AIZAWL: A number of tombs were swept away in a massive landslide at the cemetery oft Dawrpui Vengthar locality here yesterday.
A total of 22 wooden tombs and five tombstones were recovered by local Young Mizo Association (YMA) volunteers as heavy monsoon continue to lash the state.
“The ground at the burial place was still moving and measures are being taken to prevent seepage of water in the soil,” President of Dawrpui Vengthar YMA branch Lallianzuala said.
Besides the tombs a number of skeletal remains were also recovered, he said.
Source: PTI
]]>SHILLONG: The Gauhati High Court today directed the Meghalaya Government to maintain “status quo” on the demolition drive in Polo and adjoining areas.
During its hearing today, the Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice TNK Singh and Justice Hrishikesh Roy passed the order and posted the case on August 5 for further deliberation.
Supreme Court lawyer Ranjan Mukherjee who is arguing the case in favour of the State Government said that the government has a water tight case and hoped that the Court will pass a verdict in favour of the government.
“The decision of the earlier Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court ordering dismantlement of the illegal structures would stand us in good stead,” advocate Mukherjee said.
On May 25 this year the Principal bench of the High Court asked the Government to demolish all illegal structures along the Wah Umkhrah river.
On July 6, upholding the order of the Court the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority tried to demolish these structures, but the residents under the banner “Greater Iew Polo Welfare Association got a stay order on the same day itself.
There are over 70 houses and shops in the area. The government claims that it has the requisite documents and the people residing in the area are encroachers. However, the residents have filed two writ petitions claiming ownership over the land.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul2410/oth06
]]>AIZAWL: Lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram Lalhmingliana has recently written to Union HRD minister Kapil Sabil, expressing his opposition to the Mizoram government’s move to relax the recruitment rules for teachers.
According to the MP’s missive, the Mizoram government had already approached the HRD ministry with a request to relax the minimum qualifications required for appointment of teachers as one-time measure on the pretext of non-availability of such qualified teachers in sufficient numbers in the state.
The MP found the excuse of Mizoram government not genuine as it did give information like total number of vacant posts of teachers required to be filled up; total number of qualified teachers and extent of shortage of qualified teachers.
Lalhmingliana pointed out in his letter that there are about 700 qualified teachers (both DT Ed) holders and B Ed holders, including 216 teachers engaged on contract basis.
Lalhmingliana requested Sibal to look into the matter personally so that the relaxation of the existing rules as sought for may not be granted till exhaustion of the availability of duly qualified teachers.
Source: UNI
]]>AGARTALA: A dispute over the number of Mizoram tribal refugees sheltered in Tripura for 13 years might create a fresh imbroglio between the two northeastern states, officials said here Thursday.
A survey sponsored by the Mizoram government says the total number of refugees is 27,261 while the Tripura government says the figure is 40,504.
“Disagreement over the number of refugees might create a serious impasse and an uneasy situation over refugee repatriation,” a top Tripura official said on condition of anonymity.
Since October 1997, Reang tribal refugees, locally called Bru, have taken shelter in six camps in north Tripura’s Kanchanpur sub-division, adjacent to Mizoram. They fled western Mizoram after ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos over the killing of a Mizo forest official.
“After the repatriation of 1,133 refugees to Mizoram in May, the total number of refugee families are 6,224 comprising 40,504 men, women and children,” Shiva Prasad Biswas, the Tripura government’s relief, rehabilitation and disaster management department director, told IANS.
“We are yet to officially get the survey or headcount report conducted during the past few weeks,” Biswas said.
Following the instruction and format of the Mizoram government’s home department, the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the refugees, has done a survey and headcount of refugees in the past few weeks.
Refugee leader Elvis Chorkhy told IANS: “Within the next one week we would submit the survey and headcount reports to the Mizoram government for taking subsequent actions.”
“During 1997 ethnic troubles, several hundreds tribals had also taken shelter from southern Assam and they have been excluded in the survey and headcount,” said Chorkhy.
Source: IANS
]]>CHANDIGARH: Manipur defeated Haryana 6-1 to win the ninth Junior National Football Championship for girls on Friday.
Preeti gave Haryana the lead but S Rinaroy Devi scored the equaliser for Manipur to go into breather tied at 1-1.
However, Manipur came out rejuvenated in the second half and pumped in five goals to stamp their authority over Haryana.
S Rinaroy Devi scored three goals in the match while Manipur captain Y Kamala Devi, Bina Devi and E Bindiyarani Devi found the net once each.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also announced Rs 51,000 to Raveena for her outstanding performance in the match.
While addressing the players and the audience, Hooda, who himself is an avid sportsman, congratulated the teams for their performance.
He also announced Rs 5 lakh grant for Chandigarh Football Association.
A total of 27 teams participated in the tournament. Haryana entered the final defeating defending champions Orissa while Manipur beat Sikkim 3-0 in the other semifinal.
Source: Time of India
]]>AGARTALA: Pran, an agro-based company of Bangladesh, plans to invest around 10 million dollars in Tripura.
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director of Pran has said that the company would like to invest within three years in the state.
“The future magnitude of the business that Pran would like to create here, I would say that Pran should invest close to I want to say 10 million dollars over a period of three years. It will not happen overnight as it will take time to understand, familiar with market and people. That is the magnitude,” said Chowdhury.
Chowdhury believes that the northeast has great potential as an agro-based industry market.
He further said that Tripura would not only provide consumers but also supply raw material to Pran.
“I feel that the market is ready and the northeast is the market, and I feel that there is enough opportunity here. It’s not only to sell in northeast but it is also to buy from northeast,” said Chowdhury.
He said that India’s decision to allow investment from Bangladesh would lead towards stable and secure trade relations between the two nations.
He also said that Pran would like to set up more business ventures in India, as it is a large country with a fast-growing economy.
Pran started business in 1980 and has become the largest exporter of processed agro-products from Bangladesh, and export products to 70 countries including India, Europe, Africa and Middle East.
Source: ANI
]]>TRIPURA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION : Advt.No.10/2010 – Tripura Public service commission Veterinary Assistant Surgeon Jobs:
Applications are invited in the prescribed Form from the bonafide citizens of India for selection of candidates for the below mentioned posts under the Government of Tripura:-
Vacancy details:
Item No. 01: 40 (forty) (SC-1, ST-26 & UR-13) posts of Veterinary Assistant Surgeon (TVS, Grade-V), Group-B Gazetted under the under the Animal Resources Development Department, Government of Tripura in the Pay Band-3 of Rs.9570-30000/-with grade pay of Rs.3500/- plus admissible allowances.
Educational Qualification :- Degree in Veterinary Science from a recognized University.
Item No. 02 : 6 (UR-2, SC- 1 & ST-3) posts (Group-C Non-Gazetted) of Speech Educator, Institute for Speech Rehabilitation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children under Education (Social Welfare and Social Education) Department Government of Tripura in the Pay Band-3 of Rs.9570-30,000/-with grade pay of Rs.2600/- plus admissible allowances.
Educational Qualification :- (i) Graduate of a recognized University. (ii) Training in Education of the deaf from the I.S.I.,Calcutta or from any other recognized training institution. (iii) At least 3 years of teaching experience in a recognized school. (iv) Knowledge of Bengali.
Age limit for direct recruitment:- 37(thirty seven) years as on 31-08-2010.
The application in the prescribed form duly filled in by the candidate and 2(two)copies of recent stamp size photographs of the candidate affixed on the Application and Admit Card along with the copies of self attested certificates as noted in the application form is to be submitted to the Reception Counter of the TPSC Secretariat by 5.00 PM (31.08.2010) of the closing date & to obtain the acknowledgement including Receipt Number.
The last date of receiving application : 31.08.2010.
The official website of Tripura Public Service Commission is http://www.tpsc.nic.in. More details regarding the advertisement, please visit this direct link – http://tpsc.gov.in/02081001.pdf
]]>SHILLONG: Mizo Literature and Language Teachers Academy (MILLTA) today organised a symposium on Mizo culture in collaboration with the Department of Art and Culture, government of Mizoram at the I & PR auditorium. President of MILLTA, Prof. Laltluangliana Khiangte, addressed the gathering in the noon session. He mentioned the need of preserving the cultural heritage of Mizoram and the role that is to be played in this case by the teachers of Mizo language and literature.
Over 150 people attended the function which was graced by the presence of Mr. Ngurbiaka, Joint Director of Art and Culture, Mizoram. A senior teacher and former Minister of Art and Culture, Dr. Lalzama talked about respect for the elderly (Aia upa zah). He emphasized the present need of respecting others especially the aged and elderly people of the society.
Zosiamliana of Government Aizawl North College and R.L.Thianga of Government Hrangbana College also joined the symposium by elaborately discussing the Mizo style of grave digging as well as marriage rituals like the bride’s prize.In the second session, Prof. Laltluangliana Khiangte released a new book I Thu Ni Se by R.C. Lalruatchhunga who is a teacher of Zemabawk HSS.
Talking about the new book, Prof. Khiangte made a comprehensive estimation of the released book. He praised the book where five short plays have been recorded systematically by the author. At this point in the function, K.Biakthianghlima and P.Lalremliana introduced two other cultural topics for discussion in the symposium.
The programme has been highly appreciated by culture specialists and teachers of Mizo language and literature. Representatives of women’s group (MHIP Hqrs.), elders’ group (MUP Hqrs.), students’ group (MZP) as well as one of the largest Mizo youth groups, Central YMA also participated in the discussion.
Source: NNN
]]>KOHIMA: CLP leader maintained that since DAN government had no perspective development plan for the people of Nagaland, it was busy organising state road shows “to keep the fun-loving people in good humour”.
Kiphire district administration said though no untoward incidents reported today tension prevailed in the district with police keeping strict vigils.
Coinciding with the traditional festival of each Naga tribe, the government has been organising Road Show programme for past two years in different places to have direct inter-face between the rural people and the government departments.
United Sangtam Likhum Bumji (USLB), tribal council of Sangtam tribe, has opposed to organising of traditional festival of Yimchungru tribe-cum-road show at Pungro, asserting that the town exists “on a disputed land”.
Source: PTI
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New Delhi: As part of an effort to contain terror groups operating out of its neighbourhood, India has signed a mutual legal assistance agreement through which Indian insurgents held in Myanmar can be deported for trial under Indian laws.
India had been pushing for the pact with Myanmar for two-and-a-half decades. It was signed during the 25-29 July visit of Than Shwe, the leader of Myanmar’s military government.
The deal will help India “combat transnational organized crimes, trans-border terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, counterfeit currency, smuggling of arms and explosives,” the home ministry said.
“Under the provisions of the treaty signed last week, Indian insurgents caught in Myanmar can be handed over to India,” a senior home ministry official said.
A foreign ministry official added that such insurgents can then be tried under Indian laws. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.
India shares a 1,640km unfenced border with Myanmar. This has allowed militant outfits of India’s north-east—where tribal and ethnic groups are fighting for greater autonomy or independence—to use Myanmar as a springboard for hit-and-run strikes.
At least half a dozen such outfits, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang faction, are alleged to have training camps in northern Myanmar, although they are also known to shift operations across Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal as well.
Ved Marwah, a former governor of the north-eastern state of Manipur, which borders Myanmar, said the deal provides India with an important instrument to fight insurgency.
“It sends a message to the militants that they are not safe or as secure as they thought operating out of neighbouring countries,” said Marwah, who is also a former home ministry official in charge of India’s internal security.
This is the first time that Myanmar—which faces international censure for lack of democracy and a poor human rights record—has signed such an agreement with any country, another foreign ministry official said.
“We have been seeking this kind of help since the mid-1980s,” he said, requesting anonymity. “Several people (on India’s ‘wanted’ list) are already in custody in Myanmar.”
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, India offered unflinching support to Myanmar’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. But it has changed tack after realizing that insurgent groups operating in the North-East were able to establish bases in Myanmar.
Since then, the country has actively engaged the junta, investing in infrastructure projects, exploring oil and gas blocks and offering credit.
During Than Shwe’s visit, India promised nearly $200 million (Rs930 crore) for projects in Myanmar, ranging from road construction and boosting agricultural production to building power transmission lines and railways.
Analysts said the growing ties were in the interest of both nations.
“There are (only a) few countries wanting to engage with Myanmar, and India is one of them,” said Manmohini Kaul, professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. “They want to balance Chinese influence in their country with India, which is the world’s largest democracy (and) an economic power.”
India has signed similar legal assistance pacts with nearly 30 countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, the US, Britain, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, said the home ministry.
The importance of such pacts became obvious in December, when Bangladesh handed over several key Ulfa militants to India, including the outfit’s top leader Arabinda Rajkhowa and military operations deputy chief Raju Barua.
But another official said cooperation ultimately depends on political will, and there are instances when countries decline to help each other despite being bound by agreements.
“For example, there is a Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) convention on terrorism that obliges all member states to cooperate against terror. But some countries cite legal problems or other difficulties to find a way out,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “The case of Bangladesh is an example, however, of the government there being forthcoming and handing over the wanted militants.”
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