Valuables seized from houses of three Tripura officials
Agartala: Cash and jewellery were seized during separate raids in the houses of three officials of the School Education Department in connection with a multi-crore school scam, a police official said on Thursday. Documents of several bank accounts, Rs 51,000 and jewellery worth Rs three lakh were seized from the houses of three persons yesterday in connection with the multi crore scam in the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijyan (RMSA) under School Education department, SDPO (Sadar) Rajendrajit Dutta said. However, nobody was arrested during the raids carried out simultaneously in the houses of Additional Director Dilip Debbarma, Deputy Director cum Drawing and Disbursing Officer Amalika Dutta and Joint Director B R Debbrma, in-charge of RMSA, he said. The cashier of RMSA Arnab Chakraborty, who had allegedly siphoned off Rs 3.5 crore by forging cheques, was earlier arrested from Kolkata. (PTI)
Two sentenced for ganja trafficking
Aizawl: A district court of Mizoram has sentenced two persons to 10 and half years rigorous imprisonment for trafficking of ganja (cannabis). Lunglei district Additional District and Sessions judge Vanlalenmawia on Wednesday sentenced Nuchuaii (60) and Lalvunga (50) of Mizoram-Myanmar border town of Champhai for possession of 42.5 kg of ganja on October 22 last year. The contraband was valued at around Rs 1.06 lakh in the local market. (PTI)
NSF urges review of ‘No-detention policy’ of RTE
Kohima: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Thursday urged the Nagaland government to either review or revoke the ‘No detention policy’ being implemented under the Right to Education Act as it increased drop-out rate in the state. “Since students are compulsorily promoted till class VIII, facing examinations in Class IX and X becomes the biggest hurdle for them,” the apex students’ body said in a representation to the Parliamentary Secretary for School Education of the state government. After implementation of this policy in the state, it was recorded that around 15,000 students had dropped out from school in class IX, the NSF said. “It is feared that more students will drop out of school in the coming years if the No-detention policy is continuously enforced,” it said. Under the circumstances, this policy should be either reviewed or revoked so that students were imparted education properly particularly in the early stage of their academic career, it said. (PTI)
ARTIAF pleads with Education minister to call back excess BEOs
Itanagar: The Arunachal RTI Activist Forum (ARTIAF) on Thursday pleaded with Education Minister Tapang Taloh to initiate measures to call back all the excess Block Education Officer (BEO) serving under various districts of the state. “Altogether 150 teachers were appointed as BEOs by the state government against the sanctioned post of 32 such officers,” a copy of the memorandum said here today. The Forum in a memorandum to the minister alleged that as per government notification there should be a total sanctioned post of 32 BEOs for the entire state but surprisingly there are more than 100 BEO’s serving in the state, which amounts to clear and gross violation of government circular on August 23, 2010. While demanding immediate call back of subject teachers engaged as BRC/CRC in various flagship programmes like SSA/RMSA or any other non-teaching jobs, the ARTIAF alleged that instead of fulfilling the genuine demands and needs of the people, the education department deputes and diverts teaching staffs as non-teaching staffs. It also demanded for a permanent ban on further deputation of teachers to other departments or posts at the cost of the parent department. (PTI)
Arunachal minister urges Centre to enhance funding pattern
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandary and Dairy Development Minister Chowna Mein has pleaded the Centre for enhancing funding pattern of all Centrally sponsored schemes in the state in the ratio of 90:10. Mein accompanied by Arunachal MP Ninong Ering called on Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi on Tuesday last and apprised him of various problems faced by the state, an official release informed here today. During the meeting, Mein stressed on enhancing funding pattern of all Centrally sponsored schemes to 90:10 ratio so that the frontier could avail the benefits of the schemes launched by the Centre.He specifically highlighted the state’s vast land resources stretching from tropical to alpine zones feasible for growing various agriculture and horticultural crops besides livestock rearing before the minister. Issues of marketing agricultural produce were also discussed to which Singh agreed in principle to send a team of officers to assess the requirements. The minister also assured to establish more Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the state, the release informed. Proposal for establishment of a veterinary college in the state was also discussed and the Union minister assured to consider it after establishment of the Central University at Shillong which was under process. (PTI)
Mizoram environment awards
Aizawl: As part of its campaign for wildlife protection, the Mizoram-based Association for Environment Protection (ASEP) on Thursday distributed the state’s first ever environmental photography awards to six photographers. Speaking at the award ceremony at Aizawl Press Club here, environment and forest minister Lalrinmawia Ralte appreciated the ASEP’s initiatives and efforts in protecting wildlife and environment. “As they say picture tells a thousand words, a single picture of wildlife can be meaningful in instilling a sense of responsibility in people’s mind towards wildlife protection,” he said. Congratulating the award winners, Ralte said he was excited to see an increasing wildlife awareness among the masses that there are more and more people who “shoot animals with camera, not with a gun.” The environmental photographer awards are sponsored by State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA). The Association for Environment Preservation (ASEP) is happy that its nearly decade long campaign for wildlife protection has borne positive fruits. “There has been significant awakening in wildlife protection, particularly in the villages. Many villages have announced prohibition of poaching in their respective jurisdictions,” ASEP president K Lalmuansanga said. (UNI)