Assam 2nd highest in IED raids
Grenade is the most common form of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) being used by militants to carry out attacks, with 220 such incidents having taken place in 2003 while 31 incidents of attack were triggered by remote-controlled devices, according to a study conducted by the Army recently. The study conducted by the Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) said 60 per cent of the casualties in Jammu & Kashmir were caused by IEDs. It said around 500 persons were killed and 2,500 injured in IED blasts last year. The study also said that while in J & K and the North-East, grenade and remote-controlled devices were used to carry out blasts, the Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand have mostly used landmines to carry out attacks. Assam came second with 20 such attacks triggered by IED, Chattisgarh saw a sudden spurt with 12 blasts from just two in 2002. In Mizoram, it was just one while seven states — Himachal, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttaranchal, Sikk im, Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh were incident free.

Silchar airport extension on progress
With the handing over of 72 bighas of land to Airport Authority of India by Goodricke Tea Company, the extension of runway of the Silcahr airport from the existing 5,857 feet to 7,500 feet to accommodate airbus services get the nod of the Civil Aviation Ministry. Silchar airport ranked fourth in the region after Guwahati, Agartala and Imphal, carries the rich legacy of the World War II vintage airstrips.

Shillong shoe-maker in Guiness Book
James Syiemiong, a Shillong-based professional shoe-maker, termed it as “ultimate glory” when he received a certificate from the Guiness Book of World Records for making the “highest heeled shoe commercially available.” “As of February 2004, the highest heels commercially available boast a combination of 43 cm platform and 51 cm heels, produced by James Syiemiong (India) for boldnbootiful.com,” said the certificate from the London-based Guiness World Records Ltd. “It is the ultimate glory for me,” Syiemiong remarked on his achievement. The shoes were made not just for records’ sake but were available commercially, he said adding these would not be uncomfortable for even non-professional models to walk with. The professional shoe-maker also had to his credit another certificate from the Guiness Book for ‘most joint cracks of body parts simultaneously’ in February last. “Now I want to go to Italy to upgrade my technological know-how in the Milan-based Ars Arpel International I nstitute of Footware,” he said.

Committee demands more autonomy for hills
The Sixth Schedule Demand Committee of Manipur has once again moved the Centre for granting autonomy to the hill districts of the state on the lines of the Autonomous District Councils in other parts of the region. The Committee led by Rajya Sabha member and former Manipur Chief Minister Reishang Keishing has made a case for implementing the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in the hill districts of the State.

NEC keen on private trade
The North Eastern Council (NEC) is keen on encouraging private entrepreneurship and would invite suggestions from seminars and workshops being held on the subject. NEC secretary Kamal Taori said “seminars and workshops should become platforms for making suggestions that can be taken up by the NEC.” Mr. Taori further stated that private enterprise would be encouraged in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, veterinary and sericulture. He, however, said they would not be able to finance big projects. “While we would like to encourage private entrepreneurship at every level, our financial position limits us to projects on a small scale. Seminars and workshops, which come out with suggestions, should remember this,” he added.  The NEC has sanctioned Rs 57 crore to the Mizoram Ggovernment for the Eighth Plan, Rs 56 crore for the Ninth Plan and Rs 40 crore for the Tenth Plan. NEC has constructed 6,000 km of roads in the North-East.

Arunachal gets over 12 crore under SGRY 
Union Ministry of Rural Development, during the current fiscal has allocated Rs 12.47 crore for Arunachal under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana, out of Rs 450 crore earmarked for the NE states from the budgetary allocation of Rs 4,500 crore meant for the entire nation. Union DONER Minister P R Kyndiah informed this to Rajya Sabha member from Arunachal Nabam Rebia. Mr Kyndiah revealed that the share of Arunachal Pradesh was about 0.277 per cent of total allocation.
Arunachal: 15 Cong heavyweights denied tickets
ITANAGAR, Sept 19 – In what has come as a surprise for various politicians as well as people of Arunachal Pradesh, 15 sitting Congress MLAs of the 60-member House failed to figure in the party list for the October 7 Assembly elections in the State, report agencies. All these legislators and ministers switched over to the Congress from the BJP recently after the July 6 downsizing exercise, followed by dissolution of the House much before its expiry. Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Mukut Mithi at a press conference during that time had assured them Congress tickets for the ensuing Assembly polls. The issue regarding distribution of Congress tickets had recently snowballed into a major crisis and the party had to face many problems for which it had to delay the announcement of candidates.According to party sources here, these MLAs were left out in order to accommodate a few new faces with strong winning prospects. Even AICC senior leader Ramesh Chhenithala during his recent visit to the state had made it clear that the party would only issue tickets to those candidates with ‘winability’.

The former ministers and legislators who were denied Congress tickets include, Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo (9 Chayangtajo), Fishery and Labour Minister Jotom Toko Takam (16 Yachuli), Power Minister Lijum Ronya (27 Liromoba), Education Minister Tamiyo Taga (32 Rumgong), Health Minister Dr. T Tapak (37 Pasighat West), Planning Minister Thupten Tempa (2 Tawang), Minister of State for Social Welfare, Women and Child Development Mekup Dolo (8 Bameng), Forest Minister Rhoding Pertin (42 Dambuk), Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Indrajeet Namchoom (46 Chowkham), PHED Minister S Ngemu (50 Miao), Mines and Research Minister Phosum Khimhum (52 Changlang South), Cooperation Minister Tingkhap Taiju (53 Changlang North), Horticulture Minister Anok Wangsa (60 Pongchao-Wakka), Talo Mugli (25 Raga) and Kento Ete (29 Along West).

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