Oil scarcity in Mizoram eased
Aizawl: Oil scarcity in Mizoram has eased on Tuesday even as rationing of petrol and diesel was being undertaken by some filling stations. Acute oil shortage in the state was caused by different factors including Puja celebrations, frequent blockade of National Highway No 44 in Meghalaya and ‘mega block’ from October one due to widening of railroad at Lumding-Badarpur sector in Assam. An official statement appealed to the people to take up austerity measures as the state could only stock oil for the use of four days due to the absence of Oil Depot in the state. The oil depot at the Mizoram-Assam border Vairengte was too old and declared unfit for storage as far as safety norms are concerned and the state government has been making efforts to construct a new and larger depot, the statement said. The tank lorries carrying oil have to take the load from Guwahati due to the mega block and took more time to reach Mizoram as the load could no longer be taken from the Ramnagar depot near Silchar in Assam’s Cachar district except in an emergency situation. (PTI)
Tea Board asked to allow mini and micro tea factories
Guwahati:The Assam government and tea stakeholders in the state have requested the Centre to direct the Tea Board to ensure that small tea growers are allowed to set-up mini and micro tea factories within their plantation area. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has requested the Union Ministry of Industry and Commerce to take this step at the earliest as this will lead to improvement in quality of tea. “Quality of made tea will definitely improve as handling of tea leaf will be much less while processing in own factories,” Gogoi said. However, it has not even been created on Tuesday which has hampered its function of supporting small tea growers. The CM called for creation of the post and appointment of a suitable person to it urgently. The Assam government had formulated a Cess Utilisation Policy exclusively for the development and welfare of small tea growers in 2011. North East Tea Association (NETA) also called for the setting up of micro and mini Tea factories by a small tea grower or a group of small tea growers which was already decided at the Tea Board’s Board meeting last year.(PTI)
95 per cent of mapping of Mizoram schools completed: Minister
Aizawl:Mapping of all the schools in Mizoram was being conducted and 95 per cent of the work has been completed, state School Education minister H Rohluna said on Tuesday. Speaking at the function when the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) Mission officials and the Young Mizo Association (YMA) signed a memorandum of understanding to work together, Rohluna said that the mapping work would be completed by December. He added that cleanliness in educational institutions would be one of the top priorities of the government and appealed to the NGOs to cooperate with the government in this venture. (PTI)