32 dwellings gutted by fire in East Siang
Itanagar:At least 32 dwellings have been reduced to ashes when a fire broke out at remote Sine Village under Boleng sub-division of East Siang district on Monday. The devastating fire, which started around 2 am, quickly spread to the adjoining huts which completely gutted 32 houses including properties, a delayed official report said here on Wednesday. Education Minister Tapang Taloh, Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering and East Siang DC Nidhi Srivastava expressed shock over the incident. Taloh, who is also local MLA of the area, sought a detailed report on the incident and directed Boleng ADC in-charge Gamtum Padu to extend all required help and financial assistance to the victims as per government norms. At the same time, he appealed the people to remain cautious as fire accident occurs frequently during the winter season. Taloh called upon the administration, PRIs, civil societies, NGOs and students to create awareness on fire mishaps amongst the rural folks. (PTI)
3-day vehicle strike starts in Aizawl
Aizawl:There was minimum vehicular traffic in Aizawl as Commercial Vehicle Joint Action Committee organised 3-day strike from 6 am on Wednesday to protest different decisions made by the state government. City buses and taxis were off the road while the state government pushed around 50 government buses including the Mizoram State Transport (MST) buses to ply in the city during the strike which would continue till Friday evening. Meanwhile, association of taxi owners and drivers said that they would join the stir for only on the first day and would continue service from Thursday. “We could not continue the strike as it is our most profitable season,” the taxi owners said, adding that organising a strike during Christmas season did not suit their business. The maxicab owners association also refused to join the strike as movement of people to and from the villages was the highest during Christmas festivities. State transport minister John Rotluangliana warned that licences and permits of commercial vehicles would be cancelled if they continue with the stir.(PTI)
Rhino killed by poachers in Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga:A male adult rhino was killed by poachers and its horn taken away on Wednesday in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), taking the number of rhinos killed this year to 27, a Forest Department official said. Forest guards in KNP heard gun shots around 1.30 pm and launched a search operation before recovering the carcass of the rhino near Kathalchang forest camp in Burapahar Range of the park, KNP Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) S K Seal Sarma told PTI. The body of the pachyderm had bullet injuries in three places and its horn sawed away, Sarma said.Six empty cartridges of 303 rifles were recovered from near the rhino, he said.A search operation has been launched to trace the poachers. (PTI)
STPI to set up Incubation Center in Kohima
Kohima:The Software Technology Park of India (STPI) is all set to establish an Incubation Centre in Kohima, which would be operational within six months at Information Technology (IT) Directorate here, to be followed by building of an IT Park in Dimapur, to support entrepreneurs in the state. The Director General STPI Dr. Omkar Rai during an interaction with media persons and entrepreneurs last evening said the decision was taken after visiting the IT Directorate. He asserted that STPI would start ‘a plug and play’ in Kohima in a few months time and that entrepreneurs could look forward for promotion of incubation and opportunity for incubation would be based on first come first basis for IT companies, where internet, PC and power would be provided. He also assured to provide high speed internet connectivity, along with power backup. Dr Rai said for incubation, minimum of 200 entrepreneurs with or without companies could be accommodated. He further said another plus point the NE people had was the ‘good accent’ through which NE region would progress and reap benefit of this initiative. He said STPI unit could import anything, avail customs duty exemption on import, tax benefits for companies to come and invest in NE states.(UNI)
Nagaland NSRLM to host ‘Writeshop-NE on NSRLM’
Kohima:The Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) is hosting the ‘Annual Regional Writeshop-Northeast on NRLM’ from December 12 to 17 at Kohima. According to official sources today the objective of the writeshop is to produce information materials with focus on Northeast Vision 2016. Officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India; Officers from the State Rural Livelihoods Missions of the Northeast; representatives from other states and resource organizations will be attending the writeshop.Sessions during the 6-day writeshop include a wide range of topics such as: Processes in people’s institutions (communication, leadership, decision making, problem solving); Self Help Group (SHG) Concept and Features; Life-cycle of an SHG; Communitisation; Bank Linkage; Developing protocols for fund flow; Financial Management and others. (UNI)
Assam Govt directive to do away with application fees
Guwahati:The Finance Department of Assam Government has issued a directive to all state government departments to immediately do away with the process of collection of application fees. The move comes after it was noticed that some government departments continue to collect such application fee through treasury challans, said a government press release on Wednesday. For each treasury challan, the state government has to pay as RBI agency charges Rs 50 for each transaction and Rs 12 for each e-transaction, the release said. The state government is thus losing a huge amount from the state exchequer every month in the form of agency charge against each such receipt, the release said, adding, it has not only been costing the state exchequer but also hampering the day-to-day treasury works.(PTI)