60.57 pc voting during repoll in 3 polling stations in Assam
Guwahati: Altogether 60.57 per cent of the voters cast their vote in the repolling on Wednesday at three polling stations under Assam’s Karimganj Lok Sabha seat following reports of alleged electoral malpractices by poll officials. 64.20 voting was recorded at 242 Kaparibond LP School (West) polling station under Patharkandi Assembly segment of Karimganj district, EC sources said. At 203 Matijuri Girls LP School and 177 Haricharan Mahamaya Girls’ High School in Hailkandi district, 64.20 and 59.50 per cent voting respectively was registered, the sources said. The BJP had in a complaint alleged before the EC that officials of the polling station had indulged in malpractice during polling on April 12 and had demanded a repoll. The Commission on the basis of available reports and after taking all material circumstances into account, had ordered repolling in the polling stations on Wednesday. (PTI)
Man gets 10 years’ RI for rape
Aizawl: A local court has sentenced a 48-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly raping a mentally retarded minor girl in 2012. While delivering the judgement on Tuesday, Aizawl district and sessions judge R Thanga also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on the convict James Isaka, and, in default, he would have to undergo imprisonment for one more month. According to the prosecution, Isaka, a resident of Mizoram-Tripura border Kanhmun village, raped the girl belonging to the minority Bru community three times in 2012 and was arrested after her parents complained to the police. (PTI)
Union secy stresses on completion of medicine project
Itanagar: The Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Nilanjan Sanyal has taken stock of the progress of North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine, G+3 building at Pasighat in East Siang district and stressed on the quality maintenance and completion of the project on time. The Secretary, from the Department of AYUSH, currently in the state, visited the project site on Tuesday and offered valuable suggestions and tips for betterment of the project, official sources said here today. Directing the officials of HLL Life Care consultancy and the contractor of Tama Fabrication to expedite the works, he called for putting extra efforts so that the building is completed in a time-bound manner and gets ready by October 2 next for its inauguration. The HLL personnel while highlighting various hurdles like shortage of labours, cost escalation, geographical difficulties etc, assured to complete the work by September next. The official also visited the construction site of 10-bedded double storeyed AYUSH hospital, situated inside the General Hospital, Pasighat, official sources said. In an effort to promote folk medicine traditions of the Northeastern region, the Institute is being set up in the state by the Centre at the cost of Rs 32.88 crore. The construction started on October 31, 2010 and about 73 per cent has been completed. (PTI)
Arunachal to enact Forest Act
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh is all set to enact its own Forest Act soon to protect the vast forest area including different floral and fauna species in the state. A Draft Arunachal Pradesh Forest Act (APFA) has already been formulated by a committee constituted by the state environment and forest department, Additional PCCF Dr R Kemp said here on Wednesday. The committee comprising of Additional PCCF Dr. Rabindra Kumar and Dr. R Kemp, CCF RK Singh, RSC Jayaraj and DCF S. Manyu finalised the draft Act after thorough deliberation and finally submitted it to the PCCF and Principal Secretary (E&F)yesterday, he said, “The draft will now be placed on the website of the department (arunachalforests.gov.in) inviting views and suggestions of the public and other stakeholders,” Kemp said. A workshop involving experts from all over the country would also be organised for improvement and fine tuning of the draft Act, before its formal submission to the government, he said. So far, Arunachal has been following the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891 for administration of its forest resources. (PTI)
Rajat Kamal award for Sherduken film ‘Crossing Bridges’
Itanagar: The first Sherdukpen film ‘Crossing Bridges’ from Arunachal Pradesh has been honoured with the prestigious Rajat Kamal award at the recently concluded 61st National Film Awards at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the award on May 3 last congratulated the producer Tenzing Norbu Thongdok and the director Sange Dorjee Thongdok on their achievement, official sources said here today. Union Information and Broadcasting secretary made a special mention of the film saying “this is the first feature film to be made in this language, undoubtedly an impressive performance for the first time effort to make it to the national level.” It was also announced at the ceremony that for the first time in the history of the National Film Awards a Sherdukpen film has won the Rajat Kamal Award. (PTI)
Bangladesh allows FCI to carry food grains through Ashuganj
Agartala: Bangladesh has agreed to allow Food Corporation of India (FCI) to transport food grains from Visakhapattanam to Akhaura Integrated Check post of Agartala along Indo-Bangladesh border through waterways via Ashuganj sea port, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha here on Wednesday. Talking media Mr Saha said Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is all set to start gauge conversion work from October 1 between Lumding and Agartala section and it will take at least six months time for completion. “It is confirmed that there will be no train service from Lumding to Agartala, which will affect the goods carrying especially food grains and petroleum product transportation in Tripura and by roadways supply will not be sufficient to cater the demand,” he pointed out. Saha said with the request from Tripura government, Ministry of External Affairs has taken up the matter of carrying food grains via Ashuganj port with it’s Bangladesh counterparts three months ago and Bangladesh has agreed to allow carrying of 10,000 MT rice. “During suspension of railway service for six months, Tripura will require at least 1.80 MT rice supply for the state but we have started for making buffer stock of rice before onset of monsoon to manage the demand,” he added. (UNI)