Govt assures MUDRA loans for Manipur’s food processing units
Imphal: Union Minister of State for Food Processing Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on assured the people of Manipur of providing MUDRA bank loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh for food processing units without producing any guarantor or mortgaging any property. The Mega Food Park coming up in Imphal, would provide better opportunities to the farmers of the state, the Minister said at a press conference here. The central government has no financial problems to invest in starting projects, which would provide job opportunities to the unemployed youth of Manipur, she said. The Centre has recently launched the MUDRA(Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) bank to provide easy loans to the unemployed youth, which would come in handy for empowering the women of Manipur, she said. For this scheme, cards would be distributed from September 25 to October 2, the Minister added. Regarding the food processing industry in Manipur, the Union Minister said the state was entitled to establish 26 food processing units, but right now has only two functioning units – one for drinking water and the other for flour. She also visited the upcoming Mega Food Park with state government officials. (PTI)
Teachers’ stir: Classes at 49 Nagaland Govt schools hit
Kohima: Normal functioning of 49 government schools in the state has been affected as the Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association has been boycotting classes since August 21 last protesting against non-payment of salaries for the last six months. Addressing a press conference here today, Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Teachers’ Association president Thejazelie said the state Department of School Education started delaying payment of salaries since December 2014, while the payment of pending salaries for three months was done in March this year. Since then the Department has not released salaries, which has now has accumulated for six months, said Thejazelie. He said despite facing financial hardships, 194 RMSA teachers in the state have been waiting for release of their pending salaries and even approached the authorities of the Department including the Director, Commissioner, Secretary and the Minister since the month of June. But, other than false assurances of early release of pending salaries, nothing has been done, he alleged. The Association members then started to boycott classes in 49 government schools affecting the functioning of 44 Government High Schools, two Government Higher Secondary Schools ad three Government Middle Schools. He said unless the entire pending salary was released, the members would continue with their agitation. The Association also said they have been told that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has not released their salaries as the state government was unable to submit the utilisation certificate against the funds released last year under the RMSA. (PTI)
‘Banning meat retrogressive step’
Guwahati: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said the ban on sale of meat by some states is a retrogressive step as it violates the rights of the people to eat whatever food they like. In a statement here last evening, Gogoi said the ban on sale of meat is a retrogressive step as it curbs the rights of the people to enjoy whatever food they prefer and that the State Government would not put a ban on sale of meat in any form. “The people have the right to choose the food they prefer to eat. Putting a ban on meat violates the rights of the people. Our Government will not impose any ban on sale of meat in any form,” Gogoi said. (UNI)
NDFB(S) militant held in Assam
Guwahati: An NDFB(S) militant, who was allegedly involved in the Adivasi massacre in December last year, was arrested with arms and ammunition in Assam’s Chirang district, police said on Monday. The militant was caught from an area under Dhaligaon police station near Aie river late last night, IGP L R Bishnoi told PTI. The extremist, identified as Thopsa Narzary (28), was involved in the killing of nearly 80 Adivasis on December 23 last year and several kidnapping cases, the IGP said. (PTI)
