Assam govt hikes DA to 113 pc from Jan, 2015
Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday increased the dearness allowances for its employees and pensioners by six percentage points with effect from January 1 this year. According to an official release, the beneficiaries’ DA will go up to 113 per cent from 107 per cent earlier. (PTI)
Gogoi rebuffs Rathore’s reported remark
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has rebuffed Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s reported remark that the Chief Minister was conspicuous by his absence at the launching programme of three Central Government schemes in Guwahati. The Chief Minister clarified on the reported remark in the media saying that he did not receive any letter requesting him to be present at the launch programme, a government release said today. Moreover, as per protocol the Chief Minister is required to be present at any programme when the Prime Minister visits the State, the release said. Stating the Chief Secretary represented the State Government in the programme, Gogoi asserted that his government is all for extending cooperation between the Centre and State in the interest of people. (PTI)
Construction worker drowns
Haflong (Assam): A construction worker, engaged in the Mahasadak construction work, drowned in a lake in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, police said on Monday. The worker had allegedly gone to the lake at Mahur last evening and was missing since then and his body was recovered today, they said. The person has been identified as Thangkrom Tolar of Sarhoarn village, the sources added. (PTI)
Man killed by wild elephant
Haflong: A man was killed by a wild elephant in a jungle under Diyungmukh police station in Dima Hasao district of Assam, police said on Monday. The man was attacked and killed on the spot by the injured elephant yesterday when he had gone into the jungle, they said. The body of the man, identified as Prodhan Langthasa (50) from Probodisa village under Diyungbra block, was found in the jungle with the help of forest officials and villagers, police said. The injured elephant was spotted near the site of the incident. (PTI)
Two UPLA militants arrested
Silchar: Two militants of the United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA) were arrested from Malidahar village in central Assam’s Cachar district, police said on Monday. The two ultras had last night come for taking water to the house of the village’s headman who informed the police about the presence of the duo in the village near Badarpur-Jowai Highway No 6, they said. Police raided the area and arrested both the extremists who were from Diphu area of Karbi Anglong district. (PTI)
Lightning kills two in Tripura
Agartala: A school student and a woman were killed and five other people injured in lightning strikes in Tripura, official said here on Monday. Alani Tripura, 12, a Class 6 student, and Sharmistha Debbarma, 42, were killed on the spot when lightnings struck them on Sunday in Longtharai Valley of the northern Tripura and Kalyanpur in western Tripura respectively. An official of the disaster management centre here said several people were also injured in the lightning. Rain, accompanied by high velocity winds, lightning and thunder, has been lashing Tripura since Sunday, damaging crops and uprooting electric poles and trees. Though the four-month-long (June-September) monsoon will hit the northeastern region next month, due to seasonal Nor’wester (cyclonic rainstorm) spells of rains and cyclones have been occurring intermittently since last month in most parts of the northeastern region comprising eight states, including Sikkim. Meteorological department director Dilip Saha told IANS: “The Nor’wester would continue till the onset of monsoon next month. The recurring Nor’wester is now active in entire eastern and northeast India and few other places in the country.” (IANS)