NDFB(S) behind Monday’s blast in Assam town
Guwahati: The Assam Police on Tuesday said the anti-talks NDFB (Songbijit faction) was involved in last evening’s blast in Bongaigaon town in western Assam which left five people injured. ADG (law and order) AP Raut said the police have reports to link NDFB(S) with the blast. “We have information on those involved and they will be nabbed soon,” he said. Six suspects have already been picked up in this connection and two of them will be arrested and remanded to custody, Bongaigaon Superintendent of Police Abhijit Bora said. Stating that the NDFB(S) was behind the attack, Bora said, “the owner of the Hero motorcycle showroom had received extortion demand from the outfit. The blast is a threat tactics by the outfit as the money has not been paid as yet.” He said two militants came from the bordering district of Chirang to carry out the attack. Five people, including three minors, were injured in the grenade attack on Monday evening at Bongaigaon. Among those injured is a three-year-old boy Sumit Barman, who was shifted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital here in a critical state. (UNI)
Nature trail for school children in Assam schools
Guwahati: A group of children from several schools in Guwahati were taken out on a nature trail programme at Deepor Beel Ramsar Site here on Tuesday at the initiative of Aaranyak, a bio-diversity conservation organisation. The children were exposed to the experience of bird watching by experts and volunteers of Aaranyak, who also hosted a group discussion and quiz on tiger as part of the event. The nature trail programme was organised as part of ‘Kids for Tiger Conservation’ programme with partnership of Aircel and Sanctuary Asia magazine, according to Manas Kumar Bhattachryya, city coordinator of Kid for Tiger. Aaranyak’s biologist Namita Brahma and educator Dhruba Jyoti Kalita led the eight-member Aaranyak team that helped the school children make most of the event. Altogether 36 children from various city schools participated in the programme. About 20 teachers and parents of the school children also took part in the nature trail programme to share experience with the children. (UNI)
Retailing of consumer goods under scanner in Tripura
Agartala: After hoarding of salt by a section of retailers in Tripura two week ago and inflation in the essential commodities, the state government has issued fresh notification in retail selling of the consumer goods. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer affairs officials here on Tuesday said the retailers had been allowed to demand extra profit maximum of 15 per cent additional price for retail sale on wholesale prices of perishable food items including potato and onion. The decision, taken in the meeting with the merchant associations recently also resolved maximum retail price hike for other daily necessities like edible oil, salt, spices etc would be permissible at 5 per cent. The officials also pointed out that despite repeated direction, the retailers did not follow the rules of retail selling in the markets of the state. “Display of price list and stock quantity detail of the items in any retail outlets has made compulsory now and any violation in compliance will be dealt with seriously,” the officials stated. Like other states of eastern India, Tripura also reeled under rumours of acute salt crisis on November 15 last and per kilogram salt was found selling at Rs 150 instead of Rs 12. Finally, the state administration in pursuance with the complaints of hoarding and selling of salt at high price has registered as many as 13 cases across the state. (UNI)
ACAUT submits memos to Guv, CM for arrest of GPRN/NSCN
Kohima: A delegation from Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s office, demanding that the government direct the police to arrest the three GPRN/NSCN cadres involved in the November 17 assault on Kiho H Sumi. Official sources said the delegation have submitted the representation to the Chief Minister’s office through Lalthara, Advisor to the state government, for justice to Kiho. Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir and a representative from the Governor’s office were also given the petition, which was signed by 2,683 people, including 1,783 through The Naga Blog (TNB). The sources said Khio was assaulted by three GPRN/NSCN cadres for ‘questioning the illegal collection of tax by the cadres.’ However, the GPRN/NSCN have terminated the three cadres from ‘active and primary membership’ and ‘active national service’ respectively. The ACAUT and the TNB, in their petition, have demanded the accused be arrested and booked under relevant sections of the IPC and CrPC. (UNI)