MYSTIC EAST ...nuggets galore Vol 1 | Issue 3 | March - April 2015 SPECIAL FEATURE CHHAU NEEDS A ‘NABAKALEBARA’ A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE BY HRAEI Inside Special feature 37 March-April 2015 NABAKALEBARA 2015: A BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TDSAT directs TRAI to News-National review tariff guidelines 8 20 for broadcasting 15 News-International companies 18 Indian cuisine is a FHRAI EC meeting big hit all over the in Kolkata 26 world. Read why? MYSTIC EAST | 3 Inside CLMV IS THE LAUNCHPAD; ASEAN 28 42 IS THE GOAL 52 SPECIAL FEATURE ON WHY ODISHA IS GOD’S GRACE CHHAU NEEDS A STATE SURVEY: TRIPURA 38 NABAKALEBARA HERITAGE IS UNRIVALLED EDITORIAL BOARD This issue of Mystic East contains 60 pages including SUDESH PODDAR, cover and back cover PRESIDENT, HRAEI NAVIN SUCHANTI, All information in HRAEI’s Mystic East magazine is derived from sources we consider reliable TREASURER, HRAEI and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. 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The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss Estate-II, Kolkata, West Bengal 700 015 caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear. 4 | MYSTIC EAST March - April 2015 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear fellow members, paign to a farce and the whole country will pay a heavy price for an opportunity The Right to Fair Compensation and lost. Transparency in Land Acquisition, Re- The bill enables the state governments habilitation and Resettlement (Amend- to take “situation-specific steps” for de- ment) Bill, 2015 has been in the eye of a velopment of their states while, at the storm of late as Opposition parties have same time, safeguarding the interests of taken upon themselves the responsibil- farmers. “It takes care of the imperatives ity of protecting the farmers’ interest. of growth and employment on the one The impression gaining ground is that hand, and interests of the farmers on the the NDA-led government at the Centre is other. The bill is the need of the hour. If batting for the rich and is trying to push we do not seize our opportunities, the through the bill in Parliament to pre- world will not wait for us,” Singh told empt any resistance in the Rajya Sabha. IANS in a recent interview. Sudesh Poddar It is unfortunate that a Bill which will It would have been more meaning- pave the way for faster economic growth ful had Parliamentarians made an ef- and industrialization, with its attendant fort to make the provisions more farm- benefits, faces the risk of being moth- er-friendly. A more balanced approach is It would have balled once again in the absence of con- the need of the hour and agriculture and been more sensus in Parliament. Political expedien- industry should thrive and complement cy is on the ascendant as development each other for healthy and all round de- meaningful had takes the backseat. velopment of our economy. There is in- Parliamentarians It is a fact that the new bill is an im- deed scope for further rationalizing the provement on the previous Land Acqui- bill to make rehabilitation and resettle- made an effort sition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement ment of displaced farmers effective and to make the Act, 2013. It has been cleared in the Lok livelihood-oriented. Sabha with minor changes. The rural de- A farmer-friendly Land Bill deserves provisions more velopment minister Birender Singh in our whole-hearted support and political farmer-friendly PM Modi’s Cabinet has correctly called parties should work together to push this Congress’ bluff. According to the minis- through Parliament without delay. ter, the Congress-led United Progressive Our current issue presents two major Alliance (UPA) government got the land cultural events, Chhau Festival of Serai- bill passed in 2013 “in a hurry” with over kella and Nabakalebara 2015. I sincere- 50 “drafting errors” as it wanted to reap ly hope you will find it interesting and benefits of the legislation in last year’s thought-provoking. Lok Sabha elections. Enumerating benefits of the new bill, dubbed “anti-farmer” by Congress and some Opposition parties, Birender Singh said its enabling provisions will give boost to infrastructure, manufacturing and employment. If stalled, it will reduce Sudesh Poddar the much-touted ‘Make in India’ cam- President, HRAEI MYSTIC EAST | 5 MESSAGE SECRETARY’S MESSAGE Dear fellow members, has been earmarked in the current year. A Special Accelerated Road Develop- The development of infrastructure in ment Program for North East (SARDP- north-eastern states has been taken up NE) includes upgradation of 10141 km on mission mode by the NDA govern- road stretches of national highways and ment at the Centre. Rail connectivity is state roads. It aims to upgrade national an important component of the ‘Act East’ highways, connecting state capitals to 4 policy. On August 11, 2014, Meghalaya lane or 2 lane and to provide connectiv- got its rail connectivity with the comple- ity to all 88 district headquarter towns tion of the Dubhnoi-Mendipathar lines. of NER by at least 2-lane road. So far, Three more lines into the Northeast approval for 2/4 laning of 6418 km of are expected to be completed this year. various categories of roads under Phase Southern Assam will soon be part of the ‘A’ and Arunachal Package of SARDP- Pranav Singh broad gauge network with commence- NE in entire Northeast at an estimated ment of the longest ever gauge conver- investment of Rs. 33,500 crore has been sion project between Lumding and Sil- given.The target date of completion of char measuring 210 km. Phase ‘A’ of SARDP-NE is March, 2017 The master plan for development of and Arunachal Package is March, 2018. With active support railway infrastructure in the north-east- An MoU was signed between North ern states includes connectivity to all Eastern Council (NEC) and Alliance Air, and participation of state capitals, uni-gauge, broad-gauge the wholly-owned subsidiary of Air In- north-eastern states network in the region, augmentation of dia, on 24th September, 2014 for flight network capacity for handling growth operations in the Northeast under via- in the development of traffic in future, expansion of net- bility gap funding (VGF) scheme of NEC process, one can work to unconnected areas of the region, to connect Shillong, Lilabari, Tezpur and strengthening international borders Silchar with Kolkata/Guwahati. The New expect the local and improving trade and connectivi- Delhi-Dimapur flight was announced at communities to join ty with neighboring countries. Twenty the recently concluded NEC plenary in major infrastructure projects for new Delhi. the mainstream line, doubling and gauge conversion are All this suggests that things have start- economic activity sanctioned and ongoing in north-east- ed rolling so far as infrastructure proj- ern states. These include 10 national ects are concerned. With quality power for overall projects. Together, these major projects and telecom networks in place, industry prosperity of the cover a length of 2919 km at a cost of Rs. would be more than willing to make their 38310 crore. presence felt in the development-hungry north-east region Two new schemes have been initiated states of the region. With active support by the Ministry of DoNER in 2014-15 and participation of north-eastern states which are proof of the Central govern- in the development process, one can ex- ment’s intent to fast track development pect the local communities to join the projects in the infrastructure deficit mainstream economic activity for overall north-eastern region.