AASU team meets Nitish on job for locals
A delegation of the AASU     met Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and demanded 100 per cent preference for local candidates in the NF Railway. The AASU delegation comprising its president Prabin Boro, general secretary Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya, Rajya Sabha MP Dr Arun Sarma, and others, made it clear to Mr Kumar that the students’ union would not compromise on the issue. The AASU leaders said that since a major portion of the NF Railway lies in Assam, the State should get the lion’s share in appointment.

Naga army commander-in-chief passes away 
“Commander-in-chief’’of the underground Naga Army, General Mowu, passed away   his residence in Dimapur      after a prolonged illness. General Mowu, 73 is survived by his wife and daughter.A born Athelete, General Mowu’s ambition was to participate in the 1956  Olympics at Melbourne. But    he had to forgo it and gave    way to the olympic sprinter, Milkha Singh. His uncle, A. Z. Phizo, the founder of Naga National Council, influenced him to join the secessionist movement.

NSCN (K) activist arrested 
The para military forces  arrested one NSCN (K) activist at Longding in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. The cadre identified as Mogpha Wangcho, a resident of Chanu village was the self-styled ‘lance corporal’ of the outfit.

Army busts fake currency racket
The troops of the Red Horns Division deployed in Goalpara district have busted a counterfeit currency racket, thereby scuttling the attempts of anti-national elements to derail the already impoverished economy of the State. Based on specific information about circulation of counterfeit currency, the troops of the Red Horns Division raided the house of Sanwar Hussain, resident of Mahilapathar, Goalpara. During the search of the house, the troops recovered counterfeit currency worth Rs 14,400. A fundamentalist organisation in Dhubri and Goalpara districts is actively involved in circulating fake currency.

Germany provides relief for flood victims
Germany will provide 230,000 euros for the relief of flood victims in northern and North-Eastern India. The ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency will use the aid, from Germany’s humanitarian relief budget, to assist 5,000 families in Morigaon district of Assam. The families will be provided blankets, mosquito nets, utensils, water cans, medicines and other relief items. Thousands were displaced or rendered homeless in oil and tea-rich Assam this year by the flooding of the mighty river Brahmaputra..

Bhandari is Sikkim Cong chief
The Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) has merged with the Congress and former Chief Minister and veteran politician Nar Bahadur Bhandari has been appointed President of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC).

Spurious drugs seized
The Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offences (BIEO) and drug officials carried out a joint raid at different medicine shops and pharmacies in Guwahati and seized a huge quantity of spurious medicines. Among the seized medicines, 40 brands were from Mahabir Pharma and Surgical, Panbazar and 20 from Sati Drugs. The samples of the medicine that included Nise, Diplex, Ampicilin, Hysin, Liversyn, etc, have been sent for laboratory tests.

Film shooting norms in NE
The Union Government has liberalised the guidelines for shooting foreign feature films but as far as clearance for shooting in sensitive North-East and Jammu & Kashmir is concerned it is likely to take longer than the stipulated three weeks owing to security considerations. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad said keeping in mind security concern relevant to the border areas, specific clearance would be required for shooting in NE States, Jammu & Kashmir and could take longer than stipulated 3 weeks.

MP’s aid to hospital
Rajya Sabha MP U G Brahma, with an aim to upgrade the R N Brahma Civil Hospital, Kokrajhar with modern equipments has donated Rs 7.5 lakh to purchase an ultra Sonography machine and ECG in the hospital. The R N Brahma Civil Hospital in spite of being the lone civil hospital in the district is yet to have a sonography machine and other modern equipments. There is lack of doctors also.

BSS greets Advani 
The Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Kokrajhar district committee, conveyed its gratitude to Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani for bringing  the amended Sixth Schedule BTC Bill 2003, which was passed in the Lok Sabha during the current Parliament session. President of KDBSS Parmeswar Brahma and secretary Samal Narzary, in their message to    the Deputy Prime Minister, expressed their satisfaction   over the inclusion of Bodo language in the 8th Schedule    of the Indian Constitution and over the passing of the BTC  Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Sabha at the same time urged the Deputy Prime Minister to implement all the clauses of the Accord as per the MoS signed on February 10. 

Army nabs top ULFA woman cadre  
In a major breakthrough, the troops of the Red Horns Division apprehended Bhonita Talukdar alias Deepali, women’s wing organisational secretary of ULFA, from village Jangrinpara located in general area Fatimabad of Barpeta district. Based on specific information, the troops of the Red Horns Division deployed in Nalbari district carried out a search operation in village Jangrinpara. During a house to house search the troops of the Red Horns Division located Bhomita Talukdar alias Deepali hiding in one of the houses of the village. Apart from being the organisational secretary of ULFA’s women wing Bhomita Talukdar is the wife of hardcore ULFA militant Arun Mahanto of Barpeta who has been actively involved in subversive in lower Assam.

Major explosive racket busted
A major explosive racket operating from south Assam’s Silchar was busted by the Army which recovered 70-kg of a banned main ingredient of gunpowder. The Army raided the shop and godown of a local businesman and recovered 70-kg potassium nitrate. The businessman identified as Indu Paul, who was apprehended, confessed to supplying the substance to various militant outfits in the area in connivance with brokers. Paul confessed that the offensive substance was sold to the militants to step up violence to jeopardize the ongoing process of normalcy and stability, besides to create conflict among various tribes in the districts of Cachar and NC Hills.

Hardcore ULFA cadre arrested
A joint team of Army and Police apprehended a hardcore ULFA cadre recently. The joint team moved to Kakojan and arrested Bulanto Moran alias Nal Moran, under Dumduma police station. The individual has confessed that he had joined ULFA in 2002 and was trained in communication. The recoveries from the cadre included a combat dress, two extortion notes and some Myanmarese currency. The apprehension of the hardcore ULFA cadre has further added to the setbacks suffered by ULFA with a key link missing in their communication group.

NSCN (IM) ultra killed in shootout
One NSCN (IM) activist was killed, several others were injured and sophisticated weapons recovered from the ultras in an encounter with security forces at Motong.

APCC raps UDF over APCOCA repeal
Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has vehemently criticised the United Democratic Front government’s decision to repeal the Arunachal Pradesh Control of Organized Crime Act (APCOCA) within eight months of its adoption in the Legislative Assembly unanimously by the same legislators though they have parted from Congress to form United Democratic Front (UDF). The APCC in its meeting under the chairmanship of its  president Mukut Mithi questioned the government decision to repeal the APCOCA in the next Assembly session. Such action would encourage  the insurgent activities in the State and ultimately the people would be victims for which     the UDF government would     be responsible.

BSF jawan killed in gunbattle with NLFT
A BSF jawan was killed in an exchange of heavy fire between the BSF and the militants at Maguruli, a border village in North Tripura district. Insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), accompanied by local miscreants of Bangladesh, also opened ‘unprovoked’ firing at a BSF patrol and BSF jawans also opened fire in retaliation, police said. The insurgents opened fire only 500 metres away from the zero line and on receipt of the information of exchange of fire the strength of BSF was increased and additional forces from state police also joined BSF. Earlier, a BSF jawan was killed by the insurgents in the same village when the jawans foiled an attempt of kidnapping of an Indian citizen. G. M. Srivastava new Tripura DGP 

The Tripura Government has appointed senior IPS officer
G. M. Srivastava as the State’s new Director General of Police (DGP). Mr Srivastava, an Assam cadre IPS officer of 1972 batch, would succeed Mathew John, who had recently left Tripura    to pursue a fellowship. Mr Srivastava is presently posted   in Jammu and Kashmir as the Inspector General of Police of CRPF and had earlier worked   as the Additional Director General of Assam Police.Mr Srivastava is likely to join his new assignment in  the month end. Earlier, the IPS Association of Tripura had urged the Government not to appoint any IPS officer from outside the Manipur-Tripura (MT) cadre as the Tripura  Police chief.

Naga youths undergo guides’ training
A group of Naga youths have undergone a weeklong guides’ training programme on adventure and rural tourism recently at Sikkim. The programme was sponsored by the State Tourism Department and organised by the Eco-Tourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS). The programme aimed to promote adventure and rural tourism among the youths of Nagaland. The  training provided an  opportunity for the youths to experience adventure sports like water rafting, rock climbing, trekking and campsite management. The training also provided first hand experience on about promoting and identifying adventure tourism   in Nagaland where communities could become the stakehloders in the development of their own villages.

‘Financial crunch hits handloom sector’
Financial constraints have severely hampered implementation of schemes for the benefit the handloom and handicrafts artisans in Manipur. State Commerce and Industries Minister T. H. Devendra Singh said that training programmes were, however, being implemented in different trades for the handicrafts sector. Schemes being implemented in the handloom sector, with adequate financial support from the Centre, included, the Health Package Scheme, Group Insurance Scheme, Thrift Fund Scheme, Market Development Scheme and Deen Dayal Hatkharga Protsahan Yojana. No State award to the master craftpersons under the scheme of “state award to master craftspersons” was given to both handicrafts and handloom industries since 1998-99, the Minister said. However, the awards would again be conferred from this year, he added.

CRPF jawan killed in attack
A CRPF constable was killed and another injured when insurgents from Manipur attacked the CRPF company headquarters at Mizoram-Manipur border village of New Vervek. Aizawl Superintendent of Police Zorammawia said that the insurgents attacked the CRPF from a hillock in the eastern side and killed CRPF constable Ram Gond on the spot before decamping with his self loading rifle (SLR). A cook was also shot by the insurgents on his right leg, Zorammawia said, adding that CRPF personnel returned the fire and the exchange of fire lasted for   about 15 minutes.

Central funds for 546 projects in North-East
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 3,103.61 crore under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of resources to take up 546 projects in the North-East since 1998-99. Of the said amount Rs 1,868.66 crore had been released so far till March 31 this year. Manipur’s sanctioned quota was Rs 406.18 crore of which Rs 253.71 crore had been released so. Altogether 48 projects had been taken up so far in the eight North-Eastern states, including Sikkim, during the period 2002-03. Rs 372.51 crore had been sanctioned for the same. However, only Rs 87.09 crore had been released. Of the total of 48 projects, 13 were in Manipur for which Rs 66.32 crore had been sanctioned and Rs 26.02 crore released. The projects, taken up in Manipur, included providing drinking water to Churachandpur and Ukhrul town from two rivers at Rs 9.62 crore, upgradation of water treatment plant at Bungmol in Churachandpur at Rs 3.51 crore and setting up of a 132/133 KV subcentre at Rengpang at a cost of Rs 1.93 crore. All the 13 projects are set to be complete by

NRL employees help flood victims
Numaligarh Refinery Employee’s Union (NREU) contributed Rs 1 lakh to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the flood victims of Assam. This is in addition to Rs 10 lakh contributed by Numaligarh Refinery authorities and Rs    2.25 lakh contributed by      NRL Officer’s Association earlier. The cheque was handed over to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi by Imran Hussain, president of NREU.

ICAR team visits mithun farms
A team of expert from Technical Management Board of National Research Centre (NRC) for Mithun under Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) visited here recently to assess the present status and plan programmes for conservation of mithuns under the initiative of Arunachal Pradesh Government. During the three-day visit to mithun (semi domestic animal) farms and interaction with Government officials, has appreciated the initiative taken by the State Veterinary Department in conserving this important genetic resources, official sources said. The team also assured the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Director, that a special recommendation for conservation and improvement programmes for the mithuns to be submitted to ICAR.

NPCB notice for polybag users
The Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) has issued a notice for registration of re-cycled plastic bag manufacturers. The notice stated that under provisions of the Environment Protection Act, the Union Government has banned manufacturing and selling of carry bags made of re-cycled plastic bags. As per the Act, no person should manufacture, stock, distribute sell and use the carry bags made of virgin or re-cycled plastic which were less than 20 x 30 cm and did not conform to the minimum thickness of 20 microns. The carry bag manufacturers should apply to the NPCB for grant of registration or renewal registration of their respective units within four months from the date of publication of the Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Amendments Rules.

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