Chawngthu appointed chairman of Mizoram women commission
Aizawl: Mizoram government reconstituted the Mizoram State Commission for Women (MSCW) and appointed the newly-elected ruling Congress legislator Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu as its chairman, an official statement on Tuesday said. Chawngthu, elected in the by-polls to the Rangturzo Assembly seat on April 11, is the first woman legislator to be elected after a gap of 27 years and the only unmarried Mizo woman to be elected to the state legislature, it said. The MSCW members included three women professors, one woman judge of the district court in Aizawl, a housewife and Congress Mahila leader, it said, adding that the term of the Commission would be for three years. (PTI)
Minister stresses scientific management of rain water
Aizawl: Mizoram Agriculture Minister R Lalzirliana on Wednesday emphasised the need for scientific management of rainwater in the state for sustainable development and prevention of natural disasters. Inaugurating the two-day Regional Conference on Integrated Land and Water Resource Management in Hilly Areas held at Aizawl, Lalzirliana said that Mizoram has 2,200 cm annual rainfall, but 90 per cent of the rainfall was wasted due to lack of scientific management of rainwater. “Blessing in rainwater becomes a curse due to wastage and lack of management causing disasters and efforts should be seriously made for maximum utilisation of the rainwater,” he said. The conference was attended by representatives from north eastern states and also senior officials of the North East Region Integrated Water and Land Management (NERIWALM). (PTI)
Naga Assembly Speaker yet to accept defection of NCP MLAs to BJP
Kohima: The Nagaland Assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo on Wednesday said he is yet to accept the defection of three out of four NCP MLAs to BJP in the state. Three NCP MLAs led by party president and MLA Imtilemba Sangtam, Parliamentary Secretary Dr T M Lotha and Mmhonlumo Kikon on June 16 formally declared to join the BJP. “I am still studying the papers submitted by the three former NCP MLAs about their joining BJP,” Assembly Speaker Sazo told PTI here today. “As the issue is a Constitutional matter and I need to thoroughly examine it, I am consulting legal and constitutional experts before taking any action,” he said. Asked whether action could be initiated against the three under provisions of the Anti-Defection Law, he said “Anything can happen, therefore, proper consultation is being done.” The Speaker also confirmed summoning of the former NCP president Imtilemba Sangtam for validation of the three MLAs joining BJP and said Sangtam had met him yesterday. Though the Assembly Speaker may not have formally accepted the three NCP MLAs joining the BJP, state BJP spokesperson James Vizo said the party’s state president Dr M Chuba Ao has taken two former NCP MLAs to New Delhi for introducing them to the BJP central leadership. The joining of the three NCP MLAs have increased the strength of BJP from one to four in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, while NCP was now left with only one MLA. (PTI)