Untimely
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi&’s efforts to have a separate time zone for the North-east may not be realised after all because a gain of half an hour for the region may lead to the loss of an equal number of hours in the central and western areas.
   A senior Union ministry of science and technology official told the Assam Tribune that the Centre had turned down such a proposal in 2001 and 2007. An expert committee appointed by the Centre in 2001 had said there was no need for a different time zone. Instead, it recommended that working hours in the region be advanced by an hour, which state government employees may not like.
   Significantly, after studying the demand, the second expert panel believed that given the longitudinal difference between the extreme regions in the country, technically it was possible to have two time zones. “But these will be five or six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time in place of the current uniform Indian Standard Time, which is five and a half hours ahead of GMT,” the findings said.
   The expert panel admitted that a separate time zone would be in accordance with international norms, but it pointed out that new timings would enable savings in daylight hours only by half an hour for the eastern states, whereas there would be a corresponding loss of half an hour in the central and western states.
   It was observed that this did not provide any major advantage, yet on the other hand posed several difficulties in terms of differential timings for airlines, railways, radio and TV, STD services, among others, sources said.
   A more prudent and effective solution would be to advance the work timings by one hour in the eastern states, which could be implemented through administrative instructions, a suggestion accepted by the Centre.
   A few days ago, Gogoi had proposed a local time zone that would be at least 60 minutes ahead of IST and help the state save energy by better utilising daylight. Assam&’s tea gardens and oil establishments already have a system of local timings as the sun rises earlier in the North-east than in the rest of the country.
In fact, prior to Gogoi&’s statement, a parliamentary panel on transport, tourism and culture had made recommendations on similar lines by suggesting early hour flight operations in the North-east to reap the benefit of early sunrise in the region.

Fire awareness
The district emergency centre-cum-disaster management cell, Papum Pare, organised an awreness programme on fire safety measures in collaboiration with the fire service department of Naharlagun last week, says a report in The Arunachal Times. Assistant sub-inspector (Fire Service) PC Roy conducted a mock drill and spoke about various fire safety measures during an emergency or disaster. Several cases of fire destroying houses are reported every year in the state.

Resource project
Union minister for development of the North-east region Paban Singh Ghatowar inaugurated the North Easterm Region Community Resource Management Project on 6 January for underdeveloped districts of Arunachal Pradesh like Tirap, Changlang and Longding, according to a report in
The  Arunachal Times. The project is aimed at transforming the lives of the poor and marginalised tribal families and is a joint initiative of the North Eastern Council, Doner and
International Fund for Agriculture Development. Its major activities include capacity-building of communities and participating agents, economic and livelihood activities, extension and technology transfer, credit, social sector activities, village roads and rural electrification,  community-based bio-diversity conservation, natural resource management and communication, convergence with ongoing government schemes and marketing support.

Journalists’ gesture
Journalists of Mizoram  recently donated Rs 40,000 to Hermon  Children&’s Home, says a Mizonews.Net report. Other contributors include Mizoram chief minister Lalthanhawla and horticulture minister PC Lalthanliana, finance minister Lalsawta, public health engineering  minister Zodintluanga, health minister Lal Thanzara, supply minister John Rotluangliana and legislalors Vanlalzawma and H Ngurdingliana. The  initiative was taken by Lalrambuatsaiha, editor of Aizawl Post and president of the Mizoram Journalists’ Association.
NAVA THAKURIA