Joint ops against N-E rebels in Myanmar

28 Feb,2010 TNN

IMPHAL: Union home secretary G K Pillai has said India and Myanmar will soon launch a "coordinated operation" to flush out N-E militants operating from the neighbouring country. The decision was taken during Pillai's meeting with his Myanmarese counterpart, Brig-Gen. Phon Swe, in Yangon on February 18. At the meeting, the home secretary said, the Indian delegation had given Myanmarese officials maps of rebel camps located in Myanmar.

Rebels belonging to the United National Liberation Front, People's Liberation Army - the armed wing of the Revolutionary People's Front - NSCN (I-M) are putting up in Myanmar, he said.

"Since the Myanmarese army is facing certain difficulties, the coordinated operation has been planned. Indian authorities will extend necessary assistance to their Myanmarese counterparts for this, Similar assistance to the Bangladesh army has been quite fruitful," Pillai said.

NSCN-IM leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah arrive in Delhi
28 Feb, 2010  PTI

NEW DELHI: NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah arrived here on Saturday night around 11.30 to hold talks with the Centre's new pointsman and are likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Swu and Muivah, who had last visited India in December 2006 and held talks with government leaders, are coming to carry forward the dialogue process on the vexed Naga issue a fortnight after the government appointed R S Pandey, a former petroleum secretary, as the new interlocutor on Naga talks.

Earlier in the day, Union home secretary G K Pillai told newsmen in Dimapur, "Muivah accepted the invitation from the government of India communicated through the new interlocutor R S Pandey to resume the peace dialogue."

The two top Naga rebel leaders, who are based in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, are likely to call on the Prime Minister and home minister P Chidambaram, official sources said here on Saturday.

Ahead of meetings with political leadership, the Naga leaders will hold talks with Pandey on March two and three, they said.

The two leaders were also expected to visit Nagaland besides addressing to the issue of clashes between the cadres of NSCN-IM and its rival NSCN (Khaplang), which resulted in unrest in the recent past.

Sources in the government said they would try and iron out the differences with the Centre on key issues, including the sovereignty demand under which the NSCN-IM has proposed a federal relationship with the Indian Union.

Mizoram tourism to take wings - Govt to connect tourist spots with choppers in tie-up with Pawan Hans

Travel haven

Silchar, Feb. 25: The travel industry in scenic Mizoram is set to take wings with "helitourism".

The state government is inducting helicopters in tie-up with public sector Pawan Hans to woo tourists to its picturesque spots strewn over remote hills and woods.

State officials will hold a meeting with officials of the aviation company in New Delhi soon to finalise the deal.

The helicopter company's main base will be Lengpui airport, 38km from the capital town of Aizawl. At present, there is no air service within the state but all important tourist sites in the state will be connected for convenience of tourists short on time. To reach the tourist sites, some army helipads, which have been lying unutilised, will be made operational while some new ones will be built.

Besides the chopper service, the government has also finalised a detailed project report for the construction of the state's second airport at Kawmzawl village, 8km from Lunglei, Mizoram's second biggest town. The airport, to be built at a cost of Rs 19 crore, will handle smaller aircraft and choppers.

At present, only Aizawl is connected by flight from Imphal, Guwahati (thrice a week) and Calcutta (daily).

To begin with, only one chopper will be stationed at Lengpui airport. Its numbers will be increased in phases to connect all the eight districts. The helicopters, which can accommodate nine persons at best, will also airlift other passengers, including government officials on their duties.

The principal consultant of the aviation wing of the Mizoram government, Wing Commander (retd) Lalzawma, said over phone from Aizawl last night that chief minister Lalthanhawla had evinced much interest in the proposal to tie up with Pawan Hans.

Taking a cue from the arrangements of other northeastern governments, Mizoram has also asked Pawan Hans for a 75 per cent subsidy in its fare for carrying passengers.

Last-minute arrangements are now under way with the Airport Authority of India for finalising steps to switch on the high-tech Instrumental Landing System which has already been installed at Lengpui airport with a central grant of Rs 30 crore.

Wing Commander (retd) Lalzawma said he would fly to New Delhi next Monday to talk to AAI officials about this long-pending work.

He said the state government had sought a grant of Rs 55 crore for installing crucial facilities at Lengpui airport. The runway length of the airport will also be extended from 8,200 feet to 9,000 feet to enable it to handle the more wide-bodied Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

"With such new gadgets in place at Lengpui airport it will look forward to better days in future," a senior state government official said. (The Telegraph)

Mizoram has only 14.98% of dense forest

Newmai News Network

Aizawl | February 24 : If a recent survey by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre in Aizawl is to be considered, there is only 3158.57 sq.km of dense forest which is not yet touched (cultivated). According to officials, the area is 14.98% of the total Mizoram area. The forest area which is exploited for road constructions, building houses and other sources accounted for Sq Km 147.85 which is 0.70% of the total land area of the state.
The figures were estimated by Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre with the help of photographs and spot visits of the area. The survey also reported that while there are 2628.08 sq.km medium dense forests (12.46% of total land area) and 3738.57 sq.km less-dense forest (17.73% of the total land area), 31.81% of the total land area is covered by bamboo which is 6708.37 sq.km.
Officials at the centre said that lots of forest areas have been exploited for jhum cultivation. During the survey, a whopping 3965.91 sq.km was cleared for jhum cultivation.
Project Director of Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre Dr. RK Lallianthanga said that all the data are based not only on satellite photographs but rather members from the centre have visited various places. He also hoped that the data will be of great importance to government departments for taking up projects and other programmes. Stressing on the need to preserve forest, the project director said that more awareness campaigns on forest fire and prevention of deforestation should be encouraged in Mizoram.

Tight security ahead of GK Pillai's visit in view of RPF boycott call

IMPHAL, Feb 25: Tight security arrangement have been made ahead of the proposed visit of the Union home secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai along with the director NE-2 of MHA, RR Jha tomorrow to the state to review every aspects of the security related issues of the state.

The security concern is in view of a boycott call of the visit of the officers by the underground RPF.

According to a highly placed official source, the Central official team led by Pillai will be arriving at the Imphal Airport at 9.15 am from Guwahati on Indigo flight and will proceeded directly to the Raj Bhavan.

In this regard, special security arrangement have been made along the Imphal Airport road upto the Raj Bhavan tomorrow.

The official source also mentioned that after taking a short tea break at the Raj Bhavan Imphal, the Central team will depart Imphal for Senapati district at 10 am to inspect the recently opened designated camp of KNO located Motojang village after the signing of Suspension of Operation, SoO with the government.

The source further mentioned that the union Home secretary will travel the entire length of from Imphal to Senpati district by road under tight security arrangement tomorrow and he would also be inspecting the maintenance of the existing police stations of Gamnon Sapermeina and  Kangpokpi on his return from Senapti district to Imphal tomorrow afternoon.

The source further said the union Home secretary after returning to Imphal in the afternoon will inspect the existing MPTS at Pangei and then the Central officer will attend a meeting with the Governor Gurbachand Jagat at Raj Bhavan.

He then will meet chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, at the CM bunglow. 
This will be followed by a meeting of  Strategic and Operation Groups (SOG) which will be held at the conference hall of Old Secretariat Imphal in the evening at about 4pm.

The meeting will be attended by the all high ranking official of the state including chief secretary, DGP, princiapal secretary home, Government of Manipur, official representatives from the army, paramilitary and BSF deployed in the state, the official source added.(IFP)

Another tremor rocks region

DIMAPUR, FEB 24: Following Tuesday's earth tremor measuring 4 on the Richter scale in Assam and Nagaland, another earthquake approximately of similar magnitude again jolted

the region on Wednesday evening triggering fears of the big one that has been forecast for some time.
In Dimapur, the earthquake was felt at around 8:15 pm. Residents were seen rushing out of their homes in panic, particularly with two quite strong tremors following each other so closely. Reports from other districts of the State could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
There is palpable fear brewing among the public especially with these two quakes coming within a span of 30 hours. According to agency reports, the epicentre of Tuesday's tremor originated from Nagaon, 127 east of Assam's main city Guwahati.
When contacted over phone, a member of the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) Jorhat told Eastern Mirror that the signs 'are not very good because sometimes prior to a major earthquake, occurrence of a few shocks tends to take place.'
However, dispelling any unwanted trepidation, he also said frequent occurrence of tremors does not always indicate that a major quake is imminent while assuring that so far studies have revealed no such big threat. The region is being monitored 24 hours, he added.
"There is no reason to panic unduly, but preparations need to be made in the event such a natural disaster does take place," he stated while advising all to be aware of the basic tenets of keeping basic food items for survival of minimum 3 days at hand, first aid, mobile phones with contact number of respective disaster management authority.
North East region falls in Zone V, the most severe seismic hazard in the country, and is the most seismically active region worldwide. But except for the August 6, 1988 Indo-Burma Earthquake (Mw = 7.2), no other recorded strong motion data are available for the region. However, there are several ground motion records for minor and moderate magnitude earthquakes.(EMN)

RBI holds outreach camp at CCpur

From M Kaimuanthang
Lamka, Feb 23 : As part of Celebration of its platinum jubilee the Reserve Bank of India, RBI, organised a Village Financial Outreach Camp today at Pearsonmun from about 11am.

The Outreach Camp was attended by BC of SBI , UBI , Manipur Rural bank , Maniput Sate cooperative bank, RBI ( RPCD, ID & BO's Office, Guwahati ), SIDBI , Micro entrepreneurs sponsored by SIDBI, NABARD, SGH, NGO's and micro insurance agencies sponsored by NABARD, Farmers Club, BSF exchange counter by United Bank of India etc apart from 15 agencies who opened a stalls at the venue of the celebration.

The function has been attended as chief guest by T Phungzathang minister power, Hort & soil conservation, SC/ Tech and inaugurated the camp while the RBI Executive Director VK Sharma has acted as the functional president.

Further present on the dais as diginitaries are AN Jha IAS Principal Secy,  Finance, Banking Ombudsman, RBI, BB Sangma, DIG / BSF AK Yadav, CRM UBI Ajit Sen besides the minister of PHED TN Haokip, T. Hangkhanpau MLA Singngat, the DC / Ccpur Jacintha Lazurus IAS, the SP / Ccpur GB Sharma IPS.

The ED RBI VK Sharma said it is the RBI's attempt to give as many benefit as possible to the village folks and for the same purpose Pearsonmun has been choosen as one of the model village of India and it is for all to see for themselves as to whether the village  improve or not.
He further said the odd 160 numbers of village they have choosen Pearsonmun to be the Model Village out of about 6 Lakhs in the country to  be made as one of the most developed and progress to the extent that they can serve an example for the other banks of the country.

He went said in the 2007 financial crisis  affects economies of many countries of the world yet India has not been affected owing to the villagers who are buying only Indian made goods primarily and to the adept handling of the financial situations by RBI.

Many of the would be facilities which the old and infirm, Below Poverty Line, BPL,  farmers, daily wage earners and paupers as well as those who are living hand to mouth are going to get have been pointed out by the ED.

Meanwhile the ZSF thanked the CM of the state as well the works minister , the Singngat MLA T. Hangkhanpau and Thanlon MLA  V Hangkhanlian for ensuring the handing over of Guite road to the BRO/BRTF in a release today.(IFP)

Choppers to give boost to Mizoram tourism

Aizawl, Feb 23: Mizoram will introduce helicopter services in the mountainous northeastern State to not only take the administration into remote areas but also to boost tourism, officials said here on Tuesday. "Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla held a meeting last week with the top official of state-owned helicopter services company Pawan Hans. Another meeting between officials of the state government and Pawan Hans would be held to finalise the details of the chopper services," a senior Mizoram transport department official told IANS. "The proposed helicopter services, with subsidised fare, can be used by tourists to visit tourist spots in the picturesque state. Ministers and officials would also be able to make visits to far-flung areas for administrative purposes."  The government-owned Pawan Hans has been operating for the past nine years in the interior areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim with the Central Government subsidising fares by 75 per cent. The Union Tourism Ministry in association with State Governments has decided to introduce 'heli-tourism' in the northeastern States by extending chopper services. "To promote rural tourism, helicopter services would be operated in select tourism spots in northeastern States," said Madhusudhan Bhattacharjee, managing director of Tripura Tourism Development Corp. Bhattacharjee told IANS: "The Union Tourism Ministry is scrutinising the 'heli-tourism' proposals received from the State governments of the region." (IANS)

Tremor hits Assam, Nagaland

 GUWAHATI/DIMAPUR, FEB 23 (IANS/NPN):

An earthquake measuring 4 on the Richter scale rocked Assam and Nagaland Tuesday, triggering panic among residents. According to the Regional Seismological Centre in Meghalaya's capital Shillong, the tremor was felt at 12.26 p.m in most parts of Assam. No casualties were reported in the first 90 minutes after the quake. In Dimapur, the tremor was felt at around 12:25 pm. Students of Evershine School Dimapur at Riverbelt Colony were seen rushing down to the ground from the building in panic. The epicentre was located at Nagaon, 127 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati. In Assam, the tremor was felt in Guwahati, Nagaon, Tezpur and Jorhat, besides some other parts of eastern Assam. Seven NE states are considered by seismologists to be the sixth most earthquake-prone belt in the world.

Minister’s support for IAF bombing in Mizo Hills criticised

AIZAWL, Feb 22 – Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana's justification of the bombing of civilian settlements in the State by the Indian Air Force on March 5 in 1966 was today termed as unfortunate by a Mizo Student Union.

Justifying the military action in the then Mizo Hills district, Lalzirliana said, "The aerial attacks by jet fighters of the IAF was conducted as the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front declared independence from the Indian Union."

Addressing conference of the State police service officials on Friday, he also rapped the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation for imparting wrong teachings among the people.

The MZP termed the Minister's comment as 'unfortunate' on the observation of the day as 'Zoram Ni'.

"The people of Japan observe the day the US dropped atomic bombs during World War-II as 'Peace Day, so the MZP also observes Zoram Ni to commemorate the singular incidence of aerial bombing of its own civilians by the Indian Government for the first and the last time," MZP leader and vice-chairman of the North East Students' Organisation (NESO) Lalmuanpuia Punte said.

He said the MZP observed 'Zoram Ni' since 2008 so that the new generation would remember the day in Mizo history.

Around 20 civilians were reported killed in the bombing five days after the MNF led by the late Laldenga declared independence from India. – PTI

Northeast Calling: Legal help is at hand

Kavita Charanji
The telephone rings persistently many times a day at the North East Support Centre and Helpline, located in New Delhi. Run by crusading lawyer Lansinglu Rongmei (36), the organization responds to calls from distressed women and men from the Northeast, who are victims of acute harassment and discrimination at the workplace, in educational institutions, on the streets or even at home.
The number of women callers far outstrip that of men. Rongmei, herself from the Northeast, explains that of the 100 cases that the helpline has taken on so far since its inception around two years ago, approximately 15 relate to sexual assault and sexual harassment. "Six are in the trial courts because a lot of women are reluctant to file complaints with the police," she says. And those courageous enough to do so get very little support from an apathetic police force and a slow-moving judicial machinery.
The gritty Rongmei, an advocate in the Supreme Court, remains unfazed however. One of the less publicised cases she took on pro bono last year was that of 24-year-old BPO employees, Niang Mary and Daisy, who were molested on December 11, 2008, by their landlord, his friend and the domestic help on the very night they had shifted into their rented flat in Sikandarpur, Gurgaon. The girls originally hail from Churachanpur in Manipur. Unfortunately, the nightmare was not over for the traumatised women: The police initially refused to file their complaint and even treated them as criminals. While the authorities should have immediately arrested the culprits and taken the injured and traumatised girls for medical examination and treatment, they were questioned and treated with suspicion as though they were the perpetrators.
Today, the case has moved ahead a bit. The police have given their statement to the trial court in Gurgaon and a doctor has corroborated the case of molestation after a medical examination. The three culprits were arrested but are now out on bail. "We are hopeful that Mary and Daisy will get justice," says Rongmei, who believes that the guilty trio could be put behind bars for at least two years or be fined, or both, if found guilty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 354 pertains to assault or criminal force with the intent to outrage the modesty of a woman. The helpline is also considering whether the culprits can be booked under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which carries a minimum sentence of five years.
Mary, who now works for ICICI, and Daisy, who has moved to another BPO job in Chandigarh, plan to soldier on till the culprits are brought to justice and emphatically refuse to accept the handsome compensation that the counsel for the accused has offered if they withdraw their case. "No amount of money can compensate for my loss of dignity. Even today, I have nightmares and they just won't go away," says Mary.
The workplace, too, is often a venue of sexual harassment. Recently, a 20-year-old Naga girl from Manipur was molested by a showroom manager at the Metropolitan Mall, Gurgaon. The distraught girl approached the North East Support Centre and Helpline. The police have identified the manager and registered her complaint. However, as always, Rongmei had to contend with police reluctance to register the case immediately. Fortunately, when pressure mounted from both the helpline and the victim's community, the police were compelled to take action. It helped that Gurgaon-based Pastor Angam also spoke out in their favour. However, the manager is yet to be charge-sheeted.
In addition to the apparent hurdles in the path to justice, Rongmei points out that the public in the Capital can often be apathetic. When witness to harassment, Rongmei points out that "most people see it as a 'tamasha' (drama)." While all women may face such a situation, for women from the Northeast things are even worse. They have to contend with a police force that is inadequately sensitised and attempts to browbeat the victim by delaying the filing of the case. Asserts Rongmei, "The police may also scare off the victims by saying that if they lodge a complaint they will have to make endless rounds of the police station and courts."
Rongmei observes that such incidents of assault on the North Eastern community are not new. However, the community's increasingly awareness of their rights and increased media attention has brought cases of harassment and discrimination into the public domain. But, according to the crusader, the media may have touched only the tip of the iceberg. "Around 10-20 such incidents that have come to us have been reported in the papers, but there could be 60-70 cases which go unreported," says Rongmei, who adds that there are some out-of-court settlements particularly in the area of the illegal termination of services or non-payment of salaries which are not publicised in the interest of the victims.
While the whole of the National Capital Region (NCR) is a zone of concern for intimidation of women from the North East, Rongmei believes that a region like Gurgaon has more cases because most of the youngsters from the Northeast work in BPOs, as sales executives in malls or as waiting staff in restaurants. They are also the most vulnerable as their services can be terminated at any point. The helpline is the combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers, with the prime movers being Rongmei herself, social activist Madhu Chandra and senior journalist, Dr John Dayal. Taking her experience and commitment beyond the Capital, Rongmei frequently visits Kandhamal district in Orissa - the worst-affected in the communal riots of December 2007 and August 2008. Working in tandem with organizations such as the Human Rights Law Network, she has taken on cases of abuse, one of them being the alleged assault and rape of a nun by around 40 men, on August 25, 2008.
The Human Rights Law Network strives to see justice meted out to 50,000 victims in over 800 cases of communal violence in Kandhamal. Social activism came early to Rongmei, who grew up in Dimapur, Nagaland, influenced by her school teacher father, the late GK Rongmei, who would assist community members to deal with day-to-day problems such as getting ration cards, school admissions or jobs. The fact that she has had her own brushes with racism - remarks like chinki, Nepali have sometimes come her way –– has only made her more determined to fight such behaviour. This determination, along with her zeal and legal experience, has ensured that callers on the North East Support Centre's helpline - the numbers are 9868184939 and 9818314146 - get a patient hearing. (WFS)

Centre plans a law for Dams' safety in the country

New Delhi, Feb 21 (ANI): Union Water Resource Ministry has plans to introduce a Bill in the parliament for the safety of large dams in the country in the Budget Session.

The Budget Session of the parliament starts from Monday.

The decision was taken, as most of the dams in the country are over 50 years old.

According to the National Register of Large Dams, 2009, India has 4,710 completed dams, while 390 dams are under construction.

The Water Resources Ministry said the proposed bill aims to establish an institutional system to regularly monitor the safety of large dams.

Some states in the country have their own dam safety laws. States like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have authorised Parliament to enact a law in this regard.

As per constitutional provisions, if two or more states authorise Parliament to make a law on a State subject, the Centre can pass a law.

Other states can pass a resolution in their legislatures to adopt the law passed by the Parliament, as the water is a state subject.

Ministry said that while the Centre will carry out the overall monitoring, states would have to set up their institutional system to ensure dam safety.

Under the new bill, a Dam Safety Cell will be set up at the project level, while a Dam Safety Organisation will be constituted at the state level.

Another similar organisation will be established at the level of the owner of the dam. The owner could either be government or a private operator.

The operators will have the obligation to allow inspections by experts to ascertain safety of the structure.

The Ministry also clarified that it was a general law, as dams need constant monitoring and strengthening. (ANI)

Bamboo dance set to enter Guinness World Record

Aizawl, Feb 20: Mizoram will be attempting to set a new Guinness World Record on "Largest Bamboo Dance" locally known as "Cheraw" on March 12, 2010. Around 11,500 participants in unique colourful tribal costumes from all walks of life within and outside the State will perform this mega event exactly at 2.00 pm making it the largest bamboo dance ensemble.   

The Assam Rifles Ground not being big enough to hold so many performers at one time, dancers will attempt the world record on the main roads of Aizawl covering a stretch of three kilometres, which is expected to make it not only the largest but also the longest bamboo dance in the world. The event is being organized by the government of Mizoram.

The bamboo dance is the most colourful and distinctive dance of the Mizos requiring special skills and a nimble mind to perform. The dance is believed to have originated way back in the 1st century A.D., while the Mizos were somewhere in the Yunan Province of China, before migrating to the Chin Hills in the 13th Century A.D., and eventually to the present Mizoram state of India. Some tribes living in South East Asia have similar dance forms in one style or the other with different names.  

The world record attempt will coincide with the celebration of the State's biggest festival "Chapchar Kut," on March 11, 2010 at Assam Rifles Ground, Aizawl. The State's popular festival engages people of all ages, young and old, men and women dressed in their colourful costumes and distinctive head gears and unique beads, assemble and perform indigenous games, folk dances, singing traditional songs accompanied by beating of drums, gongs and cymbals.

Handloom and handicraft of tribal arts are displayed for sale which goes together with luscious traditional cuisine. Modern music competition is sometimes held at this event. It is important to note that Meghalaya, India's popular North East tourist destination had recently set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Guitar ensemble. (Agencies)

Guite Rd will be handed over to BRO: Ranjit

From M Kaimuanthang
Lamka Feb  20: The SPF government under the leadership of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has never  made any false promises to the people of the state since the very inception and now it is going by its commitment handing over construction of Tedim road stretch from Ccpur to Singngat as well as the Guite Road from Singngat upto Tuivai River bordering Mizoram to the BRO/BRTF.

This was stated by the minister works K Ranjit Singh during his speech as chief guest on behalf of the CM on the occassion of 62 nd Zomi National Day celebration conducted today at PT Sports Complex located at New Lamka from about 10 am with traditional gaiety and funfare uder the theme "Together We Can."

The minister stated further that earlier a decision was taken on the matter on September 2, 2006 but it was not immediately possible to hand over the work to the BRTF as the pending NEC Fund for same road had not been used up .

While highlighting certain steps taken up by the SPF government to bring development on par between hills and valleys of the state he said now mechanised blacktopping of the Tedim road between  Imphal to Ccpur has been started from Bishenpur and urge one and all to give their cooperation so as to ensure the venture a successful one.

He has pointed that  the PT Sports Complex approach road was blacktopped with a sanctioned amount of Rs 50 Lakhs.

He later donated Rs 50,000/- to the organisers of the Zomi National Day ie ZYA.
Earlier addressing the mammoth gathering Bijoy Koijam state Planning Board Chairman said he would help take steps to so as to declare  the Zomi Namni as state holiday  by the state government in line with  the wishes of people.

N Biren Singh IFCD minister has also said the theme was very relevant to the present situations while maintaining that existences of many types of culture and tribes in the state make the state the most beautiful.
He said there are 36 tribes in the state likening them as a beautiful flower of various types sprouting out of the same soil.

He went on to say that SPF government has been giving top priority to develop hills and valleys on the same lines  and for that matter went and conducted a survey to many interior villages about their conditions and plight and chalk out policies for the pupose of their development.

He said SPF governmnet will not tolerate a situation in which the hill people lead a life of hardship and underdevelopment while the valley people are driving cars and live in full comforts enjoying modern days development facilities.

He said for the maintenances  of PT Sports Complex Rs 50 Lakhs has been earmarked.
T Phungzathang minister Power who was the Father of the National Days said we are all the same groups of people and the celebration of the day is really worth the while while highlighting many of the steps taken by the SPF government.

Coming to his department he said underground cables will be laid soon simulteneously at Imphal and Churachandpur  and prepaid electrict fees system will be introduced in the very near future
He later donated Rs 50,000/- to the organisers.

Earlier the CM messages were read out by comperes of the function in which he appeal all to stand united against all forces inspite of so many difficulties and also express about the reason for his inability to attain the function though he wanted to.
He donated Rs 100000/- to the organisers.

In todays function altogather 10 students march past contingent and 56 cultural troupes from different tribes has showcased their dances as well as march past.(IFP)

Mizoram tackles AIDS with football

AIZAWL, FEB 19 (AGENCIES)
AIDS catches them young, so does the multi-media campaign. And nothing is better than football to prevent Mizo youngsters from high risk behaviours.
The Red Ribbon inter-village football tournament, which is part of the multi-media campaign against HIV/AIDS, reached its climax when Electric Veng Village Council took on Dinthar Village Council teams in the grand finale at the power-packed Assam Rifles Ground in the heart of the city today. Electric Veng team walked home with Rs one lakh in cash and a wild bull, the biggest football prize ever in Mizoram, after beating Dinthar team 2-0.
Addressing the huge gathering prior to the match, State Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said his government would promote sports, music and fine arts to help the youths stay healthy and productive.
He also announced that the now dusty Assam Rifles Ground would be covered with artificial grass at a cost of Rs 3 crore within this year.
This, he said, was an immediate need as the completion of Rajiv Gandhi Sports Stadium would take some years.
''The aim of the football tournament is to create awareness on drugs and HIV/AIDS among the youth. The tournament has been a big success,'' Health Minister Lalrinliana Sailo said, who attended the function as the guest of honour. Said to be the largest football tournament in Mizoram, as many as 212 teams consisting of 4,000 footballers, took part.
As more than sixty-six per cent of HIV positive people in Mizoram are below 42 years of age, the youth are the target audience of the multi-media campaign against HIV/AIDS.
The campaign had been initiated by the National AIDS Control Society for three North East states of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland as the virus had been spreading at an alarming rate in these states, as reported by UNI.
In Mizoram, the campaign is being implemented with a three-pronged strategy jointly by Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in association with cable TV networks.
MSACS and UNODC have also organised Youth Icon 2009, state-level singing contest, during last December with LPS Vision, another initiative of the multi-media campaign.
These have proved effective in imparting HIV awareness among the Mizo youth who are crazy about music and football, they said.
Besides these programmes, the organisers have also tied up with the churches, the most influential institutions in the Christian-dominated state, to conduct HIV awareness campaign across the state.
According to records from the MSACS, 26.31 per cent of the 4,169 HIV positive people detected from the 25 different Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) belonged to 15-25 age group while 40.44 per cent of them were between 25-42 years of age.
The MSACS record stated that 62.36 per cent of HIV positive in Mizoram have been infected through sexual transmission while 29.88 per cent were affected through injecting drug use.
The record highlighted that on December last, 86 of 2,067 blood samples tested were HIV positive. Of this 63 were men and 23 women.
Accordingly, from October 1999 to December 2009, the state housed 4,069 HIV positive people which is on an increasing trend. Since October 1990 to December 2009, 94,550 blood samples had tested positive for HIV/AIDS.

Financial outreach camp at Ccpur to mark RBI platinum jubilee celebration

IMPHAL, Feb 19: The Reserve Bank of India will be celebrating its 75th year (Platinum jubilee) in Imphal on February 22 along with a Financial Outreach Camp in Pearsonmun village, Churachandpur on February 23.

A press statement of the bank has stated that the Governor, RBI has decided the platinum jubilee celebration will launch a series of initiatives and activities. The RBI, Guwahati under its Platinum jubilee celebration has held a series of village camps in rural areas and seminars in the urban areas of North East Region.

It has also stated that the village outreach camp in Manipur will be preceded by a seminar on 'North Eastern Region Vision Document 2020 with Special Reference to Manipur' at 3:30pm on February 22, at Classic Hotel. VK Sharma, executive director, RBI will deliver the keynote address. It has also stated that the seminars held so far have been an attempt to understand and assimilate the issues regarding development of the NER in general and the region concerned in particular through interactions with the intelligentsia of the state concerned.

The village outreach camp will have T Phungzathang, minister power/horticulture & SC/Sc and Technology, government of Manipur as chief guest, VK Sharma, executive director, RBI as functional president along with DS Poonia, IAS, chief secretary, government of Manipur and AN Jha, IAS, principal secretary, finance, government of Manipur as guest of honour, added the statement.(IFP)

Meghalaya govt confiscates 'blasphemous' Jesus textbooks

Kolkata, February 19 (BBC): The government in the Indian state of Meghalaya has confiscated textbooks showing pictures of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette and a can of beer. The book has been used for primary classes and has caused a furore in the north-eastern state, where more than 70% of the population are Christians. State Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said legal action against the publishers was being contemplated.
The company, based in Delhi, has so far not responded to the complaints. "We are now considering legal action against the Skyline Publications of New Delhi who published the controversial textbooks," Lyngdoh said.
The controversial picture of Jesus was discovered in cursive writing exercise books being used at a private school in the state capital, Shillong. The minister said that although private schools were not obliged to use textbooks prescribed by the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education, his government has taken speedy action by seizing all the copies of the textbook from schools and bookshops. "We are deeply hurt by the insensitivity of the publisher. How can one show such total disrespect for a religion?" asked Dominic Jala, the Archbishop of Shillong.
"Just think how this would impact on students at such a tender age." The Catholic Church in India has banned all textbooks by Skyline Publications from all its schools. "We have told all our member schools across the country to ban this publisher," said Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) spokesman Babu Joseph. The Church has also asked the government to take strict action against the publisher and to ban any such "objectionable publications" from all schools in future, he said. "Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith and Christian life. The attempt to tarnish his image is highly objectionable and goes against the spirit of religious tolerance in India," Joseph said.

ZFC claims Zomi Namni Football

From Kaimuanthang
Lamka, Feb 18 : The 62nd Zomi Namni Football Tournament held at Lamka Public ground since the 6th of this month earlier has concluded today in a grand function held at the ground with the final match being played by the Zomi Football Club, ZFC and Ukhrul Football Club, UFC. In the final match the ZFC won over the UFC by 3 -1
The concluding function wasd attended as chief guest by L Lakher IAS, Commissioner YAS, while special contractor GS Haupu acted chief functional president. The former donated Rs 10000/- while the later has donated Rs. 5000/-.
Also on the dais as dignitaries were commissioner works R Muivah, IAS as well as DC Ccpur Jacintha Lazurus, IAS apart from many others district and state level officials.

At the initial stage there were a qualifying rounds out of which 4 teams from the district /Ccpur out of 20 teams in the fray. Many other teams have also participated from other state and district have also participated at the tournament said Mangchinkhup chairman of the organising committee.

Winner of the tournament today received an award of Rs. 1 lakh cash, trophies, medals, certificate and runners, UFC Rs 50000/-.(IFP)

Cabinet committee okays upgrading of state medical college

IMPHAL, Feb 18 (PIB): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved a proposal from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on strengthening and upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges for starting new post graduate disciplines and increasing PG seats by central funding during XI plan period.  

According to an official release of the PIB, Imphal, the proposals include funding the state government medical colleges by way of a one-time grant of Rs.1350 crore under a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with funding pattern of 75% by central government and 25% by state government for starting new Post Graduate disciplines and increasing PG seats.

The proposal also includes release of funds under the scheme to be made conditional upon states committing to incur necessary recurring expenditure for maintaining the facilities created under the scheme after XI plan period.

It also stated that the funds will be disbursed directly to the head of the institute in two installments, however the state government must undertake to refund the funds in case increase in PG seats/starting PG disciplines do not fructify in the prescribed period.
The amount of funding for the programme will be decided by the empowered committee to be constituted under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary.

The approval of the proposal will result in additional 5000 seats in PG courses in 148 state government medical colleges in various pre and para clinical disciplines and strengthening the existing public health delivery system.

Refinery boost to jatropha farming

Jatropha fruits and (top) a farm with Jatropha plants

Feb. 17: A bio-diesel refinery is all set to give jatropha farming a new meaning in this central Assam district, two years down the line.

D1 Williamson Magor Bio Fuel Ltd, a joint venture of D1 Oils Plc, UK and Williamson Magor Group, India, is setting up the refinery at Balipara in Sonitpur. The refinery will be commissioned in 2012.

The new development is a part of the district administration's recent joint sitting with the company for a buyback policy.

Bio-fuel development centres mainly on the cultivation and processing of seeds of jatropha, a bio-fuel plant, which is very rich in oil. Jatropha oil has been used as bio-diesel to cater to the fuel requirements of remote rural and forest communities. The oil can be used directly after extraction in diesel generators and engines.

A senior official of the district administration said after preliminary rounds of discussion with the company, the latter had agreed to provide technical support to the farmers for the first three years and accept the buyback arrangements. "We will carry out the plantation on government land under the NREGA scheme with the help of panchayats and self-help groups," the official said.

Sonitpur DRDA project director Mahadananda Hazarika said initially 100 hectares under three development blocks of the district — Bihali, Sakomotha and Baghmara — would be covered under jatropha cultivation. Plantation in the other development blocks would follow.

Preference will be given to self-help groups and panchayati raj grassroots-level organisations while individual requests from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and families living below the poverty line would also be considered.

"In accordance with the Centre's guidelines, we basically cover degraded forest areas and wasteland. Sandy soil and highlands of both Karbi Anglong and Sonitpur are most suitable for the purpose," said D1 Williamson Magor senior manager (administration) D. Borgohain.

Materials imported from western Africa will be used for the new plantation drive under NREGA and all possible technical assistance will be provided by the company to the farmers, he added.

"There will be as many as 2,500 jatropha plants in one hectare. Each plant will bear over 3kg seeds. We hope to make substantial profits, as the life of such a plant is 40 years. We expect to start generating revenue from the third year of the plantation," Borgohain said.

"The new proposal is acceptable to all of us as the local administration has assured to work as a bridge between the company and farmers," Budhin Bora, a resident of Biswanath Chariali, said.(The Telegraph)

Mizo a model for peace in NE - GOC N K Singh

AIZAWL, FEB 16: Lt Gen N K Singh, AVSM, VSM, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Corps on Tuesday said termed Mizoram as a model for peace and development in the North East region. N K Singh was on a visit to Aizawl on Tuesday to review the security situation of Mizoram and

 the arrangements for border guarding in light of its geo-strategic importance. 
Following briefing at the HQ Mizoram Range Assam Rifles, the GOC interacted with Mizoram Governor, Lt Gen MM Lakhera.
This is his third visit to the state in his present appointment, but he had served here as a young army major earlier. 
"It is his love and fascination for Mizoram that has brought him back for the third time in the last six months", officials from the army revealed.
N K Singh also took time out of his busy schedule to meet veterans and ex servicemen from Mizoram.
Being an accomplished soldier, this visit by the GOC has bolstered the morale of Assam Rifles troops in Mizoram and will further strengthen the bonds between the people of Mizoram and Assam Rifles.
Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles had done many remarkable things in Mizoram other than organising various medical camps even in remote places. They had built public toilets, sanitation as part of civic action plan. The military personnel also served a a notable help during disasters, burning of houses and land slides.
(Newmai News Network)

Door to door survey to revise electoral roll to begin

IMPHAL, Feb 16: The state election commission would conduct door to door survey for correction and updating of electoral roll database for the first time as per the directives of the Election Commission of India.

In a press meet held this afternoon at the conference hall of old secretariat block, chief electoral officer of Manipur, PC Lawmkunga stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the state election commission to take up pre-revision activities for correction and updating of electoral roll database and ECI has also decided to maintain a centralized electoral roll database for ensuring great precision in the database.  

Pre-revision activities of developing unicode and transliteration software have been completed and door to door survey that would be conducted by booth level officers (BLOs) and booth level agents (BLAs) would commence from March 2, he added.
CEO Lawmkunga further said that such pre-revision activities would help avoid errors that were found extensively in the previous electoral roll database and the new centralized database developed using advanced software would be made available all throughout the country.

Highlighting the achievement of state election commission, CEO stated that elector's photo identity card (EPIC) has been issued to 13,36,687 voters out of the total 17,27,241 voters which accounts for 77.32 percent and the remaining voters would also be issued EPIC by November.

He also stated that all political parties of the state have been informed to nominate booth level agents (BLAs) for conducting door to door surveys as a part of the pre-revision activities.

Joint CEO, N. Praveen stated that the state election commission would closely monitor addition of new electors in this revised electoral roll database and queries relating to errors in the electoral roll can be submitted to the BLOs and BLAs during the survey.

He said EPIC for the students studying outside the state can be issued if the photographs and documents attested by the head of institution are submitted to the concerned ERO office.

The chief electoral officer also appealed the people to cooperate with the election commission in conducting the pre-revision activities so as to bring out the revised electoral roll database in time.(IFP)

Tremor in Shillong

Shillong, Feb 16

A mild intensity earthquake hit Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, a seisomological official today.The tremor measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale occurred at 1657 hours IST with its epicentre about 10 Km away from the Central Seisomological Office in Upper Shillong. However, there was no report of loss of life and property or anyone being injured from anywhere, a district official said.(NP)

Hectic efforts for conduct of ADC elections; CS calls meeting on Feb 18

Imphal, February 12: Manipur government has appraised Election Commission of India not to fix any election during the month of April next stating that elections to the District Councils of hill districts of Manipur will be held during the month stated above.

Manipur government had recently decided to hold elections to the six Autonomous District Councils, Churachandpur ADC, Chandel ADC, Senapati ADC, Kangpokpi ADC, Tamenglong ADC and Ukhrul ADC in the month of April after long gap more than two decades.

Principal secretary (Hills) P Gonmei, in a statement noted that State Election Commission, Manipur is in hectic effort for the publication of lists of polling stations. The draft electoral rolls will be published on March 2 while the final electoral rolls after hearing to the claims and objections will be published on March 27.

Official source today said that state chief secretary, DS Poonia has also convened a high level meeting with state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), DGP, Commissioners of Hill Department, Tribal Development, and Secretary of State Election Commission on February 18 to discuss on election processes taken up.

The meeting will discus on the security arrangement and chalk out a security deployment plan and manpower require for the elections which is likely to simultaneously in all the constituencies of district councils, an official source said.

It is worth mentioning that elections to the district councils in Manipur had been held up since the last election held in early part of eighties on the demand for extension of the provisions of VIth Schedule provision of the Constitution of India, the Constitutional Rights over lands and natural resources of the hill tribal people amending the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act 1971, an act under which elections to the ADC in Manipur hold.

Manipur government amended the Act by a bill passed in the middle part of 2008 but holding of elections could not materialize till date due to the controversies in the delimitation of ADC constituencies.
After having had repealed the erstwhile District Council (Manipur Hills) Rules of 1972, the volumous modified Rules have been published by the state government on October 21, 2009 under which the process for conduct of the elections initiated by the State Election Commission.
Political parties and individuals have already started electioneering for the forthcoming elections. Hill based political party, Peoples' Democratic Alliance (PDA) and MLAs from hill districts are likely to take key role in contesting the election as they have already started camera meetings at their level to field candidates.

(Hueiyen News Service)

Tipaimukh MoU ready for final signing

IMPHAL, Feb 12: A memorandum of understanding for formation of a joint venture company between government of Manipur, NHPC Ltd. and SJVN Ltd. for implementation of Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Multipurpose Project (6x250MW) in Churachandpur & Tamenglong districts of Manipur has been finalised in a meeting held on February 10 under the chairmenship of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh at Imphal.

The MoU will be signed shortly by the principal secretary (power), Government of Manipur, chairman & managing director, NHPC Ltd. and chairman & managing director, SJVN Ltd. at Imphal. A statement issued by the state power department said the cost of the project as on September, 2008 price level is Rs 8138.79 crore.

The equity share participation of the three partners in the joint venture will be 5 percent for government of Manipur, 69 percent for NHPC and 26 percent for SJVN Limited. With the finalization of the MoU and its subsequent signing the implementation of the project is likely to be started soon, the statement added.(IFP)

Indo-Myanmar jt. operations against NE ultras

Guwahati, FEB 12 (AGENCIES)

 On the heels of state talks between India and Burma, Indian authorities have revealed they are poised to launch a renewed effort in New Delhi's decades long struggle against the rebel United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
On the sidelines of the recently concluded 58th Northeast Chief Ministers Meeting in Guwahati, Union Home Secretary GK Pillai revealed that extensive discussions have taken place between himself, Assam Chief Secretary P.C. Sharma and Assam DGP Shankar Barua in the beginning of the month as to how to proceed with the ULFA. 
Following his January visit to Naypyitaw, Pillai sounded optimistic that Burma will keep its word and flush out ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua and other elements inimical to India's security believed to be operating from Burmese territory. 
"My discussions there [in Burma] were very positive. We agreed there will be a coordinated action on the Indo–Myanmarese [Burmese] border. We hope that this operation will be done at the earliest [possible date],'' Pillai said of his joint security discussions with Burmese authorities.
Following the talks, MHA is reportedly on the threshold of forming a new strategy to deal with the ULFA. 
Pillai also vouched that the India will raise the issue of assistance for ULFA offered by the NSCN (IM) during New Delhi's next round of talks with the rebel outfit. 
ULFA has in the past also received strategic support from Kachin rebels operating out of Burmese territory across the border from India's restive northeastern states. 
However the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the largest Kachin rebel group, recently said it no longer provides support or shelter to any Indian insurgent groups.

SDSA memo to centre on NH-39

DIMAPUR, FEB 12 (NPN)

Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) has urged union minister for road transport and highways to intervene and expedite the process of improving NH-39 by handing it over to BRO to fulfill aspiration and desire of the people.
In a memorandum submitted to union minister for road transport and highways, the SDSA president A Pfokrehrü Khrasi expressed resentment at the negligence of the their government towards the improvement of NH-39. SDSA said that NH-39, which was the lifeline of the state, should be developed in the general interest of Manipur people and Senapati district in particularly. 
Further, the SDSA stated that even after several appeals to government to address the issue, their responsible efforts remained least bothered.

R S Pandey to be new interlocutor to talk with NSCN (IM)

New Delhi, Feb 11 (ANI): Union Government on Thursday appointed R S Pandey as the new interlocutor to facilitate talks with the banned National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM).

Pandey, a 1972 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, belongs to Nagaland cadre.

Pandey has been the Union Petroleum Secretary and retired only recently in January 2010.

Announcing Pandey's appointment Union Home Minister P Chidambaram also welcomed NSCN (IM)'s decision to hold talks with the Government.

"The Government of India welcomes the decision of the NSCN (IM) leadership to visit India and to hold talks with the Government. I am happy to announce the appointment of Shri R.S.Pandey, IAS (Retd.) as the Interlocutor and the Representative of the Government of India to hold talks with the NSCN (IM)," Chidambaram said.

With the appointment of the new interlocutor to facilitate the talks the people of Nagaland are awaiting for an early solution to the long drawn problem.

On Tuesday, addressing the 58th meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said that the Centre would appoint an interlocutor later this week for facilitating the peace talks.

The peace process with the NSCN (I-M) was started in 1997 by putting in place a ceasefire arrangement.

Former Union Home Secretary Padmanabhaiah was appointed as interlocutor in July 1999 initially for a year and his tenure was extended every year till 2009.

Since then, over 50 rounds of talks were held between Centre and Naga groups, but could not achieve any breakthrough.

In 2009, the Centre did not extend the tenure of Padmanabhaiah, and held direct talks with the NSCN (I-M) top brass.

According to Home Ministry, on the invitation of the Centre, the NSCN (I-M) leadership has proposed to come to India between April 1 and 10 to hold talks and carry forward the peace process.

To that end, the government of India will be appointing an interlocutor to facilitate the talks and to bring about an early solution."

All the three groups - NSCN(I-M), NSCN(Khaplang) and the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) - have been meeting under public pressure on the Forum for Naga Reconciliation platform.

They have so far held seven summits in Tahialand's Chiangmai. (ANI)

NE can generate 60000 MW hydro-power: Mukul Sangma

SHILLONG, FEB 9: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has called for harnessing the hydro-power potential in the north-eastern region to bridge the increasing demand-supply energy mismatch in the region. While speaking at the 3rd North-East and East Power Summit, 2010 organized

by Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, Dr. Sangma said that the entire north-east region has the potential to generate 60000 MW of hydro-power which, being a form of clean energy will help to reduce global warming considerably.  Stressing on the need to integrate the immense potentialities of the region, Dr. Sangma added that there is a need to develop a common market for power generated in the region, so that a level playing field is created for the end-users along with the producers. Since power is a principle input in industrial production, non-availability of adequate and quality power is also contributing to the spiraling rate of inflation in the country.
Along with hydro-power, Dr. Sangma added that the north-eastern states and their neighboring countries should also look to tap other non-conventional sources of energy which act as cheaper sources of power. He further noted that evacuation of power and consequent grid connectivity to the constituent states should also be addressed to narrow the energy gap in the region. In addition to hydro-power, Meghalaya is also rich in coal and uranium reserves, which, if effectively tapped, can resolve the energy crisis issue of the country in a major way. He informed that the Meghalaya government is currently negotiating with NEEPCO and other private players to develop coal-based thermal power plants in the state. It was also learnt that Meghalaya has successfully implemented APDRP launched by Government of India in 2003 and is gearing up for the second phase of its second phase namely R-APRDP.
Previously, welcoming the esteemed gathering, Vishambhar Saran, President – Indian Chamber of Commerce, in his special address threw light on certain current issues of key concerns in the power sector and accordingly suggested policy recommendations to overcome the same. With the government nod for expediting forest clearances in degraded forest lands, Mr. Saran highlighted the impending necessity of bringing down the time taken for forest clearances from approximately 3-5 years to 1 year at the state level. With the energy demand expected to require annual production of 2 Billion tonnes of coal by 2030, he said it is high time that this measure is implemented with immediate effect.  He also added the necessity of faster clearance of captive coal blocks by both centre and state with maximum preference being given to incumbent companies.
To facilitate private participation, he urged the need to create a level playing field for private players with state utilities in terms of allotment of coal blocks, coal linkages and pricing. Also seen attending the summit were Malay De, Chairman – WBSEDCL, Sriranjan Lacoul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Government of Nepal; Prof. SP Gautam, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Partha Bhattacharya, Chairman, Coal India Ltd and Dr GD Gautama, Principal Secretary, Department of Energy and Non-conventional energy sources, Government of West Bengal. Maley De, in his theme address, outlined the importance of developing cross-border transmission capabilities to reduce power distribution cost which is an area of concern for major suppliers. Moreover, he pointed out that significant areas of cooperation should be built with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal to tap immense opportunities existing in these countries.  He also highlighted the impending necessity of consolidation by equipment manufacturers to get the desired benefits of economies of scale. Sriranjan Lacoul said that increasing conflicts and political insecurity have been the primary bottlenecks in attracting fresh investments from the private sector in Nepal. Urging investors to set shop in his country, he indicated that several sops and incentives are currently being provided by the government to the private players to augment power generation.
Addressing the necessity of maintaining environmental standards during power plant installation and subsequent generation, Prof Gautam said that comparative environmental pollution index reveals that 70% of industrial clusters generating power are critically polluted. In this context, development of non-hazardous materials processed for generating power, implementing requisite control measures and diesel pricing norms, adoption of Polluters-Pay-Principle and adequate development of renewable non-conventional sources of energy are required to maintain sustainable and balanced growth of the country. In addition to this, Partha Bhattacharya noted that in addition to the non-conventional sources of energy, concerted efforts will have to be streamlined to tap coal reserves in the region to meet the ever-increasing energy demand of the country. Projecting a 6.4% growth in energy demand to support 8% GDP growth, Mr. Bhattacharya noted that an additional 78000 MW capacity of power needs to built in the coming days, which will ultimately call for an integrated approach amongst all the stakeholders and rationalization of policy framework in the country. 
Finally, Dr. Gautama mentioned that power distribution reforms, verification of financial viability of power projects and a series of coordination among various stakeholders is required to meet the growing energy demand of the nation. (Newmai News Network)

Tehelka journo appears before inquiry commission

GUWAHATI, FEB 8: Teresa Rehman, the principal correspondent of the Tehelka news magazine for the Northeast appeared before the one-man PJ Agarwal Inquiry Commission in connection with the July 23, 2009 alleged "fake encounter" case in Manipur in Guwahati on Monday. However,surprisingly, she was not accompanied by her counsel. During deposition, she was asked by the Commission and the police counsels if she had verified the genuineness of the photographs published in her article in the August 8 issue of her magazine Tehelka, Teresa said she did not verify it by herself. She said once she had sent the photographs to her editor Tarun Tejpal, there was no communication as regards the genuineness or otherwise of the photographs.

She said the genuineness of the photographs could be tested by scientific method and examination. "The story was authored by me mainly on the basis of the photographs sent to me by a source," she said but did not name it. She however admitted that she had done the story sitting in Guwahati and that she had not visited Imphal for the purpose.
"I was with Tehelka group till December 2009. The provisions of Armed Forces Special Powers Act have been withdrawn from Imphal Municipal area and to my knowledge the said powers are withdrawn by the orders of the Central Government. The above statement was made by me as I had read about it. It is not a fact that the above statement was made by me without consulting
As regards the statement made on Manipur Police Commandos (MPCs), Teresa said it was entirely based on what retired IGP Th. Karunamaya Singh had told her.
 "However, I had not seen any Government notification creating or administering Manipur Police Commandos. I had a telephonic talk with Mr. Th. K. Singh. The talk was not recorded by me," Teresa said. She added that she had quoted the statement on verbatim and as such no additional verification was sought.
As regards the extra judicial killings and registration of 27 cases of torture and killings cited in her article, she said these were allegations against Manipur police commandos only "but I had not come across any document recording a finding to that effect".
"The official version of Sanjit's encounter mentioned in my article is based upon the report/news published in newspapers," Teresa said.
She told the Commission that she had examined some eyewitnesses but refrained from spelling out their names. "It is not a fact that I did not talk with any eyewitnesses of the incident and that the above statement made in my article has been falsely made. I have seen the post-mortem report of Rabina Devi. The report was seen after the publication of the above article," Teresa said. She also said that the statement in her report that Rabina was killed by a bullet fired by the police was based on newspaper reports and that she had no other information or knowledge about it.
"I had gone through newspapers such as The Sangai Express, Imphal Free Press…Before publication of the article, I had telephonic talk with Sanjit's mother Inaotombi Devi," Teresa said. She said it was not a fact that the photographs in question were all fabricated.
 After deposition, the journalist was visibly upset. When asked by NNN, Teresa said, "They all grilled me". She also could not give any satisfactory answer as to why she did not come with a counsel.
(Newmai News Network)

AGARTALA, Feb 8: The State-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) will add 870 MW of power to the electricity-starved northeastern region by 2012, a senior official said here on Monday. “We are executing three hydro-electric and one gas-bas

AGARTALA, Feb 8: The State-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) will add 870 MW of power to the electricity-starved northeastern region by 2012, a senior official said here on Monday.

"We are executing three hydro-electric and one gas-based thermal power projects in Arunachal Pradesh (600 MW and 110 MW), Mizoram (60 MW) and Tripura (100 MW) and these projects would be completed in the next four years," said NEEPCO chairman and managing director IP Barooah.

"Nine more hydro-electric and three more thermal power projects with a total generating capacity 5,775 MW are now various stages of investigation," Barooah told reporters. The corporation, which was set up in April 1976, currently has seven power stations in operation, totalling 1,130 MW, contributes around 50 per cent of the region's installed capacity.

It has also signed two agreements with the Meghalaya Government to execute an 85 MW hydro-electric and another 500 MW gas-based thermal power projects in East Garo Hills district. "With the commissioning of the new power projects, the installed capacity of NEEPCO would be doubled in the next four years," Barooah said.

According to the NEEPCO chief, northeast India has the potential to generate about 59,000 MW of hydropower. The region also has abundant resources of coal and oil and gas for thermal power generation. "In spite of such huge potential, the region ranks lowest in the country in terms of per capita energy consumption. This has been mainly due to inhospitable climatic conditions, remote location and inaccessibility of geographical locations," Barooah added. (IANS)

Deal likely on Tipaimukh project
Sudheer Pal Singh(Source: Business Standard)
New Delhi, Feb 7: A joint venture agreement between state-owned hydro power producers NHPC Ltd and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVN) and the government of Manipur to develop the Rs 8,138-crore Tipaimukh power project in the north-eastern state is likely to be signed by the end of the cur-rent financial year, ending March.
"The Manipur government has called a meeting of representatives from NHPC and SJVN on February 8 to discuss the terms of agreement of the 1,500-MW project. The JV will be sig-ned shortly after that. It will definitely happen by the end of this financial year," said a senior official from SJVN.
In July last year, the po-wer ministry had asked the three entities to form a joint venture (JV) for developing the project. NHPC would hold a majority 69 per cent stake in the project, while SJVN would take up another 26 per cent stake. The remaining 5 per cent would go in favour of the Manipur government.
The project was initially awarded to the state-owned utility North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (Neepco). The company had, however, expressed its inability to take up the pro-ject citing lack of budgetary support.
With the Tipaimukh pro-ject out of its shelf, Neep- co's capacity addition target came down to 3,000 Mw from 4,500 Mw earlier being planned by the end of March 2017. Neepco has a current installed power gen-eration capacity of 1,130 MW.
The stakeholders have already fast-tracked the work on implementing various pre-project activities. "The detailed project report (DPR) has already been prepared. Environmental clear- ances will be obtained now," said the SJVN official.
SJVN is confident about raising equity for the restructured plant. The state-run utility will invest in the project from its internal resources.
The company, which claims it has a cash surplus of Rs 1,200 crore, is the next state-run power company in line after NHPC for getting listed through a public issue, likely to be anno-unced in the next financial year. Of the free power avai-lable from the Tipaimukh project, 11 per cent would go to Manipur, while 1 per cent would be shared between Manipur and Mizo- ram since parts of the project will also be in Mizoram.
The remaining power will be sold to different states on a long-term basis through power purchase agreements. According to sources, the levelised tariff for sale of power from the project, which is around Rs 4 per unit, could go up by 40-50 paise due to the complex nature of the project.
The cost of the project is likely to be escalated by at least Rs 1,000 crore owing to additional investment required for security and transport infrastructure to be developed. The additional funding would come directly from the central government as grant. The Union home ministry has already approved an outlay of Rs 300 crore on the project's security, and also okayed Rs 203 crore for the construction of a highway. The remaining funds would go into building flood control infrastructure.

‘No more attack on NE students’

GUWAHATI, FEB 7 (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed concern over the recent attacks on girl students of the north eastern region in New Delhi and said stern action would be taken

against the culprits to prevent such incidents.
The Prime Minister made the statement in a letter to the North East Students Organisation (NESO) Chairman, Samujjal Bhattacharya.
Replying to a complaint lodged to Singh by the NESO, the Prime Minister said he had directed the authorities to take stern action against the culprits.
"The North East people in Delhi is a peace loving community which is making valuable contributions to the academic and economic life of the city," Singh said in the letter.
Bhattacharya told reporters he was happy to receive such quick response to their complaint from the premier.
Bhattacharya, also advisor to the All Assam Students Union (AASU), said that the complaint had been filed after a girl from Nagaland was murdered in the national capital on October 25 last year.
He said there were at least nine incidents of attack on the students last year, particularly on girls, of the NE region in New Delhi following which the students organisation had approached Singh who represents Assam in Rajya Sabha.
"The people of the North East are an integral part of the social and cultural life of the national capital. I am personally anguished when violent incidents targeting people from the North East, particularly women, take place in the city," Singh said in the letter.
"I have already directed the concerned authorities to take action against the culprits and to take special measures for the physical security of the North East students," he said.
"I am also directing the local authorities to increase their outreach to community organisations so that the police and other authorities deal with the problems, particularly of the students with due sensitivity and concern," Singh said.

BRO clarifies on Guite road development work

IMPHAL, Feb 6: Reacting to the news item on the deadlock over resumption of Guite Road development work, the Border Roads Organisation under 99 APO has conveyed that the BRO is committed to fulfil aspirations of the people of Manipur.
However, with regard to the Guite Road, a BRO statement issued by Senior Administration Officer Rakesh Shukla clarified that as the NEC fund was allocated to the State Govern- ment for improvement of the said route the same (fund) cannot be transferred to BRO.
Observing that the news item gave an impression of the BRO intentionally refusing to take over the road, the statement suggested that as the NEC fund had been granted to the state Government, BRO's invol-vement in the road develop- ment work is out of the question at the present juncture.
Further pointing out that BRO will utilise its own fund (Army Budget) to do up the road which was also highlighted during the joint meeting, Rakesh informed of the BRO representative at the meeting highlighting BRO's willingness to take over the said road 'provided the existing liabilities (of NEC) are liquidated.
Further mentioning that the BRO's stand on the issue was appreciated by the Chief Minister during the course of the meeting, the statement also noted that correct procedure needs to be followed before work can be started by BRO on the road.(TSE)

Guite Road handing over to BRO still uncertain

IMPHAL, Feb 4: Uncertainty still hangs on the issue of handing over of construction works of the Guite road in Churachandpur district to the BRO as a meeting held today between the government and representative of pressure groups of the district brought no positive result.
According to an official source, a meeting was convened this morning from 10.30 am till 11.30 am chaired by the chief minister O Ibobi Singh at his official bungalow. 
Today's meeting was convened following an invitation by the government to pressure groups of Churachandpur district.

Apart from the chief minister, today's meeting was attended by the state works minister K Ranjit Singh, two cabinet ministers from Churachandpur district T Phungzathang and TN Haokip and chief engineer of PWD from the state government side and the officials of BRO while representative of ZSF, CDSU and KSO Churachandpur district led by the president ZSFKapkhanmuan represented the pressure groups.

The source further said today's meeting was a follow up action to the commitment given by state government during a call attention motion raised by local MLAs during the recent sitting of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

The recent sitting of the state assembly has agreed to form a house committe headed by state works minister to look into the possibility of handing over construction works of Guite road to the BRO as demanded by local public and pressure groups of Churachandpur district. 
In the meantime, considering the genuity of the demands of the pressure groups and student bodies of the Churachandpur district, a joint meeting was convened in presence of BRO official for handing over the construction works of Guite road to the BRO. During the meeting, the BRO officials spell out technical difficulties of taking over the constructionworks as the state PWD had already undertaken development work under the funds from the NEC.

Representatives of the pressure groups of Churachandpur and state government while realising the technical difficulties on immediate handing over of the works to the BRO, the meeting ended without any positive development. 
It may be mentioned the pressure groups spearheaded by the Zoumi Students' Federation have started agitation following the failure of the state government to hand over the construction works of Guite road to the BRO. The local populace and students bodies have boycotted officials and staffs of the state PWD to enter to the areas for further initiation of the constructions work since October last year. 
Mass social work has also been initiated along the road by the villagers under the supervisions of various students bodies. The boycott of PWD officials had been suspended recently with an assurance given by the government through local MLAs to fulfill their demands. (IFP)