Two polling officials suspended in Mizoram
Aizawl: Two polling officials who were on duty at the Republic Veng – I polling booth during the election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly on November 25, were suspended on Friday for dereliction of duty. The suspension orders were issued following intimation from the state election department which was instructed by the Election Commission. Presiding Officer Lalchhanliana was accused of being drunk while on duty, while polling officer Vicky Lalnunthara was accused of telling voters who to vote for. There was difference of 16 votes polled in the electronic voting machine (EVM) and the presiding officer’s notes in the November 25 polls following which the Election Commission ordered repoll in the polling booth which was conducted on November 28 in which 78.71 per cent turnout was recorded. State Joint Chief Electoral Officer H. Lalengmawia said that the election department would conduct an inquiry and further action would be taken in accordance with the findings of the inquiry. (PTI)
Grenade explodes in interior Manipur
Imphal: A powerful grenade exploded at the house of a government contractor in interior Thoubal district of Manipur but no casualty was reported, police said on Friday. Militants hurled the grenade at the house of Md Sajad at Lilong area at around 11 PM Thursday night but no one was injured, sources said. Monetary demand was the reason behind the incident, they added. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident. (PTI)
Justice Ketulhu Meruno dies
Kohima: Former judge of Gauhati High Court, Justice Ketulhu Meruno, who was one of the pioneers of the Bar in Nagaland, has died following a brief illness in Dimapur, his family said. He was 61. He is survived by two daughters and a son. He died on Wednesday. His funeral was held on Friday in Dimapur. Justice Meruno served as the 1st Assistant Solicitor General of India for Nagaland and was elevated as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 12, 2006 which he served till retirement on March 11 this year. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that Nagaland has lost one of its valued pioneers in the field of jurisprudence and the gap left by him would be difficult to fill. The Kohima Bar Association said the legal fraternity has lost a great senior and friend whose absence would be immensely felt. (PTI)
Arunachal to be a major religious tourism destination: Tuki
Tengapani (Arunachal): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Friday said the state is poised to be a major religious tourism destination of the country. “While the world famous Tawang Monastery attracts tourists in the state’s western part, Buddhist town Mechuka in the north and the Golden Pagoda including famous pilgrimage Parsuram Kund in the east have been the cynosure of all eyes,” Tuki said before paying his obeisance to the 2,568–year-old relics of Buddha which arrived at the Pagoda on Wednesday. Tuki said with several infrastructure projects in this part of the state coming up including the Trans-Arunachal Highway and railway connectivity to Tezu, the headquarters of Lohit district, besides close proximity to the airport in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, religious tourism would thrive. While appealing to the people not to leave any stone unturned in preserving the uniqueness of the Golden Pagoda, Tuki said with the arrival of the relics, the place had turned in to a holy land of Lord Buddha. Exposition of the relics for the public began today with the Chief Minister paying his obeisance after being administered Panch Sheel (five golden principles of Buddha) by the monks of the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. (PTI)