All genuine citizens will be enrolled in NRC: Assam CM
Guwahati: Seeking to pacify apprehensions that genuine Indian citizens may not be able to enroll their names in National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said the government will evolve means to ensure all legitimate names are enlisted in the updated NRC. Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi said timely updation of the NRC is topmost priority for the state government and all genuine Indian citizens will be included in it. The government has announced publishing of the final updated NRC in January, 2016, and the preliminary work for enlisting names has already started. He pointed that possession of any one of 12 alternate documents would ensure that a person can get his name enrolled in the NRC if his/her parents’ or forefathers’ names are not present in the set of documents of Legacy Data. Many genuine citizens still face any problem in establishing their legitimacy, the government will evolve means to ensure that they are not deprived, Gogoi said. The CM claimed that the NRC is being updated on the initiative of the Congress and the All Assam Students’ Union, while the BJP or Asom Gana Parishad had never sought to do it. He also urged politicians and others to refrain from spreading doubt in the minds of the people over getting their names enrolled in the NRC, if they are genuine citizens. (UNI)
Lightning kills 3 women tea workers
From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Three woman tea workers were killed due to lightning while they were plucking tea leaves in Lohpohia tea estate near Jorhat at around 3 P.M. on Thursday. The slain tea workers were identified as Roma Naik (28), Rita Karmakar (28) and Urmila Naik (26), police said. The tea estates in Assam largely engage women workers to pluck green leaves.
Battle of Khongjom commemorated, tributes offered to martyrs
Imphal: People of Manipur led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi offered tributes to those who died fighting the British Empire in the Anglo Manipur War of 1891. Ibobi accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs, political leaders and thousands of people on Thursday offered prayer at the Khongjom war memorial at Thoubal district. Following killing of five British officials and army personnel for attacking Manipur a three pronged attack was launched by British Empire in 1891 and following the defeat Manipur came under British rule on April 27, 1891. Every year tributes are offered at the memorial complex on April 23. The Chief Minister speaking on the occasion said we should remember the sacrifice of the martyrs who died fighting for their motherland. He added that his government will fight for protection of territorial integrity of Manipur. He further said his government was also taking up developmental projects and no one should disturb the works taken up. He said the railway line construction in the state was disturbed by some elements. Once completed the entire region will be opened to the South East Asian countries he said. The government is aware of the issue of Myanmar trying to grab lands of Manipur, he assured that the matter will be resolved soon . (UNI)
Five hurt in bomb blast in Manipur
Imphal: Five people were wounded in a bomb blast outside Manipur University. According to police, an IED was detonated near the gate of the University on Wednesday evening that injured five people, including teachers of a school located in the same area. One of the injured is in a critical state and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. The four others have also been admitted to the hospital, said sources. Police on Thursday conducted search in the area. (UNI)
NE to be malaria free by 2017: Union Health Ministry
Kohima: With the number of cases of Malaria decreasing rapidly and nearing elimination in the Northeastern states, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set a target to achieve the pre-elimination control by 2017 in the region. Official sources on Thursday said Additional Director of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Adhesh Kumar, while delivering the keynote address at the inaugural function of the three-day NE states regional review meeting on Intensified Malaria Control Project-II at Kohima, informed about the statistics of Malaria cases in the region that has gone down to 10,000 in 2013 from 1.7 lakhs in 2010. Kumar on Wednesday expressed his optimism that the effort to eliminate Malaria and other vector borne diseases can be achieved if a concerted effort is made by all stakeholders. (UNI)