Village Financial Services enters Assam
Kolkata: City-based Village Financial Services on Thursday announced commencement of its operation in Assam to tap opportunities available in the Northeast. The company in a statement said that its first branch in Assam and 103rd overall had been opened in Dhubri district. It would be a full-service rural branch providing micro-lending services. The company plans to expand in other Northeastern states as well to reach out to rural women. The company also aims to raise its customer base from 145000 to 200000 poor households by the end of fiscal year 2014-15, the company said. (PTI)
NDFB(S) ultra killed in encounter
Udalguri: A NDFB (Songbijit) militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Khoirabari area in Assam’s Mangaldoi district early Thursday morning. A joint police and army team surrounded Dingdang Para village under Khoirabari police station after a tip off that the militant Basiram Bodo was hiding there, police sources said. The militant fired and the security forces retaliating killing him, the sources said. A hand grenade, a 9-mm pistol, three live cartridges, several spent cartridges, a mobile handset and documents were recovered from the slain ultra, they added. (PTI)
East Siang dist to have Sainik school
Itanagar: A joint survey team constituted by the Arunachal Pradesh government has given go ahead nod for establishment of the Sainik school at Industrial Growth Centre (IGC), Niglok under Ruksin Circle of East Siang district. The six-member team headed by Elementary Education director Bodong Yirang as its chairman visited the site yesterday to ascertain the facts like availability of land for the school and, hostel, dispensary and play ground besides water and electricity, official sources said here today. As per the joint survey team report, the IGC Niglok has sufficient land measuring about 583 acres and the requirement of the school is just 40 acres with strength of 300 students and 50 acres for 600 students, sources said. Yirang said the site would be best for establishment of the school as almost all infrastructures required were available. (PTI)
Timber worth Rs 10 lakh seized
Morigaon: A huge quantity of smuggled timber worth at least Rs ten lakh was seized by the police in central Assam’s Morigan district on Thursday. Acting on a tip off, police from Moirabari seized 100 log pieces of teak timber at Hahsora, police sources said. A timber trader identified as Nuruddin had arranged to dispatch a truck load of the smuggled teak logs to Dimapur in Nagaland. A search operation has been launched to track out the absconding trader, they added. (PTI)