting up a stall at Bank Tinali no matter what. A distant hope of making a huge profit overrules everything!
Like Raja, many prepare to indulge in the game well in advance. Most with the intention and hope to make up for the loss incurred last Diwali.  Looking to find a space in the crowd of fortune-seekers is Shasanko Burman, a daily wage earner. Last year he lost about Rs 6,000 in jhandi-munda. Instead of sticking to ‘once bitten, twice shy’, he is looking to play and invest heavily this time.
“If Lakshmi smiles on me this time, I will not only make up for the loss but earn profits,” he says with hope gleaming. However, Burman, sheepishly accepts that the habit is hard to die and most often than not, it takes the better of the individual.
Meanwhile, the capital police is gearing up for another confrontation with law-breakers and mischief-mongers.  Capital SP Hibu Tamang said adequate security arrangements have been put up in places of jhandi-munda to maintain peace and tranquility and ensure that people celebrate the festival without any fear and disturbances. He said that mobile patrol units will keep all corners of the State capital under surveillance all through the Diwali.
Four voters, 100% voting!
Staff Correspondent
DAPORIJO, Oct 16: Polling station No. 21, Sikaridanga, under Balemu circle of West Kameng district in Kalaktang Assembly constituency, has recorded hundred per cent voter turnout.
On October 13, all the four eligible voters walked up to the make-shift polling booth and cast their votes. In record time a record of 100% voting was achieved. The polling officials bundled up their belongings in a hustle and made their way back to headquarters in double quick time.  Mromboo in Dibang Valley district under Anini Assembly constituency has only 3 eligible voters but it missed the 100% voter turnout tag. Only one had voted there. The lone polling station in Kalaktang Assembly segment to record 100% voter turnout is also the station with the least number of voters in the district with 152 polling stations spread in five Assembly constituencies. It has 2 males and 2 females as eligible voters. Incidentally, all the four are non-Arunachalees.
Meanwhile, two polling stations in Upper Subansiri district, one each in Taliha and Daporijo Assembly constituencies, also recorded hundred per cent voter turnout as per latest reports available.
17- Doloripu polling booth under 23-Taliha Assembly segment and 50-Makba under Daporijo topped in voter turnout amongst the total 244 polling booths in as many as 5 Assembly constituencies of the district.
Each of the 34-odd electorates of Makba under Giba circle and 47 electorates of Doloripu under Taliha circle of the district caste their votes on October 13. Interestingly, in both the polling stations females outnumbered the males comprehensively. Twenty-one voters of the 34 in Makba and 24 of the 47 in Doloripu are females.
Upper Subansiri, meanwhile, also tops amongst the districts where the maximum number of polling stations have been ordered for repoll. Altogether, repoll in 13 polling stations have been ordered across its five Assembly segments.
Official sources from Daporijo today said that polling in the remaining 231 polling stations in the district was conducted successfully despite all odds.
Despite reports of minor skirmishes, 44,608 people turned up to cast their votes at 70.44  per cent turnout. While 21149 males voted, not less than 23,459 females came out to cast their votes outnumbering the males.
Governor greets on the occasion of Deepawali
ITANAGAR, Octo 16: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen JJ Singh has conveyed his warm and sincere greetings to all Arunachalees on the auspicious occasion of Deepavali and expressed his hope that the festival of light will imbue every citizen with the strength and courage to grapple the challenges before them. In a message to the people on the joyous occasion, Gen Singh said, light connotes wisdom, as darkness symbolizes ignorance.  Deepavali truly reminds us that when knowledge conquers the darkness of ignorance, the light of true wisdom prevails. He added, it is a festival of happiness and has a universal appeal and influence among the people of all beliefs and faiths to work harmoniously in the building and construction of a vibrant and prosperous society. Wishing that the Deepavali also be a day of extending amity and friendship, the Governor offered his prayers for the celebrations to have an impact on the society, so that wherever darkness exists, the light of Deepavali will illuminate gloriously and bring to the society qualities of love, harmony, unity, and peace.

Khandu greets people
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu today extended Diwali greetings to the people. In a message he said, “May this colorful and joyous occasion illuminate our lives with happiness, prosperity, peace and knowledge.” As the festival also celebrates the victory of good over evil, the Chief Minister expressed hope that it will foster the feelings of brotherhood and mutual understanding amongst the people. Meanwhile, he urged all to observe safety measures and ensure a pollution free celebration to make it enjoyable for all.
Repoll on Oct 19
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: After due consideration of the reports from DEOs, ROs and the Chief Electoral Office, the Election Commission of India (ECI) today fixed the date for repolling on October 19 next for all the 34 polling stations across 16 Assembly constituencies of the State. Repoll was recommended due to various incidents of violence and EVM damage in 33 of the polling stations except for Nogi Polling Station in Taliha Assembly segment of Upper Subansiri district. Official sources today said that polling at Nogi could not be conducted on October 13 due to non-availability of EVM duly commissioned by the ECI. The repolling would be held from 7 am to 3 pm in all the stations on the said date.

Farmers’ clubs formed
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: The National Youth Project (NYP) State unit recently formed ten Farmers’ clubs at Damro village of Mariyang circle in Upper Siang district with financial assistance from rural bank branches and NABARD. These clubs consisting of at least 10 members are more or less self-help groups in which the members organize amongst themselves better collective farm produce, marketing, value addition, processing of agricultural and horticultural produces, link with corporate raw material suppliers for bulk purchases, improvise latest technical knowledge and allied activities besides undertaking socio-economic developmental activities in education, health, environment and natural resources management sectors.

CoSAAP in AIGSEF meet
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 16: The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) represented by its Member Secretary Pate Marik and Treasurer Tage Grayu would attend the national executive meet of the All India State Government Employees Federation (AIGSEF) at Panaji, Goa, on October 24 and 25 next. The Confederation is slated to take up issues confronting