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Proposed anti-migrant bill ‘an insult’, says JAC
Correspondent
IMPHAL, Jul 10: Manipur government’s move to introduce a fresh bill was an insult to the tribal people of the state, the Joint Action Committee Against Anti-Tribal Bill (JACATB), Churachandpur had alleged. “While the conundrum over the anti-tribal bills still ongoing and the mortal remains of the nine Tribal Martyrs awaiting an honourable burial, the Manipur Government’s preparation to introduce fresh bills is an insult to the Tribal Martyrs and the tribal people in Manipur,” a statement of the JAC issued late Saturday said. It said that a public consultation meeting convened on Saturday by the JAC at the YPA hall at Hiangtam Lamka has resolved to continue to spearhead the movement for tribal land, rights and identity. The meeting noted the initiative taken by the JAC, the Manipur Tribals’ Forum Delhi and the Outer Manipur Tribals’ Forum in the fight for tribal land, rights and identity
Land acquisition for B’desh rail link to start soon Agartala, Jul 10 (PTI): Acquisition of land for rail link between Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh will start soon as funds have been released by DoNER ministry, officials said today. “Rs 97 crore were earmarked for land for AgartalaAkhaura rail project in the Indian side. The entire amount has been handed over to the state government and we will start acquisition of land in fivekilometre area up to the border on Indian side. “As we have to give notices to the land owners, it will take about three months to complete the process,” West Tripura District Magistrate Milind Ramteke told reporters. The process of laying the 15.054-km-long railway tracks to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh will be completed by 2017. Of the total track, a stretch of five kilometre would be on the Indian side and the rest in Bangladesh. A flyover (viaduct) which will be 3.7 km long would be constructed on the Indian side to save cultivable lands and the entire project cost would be borne by the government, he said. DoNER has already sanctioned Rs 580 crore for the project as New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link which would connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh. The Agartala-Akhaura railway route would connect Indian Railways with Bangladesh Railways to improve connectivity and boost trade between the two countries. Also the 1,700 km distance between Agartala and Kolkata which passes the ‘chicken’s neck’ in Siliguri would be reduced to 350 km if passengers could move through Bangladesh, officials said. The entire project cost for laying down the track on Indian side and Bangladeshi side would be borne by India. The two neighbouring countries had agreed to lay the tracks between Akhaura and Agartala duringing Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in January 2010.
and the tribal people and to continue to stand behind them till an acceptable political autonomy/solution for the tribal people in Manipur is achieved. The meeting further endorsed resolutions made during a recent consultation meeting organized by the Tribal Youth Council, Manipur and the All Tribal Lawyers’ Forum, Manipur at the Tribal Research Institute, Imphal on June 21 last. The June 21 meeting had resolved to declare June 20 as “Hill Peoples Day”. It further resolved to tribals to support only those candidates who are fully conversant with the provisions of article 371C, the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Manipur Legislative Assembly and the Manipur (Hill Areas) Disrict Council Act, 1971 and ready to work in the interest of tribal people in the upcoming Assembly Elections 2017. Fight for full autonomy of Autonomous District
Councils(ADCs) and explore every means to extend Sixth Schedule to the Hill Districts of Manipur so as to empower ADCs and safeguard the rights and interests of the tribal people and fight for the economic development of the tribal people so that the equilibrium in the economy of the hills and valley can be achieved were other resolution of the June 21 meeting. The JAC statement said that Saturday’s meeting also resolved that no tribal voters will give their vote to the incumbent tribal MLAs who have been declared anti-tribals by the apex body of tribals in the upcoming Assembly elections 2017. Appeal will be made to churches’ made by the Christian Goodwill Council on June 18 to aware the resolution to the tribals of the state. To pray for the upcoming Assembly Election 2017 in Manipur so that there have a free and fair election devoid of horse-trading, intimidation and violence during or after the election was also resolved, the statement added.
Villagers forced to suspend railway work in Manipur Correspondent IMPHAL, Jul 10: Muddy waters and waste materials of construction of tunnels for the Jiribam-Tupul railway expansion have severely damaged paddy fields and irrigation canals in Tupul area of Manipur’s Tamenglong district. Even though aggrieved villagers have forced to suspend all works related with the construction of tunnel for the last nearly three months, authority is yet to address their plights. The tunneling work at Tupul remained suspended since April 14 last after villagers imposed a total ban alleging they were not compensated for the land affected by the tunnel construction. Besides not compensating for the land affected by the tunneling, villagers alleged that their paddy fields and canals meant for irrigating the fields nearby the work site have been severely affected by the muddy water and waste materials of the tunneling. An aggrieved villager from Rangthailong village alleged that his paddy fields have been damaged beyond cultivable by the muddy water and other waste material released from the tunneling site. The same situation is for the other villagers. He alleged that any of the government or railway authority compensated for his land till date. No survey was conducted to the damaged
land. As such they never think of affecting their fields. As no authority come up to address their plights, “we are thinking of lodging even to the underground group that will able to press the authority,” he maintained. The Jiribam-Tupul railway expansion project was started taken up as a national project from 2003-2004 at an estimated cost of Rs 4,445 crores in view of its country’s Look East Policy which was now renamed as Act East Policy. Earlier, work for the rail project connecting Manipur’s Jiribam sub-division and Tupul in Tamenglong district, near Imphal was targeted to complete by 2015. The reschedule completion target is 2018. A total of 107 minor bridges, seven major bridges and three roads over bridges and two roads under bridges have been constructed so far. Four out of the 34 tunnels have also been completed. The project being executed by the Northeast Frontier Railway has also been extended to Imphal and is targeted for completion by 2018. The government also plans to extend the line up to the border town of Moreh to connect the region with Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. The improvement in connectivity will facilitate greater socio-economic development in the region.
Stir against oil field auction
Guwahati, Jul 10 (Agencies): Several political parties, including the Left parties, NCP and AAP, staged a protest against the government’s decision to auction the 12 small oil fields in Assam, the bidding process for which starts on July 15. “The BJP government wants to hand over public property to the corporate sector. The government wants to convince the public by saying that there is no guarantee of profit after oil exploration from the 12 oil fields. Will the private parties come if profit is not guaranteed?” said CPM state secretary Deben Bhattacharyya. Chanting slogans against the auction, hundreds of activists from CPM, CPI, CPI-ML, AAP, NCP, Samajwadi Party, Asom Sangrami Mancha, Liberal Democratic Party, RCPI, AIFB and Janata Dal (Secular) on Saturday vowed to resist the move. Hundreds of protesters staged a demonstration on the banks of Dighalipukhuri.
‘Survival of rhinos matter of concern’
northeast AGP to discuss VAT hike at crucial meet G u wa h at i , J u l 1 0 (Agencies): AGP, which is part of the state government, which discuss the recent hike in VAT in its steering committee meeting after the party’s founder president and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta opposed the move. The AGP leadership will also meet representatives of the Centre and the state governments regarding the decision to auction 12 small oil fields in the state to ask that they ‘reconsider’ the decision. This move has also been opposed by Mahanta. “So far, we have supported what the government has decided to do. The chief minister and the finance minister have already made it clear that it will not affect the common people. So, it’s alright,” AGP general secretary Ramendra Narayan Kalita said. He, however, said they will raise their voice if they think the VAT hike will hamper the public. “We will always stand by the interests of the people,” Kalita added. Besides, the West Gauhati MLA also advocated having a coordination committee with the representatives of AGP and BJP to take crucial decisions.
Rail and road connectivity restored to Tripura Agartala, Jul 10 (PTI): Tripura, which had been cutoff from the rest of the country for about three months because of heavy rains and flood in neighbouring Assam leading to crisis of essential commodities and fuel, is now limping back to normalcy, officials said today. Road and rail connectivity, which was stopped for this period, has now been restored. Thousands of trucks carrying essential commodities were stranded at the AssamAgartala National Highway at Lowerpoa in Karimganj district of Assam for about three months forcing the Tripura government to impose rationing on sale of petrol and diesel. Officials of Transport and food and civil supply departments said 68 oil tankers and a large number of trucks carrying commodities entered the state yesterday following temporary repairing of roads in Assam side. There was no rain in that area for the last three days, officials added. “Running goods train in the Lumding-Silchar section in Assam started yesterday,” Chief Public Relation Officer of N F Railway, Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a statement. “The goods train passed through the newly diverted portion in the Lumding–Badarpur hill section. Train movement in that section had to be suspended due to lateral movement and uplift of railway track near Maigrendisa station after very heavy rainfall in that area on May 16 and 17. Repeated attempts to resume train movements through that portion failed due to continued uplift and lateral movement of track,” the statement said. After consultation with experts, it was decided to construct a 300-metre-long diverted portion by-passing the areas which were showing lateral movements. The work for construction of the diverted portion started from June 17 and completed on July 6. After other works which included track linking and construction of a culvert, were completed.
Nagaland Post, Dimapur monday, July 11, 2016
Death of CRPF jawan triggers strife at Khatkhati
CRPF jawans stage protest infront of CRPF Group Centre, Khatkhati, East KA. Bokajan, July 10 (Agencies): A CRPF jawan died of heart failure while undergoing a 21 days special tranning at CRPF Group Centre, Khatkhati in East Karbi Anglong. The incident took place when the jawan collapsed unconcious during the 20 KM march on Saturday evening. He has been identified as Raju Paswan of 33rd Batch, 129 BN CRPF. Hundreds of jawans today protested in front of the main gate and accounted Assistant Commandant Jayanta
Guwahati/Morigaon, Jul 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today reviewed the flood situation in the state and asked officials of the departments concerned to gear up relief operations on a war footing. At a high-level meeting here, the Chief Minister directed officials to make efforts to reach out to affected people and to provide relief to them, particularly women and infants. The Health and Family Welfare Department was directed to have sufficient stock of medicine to tackle waterborne diseases, while the Public Health Engineering Department would provide pure drinking water in the flood affected areas, said a government release. Sonowal also asked Chief Secretary V K Pipersenia to instruct Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts to provide all help to the flood affected people. The Deputy Commissioners would also be asked keep sufficient country boats ready for rescue operations. Sonowal asked the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department to keep sufficient stock of fodder for the livestock and to provide fodder in the affected areas. The departments concerned were reminded about the need to provide proper sanitation in relief camps. Minister for Water Resources Keshab Mahanta and the Chief Secretary apprised the Chief Minister of the prevailing flood situation and the steps being initiated to provide succour to the affected people. Pipersenia said there was no dearth of funds and the government had allotted the necessary funds to the Deputy Commissioners much in advance to tackle the flood situation vis-a-vis relief operation, the release said. Mahanta said his department has taken up measures to strengthen some of the embankments and to plug the breaches wherever possible. The Chief Minister was also apprised of the relief operation being carried out in
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rhino horns becoming one of the biggest illegal trades in the world, the survival of rhinos has become a matter of concern, general secretary of the forum, Amitabh Sharma, said on Saturday. There is huge demand for rhino horns in China and Vietnam where it is
used in traditional medicine to ‘cure’ cancer. “Our appeal to the state government is that stringent measures have to be put in place to curb rhino poaching. A high-level probe must be instituted against corrupt forest officials,” Sharma said.
The bereaved family members of Lt. Sentinuken (Chuchuyimlang) would like to express our profound & heartfelt gratitude to everyone who stood by us, physically, financially and in prayer, during the prolonged illness and at the sad demise on 29th June 2016. We deeply regret our inability to thank each & everyone of you. We can never repay you back for the good deeds that you have done. Your kindness will always be engrained in our hearts and pray that our Almighty God bless you abundantly. Loving, wife, children, parents, brothers, sisters & relatives
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G u wa h at i , J u l 1 0 (Agencies): The Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Forum, a pressure group in the Assam, has demanded stringent measures against, and a high-level probe into, rhino poaching in Assam. With the smuggling of
talions across the country who had come to the group centre to attend the 21 days special tranning which started from 27th June, 2016. The jawans also complained of mental and physical torture in the light of training which they are subjected to. Paswan is said to have joined the force back in 2008. He hailed from the state of Bihar and was posted at Assam’s Kokrajhar district. He is survived by a wife and four young daughters.
Assam flood: CM Sonowal takes stock
27.02.1977 – 29.06.2016
A rhino tending her baby through the flood.
Rai of Paswan’s death. Rai was incharge of the training programme. The protesting jawans alleged that the officer refused to rush ailing Paswan to the hospital in his car after he collapsed and instead called for an ambulance which consumed another couple of hours. He was however admitted to a hospital but sccumbed after efforts to revive him yield no results. He was in the group of 650 CRPF jawans from various bat-
Lower Assam- Aerial view of flood affected districts. The flood has affected 9,98,730 people in 2,005 villages. the urban water logged areas of Guwahati city. Sonowal has asked ministers and MLAs to fan out to the flood affected areas and to monitor relief operations there, besides directing the Deputy Commissioners and the sub divisional Officers (civil) to provide relief to the flood affected people, especially women and infants. As Assam continues to reel under the devastating impact of floods, the Brahmaputra river has submerged 60 per cent of the rhino habitat Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary located in Morigaon district near Guwahati. The floods have also damaged around 50 per cent infrastructure of the Sanctuary which is the world’s densest habitat of the Great Indian one-horn rhinoceros,
said Forest Department officials here today. Several link roads connecting to Pobitora WLS were submerged and even washed away in some places, they said. The sanctuary authorities has tightened security system to combat poaching in the sanctuary during the floods. However, due to nonavailability of funds the patrolling mechanised boats as well as country boats used for protection of the wildlife could not be repaired. Due to non-availability of mechanised boats, it has become difficult for guards inside the flood ravaged areas of Pobitora WLS to perform their duties effectively, they said. Fund constraints for the last three months was also hin-
dering repair works of its five anti-poaching camps - Kuchiyani, Kolabhuyan, Kukkari, Tuplung, and Nekera – that were destroyed by storm and flood causing the forest guards to face serious problems in anti-poaching operations. Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam continues to remain grim with over 1.35 lakh people affected in Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Morigaon, Barpeta and Jorhat districts, according to the Assam state disaster management authority. Two persons - a man and his son - were washed away in Jorhat district yesterday. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat and Dhubri town, while river Dhansiri at Numaligarh in Golaghat, it said.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We give thanks to the Almighty God for giving us a godly father. We had amazing time with our father. He gave and took him for eternal rest on 30th June 2016 on His appointed day. With grateful hearts, we the family members of Lt. Velhüpra, Asstt. Teacher (Rtd) extend our sincere thanks to each and every individual, neighbours, colonies (Tüphöko), in-laws, friends and relatives from far and near who stood by us in ardent prayer with material and physical support during the sudden demise of our beloved father. We deeply regret our inability to name each one of you in this column but it is our humble prayer that our Gracious Lord would bless each one of you abundantly in return. We would also convey our sincere thanks to: • Thüvopisü Baptist Church • Shri Neposo Thülüo & Family • Thüvopisü Village Council & Frontal • Shri Vevo Sapuh & Family Organisations • Shri Razuovolie Dozo & Family • Education Deptt. Thüvopisü • Dr. Tsielhuotuo (ATO) & Family • Thüvopisümi Welfare Union, Kohima • Shri Poverü Venyo Family & Children • Rünguzu Village Council • Shri Atuolie Medom Family, • Sühthozu Nagwu Village Council brothers and sisters • Director, Officers and Staff, SIRD, Kohima • Shri Khekiye K Sema & Family • Dozonumi • Prof. Glen Thomas Thong & Family • Ramunumi • Shri Velü-o Shijo & Family • Ringa clan of Chesezu, Runguzu, Chozuba • Dr. Chekhwüprü Nyekha & Family Village & Khomi Village • Shri Thüyekhayi Ringa & Family • All in-laws, niece & nephews of Lt. • Dr. Veswülhü Ringa & Family Velhüpra • Shri Niebou Angami & Family • Chakhesang Baptist Church, • Shri Dukhoyi Ringa & Family Kitsubozuo, Kohima • Shri Tsibou Khesoh & Family • Rev. Khrütsoyi Lürüo & Family • Shri Zanepra Rhakho & Family • Rev. Dr. Phuveyi Dozo & Family • Shri Chekroveyi Lürüo & Family • Shri Küzholüzo Nienü, Hon’ble MLA • Shri Sekhota Ringa & Family DP-4412
Loving wife, children, in-laws, grand children and relatives K
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