Two rifles recovered from Kaziranga
Jorhat (Assam): Two rifles, hidden near a drain, were recovered from Kaziranga National Park today, the police said. The rifles, a .303 and a hand-made one, were packed inside a polythene bag and was covered with dry leaves in Kohora range of the park. A ten-year-old boy spotted the bag and informed the local people who later informed the police. The police and KNP guards have launched investigations and suspect that it was kept their by poachers who had recently killed a male rhino and taken away its horn. (PTI)
Rubber Board to help boost rubber cultivation in Arunachal
Itanagar: The Rubber Board of India is committed to taking steps to boost rubber cultivation in the state. This was stated by the Board’s North Eastern Zonal Additional Production Commissioner Anil Kumar, who along with Deputy Production Commissioner K A Grijamoni, arrived on a two-day visit to the state Thursday. Kumar told PTI on Friday that he had a threadbare discussion with state Trade and Commerce Director Tokong Pertin for promotion of rubber cultivation in the state. “I took stock of the present status of rubber cultivation and the steps taken by the state government for encouraging rubber growers from Pertin, the nodal officer from the state government,” Kumar said. “As promised by our commissioner during her visit to the state in March 2013, the opening of RBI regional office here and posting of development officer besides a field officer at Namsai office reflected the Board’s commitment to help grow rubber production in the state, Kumar said. Posting of field officers to potential rubber growing areas of the state was in the offing, he said. (PTI)
Institute of Marine Studies proposed in Assam
Guwahati: Assam government today decided to set up a two-member panel to study the methodology of setting up of the proposed Institute of Marine Studies in the state. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi chaired a high level meeting during the day to discuss the modalities on setting up an institute which would be able to generate employment avenues and provide rightful vocations to the youths of the region. Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla, Additional Chief Secretary (to the Chief Minister) M G V K Bhanu; Additional Chief Secretary, Administrative Reforms and Training, IT and Education Rajiv Kumar Bora along with other senior officials were present at the meeting. (PTI)
Centre to hold talks with Tripura, Mizoram CMs on repatriation
Agartala: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would hold meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalthanhawla on Saturday for repatriation of about 32,000 displaced Reangs lodged in evacuation camps in north Tripura district for past 17 years. Replying to a calling attention motion in the Tripura assembly, state Revenue Minister Badal Chowdhury said 35,326 people from 6,800 families of the Reang community had fled their ancestral home since October 1997 and Tripura government sheltered them on humanitarian grounds. Chowdhury said state Chief Minister alerted the Prime Minister repeatedly but only 5,294 Reangs from 1,030 families could be sent back since May 2010 to Mizoram. At present 31,223 Reangs of 5,286 families are sheltered in evacuee camps in Kanchanpur of North Tripura district. (PTI)
Student stabs teacher on being scolded for consuming liquor
Imphal: A twelfth grade student allegedly stabbed his teacher when he was scolded for consuming alcohol in the school premises at Liwa Sarei, police said on Thursday. The senior student stabbed his history teacher, Alex Pammei, five times when the teacher rebuked him for consuming alcohol inside the school premises at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya on Tuesday, police officials said. The condition of Pammei is critical and currently admitted in an intensive care unit, hospital officials said. Police have identified the accused but his name was not disclosed by the authorities. Efforts are on to nab the student, who fled from the spot after the incident, he said. (PTI)