Annual plans to states deferred till Lok Sabha polls
Agartala: The annual plans for the fiscal year 2014-15 for states earmarked by the Planning Commission will be finalised after the general elections, officials said here Saturday. “The official and chief ministerial level discussions with the Planning Commission have not been held yet. These discussions are expected to be take place after the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Tripura’s Additional Chief Secretary K.V. Satyanarayan, in-charge of the finance department, told IANS. He said: “Generally, during the months of March-April, the Planning Commission holds discussions with officials and chief ministers of all states to finalise the annual plan.” “In view of the general elections, the annual plan discussions have been deferred.” The annual plan fixed by the Planning Commission has been projected in the state budget of each state. Many states have already approved their budgets in their state assemblies or are in the process of getting an approval. The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule of the general elections to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha within a week, an official said. “The commission is likely to conduct the elections in five or six phases across the country,” a top official told IANS. (IANS)
Skill grooming project to be launched in Nagaland
Kohima: To commemorate 50 years of statehood, Nagaland Government’s Department of Youth Resources and Sports (DYRS) will soon launch a ‘Skill Grooming Project’ for the educated unemployed youths of the state. With over 60000 educated unemployed youths registered in the Employment Exchange, YRS Director, Kelei Zeliang said the department has set up Skill Grooming Academy in the Directorate and is equipped with computers and internet facility. He said the objective is to harness the readily available resource, that is, educated unemployed and help them avail employment avenues and assist them in building a long term career in the outsourcing industry. Under this project, he said there will be two batches while the training for the first batch will begin next week, the next batch will resume sometime in September. He said the short term goal is to set up the academy for training and placement the candidates in reputed organizations and the long term is to establish training and hiring/call front centre in our state in partnership with reputed off-shoring industries. (PTI)
Tuki welcomes Chaturvedi committee recommendations
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has welcomed the recommendations of the committee headed by Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi on ‘Development of Hill States’. The Committee has already submitted its report with recommendations in two parts – Process issues and Fiscal Compensation. In a letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, Tuki expressed gratitude to the Centre for commissioning the study and requested him to implement the recommendations soon, official sources said. “Your intervention will set in process a giant leap for the Himalayan and Northeast Region of India to reach at par with the rest of the Country,” he observed. The Chief Minister also called upon his counterparts in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim to take up the case with the Centre, the sources added. (PTI)
One injured in bomb blast
Imphal: A man was injured in a bomb blast near Langthabal here on Friday. The man identified as Romen who was travelling in a three wheeler was hit by splinters of the bomb. He was rushed to a hospital and declared out of danger. Police rushed in to investigate into the incident. It was not yet known who were responsible for the blast. (UNI)
Nagaland Home Minister urges rebel groups to make way for devp
Kohima: Nagaland Home Minister G Kaito Aye has said that ‘unity’ was the basic need of the hour and appealed to the ‘national workers’ to make way for village communities to grow and develop. Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of Unity Village, 5th Mile, Dimapur on Friday, Kaito said there were many ‘high ranking national workers from the village’ and urged them to think twice and give a ‘passage’ to the community as they had a different issue quite distinct from the ‘Naga agenda’. He also said that personal agenda also should not dilute the objectives of the village community. ‘Allow the society to grow’ he said. Kaito said the Naga issue was there to be settled and all Nagas wanted a settlement to the vexed Naga issue. He, however, said the ‘national workers’ should also be with ‘us’ as bringing a solution to the political issue required the support of the people. “We are also trying to address even the problems arising out of cease-fire ground rules violations,” he said. He also opined that if the ‘national workers’ could be apprised of the plight of the villagers or the common people, they could understand the issues and interests of the people. ‘When we grow stronger, you also would grow stronger but when you don’t allow the community to grow, you will go weak’ he said and appealed leaders of Naga political groups to ‘think and give a passage’ to the people. He asked them to let the business and student communities grow and to let ‘intellectuals’ play their parts, so that the state could grow stronger as compared to others. (UNI)
Rio to lay foundation stone of first Medical College of Nagaland
Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will lay the foundation stone of the much awaited Nagaland Medical College, Kohima at Phriebagei, at the ‘P’ Khel of Kohima village on Monday next. According to official sources today the programme will be chaired by Chief Secretary Nagaland, Banuo Z. Jamir, while invocation prayer will be said by General Secretary, Nagaland Baptist Church Council Rev. Dr. L. Anjo Keikung. Welcome song will be presented by Usou Musical School, Kohima and felicitation by Chairman, Kohima Village council. Brief introduction of the Medical College will be given by Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Sentiyanger Imchen. Vote of thanks will be proposed by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare Imkong L. Imchen. (UNI)