Heavy exchange of fire in interior Manipur
Imphal: There was heavy exchange of fire between central para military forces and militants near the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Ukhrul district but no casualty was reported, police said on Saturday. The incident occured when personnel of 44th Assam Rifles were attacked by the militants while patrolling Kamjong area on Friday. The security force personnel returned the fire and the exchange lasted for several hours, the police said. No casualty was sustained by the security personnel, the police said adding that the militants escaped through the nearby dense jungles. (PTI)
Two SSB jawan suspected to be kidnapped by ultras
Guwahati: Two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans are suspected to have been kidnapped by tribal militants in the Indo-Bhutan area of western Assam’s Chirang district. Local reports said that the two jawans were on routine patrol duty in interiors of Bijni area when they went missing. The duo is suspected to be kidnapped by NDFB (Songbijit faction) militants, who are active in the area. While one of the missing jawan hails from neighbouring Baksa district, the other is from Uttar Pradesh. Search operations have been launched to trace their whereabouts. SSB personnel, who are engaged in security activities in the region, had been targeted in multiple occasions by militants in the past also. (UNI)
Nagaland Governor says festivals spread message of peace
Kohima: Governor of Nagaland and Manipur Ashwani Kumar expressed hope that the festival would spread the message of love, peace and harmony far and wide. The programme of the ‘North East Christmas Choir Festival’ organised by (North East), Doordarshan was inaugurated by Dr Kumar lighting a traditional lamp and said the North East region as a treasure trove of music, dance, drama, songs and culture. He said eight states of the region have well preserved the folk, classical and traditional forms of music. Dr Kumar said it was most appropriate that the festival has been organised in the month of December when Lord Jesus Christ was born. A Choir members from Imphal, in their first performance outside the state, also enthralled audience with their enchanting performance. Choir members from Assam and other states also performed. (UNI)
Naga body threatens to stop all national projects
Imphal: The United Naga Council (UNC) Manipur has urged the government to resume talks on ‘alternative arrangements’ for Naga. It said all the works taken up in Manipur including national projects would be stopped if the demands were not conceded within a week’s time it was added. It was alleged that the Union and Manipur governments were not seriously taking up the demands of the Naga tribes to be administered under a different set up. So far about six rounds of talks had been held but both the Central and the state governments have so far not responded to hold the next round of talks. (UNI)
BSF proposes 12 more border haats for Tripura
Agartala: Supplementing the demand of Tripura government for more border haats (make-shift market in permanent structure) Border Security Force (BSF) proposed to have 12 more huts along India-Bangladesh border in the state. Referring to BSF proposal to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Tripura minister of industries and commerce Jitendra Chaudhury said here today the BSF wanted more border huts to strengthen relationship of the people living along both side of the border. Earlier, the state government had proposed border haats at eight locations – Kamalasagar, Boxanagar, Srinagar, Bamutia, Ekimpur, Pal Basti (Ragna), Hiracherra, Kamalpur along Indo-Bangladesh border of Tripura and four has already sanctioned. Choudhury, however, said the government had been in the process of beginning trade with Bangladesh through first border haat at Srinagar in Sabroom of South Tripura, to be inaugurated in next year and two work of two others were also progressing well. The haats would facilitate the trading of vegetables, food items, fruits, spices, bamboo, bamboo grass, broom stick, local cottage industry items, small agriculture household implements, garments, melamine products, processed food and fruit juice. (UNI)
Foundation stones for housing units, flats laid
Itanagar: The foundation stone for construction of 576 housing units under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) was laid on Saturday by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki at Dokoso area here. Tuki also laid the foundation stone for construction of flats for senior government officers (Type-IV and V) and G+ 5 model phases-I in the state capital. The RAY project would provide housing to those living below the poverty line and labourers on nominal rental basis while the other project would solve the acute accommodation problem of 90 senior government officers. Tuki said that the completion of the housing units and flats would solve the problems of government employees and civil society looking for cheap accommodation in the capital complex. The Rs 4431.2 lakh RAY project including internal road, community centre, livelihood centre, storm water drains, landscaping and boundary wall with 10 per cent funding from the state government was targeted for completion within 24 months, UD Director Tedir said. The other project at an estimated cost of Rs 7000 lakh with 10 per cent state government funding would provide lift and fire fighting system, overhead reservoir, landscaping, sewerage system and septage management, storm water drainage system, power and water supply and retaining wall. Meanwhile, addressing the valedictory function of the week-long Congress Seva Dal training camp which he had inaugurated here on December one, he said to work for communal harmony in the society to pave the way for peace and progress. (PTI)