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northeast
Poll officers for Mnp general elections
Correspondent
IMPHAL, Sep 4: Election authority in Manipur has appointed nine nodal officers for the upcoming general election to the Manipur Legislative Assembly, due by early 2017. Chief electoral officer (CEO) Manipur had already started preparation for the election which would be the eleventh general election to the state Assembly following an instruction from the Election Commission of India (ECI). To take stock of the preparation, a team of the ECI led by its director general had even visited the state on August 11 and 12 last. As a part of the preparation, Manipur government has issued an order appointing nine officers of Manipur Civil Service (MCS) and Manipur Finance Service (MFS) as nodal officers to
look after different section of the activities related with the preparation of the election. As per the order, director of state survey and settlement department Somorjit Salam has been appointed as manpower management, deputy secretary (transport) Dr Rangitabali Waikhom as helpline and complaints redressal, joint director (CAF&PD and MD (MSCB) Ranjan Yumnam as observer, administrative officer (medical) T Manihar Singh as implementation, director SLUB & deputy secretary revenue Y Rajen Singh as welfare of polling personnel, under secretary (AR) and deputy director, SAT A Shivadas Sharma as training management, joint director/ IPR Dr N Johnson Meetei as media communication and joint director (finance commission) L Badalkumar and
deputy finance advisor/agriculture P Premjit Khuman as expenditure monitoring. The four-member ECI team led by led by deputy chief election commissioner Sandeep Saxena had visited the state on August 11 and 12 last and reviewed meetings with officials of state election authority, district electoral officers (DEOs), political parties and other stakeholders before taking a decision on holding Assembly election in Manipur. During the meeting with them, political parties had even suggested to conduct the elections in one go. On the other hand, aspirant candidates of BJP have also started their election campaigns in the constituencies they wished to contest the election. With the hope of capturing power after the gen-
eral elections, Manipur unit of BJP had already geared up for the poll with the estimation that the elections may come up any time before the end of the current term of Ibobi led Congress government. Former president of BJP Yuva Morcha, Pukhrambam Somorjit today launched his election campaign at Langthabal constituency of Imphal West district with a party election rally at Lilong Chajing. Somorjit is hoping to contest the election as BJP candidate from the constituency. However, he said that if the party fails to offer the ticket he will drop from contesting the election and support the candidate choose by the party. State BJP leaders who spoke on the occasion said that the party will definitely able to capture power after the next general election.
Shillong teen arrested in USA freed on bond
Shillong, Sep 4 (Agencies): A teen who fatally shot his mother at their Ooltewah home on Aug. 6 in which his attorney said was “a tragic accident” had his bond lowered and is out of jail. Jovian Kyndiah is charged with four counts of aggravated assault related to a long standoff with police, but he has not been charged with his mother’s death. That investigation is continuing. Attorney Bryan Hoss said the youth was preparing to take a gun to his aunt’s home nearby after it had been burglarized the night before. He said the gun accidentally went off with his mother nearby. She was killed by the shot that entered her side and passed through her body shortly after midnight. Attorney Hoss said the youth then “panicked” and became suicidal, leading to
Bibhuti bags Heritage Heroes Award Marijuana worth Rs. 44 lakhs;
Dr. Bibhuti Lahkar Guwahati, Sep 4 (PTI): Assam-based ecologist and conservation activist Bibhuti Lahkar has become the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious ‘Heritage Heroes Award’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Lahkar received the award at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ongoing World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii last night, an IUCN release said. Lahkar was among five conservationists across the globe to be nominated for this year’s Heritage Heroes Award, aimed at recognising “outstanding efforts” around the world in making a difference in the conservation of
‘TMC will wrest power from LF in 2018 Tripura polls’ Udaipur, Sep 4 (PTI): Overcoming all hurdles, Trinamool Congress (TMC) will wrest power from the CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura in the 2018 Assembly elections, a top TMC leader today said here. “We will wrest power from the Left Front by overcoming all hurdles. This is our mission. People of the plains and hills of Tripura will vote for us and we will present them with good governance,” TMC vice-president Mukul Roy said at a mass gathering. Altogether 2,150 supporters of different political parties like CPI(M), Congress and CPI(ML) today joined TMC in presence of Roy. “TMC is now a national party and Congress is a party of circus, which lost all its teeth in Tripura and has no ability to deliver any good anywhere in the country,” Roy said.
World Heritage sites in challenging situations, it said. Lahkar has been working to save the grasslands, flora and fauna of Manas National Park area for the past two decades and is currently engaged as Manas Landscape Administrator for Aaranyak, an NGO working for biodiversity conservation in northeast India. On receiving the award, he thanked all who helped him along the way and said he felt humbled and honoured by the recognition for his work. “Today I am delighted and honoured to get this award. I have dedicated this award to Manas World Heritage Sites and local communities living around Manas,” he said. The ecologist has intensively studied the grasslands of Manas and is now globally recognised as an expert in the threatened flora and fauna of the Terai region along the southern foothills of the Himalayas, an Aaranyak release said. In the early nineties, Lahkar was conducting research at Manas when he found himself in the height of the Bodo agitation, followed by the armed struggle by
Bodo insurgents when people occupied land within the Park and started rampant timber collection and poaching in the protected area. As a consequence, Manas was listed as a World Heritage Site “in Danger” (1992-2011) and it was during this period when Lahkar formulated a vision for Manas with support from the locals. Along with his team, Lahkar trained ex-poachers, hunters and members of local grassroot NGOs (almost 600 in number) and these poachers-turned-conservationists are now helping the forest department in patrolling and protecting the Manas National Park. He was also instr umental in connecting Manas Wildlife Sanctuary with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan, which led to a system of trans-boundary wildlife monitoring and now supports management in the entire Manas natural area that spreads across India and Bhutan. He also conducted the first GIS survey of the park and his research findings and recommendations are a critical component in the Manas Tiger Conservation Plan.
two peddlers arrested
B ishal gh a r , S e p 4 (Agencies): On specific inputs, a special operation was carried out by troops of 86 battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) jointly with the police, which recovered huge quantity of marijuana hidden in a truck in Rastharmatha area of bordering Sepahijala district of Tripura Saturday. Two persons were arrested along with the dry marijuana (locally called ganja) worth around Rs. 44 lakh. DIG BSF Ashok Kumar Yadav said, “Based on information provided by the DC G (Deputy Commandant G branch) BSF team along with the police stopped a truck and from which 35 packets of ganja has been recovered. Each packet weighs around 25 kg and all total the consignment is around 875 kg. According to government approved rate the seizure’s worth is around Rs. 43 lakh 75 thousand.” He added that in order to keep Tripura drugs free BSF is not only seizing dry ganja but also continuing its operation against cultivation of ganja especially in the bordering areas and in the deep forest where the present of the police and security force is less. Last year the BSF destroyed more than six lakh ganja plants in the Sepahi-
India to carry petroleum products via B’desh Agartala, Sep 4 (IANS): The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) will transport petroleum products from the northeastern state of Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh from September 7, an official said here on Sunday. The official said the arrangement was due to the difficulties faced in carrying petrol and diesel through the Indian roads of the region. The IOCL under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Indian Government and the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) of the Bangladesh government had signed Memoranm of Understanding (MoU) in lieu of this in Dhaka on August 18. “If the passports of the officials and truckers of IOCL were received by Tuesday, the transportation of the petroleum products from Assam to Tripura via Bangladesh would start from September 7,” an IOCL official said. He said Indian oil tankers carrying petroleum products
from Bongaigaon (northern Assam) will ply on the Dawki border (Meghalaya)- Tamabil (Bangladesh)- Chatlapur (Bangladesh)- Kailasahar (north Tripura) route covering a distance of 136 km in about four hours. “This new route via Bangladesh would save time and costs in carrying petroleum products from Assam to Tripura as the existing over 400 km mountainous route required more than ten hours to carry these essential items. Besides, the condition of national highways through Meghalaya and southern Assam is horrifying,” the official added. The short-term IndiaBangladesh deal on shipping of the petroleum products is valid till September 30. An official statement of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said based on the request by the Indian government, Bangladesh has granted permission for the movement of petroleum goods on humanitarian grounds through their
territory. The MoU will facilitate India to carry petroleum goods (Motor Spirit, High Speed Diesel, Superior Kerosene Oil and Liquefied Petroleum Gas) from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh territory to make a buffer stock of them in the northeastern state. Bangladesh had earlier allowed India to carry food grains and heavy machineries from different parts of India to northeastern state of Tripura via Bangladesh. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has transported a fresh consignment of 2,350 tonnes of rice last week from Kolkata to Tripura via Bangladesh to avoid transportation hitches through the traditional route of Assam and Meghalaya. Earlier in 2012, Bangladesh had allowed state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and over-dimensional cargoes through Ashuganj port for the 726-MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura.
Nagaland Post, Dimapur Monday, September 5, 2016
jala district here in Tripura. The driver and assistant of the truck, bearing Haryana registration number HR-58-A1837, have been arrested and presently are under interrogation in the Bishalghar police station. Jashbir Singh, the arrested driver said, “I had loaded it from Bishalghar and was suppose to go to Guwahati. The packets have ganja and I was aware of it but thought that shall make little money out of it. I only have the mobile number of the owner and nothing else.” Meanwhile, Sepahijal district Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudipta Das expressed his concern over illegal cultivation of ganja in large unmanned area in his district and is a matter of great concern for the security forces which despite day and night vigil are unable to prevent it totally. He informed that previous month the police had seized around 1,500 kg of dry ganja destined for smuggling across the border to Bangladesh. Smuggling of different contraband items is on the rise across the state despite security agencies making relentless efforts to curb the illegal trade.
Dear Neito Kapfo, May your Birthday and every day be filled with the warmth of sunshine, the hapiness of smiles, the sound of laughter, the feeling of love and the sharing of good cheer, “Happy Birthday” From : Dad, Mom, wife,sisters, Brother and kids
the standoff with the SWAT Team. During the incident on Freedom Circle, he fired a shot through blinds in the direction of four officers approaching the house. The attorney said Kyndiah was “grief-sticken and distraught” after the shooting. He was initially held on $800,000 bond. An officer who opened the front door of the Dear Mhonthung, residence early in the standoff “Dearest Mhonthung,on your birthday we wish you all could see a body lying at the the very best..May the Good Lord bless you with all the top of the stairs. Attorney Hoss desires of your heart...Happy birthday Ngogo. said the shooting happened With lots of love Nzanti upstairs. At the first court date, 40 people showed up in support of the youth, which attorney Hoss said “is very rare.” They included his mother’s sister, his mother’s boyfriend, co-workers and a teacher from Ooltewah High School, where Kyndiah was a student and graduated. His father died some 18 months Aizawl, Sep 4 (PTI): Mi- Hmar, General Secretary of zoram Home Minister R La- Hmar Inpui Francis Songate, ago. lzirliana today asserted that Rohringa and Thanglianchthe state government would hunga. The state government not agree evenif the Manipurbased Hmar People’s Conven- delegation led by Additional tion (Democratic) continued Secretary for Home Lalbito demand a separate autono- akzama comprised Joint Secmous district council compris- retary for home Lalhriatpuia, ing areas adjoining Manipur, SP, CID (SB) Rodingliana Chawngthu and OSD (Home) IMPHAL, Sep 4 (Agen- in the ongoing peace talks. Lalzirliana said that he David H Lalthangliana. cies): The Residential Kids The HPC (D) organised Care School in Imphal is in the wished that the current peace eye of a storm. Residents of talks between the state govern- a meeting of leaders of difToupokpi village in Bishnupur ment and the HPC (D) would ferent Hmar organisations at district are threatening to close be successful in solving the Churachanpur in Manipur it down after a Class VI student insurgency problem hitting the on August 13 which endorsed Tongbram Suresh was allegedly north eastern part of the state the peace talks between the Mizoram government and the beaten to death for not being for years. The negotiation between HPC (D). able to pay the fees. A mob in The said meeting constithe Langol area vandalized the the two sides was held on August 10 in Aizawl and the tuted a Drafting Committee to school on Friday night. The locals demanded a second round is scheduled to chalk out the demands of the children’s park in memory of be held during mid-September Hmar people to be presented Suresh in the Langol range or third week of this month when the two sides meet again foothills in Imphal West. The when the HPC (D) delegation at the negotiating table during school has remained shut for comprising overground Hmar September. Social activist Dr. John the past few days after parents, leaders are slated to table their H. Pulamte was appointed fearing trouble in the wake political demands. The parleys between the as Convener of the Drafting of Suresh’s death, took away their wards. Various students’ two sides reached a stalemate Committee with the other organizations are coming to- in 2013 over the period of members being - Lalhalien gether to demand a probe into extension of the Suspension (Secretary, Hmar Inpui or the incident. On August 26, of Operations (SoO) with Hmar Supreme House) Dr. the school officials brought an the Hmar militant group ac- Vanlalnghak (Speaker, Hmar extremely weak Suresh home cusing the state government Inpui), Francis Songate (Genin a critical condition with of being insincere in finding eral Secretary, Hmar Inpui), bruise marks on his body, his a permanent solution to the Lalthlamuana Hmar (Speaker, Hmar Students Association) father Tongbram Bira said. He Hmar issue. In the first round of and David Buhril (Social died the next day. The deceased boy’s family members had gone talks, the HPC (D) delegation Activist). Except for Dr Vanlato the school on August 12 to members led by Lalthaliana bring Suresh back, but school comprised former President of lnghak and David Buhril, all authorities refused to let him Hmar Inpui (Hmar Supreme the members of the Drafting leave for not clearing the board- House) John Pulamte, Presi- Committee including its Coning fee of around Rs 20,000, dent of Hmar Students Asso- vener are delegation members added Bira, a poor farmer. ciation (HSA) Lalthlamuana in the current peace talks.
Hmar peace talks: Mizoram says no separate ADC
School faces mob fury over child death
Teej festival celebrated in Haflong Haflong, Sep 4: Like every year, Teej festival was celebrated in Kali Mandir, Haflong with custom and colourful program. The festival was marked by women praying to Lord Shiva and Parvati seeking their blessings for marital bliss. Teej is a three-day festival that occurs on the third day of ‘Shukla Paksha’ or bright fortnight of the moon during the monsoon season. The festival is celebrated in many states and observed by women folks for wellness of their husband and their children. The day long program was organized by the Gorhka Sports and Cultural Organization (GSCO), Haflong, Dima Hasao. Him Bhadur Chetri, deputy chairman of NC Hills Autonomous Council graced the celebration as the chief guest. As a festival for women, Teej celebrates the victory of a wife’s love and devotion towards her husband, an important factor in Hinduism symbolized by the union of Shiva and Parvati. Teej also
Girls dancing during the Teej festival at Halong on Sunday.
ushers in the advent of mon- heat and enjoy the swing of married women to visit their soon, when people can take the monsoon “Sawan ka Joh- parents and return with gifts a break from the sweltering ley”. It is also an occasion for for their in-laws and spouse.
Huge loss of public money in Tripura’s historic state museum to get its own sports gallery purchase of cows in Mizoram: CAG Aizawl, Sep 4 (Agencies): A huge drain of public money has been detected by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in purchase of cows in Mizoram. As per its report tabled in state legislature, the recommendations of an expert committee were overlooked. The CAG report said that the Director of Mizoram’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department failed to comply with the recommendations of an expert committee resulting in the death of 126 cows and monetary loss of Rs 68.04 lakh which could have been largely avoided. Under the New Land Use Policy (NLUP), the flagship program of the present Congress government in the state, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department K
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placed orders for supply of dairy cows at the rate of Rs 55,000 per cow from two firms - Kwality Dairy and Agro Sales, Karnal in Haryana (500 cows) and Model Diary Cattle Breeding Farm, Ludhiana in Punjab (300 cows). The two firms were not among the four firms which made their bids in response to the tender floated by the Departmental Purchase Advisory Board, the report said. The report said that the two firms together dispatched 788 cows, of which 43 died during transit and there was public protest when the supply and distribution of dairy cows was in full swing over the health conditions and quality of the cattle distributed to the NLUP beneficiaries. Among others, the import of cows from outside the state, allegedly caused the
death of many domestic cows due to outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) which prompted the state government to constitute a three-member Enquiry Committee headed by Principal Secretary for Disaster Management and Rehabilitation on July 24, 2012. The committee recommended procurement and transportation of diary cows from far-off places like Punjab and Haryana during the winter season before the end of February. But, the CAG noted, the Director of AH and Veterinary department again placed orders for supply of 1,400 dairy cows from the same firms at the rate of Rs 54,000 each and, in blatant disregard to the recommendations of the committee, allowed the firms to supply 1,372 cows between March and May in 2013.
A G A RT A L A , S e p 4 (Agencies): The historic Tripura State Museum in Agartala will soon be reaping the benefits of Dipa Karmakar’s inspiring show at the Rio Olympics. After being in existence for over 40 years, the ‘palace’ - as locals term it - will soon comprise a separate sports gallery, highlighting the state’s progression in the sporting arena over the past several decades. The gallery will trace back Tripura’s baby steps in sports and will go as far back to the time when the last ruler of the state, Raja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur reigned from 1947 to 1949; perhaps even before. This promises to add further glory to the state after it was earlier announced that a Bangladesh Liberation War museum will also be gracing the city soon to commemo-
rate the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, adding to Tripura’s rich collection of cultural and artistic sites. According to the authorities of the 1970-constructed museum, the concept of having a gallery dedicated to sports is not new. It was first considered almost two years back when Dipa had put the state, particularly Agartala, on the map by winning a Bronze medal during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It is since then that the wheels have been in motion. “We are proud of what Dipa has achieved, and I believe her heroics is what has led us [the museum authorities], with the permission of the state government, to come up with a sports gallery. This will be unique since unlike most museums, we will trace back the coming of sports from the time when the
kings used to rule the state,” HOD of the museum, Prateek told TOI Sports. “I was made aware of it a couple of years back, but it wasn’t initiated for some or the other reason. Today I’m happy to know it’s finally happening. I can’t tell you the exact time as to when it’ll be ready, but the idea is to have it up for visits by next year. The inauguration of the museum also holds a significance importance for one of Tripura’s Gymnastics torchbearers, Montu Debnath, India’s second gymnast to win the Arjuna award in 1975, who handed his trophy to the museum authorities a few years back, in hope that it’ll be up and running soon. Years later, that prestigious award which holds immense significance for the rise of gymnastics in the country, will finally see daylight. “Of course, our priority
will be to have Mr. Mantu Debnath’s Arjuna award to be up for display. We have special arrangements for it, which I won’t disclose now. Apart from that, there is a vast collection of imagery and other mementos, which not many are aware of,” Prateek said. Tripura’s cricket team is not the strongest in the domestic format but people here have a liking for it as expected. So cricket will be part of it, and so will tennis. Somdev Devvarman is Agartala’s only representative in tennis for the country, so we’ll feature him too.” And what about Gymnastics, the sport the city and the state are known for? “Oh, is that even a question? It won’t be a sports gallery without gymnastics. From Mr. Dalip Singh, the father of gymnastics in Tripura, to Dipa’s stunning effort in Rio, we plan on having each
and every achievement on display. There have been so many tremendous athletes from our circuit who have done so much and given recognition to the state. Mr. Nandi (Dipa’s coach and five-time national champion), Bharat Kishore Deb Burman (Tripura’s first gold in the sport at the national level) and others have been highly instrumental,” Prateek said. Equally on cloud nine is Debnath, who admits he was waiting for this day for a long time. “When I was made secretary of the Tripura Sports Council, I had given my award to them. Today, my wait is finally over,” he says. It is no secret as to how much the state has benefitted from the contributions of the likes of Debnath, Burman, Nandi, and now Dipa. It is only fitting that they get their own ‘hall of fame’ soon. K
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