Centre approves border trade centres for Nagaland
The Centre has approved setting up five Border Trade Centres (BTC) along Indo-Myanmar border in Nagaland to promote trade and commercial activities in the State. This was stated in the annual administrative report of Industries and Commerce department tabled in the just concluded State Assembly session.
The BTCs will be set up at Pangsha, Lungwa and Avakhung districts. To promote international trade and commercial activities in the State, five border points have been identified along the international border of Indo-Myanmar. They are Lungwa in Mon district, Pangsha in Tuensang district, Mim in Kiphire district and Mohe and Avangkhu in Phek district, the report said. In the first phase, trade-related infrastructure facilities are on the anvil at Lungwa, Pangsha and Avangkhu, the report said. Under the NEC programme, the State PWD (roads and bridges) is constructing road to Pongkhungri to the border point via Avangkhu village.

No-confidence motion rejected in Mizoram House
A no-confidence motion against the Mizoram Government was rejected by the State Assembly with virtually no discussion on the motion’s subject that the security of Mizo people was at stake. Moving the motion, Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) MLA Lalduhoma alleged the government had a “nexus” with insurgent groups for its political ends and this jeopardised the security of the Mizos. The motion was rejected by 25-13 votes with no member participating in the discussion.
Earlier, Lalduhoma said weapons had been supplied to groups like the Bangladesh-based Shanti Bahini and Manipur-based Hmar insurgents. Different arms, like AK-47 rifles, 9mm pistols, rocket launchers, .302 rifles, sten guns and ammunition were taken out by insurgent groups from State police armouries, he alleged. The gun culture adopted by the Mizo National Front Government went against democratic institutions, violated the peace accord signed by the MNF with the Centre in 1986 and brought insecurity to the lives of common people, he said. With no members participating in the discussion, Speaker Lalchamliana invited Chief Minister Zoramthanga to wind up the no-confidence motion even as the treasury benches and opposition members were trading charges.

Youth commission
The Government of Mizoram has decided to set up a youth commission in the near future even as fund allocation was yet to be included in the annual budget for the next fiscal, State Sports and Youth Services Minister Z H Ropuia said. In reply to queries from D Thangliana and Lalchhandama Ralte, both members of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), Ropuia said that the State Government had already constituted a study group on the issue. A draft report of Mizoram Youth Commission would also be soon placed before the drafting committee, he said.

New bridge near Saraighat may get rail link
The new bridge to be constructed over the river Brahmaputra parallel to the Saraighat bridge will be converted to a rail-cum-road bridge if a need arises, said the Union Surface Transport Minister, TR Baalu in a letter to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Official sources said that in his letter, Baalu said that the Surface Transport Minister got in touch with the Railway Minister in this regard and “the Railways have informed us that technical feasibility exists for the construction of a railway bridge along with the proposed road bridge.” He said that the Railways would construct a Railway bridge along with the new bridge if need arises. Meanwhile, an official release said that the Chief Minister had been pressing the Centre that the new bridge, the foundation stone of which is scheduled to be laid by the Prime Minister on April 8, should be a rail-cum-road bridge. The release said that the Chief Minister took up the matter at different levels including with the Prime Minister, Union Surface Transport Minister and the Railway Minister

3 NLFT ultras surrender
Three insurgents of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have surrendered to the security forces in two different places in Tripura. Two hardcore ultras of the NLFT (Biswamohan faction), Laila Tripura (41) and Adam Jyoti Tripura surrendered at the BSF headquarters at Shalbagan. They deposited two 9 mm revolvers, one hand grenade and five rounds of live cartridges.
In a separate development, police said, Govinda Koloi of the same group surrendered to police at Ambassa in Dhalai district yesterday. The insurgent deposited one ak-56 rifle, two magazines and 94 rounds of ammunition.

‘Sino-Indian border situation has changed for the better’
The situation along the Sino-Indian border has changed for the better and the two countries were now collaborating in key areas like energy, a senior IAF official has said. “Both China and India are growing economic powers and together buy energy sources. Thus I do not think there will be any more military battle (between them),” said Air Marshal P K Barbora, the chief of the IAF’s Eastern Air Command which operates along the border with China in Arunachal Pradesh.
Interacting with visiting reporters recently at the Command’s headquarters here, Barbora, the first officer from the North East to head an IAF Command, recollected the Chinese agression in the North East in 1962. “It had been a setback but since then the situation has changed for the better,” he said.
Listing his priorities, Barbora said his main aim would be to protect the borders to ensure that the “people of the North East have a good night’s sleep”.

PMGSY allocations for NE states increased
The Ministry of Rural Development has systematically increased the allocation for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and the progress of works are continuously monitored through regional performance review meetings so that the quality of roads are ensured. In the NE region, Assam has been allocated the highest amount of Rs.276 crore during 2006-07, which includes an allocation of Rs.100 crore from the Asian Development Bank. The allocation for the other NE States are, Arunachal Pradesh Rs.52 crore, Manipur Rs.28 crore, Meghalaya Rs.40 crore, Mizoram Rs.27 crore, Nagaland Rs.25 crore, Sikkim Rs.25 crore and Tripura Rs.35 crore. A separate window with a corpus of Rs.4,000 crore has also been created in NABARD for financing rural roads under Bharat Nirman Programme.
A total of Rs.5,225.62 crore has been allocated under PMGSY during 2006-07 to all the States in the country.

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