Gold biscuits seized, 4 held
Kohima: Gold biscuits weighing 4331 gm and worth Rs 1.21 crore were seized from four persons, two of them women, by a joint team of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police Station (GRPS) at Dimapur Railway Station. Acting on a tip off, the RPF and GRPS personnel raided the Kamrup Express in Dimapur station at around 3.20 am on Tuesday and the four accused were caught with 26 gold biscuits concealed in the waists and upper bodies of the two women, a top GRPS official said. The four had arrived in Dimapur via road from Imphal and were slated to board Kamrup Express for Howrah in West Bengal, the official said. The accused have been identified as RK Templer Singh, RK Semson Singh, T Shantibala and RK Rojita. All from Manipur who are first-time carriers. (PTI)
Forum to combat unfair means during voting in N Angami seat
Kohima: In a first of its kind move towards combating any corrupt practice in the voting process, the ‘Forum for Fair Election (FFE) was launched today in the Northern Angami Assembly Constituency under Kohima district of Nagaland. The State Assembly Constituency had been occupied three times by Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio until he was elected to Lok Sabha in May this year. The bye-election to the Constituency is yet to be announced by the Election Commission. The Forum is a movement by like-minded persons from 11-Northern Angami-II from various walks of life who share the common vision for free and fair election, said Kekhriengulie Theunuo, Core Committee Member of FFE. “The Forum is above party politics and neither favouring nor disfavouring any candidate or political party,” he said. (PTI)
Arunachal flood situation slightly improves
Itanagar: The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh marginally improved onWednesday as the water level in many rivers are showing a receding trend. The improvement in the situation followed better weather condition since on Tuesday, an official release said here. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi informing him about the critical situation arising out of the incessant rains for the past three months and requested him for extending flood assistance, it said. The chief minister and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju will conduct an aerial survey of the flood affected districts on Thursday, the release said. The union minister is likely to submit a report to the Centre after conducting survey of the flood-affected districts in the state to assess the damages. Rijiju would also review the extent of flood damages in a few districts by conducting meetings with the district administrations, the release added. The chief minister on Tuesday directed the department concerned to release Rs 10 crore for undertaking emergency repair and restoration work of the roads damaged in the recent deluge in the state. Tuki said that the decision to release the amount was in addition to Rs 15 lakh and Rs 7 lakh released to the deputy commissioners and additional deputy commissioners respectively of the flood-affected districts to enable them to undertake immediate relief measures, an official release said. Out of Rs 10 crore, an amount of Rs five crore had been allocated to PWD, Rs three crore to the Water Resource Department and Rs one crore each to Power (Electrical) and PHE departments, the release said. (PTI)
45 students taken ill after consuming mid-day meal
Agartala: At least 45 students fell ill after having midday meal at Noapara S B School of Bishalgarh under Sepahijala district in West Tripura on Wednesday. According to report, two of the students have been shifted to Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) as doctor’s advice following non-response to the treatment in the local hospital. However, administration ordered probe into the incident. Initially, the teachers responsible for mid-day meal in the school and the cook were brought for interrogation, said police. All the victims are aged between 6 years and 14 years. “Toxicity in vegetables or in the water used for cooking Khichudi may be the reason of food poisoning but unless laboratory report comes, it is difficult to ascertain,” said Sub-divisional magistrate Bishalgarh Prasun De. He said the Khichudi was distributed among the students after it was being tested by the cook. “After students started complaining on food, the cook himself fell ill,” said De adding that immediately all of them were shifted the Bishalgarh sub-divisional hospital and police was reported. Doctors said after attending them all are out of danger but need to remain in the hospital at least for a day and food poisoning was blamed for the illness. (UNI)