Horticulture Dept. to boost wild apple production
Kohima: Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Horticulture Neiba Kronu on Monday stated that the Department will encourage large-scale wild apple plantation and production in the state. In a statement Kronu said he was optimistic that the fruit, available in different parts of the state, will yield a good market both within and outside Nagaland. He said the Department will soon frame proper mechanism to encourage wild apple plantation on a commercial scale. Meanwhile, the Department in its annual administrative report 2012-13 stated that it had initiated the area expansion of potentially focused crops like pineapple, banana, citrus, passion fruits and other horticultural fruits since the inception of Horticultural Mission for North East Hills scheme. The efforts paid off both in terms of production and recognition. The state is now known for its fruits like orange, passion fruit and pineapple, which are in great demand in markets both inter and intra-state. The state has achieved the branding of Naga Pineapple with more such branding in the offing. Further, the Department now envisions shifting the focus to other potential and exotic fruits like blue berry, strawberry and some berries suitable for the climate of the state. (UNI)
2 poachers held, rhino horn found
Tezpur: Two poachers were arrested and a rhino horn seized from them in Assam’s Sonitpur district on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested the duo while they got off a bus at Sootea and seized the rhino horn from their possession, police said. The duo were identified as Safiqul Islam and Rafiqul Alom – both travelling from Laluk in neighbouring Lakhimpur district. The horn, weighing 800 grams and worth Rs 50 lakhs, was later handed over to the forest department. Sootea and its adjoining areas and Orang National Park bordering Sonitpur district have become a haunt of poachers. (PTI)
Nagaland BJP comes down heavily on poor quality roads
Kohima: The Nagaland BJP on Monday reiterated the poor quality of workmanship by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) on the national highway-29 and urged the organisation to change its attitude and maintain quality work in the general interest of the state and its own reputation. In a statement, Nagaland BJP unit president M Chuba Ao and general secretary K James Vizo, however, expressed displeasure that the resurfacing of the national highway along the Dimapur-Kohima stretch is ‘visible only in selected portions’ while the stretch between Purana Bazar and Padumpukri was ‘yet to be completed’. The party also blamed the BRO and the Central of government for the ‘step motherly’ attitude of not improving the quality of roads despite repeated appeals by the state authority. To support its claim, the BJP cited the recent report carried in a newspaper which said while the quality of BRO roads in Myanmar were of ‘top quality work’, the roads in the north east were ‘sub-standard, especially in Nagaland’. (UNI)
‘Cases of crime against women increasing in Manipur’
Imphal: Three murders, one rape and murder, one assault and two infanticides have been reported so far in first 15 days of the year in Manipur, a women rights body said. Cases of foeticide have also increased drastically, Women Action for Development noted. An official said if the government fails to take immediate actions, the crime rate will keep increasing. Cases of domestic violence, moral degradation, drug abuse have increased. One factor that is working against the interest of the affected women and children is the tendency to resolve crime against women without going through the normal process. The perpetrators manage to continue their heinous acts as they manage to go free by paying some amount of money to the victim, the official added. (UNI)
RPF arrests 1 with China-made pistol in Nagaland
Kohima: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested a man with one .22 pistol (China made) from Dimapur railway station on Sunday. RPF sources said on Monday as Tewnei Dailing, (30) of Tening under Peren district, was arrested from the railway platform while he was making nuisance in an inebriated state. After a thorough search, the empty pistol was recovered from him. He claimed that it was to be disposed of for a sum of Rs 15,000 out of which his commission was Rs 2000. A case has been registered and investigation was on, sources said. (UNI)